"We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." First Article of Faith
I believe in God, an all-powerful, all-knowing perfect Being that exists. I believe that God has revealed some things about Himself that are important for me to know. Chief among these is that God is our loving Heavenly Father. These four words, our loving Heavenly Father, say a lot to me.
Our. God is everyone's Heavenly Father, yours and mine, whether we accept Him or not. God is inclusive; nobody is left out. "All are alike unto God" (2 Nephi 26:33). Because I know this, I know that I am included in the family of God.
Loving. God is loving. Some people may view God as angry or indifferent or callous. Not me. He loves me, He cares about me, He knows me, He thinks about me, and He wants me to be happy.
Heavenly. God is in heaven and is the supreme Ruler there. He is perfect in every way. He has none of our human weaknesses. He sees things from an eternal and heavenly perspective. I can trust God fully, that He knows best and has prepared a way for my lasting happiness.
Father. God is a Father. We know that He is the Father of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is also the spiritual Father of all people. Jesus Himself taught this when He said, "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." (John 20:17). When I think of God as a Father, I think of Him as a perfect father. He knows me personally, and He is interested in my well-being. He weeps with me over my heartaches and failures, and He rejoices with me in my successes. He wants to be close to me; He wants a personal relationship with me. He invites me to get to know Him and to emulate His perfect character.
When I realize that God is my loving Heavenly Father, my love for Him swells within me and I desire to be obedient to Him and to love and serve His other children, my brothers and sisters.
Because God is my loving Heavenly Father, He feels a deep responsibility for my eternal welfare. He has not and will not leave me alone to fail. He is involved in my life. He has a plan for my lasting happiness, and Jesus Christ is central to that plan.
Learn more about how Jesus Christ is central to God's plan of happiness at mormon.org.
"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." Mosiah 2:17
The phone rang last night about 8:45. It's my friend Martin asking me if I had time tomorrow, Monday morning, to help a person move. Yes, I do. Monday is a holiday from work. My only plans for the morning were to sleep in and take it easy. But I have learned to say yes to opportunities to help another person.
Mormons are well-known for giving service. and having been a Mormon since my conversion in my youth, I have had many service opportunities. Sometimes, especially when I was young, I served grudgingly. But I come away from every service project feeling good about myself and the work we have accomplished. While many tend to think of helping others in terms of what it does for the other person, at the end of the day I can't help but think I got the better end of the deal.
A few months ago I was asked to help clean out a drainage ditch at a camp. I'm not a manual laborer by trade, and so this is going a bit out of my comfort zone. I got my gloves, boots, and shovel and showed up where about 20 other men from church were gathered for the same purpose early on a Saturday morning. The ditch was long, the dirt was deep and wet, and it was hard work for about 3 hours. Yet it was one of the most enjoyable 3 hours I had in a long time. Working shoulder to shoulder, we enjoyed friendly banter as we discovered how much we enjoy our day jobs. The camp caretaker was abundant in his gratitude. When it was over, we had a deep sense of satisfaction in a job well done and of a stronger brotherhood with each other. Each of us came away with the feeling that we should do another project like this, but give us time for our sore muscles to heal first.
Today's move was easy. Nine of us showed up. We were moving the few possessions of a single woman, nothing too heavy or bulky. We were done in about 90 minutes. Again I felt good working together with my friends to help someone in need, someone I barely know. It's not that I contributed that much. The job would have gotten done without me. I feel that I benefited as much in giving the service as the person who received it.
Learn more about giving Christian service at mormon.org.
"Of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith said, 'a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.'" mormon.org
I am happiest when I feel near to God. That is when I feel good about myself and my circumstances. Being near to God leads me to treat others with kindness and respect. The Book of Mormon brings me nearer to God than any other book I know of.
I have many self-help books that claim that I will find happiness by losing weight, increasing self-esteem, learning to think big. They offer good advice, and the authors have helped many people. The book that has made me happiest is the Book of Mormon because it draws me nearer to God. The Book of Mormon is the world's best self-help book!
Joseph Smith said that a person "would get nearer to God by abiding by [the Book of Mormon's] precepts, than by any other book." A precept is "a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought". The Book of Mormon is full of precepts that bring me closer to God. It encourages me to have faith, to pray, and to help other people. Following the precepts in the Book of Mormon brings me closer to God and brings me happiness. It is the best self-help book in my library!
Find out more about God's plan of happiness at mormon.org.
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."
8th Article of Faith
One of the unique features of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is The Book of Mormon. I believe the Holy Bible to be the word of God, and I also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. Can these two books both be the word of God? Yes, because they come from the same Author, Jesus Christ.
When I read the Book of Mormon, I feel good. My faith in God is increased as I see His miraculous power displayed in the lives of the ancient peoples of the Book of Mormon. My hope for salvation increases as I learn of God's plan of happiness for me through the pages of the Book of Mormon. My love of God grows as I realize that He has prepared this book for me as tangible evidence of the restoration of the gospel. Reading the Book of Mormon makes me a better person by making me a better follower of Jesus Christ.
You don't need to take my word for it. Discover the Book of Mormon for yourself at mormon.org.
