why i love being a mormon

today i had a song that i learned as a child stuck in my head. it goes like this:
"i belong to the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints. i know who i am. i know god’s plan. i’ll follow him in faith. i believe in the saviour jesus christ. i’ll follow his name. i’ll do what is right, i’ll follow his light. his truth i will proclaim!”

every time i think of those verses i am struck with a hollowing gratitude for my faith. and when i meet people and they realize i am a mormon, i look them dead in the eye and say with all the fire i can muster, “i love being a mormon. it is the best thing in my life.” i am passionate about a lot of things, but there is nothing i am more passionate about than the restored gospel of jesus christ.

dec 11 009
here are a few reasons why i love being a member of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints (certainly not a complete or exhaustive list): may it be noted that i know people of all faiths and no faith find these blessings in many other ways and not all of these are only applicable in connection with my religion.

1. i really and deeply feel that i have found truth, that i have found answers to the most earnest human questions of the heart. i understand my purpose in life, i have great hope for the future and the life to come, i know where i came from and who i am and who god is and that there’s a plan to all the craziness of mortality. i have peace in my heart because i am confident that all that is wrong and unfair about the world will be made right. with all my soul i believe that because of jesus christ i (and anyone) can be healed from any hurt and any mistake can be righted. i understand god’s plan, and this helps life to make sense even when it makes no sense. what i’m ultimately saying here is that being an active member of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints brings me immeasurable and real peace, hope and joy.

2. being a member of the church of jesus christ offers a wonderful sense of belonging to an incredible, worldwide community. i have been to mormon church services in many corners of the world, and always i am welcomed with open arms, familiar doctrines, and the feeling of the spirit of god. the church is united across the globe, and it is truly amazing to be a part of the millions who share the same beliefs and standards. and, anywhere i move, i have an instant community … friends, people watching out for me, resources to find help that i need. i would feel absolutely comfortable moving any place in the wide world because i know there i would find a church family, companionship, brotherhood and sisterhood with fellow mormons. the community i have here in san francisco, and have had everywhere i’ve lived, has been a tremendous blessing to me, from finding housing to borrowing a truck to receiving emotional and spiritual support in times of need. the community of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints is phenomenal.

3. i love the traditions in the church – things like gathering with family and/or friends to watch broadcasts of general conference, going to “girls’ camp” as a group of young women, the little children putting on a program in sacrament meeting (our main sunday meeting), gathering as women of relief society to discuss books or share talents, spending time together at weekly family home evenings. there are sacred traditions as well, what we call ordinances, like baptism and partaking of the sacrament. these all add to the sense of community and culture and also just make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. i love looking forward to church things that are weekly or yearly. i love the righteous and wonderful traditions of the church.

4. the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints is all about service. no one is paid in the church, not bishops or teachers or even the prophet. we each have jobs in the church; we all sacrifice our time and energy to serve each other, and that is a beautiful thing. there is an attitude of willing service, of generosity and unexpectant brotherly love in the church that i believe is unrivaled. my family and i have been helped and blessed countless times and in countless ways through church programs and members. and i have had the opportunity to serve others in many capacities. i am so grateful for that. i have found great joy in fulfilling church responsibilities, in helping others in my congregations and reaching out together to the community, in supporting church programs and in learning how to be more selfless through service. the humanitarian efforts of the church to those of all faiths is gigantic, and i am proud to make monetary and other donations to such service.

5. my membership in the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints has given me a sense of security in my life. i believe with all my heart that commandments from god are advice from a loving father who happens to know everything. that advice is so valuable! i know that god has called a prophet who lives on the earth today and acts as god’s mouthpiece. god is speaking! and he is telling us how to be happy, healthy, and safe. i feel so much peace and security from keeping the commandments. i’ve never thought of them as rigid rules that constrain me – they are loving pieces of advice that keep me safe and free navigating all the beauties and vices of modern-day life.

6. additionally, i feel a strong sense of personal guidance thanks to my membership in the church. after i was baptized, i received the gift of the holy ghost, and i absolutely believe that the spirit of god guides me day-to-day and when making big decisions. in addition to the general guidance i get as a member of the church (like mentioned above), i feel that god guides me specifically and personally, and i can recognize that guidance and its origin and feel watched over and directed as i make choices in this crazy world.

7. speaking of this crazy world, the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints provides me with peaceful places and situations to escape the madness of life and society and meditate. when i go to the temple, i literally feel that i leave all the stresses and noises and distractions of the world behind and there i can see inside myself and commune with god. there is the heaviest peace in the temple, and it is so very good for my soul. additionally, at church every single sunday i can take a respite from all the busyness and focus on becoming a better human being and doing what is right for me and others. i love these much-needed breaks from the world, which give me fuel to live the best i can, to live passionately, to live calmly and to live gladly.

