One of my gifts of the spirit is being able to ponder. I’ve been pondering a lot lately about attacks on my faith by people who don’t know me and don’t even know they are attacking me. I’m speaking of people who attack everyone who believes what I believe, that Jesus Christ is alive and well today and that He still talks to people who are trying to find their way through this mortal life, that He loves us as much as any people who lived on this earth at any time and that He still leads and guides us through a prophet just as He did for so many others. With many others, I also believe that He meant it when He said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.” I do not believe that means He expects us to never make a mistake but rather that we are to try to become like our Heavenly Father, progressing little by little towards that lofty goal. As Paul said in the third chapter of Philippians, I am trying to live according to what I have already made a part of me, leaving behind that which I have overcome and reaching for what still lies ahead, pressing toward the mark for the prize, knowing that if there is anything I yet need to change, it will be revealed to me. (Philippians 3:12-15)
I know that Jesus is the Creator of everything. I know He is the Savior and Redeemer of mankind. I know He lived as a mortal and gave His blood -- that part of Himself that made Him mortal, that made Him like us -- so that we could become like Him. He came to live as a mortal so that He could be one of us, so He could know what we go through, so that He could teach the pure and simple gospel that provides the way to return back to our Heavenly Father. I know that Jesus lived a perfect life, never giving in to temptation, never faltering in His knowledge of the plan He was sent here to carry out. I know that He was always obedient to the Father and did His will, no matter how hard it proved to be. I know that Jesus started a church that he called Peter to lead, after He was gone, with the help of James and John and the other apostles. I know that He took the sins of all of us upon Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed with such effort that He shed drops of blood. I know He willingly died on the cross, finishing the atonement that was required so that our sins were paid for, so that we could all then be forgiven if we would just do as He said.
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” (Matthew 16:24-27)
I know that none of us can earn our way into heaven. No one can do enough good to overcome the errors he has made in order to gain entrance into the kingdom of God . There would always be a stain on us because of our failure to be perfect if not for the cleansing sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I know that because of that blood He shed for us, because He, the one perfect soul to live on this earth, paid the price of sin, we can be forgiven. I “believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved,” (Acts 14:26) and I “believe we have received grace…for obedience to the faith.” (Romans 1:5)
I know we will all be resurrected, meaning our spirits will reunite with our bodies, never to be separated again, because Jesus overcame death when He was resurrected.
“If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen, and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised, and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:13-17)
So we will be raised even as Christ was raised, when the women and apostles went to the tomb and found His body not there because He was risen. We will be raised with physical bodies, even as Christ was raised with a physical body, as He proved when He had his disciples touch His body and give Him fish and honey to eat.
I believe the Bible to be the Word of God and therefore true. I believe Jesus said “Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” (John 10:34) Perhaps He was referring to Psalms 82:6 which says, “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” We are gods in embryo because we are literally the offspring of Heavenly Father, because we have been commanded to be like Him. We will never be God. We will share in His glory. We will never have His glory.
There is a new campaign out in which random, everyday people introduce themselves and then reveal that they are Mormons. There is another campaign afoot in which people claim that Mormons are not Christians. It’s being said on TV, on the radio, in newspapers, on the Internet. Just another example of you can’t believe everything you see and hear. I’ve heard some say that a well-known celebrity who is open about being a Mormon talks like a Christian in spite of his membership in that church. Well, it’s time for me to take a stand.
I am a former missionary. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a minor in English. I am a teacher, a wife, and a mother. I have written a book on depression. I played flute until I could no longer breathe well enough due to asthma. I love to do water aerobics. I love thunderstorms. I enjoy nature, especially trees. The best times in my life are spent with my family. Sunday is my favorite day of the week. If I could live at anytime in the history of the world in any area of the world as any person who ever lived, I would be one of the women who served Jesus as He performed His earthly ministry. I am a Mormon. I am a Christian.
And I am not a Christian in spite of being Mormon. I know my religion. I study my religion. I live my religion. Perhaps my definition of Christian is different than that of others. I claim to be a Christian because I worship Jesus Christ as my Savior. I know He died for me. He paid for my sins. He was resurrected, and I know I will be too. I know that He is still very active in today’s world, and I seek to know His will so that I can do my best to make it my own. That is the Mormon teaching of Christ. Mormons are Christians. No matter how many people say otherwise.