Abortion - Latter-Day Saint Prophet's Words

In Teachings of Russell M. Nelson, our prophet's conviction and teachings on the topic of abortion have been compiled into one source. Here are a few of his powerful statements that ring true with my feelings toward abortion:

"A heavy toll on life is included among the evils of war. Data from all nations are appalling. . . . Regrettable as is the loss of loved ones from war, these figures are dwarfed by the toll of a new war that annually claims more casualties than the total number of fatalities from all the wars of this nation. 

"It is a war on the defenseless—and the voiceless. It is a war on the unborn. This war, labeled 'abortion,' is of epidemic proportion and is waged globally. 

"Yet society professes reverence for human life. We weep for those who die, pray and work for those whose lives are in jeopardy. For years I have labored with other doctors here and abroad, struggling to prolong life. It is impossible to describe the grief a physician feels when the life of a patient is lost. Can anyone imagine how we feel when life is destroyed at its roots, as though it were a thing of naught?

"What sense of inconsistency can allow people to grieve for their dead, yet be calloused to this baleful war being waged on life at the time of its silent development? What logic would encourage efforts to preserve the life of a critically ill twelve-week-old infant, but countenance the termination of another life twelve weeks after inception? More attention is seemingly focused on the fate of a life at some penitentiary’s death row than on the millions totally deprived of life’s opportunity through such odious carnage before birth... 

"[One] contention raised [regarding abortion] is that a woman is free to choose what she does with her own body. To a certain extent this is true for all of us. We are free to think. We are free to plan. And then we are free to do. But once an action has been taken, we are never free from its consequences. Those considering abortion have already exercised certain choices...

"The woman’s choice for her own body does not validate choice for the body of another. The expression 'terminate the pregnancy' applies literally only to the woman. The consequence of terminating the fetus therein involves the body and very life of another. These two individuals have separate brains, separate hearts, and separate circulatory systems. To pretend that there is no child and no life there is to deny reality."

Mormon Garments

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/temple-garments

Many people have wondered for years why Mormons wear garments and this is a simple answer, straight from the church that explains it in a super simple way. I have always been grateful for the reminder the garments are for me of the promises I've made with the Lord. Check out the link and see what you think.

Mormonizing America

This is an article I find really interesting about how the church is growing, and what kind of a difference we are making.  
Here are two of my favorite paragraphs about the "Mormon Machine" by Stephen Mansfield

"What the Saints had achieved in the United States was what Mormonism, unfettered and well led, will nearly always produce. This was the real story behind the much-touted "Mormon Moment." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had risen to unexpected heights in American society because the Mormon religion creates what can benevolently be called a Mormon Machine-- a system of individual empowerment, family investment, local church (ward and stake level) leadership, priesthood government, prophetic enduement, Temple sacraments, and sacrificial financial endowment of the holy Mormon cause.

Plant Mormonism in any country on earth and pretty much the same results will occur. If successful, it will produce deeply moral individuals who serve a religious vision centered upon achievement in this life. They will aggressively pursue the most advanced education possible, understand their lives in terms of overcoming obstacles, and eagerly serve the surrounding society. The family will be of supernatural importance to them, as will planning and investing for future generations. They will be devoted to community, store and save as a hedge against future hardship, and they will esteem work as a religious calling. They will submit to civil government and hope to take positions within it. They will have advantages in this. Their beliefs and their lives in all-encompassing community will condition them to thrive in administrative systems and hierarchies."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-mansfield/the-mormonizing-of-americ_b_2083125.html

Mormons And The Grace Of Christ

This is one of the best explanations about the grace of Christ and how it affects us that I have ever seen or heard. He is talking to members of the church, and jokes around a little bit, but if you watch the video I think you will have an understanding of how we do or should view grace, despite the many times we mess up.

Mormons, Blacks and the Priesthood of God

Before jumping into this blog I want everyone to understand that I can't speak for the church's official position on this issue, nor do I know much of what the Prophet and other leaders do in regards to this subject matter, but I do have my personal views of why I think black men were not given the priesthood until 1978.

The first thing you need to understand is what the priesthood is. We believe that the Priesthood is the same power that God uses to create and govern the universe. It is this same power that he delegates to men to act in his name for the salvation of men. This authority is used to preach the gospel and to perform the ordinances (sacred acts like baptism) to bring others unto Christ. So in understanding how this power relates to the issue of Black men obtaining the priesthood we need to realize that the priesthood is given to men so they can bless the lives of others, it is not for their own benefit other than the blessings obtained by serving others and living worthy of it. The priesthood organization is a system of service.

So there are 2 basic reasons why I think black men were not given the priesthood until so many years after the church had been established. The first reason is because the Lord's goal to bring to pass the eternal life of his children had to be done through his church. The church was persecuted from its humble beginnings and I really wonder what the racism that was so strong throughout the county would've done to the church had it given all men the priesthood from the beginning. The Lord always does things in his own time and bases it on the ability of his children. The same way he gave Moses the 10 commandments and then when He came taught that he had fulfilled that law and taught a higher law. Rather than just not to kill he told his disciples that they were to love their enemies. I really think that the Lord had his reasons for waiting to give all men his priesthood. It allowed the church to grow in places and ways that it wouldn't have perhaps if all men would've received that priesthood in 1830. So basically the first reason I think the priesthood was withheld from blacks was to protect His restored church.

In the same breath and for similar reasons I note again that the purpose of the priesthood is not self-serving, but rather to bless the lives of others. So in the Lord not bestowing His priesthood on Black men, it was not a punishment to them as much as it was to the people who were so hateful towards the black people in the country. The Lord has provided a way for all people to receive the ordinances they need if they don't get a chance in this life, that is a great example of his love for all men. But for so many years the world and the nation was deprived of having so many more great men able to perform the ordinances and share the gospel with the priesthood due to the fact that the people were not ready for it.

Does that seem like logical reasoning to come to those conclusions? The church nor its leaders were racist, but the it wasn't the Lords timing and the people in the world weren't ready for that blessing yet.

A Few Facts

Some facts that might help you understand Latter-day Saints include:

"First, 'Mormon' is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. Members are often referred to as 'Mormons,' 'Latter day Saints,' or'LDS.' The term 'Saint' means 'member.'

"Second, the Church was restored in 1830 in upstate New York with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president.Today it is headquartered in Salt Lake City, with President Gordon B. Hinckley as the present prophet."

"Third, there are now over 13million members in 176 countries and territories. About 6 million of these are in the United States, making us the fourth largest Christian denomination in America. As one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in the world, we complete a new chapel every working day. Members pay a tithe,which is 10 percent of their income, making this and other programs possible."

"Fourth, local congregations are led by volunteer, unpaid members. Both men and women serve in assigned leadership positions."

"And fifth, Mormons are well represented in politics and government. . . . Members also serve in high and trusted positions throughout the world in business, medicine, law, education, media, sports,and entertainment."

M. Russell Ballard, "Faith, Family, Facts, and Fruits," Ensign, Nov. 2007, 25 26

Ask A Latter-Day Saint

So go ahead, ask me.