7. because i am a member of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints, i got to have the experience of being a full-time missionary. the mission was the most valuable experience i have had in my life, taught me a million trillion beautiful things, strengthened my character in countless ways, and expanded my heart many, many sizes. i will forever be grateful for those sacred eighteen months. yes, the mission is one reason i love being a mormon.

8. i feel that being a member of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints helps me to keenly understand what is most important. the church is incredibly family-focused and i am grateful for that reminder and emphasis. i feel that i have a really healthy perspective because of what i have learned in the church, and that helps me to be optimistic. i really do think that being a mormon helps me to be happy loving life, to be dripping with passion.

and on and on - the book of mormon as a miracle and a huge source of inspiration, knowledge about communication with god through prayer, quirky things like "linger longers," funny cultural tidbids and a trillion acronyms, hymns and children's songs that get stuck in my head, incredibly inspiring prophets and apostles, spiritual connections that help put the puzzles of life and history together, etc, etc, etc.

yes, being a mormon is pretty groovy. if you can’t tell, i can really gush about this stuff – we’re only scratching the surface folks. i’m forever grateful for the church and gospel in my life. i love it so dang much that i can’t help sharing it with others – how could i keep all this to myself?!

Comments

  1. Couldn't have put it better myself sista!! You're the best.

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  2. I love that you said "so dang much" at the end. Cam is so excited about the bey blades photos you sent. what a great aunt.

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  3. Charity I loved that post. And am happy I found your link on facebook.

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  4. I found your post on facebook too. I'm so happy for you are a great example of faith. 1 thing I wanted to mention though, is that the prophet and apostles, including the 70 are provided with money to subsidize their needs. So in fact they are paid but not like it's a career choice or anything like that. Just wanted to give you aheads up before someone off another faith does! thanks again for posting this!

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  5. Thank you for sharing that, Charity. It was wonderful to read. I suppose that we have very different spiritual paths. And I struggled with trying to conform to a system which ultimately didn't/doesn't work for me - but at the same time, I come to a personal place of reconciliation and am able to embrace the beautiful lessons that Mormonism/The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has taught me. You guys have loads more in common with The Quakers than is at first apparent, which is interesting. Sending love. Paula. xxx

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  6. Loved your post, girlfriend! I couldn't have said it any better. You are such an example! When you quoted that primary song, it reminded me of a time growing up when we got our oil changed and when the mechanic turned the car on to move it inside the shop, the words "We Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ" chimed on the stereo (we had been listening to the primary song CD and had forgotten to turn it off!). Ah, great memory. :) Love ya!

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  7. great stuff char. love you so much. and I love being a mormon too.

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  8. Love it Char! Love how you express yourself. Love being Mormon too and love YOU!

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  9. im soooooooooooooo excited to go over there 4 thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i just cant wait!!!

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  10. Hi, Charity! I loved reading this!

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  11. You're contagious! Thanks for the beautiful post, as always!! xoxo

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  12. I absolutely love this, what a great post. I'm so happy I found your blog!

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  13. you're such fun to read - your passion is appealing - but what do you make of this? (especially 3:45 onward)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEMmEF54H68

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  14. Thank you for providing a little bit more information about the Mormon faith. In "investigating" the Mormon church it is easy to see its priorities. There is nothing here about Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. I am trying to find a church where HE is the focus. *not Mormon, breaks from the world, and perspective.

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  15. anonymous...

    i am so saddened by your comment!

    the center of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints is jesus christ. that's why it's called the church of jesus christ (not the church of mormon)! while i certainly could have included more information about how my faith is absolutely CENTERED in jesus christ in this post (and wish i would have), please believe me when i say that any and all point i make about the church ties back to HIM. jesus christ is unequivocally the CENTER and FOCUS of my faith, and of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints.

    i love this quote from joseph smith: "The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it."

    i'll have to post again about how all these things are absolutely CENTERED in jesus christ. i dearly hope that you can see that FOCUS in the church as you continue your search for truth.

    warmly,
    charity

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  16. I am happy about your post and I had prayed to the Lord and he has guided my way through scripture through the Bible I also noticed that the evil forces were trying to hold me back from going into the church it those but that wont stop me. I received a Divine gift to write and I'm writing a Book now the Lord want me in a church I 'm already close with the Lord going in I cannot stand being open in Society with all that is bad but find peace with people that are with Christ ..! :))

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  18. I realize I'm commenting back on a post from long ago, but I decided to read your "about" section of your blog and ended up here. I hope you read this. I am not a mormon, but I love everything you have to say about mormonism and your beliefs. I truly enjoy reading about all of it, and while I am not mormon myself, I do value and hold high a majority of the same sentiments, feelings and values, and so it is a good reminder for me, and inspiration!. A thing I admire most about you is your ability to earnestly believe what you believe, but not discount or belittle what others believe, or aggressively confront them. It is a sign of true character in this world we live in. So thank you Charity for always being so open to share you religion and beliefs with me, for the education on mormonism you provide me that I find so interesting, and for giving me a daily reminder of inspiration and hope when I read your blog posts :) Happy holiday season to you and your growing family, <3

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