Hello,
I am a Mormon (LDS). I love Christ and know he is my savior and redeemer. I know god lives and he is almighty. You are right. Our view of Christ and god is VERY Different. But that does not mean we don't believe in Christ. Our entire religion resolves around Christ. Christ is our savior of our souls, the lamb of god, the prince of peace. He saves us all through his atonement on the conditions of repentance and following his commandments.
I am 18 years old about to go on a mission for the Mormons. I have seen much of the world, I have many friends not of my faith, we support and build each other. I never shove my beliefs down their throat. When they ask I will answer. Sometimes I am scared to share my beliefs because of rejection or being made fun of.
But in truth, I have prayed and I have gained a testimony that I know what you are about to read is true and i believe it. Please no negative comments because this is very close to me. As for dating a Mormon, ask all the questions you want many things will be cleared up, and you'll find that there is nothing terrible and evil in us. We are normal people who love normal things. We have strict laws (no drinking, sex before marriage, etc.) because we believe in modern day prophets.
We do respect and value many truths in other religions. If a mormon is rude or a hypocrite, is because they are sinning and not following what our gospel teaches. I am sorry if this ever happens to you. No man is ever perfect. That is why we come here to earth, to be tested and tried, to see if we can repent and come unto christ. As for your friend, If she doubts many of the beliefs, still ask her the questions, see how well she can answer them. If I am correct, she has been raised in the church? If she has she should be able to answer each question. (As long as she is honest in what she says) Don't make your friend feel embarrassed or bad, make it really cool and smooth, but to the point. It is really hard to say what your religion is sometimes to some people.
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Here is the spill by spill of what we believe feel free to ask any questions: (I have left references to some scriptures in the Book of Mormon of our teachings. Feel free to ask your friend if you need them, If she is your friend, she should be happy to give them to you, if she refuses, try to find them somewhere else.)(the scripture references I left are online. you need to scroll down and see the highlighted text to find the appropriate verse)
This is a sharing of our beliefs, I am not asking anyone here to believe. Just for some education. I personally know that this is true. I know it with all my heart.
Mormon doctrine is based on what we call the plan of salvation.
We are participants in Heavenly Father's plan, and our eternal experience can be divided into three main parts: premortal life, mortal life, and life after death. As we come to understand the plan, we find answers to questions asked by so many: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where do we go after this life?
Premortal Life
Before we were born on the earth, we lived in the presence of our Heavenly Father as one of His spirit children. In this premortal existence, we attended a council with Heavenly Father's other spirit children. At that council, Heavenly Father presented His great plan of happiness (see
Abraham 3:22–26).
In harmony with the plan of happiness, the premortal Jesus Christ, the Firstborn Son of the Father in the spirit, covenanted to be the Savior (see
Moses 4:2;
Abraham 3:27). Those who followed Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ were permitted to come to the earth to experience mortality and progress toward eternal life. Lucifer, another spirit son of God, rebelled against the plan and "sought to destroy the agency of man" (
Moses 4:3). He became Satan, and he and his followers were cast out of heaven and denied the privileges of receiving a physical body and experiencing mortality (see
Moses 4:4;
Abraham 3:27–28).
Throughout our premortal lives, we developed our identity and increased our spiritual capabilities. Blessed with the gift of agency, we made important decisions, such as the decision to follow Heavenly Father's plan. These decisions affected our life then and now. We grew in intelligence and learned to love the truth, and we prepared to come to the earth, where we could continue to progress.
Mortal Life
We are now experiencing mortal life. Our spirits are united with our bodies, giving us opportunities to grow and develop in ways that were not possible in premortal life. This part of our existence is a time of learning in which we can prove ourselves, choose to come unto Christ, and prepare to be worthy of eternal life. It is also a time when we can help others find the truth and gain a testimony of the plan of salvation.
Life after Death
When we die, our spirits will enter the spirit world and await the resurrection. At the time of the resurrection, our spirit and body will reunite, and we will be judged and received into a kingdom of glory. The glory we inherit will depend on the depth of our conversion and our obedience to the Lord's commandments (see
Kingdoms of Glory). It will depend on the manner in which we have "received the testimony of Jesus" (
D&C 76:51; see also
D&C 76:74, 79, 101).
Blessings through Knowledge of the Plan
A testimony of the plan of salvation can give us hope and purpose as we wrestle with the challenges of life. We can find reassurance in the knowledge that we are children of God and that we lived in His presence before being born on the earth. We can find meaning in our present life, knowing that our actions during mortality influence our eternal destiny. With this knowledge, we can base important decisions on eternal truths rather than on the changing circumstances of life. We can continually improve our relationships with family members, rejoicing in the promise that our families can be eternal. We can find joy in our testimonies of the Atonement and the Lord's commandments, ordinances, covenants, and doctrines, knowing that "he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come" (
D&C 59:23).
It is not pride or thinking man is high and mightly. It is a knowledge that all of mankind have a heritage. If god created us, aren't we his children? If we are his children, wouldn't he love us just like a father loves his children?
Anyways,
Thanks for your post and best of luck. Thanks everyone for your positive comments. I hope we can learn to share beliefs with each other.
John
