50 We Believe
We Believe
There is continuing revelation in The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, which is the “true and living” Church. (see Doctrine
and Covenants 1:30)
“We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now
reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things
pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
For Kids
I believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The
Articles of Faith
Find some hymns to read and sing that teach the truths found
in the Articles
of Faith.
The Articles of Faith contain foundational truths of the
restored gospel.
The
Articles of Faith
Take some time to clarify in your own mind the truths that
are found in the Articles of Faith. How has your understanding of this
catechism helped you in developing your relationship with Heavenly Father and
Jesus, and in your understanding of scripture?
The
Doctrines and Principles Contained in the Articles of Faith
Chapter 38:
The Wentworth Letter
For Kids
The Lord guides His Church through His prophet.
Articles
of Faith 1:9; Official
Declarations 1 and 2
Articles
of Faith 1:9 Talk about our new prophet, or a new Bishop? How were they
called to serve in the Church?
9 We believe all that God has revealed, all
that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many
great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
Why is it important for us to have prophets today, as well
as the ones we read about in the Bible and The Book of Mormon: Another
Testament of Jeus Christ?
Talk about some of the things our current prophet has
taught.
Acts
10:34–35
34 ¶ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said,
Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35 But in every nation he
that feareth him, and worketh righteousness,
is accepted with him.
(Matches Official Declaration 2)
27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken
to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have
save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
28 For I, the Lord God, delight in
the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination
before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.
29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my
commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for
their sakes.
30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise
up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall
hearken unto these things.
(Matches Official Declaration 1)
Which scripture relates to Official
Declaration 1 (which led to the end of plural marriage) and which
relates to Official
Declaration 2 (which announced that priesthood ordination and
temple ordinances are available to people of all races).
I am thankful to know that God has always spoken to His
prophets.
The Church of Jesus Christ is guided by revelation.
Articles
of Faith 1:9; Official
Declarations 1 and 2
Articles
of Faith 1:9 Since the beginning of the Restoration, God has revealed many
things to His prophet and to the saints. This has been an ongoing restoration
with continuing revelation. We not that many great and important things
pertaining to the Kingdom of God will continue to be revealed to His people,
according to their faithfulness and obedience in following the light that they
have already received. (If we would develop faith like unto the Brother of
Jared, we could each individually have all things revealed unto us.)
As you read Official
Declarations 1 and 2,
pay attention to those things which support the principle of continuing
revelation. Think about how these revelations have influenced you personally. How
has the work of the Lord been moved forward?
How is the Lord guiding His Church and strengthening your
understanding through the revelations that are being given through His prophets?
You could choose to review the prophet’s most recent message. Express you
gratitude for having a prophet on the earth today.
Amos
3:7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto
his servants the prophets.
2 Nephi
28:30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of
men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a
little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear
unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I
will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them
shall be taken away even that which they have.
A
Living Prophet for the Latter Days
We
Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
For Kids
Prophets help us know the will of Heavenly Father.
Official
Declarations 1 and 2
Read some ancient scripture as a foundation for why the Lord
revealed Official Declarations.
The work of God must move forward.
Official
Declaration 1
Reason are given by the prophet, President Wilford Woodruff
for the reasons why it was it was the Lord’s will for the practice of polygamy
to be stopped. See the “Excerpts from Three Addresses by President Wilford
Woodruff regarding the Manifesto” at the close of Declaration 1.
More historical information can be found here:
Saints, 2:602–15; The
Messenger and the Manifesto; and Plural
Marriage and Families in Early Utah
I can trust in the Lord, even when I do not have a
perfect understanding.
Official
Declaration 2
The title of this section is an important one. We do not
need a full understanding to trust in the Lord. He has never led us astray. I
know that He has also sought me safety and happiness, progress and joy. We have
the assurance that He will never lead the members of His Church astray by His
prophets. If we do not have that assurance, we need to be more humble and
obedient and seek it. We need to practice not speaking evil of the Lord’s
anointed, and we need to practice praying more and submitting more to the will
of the Lord.
None of us know better what the Lord wants for us as a people and for the
progress of the Church that the Lord’s own mouthpiece. We cannot compare one time
to another or one prophet to another in to look for faults. We need to continue
to practice the doctrine of Christ and seek to become a Zion people.
Different reasons, whether they’ve been speculative or
whether we do not have enough recorded information, have been given as to why
the black race was not allowed to hold the priesthood in the Lord’s Church in these
last days, have been given. We shouldn’t become unduly concerned for not having
that information at present, with the understanding and gratitude that the Lord
revealed His will for all worthy male members of His Church to now be given the
privilege of holding offices in the Priesthood of God.
We should not condemn past prophets or question current
revelation as happening just because of cultural necessity. We should be able
to understand and have faith that God does speak to His prophets, and that by
the power of the Holy Ghost we can also know the truth of the revelations that
have been given.
Proverbs
3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean
not unto thine own understanding.
I am thankful for those Black members who were faithful
before Declaration 2 was given. They are a powerful testament to worthiness,
patience, faith, and trust. I am thankful for those who received the news of full
Priesthood privileges being extended to all faithful saints. And I am thankful for
those who speak with faith and testimony about revealed truths.
I remember the day that this announcement was made over radio and news. It was
a glorious revelation and a happy exciting time. I felt to rejoice. I still do.
(Not everyone did.)
This makes me take pause to my discomfort with changes that have
been made in the presentation of the temple endowment. They are not allows
comfortable for me. And many times they haven’t felt like a preferred way, and
I have questioned why. Some of the things have felt like a loss of privilege in
unity and testimony. But, I do believe we have prophets, and I am on shaky
ground when I think that what the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve
have approved modifications in wording or presentation are wrong. I just need
to trust that sometimes the old ways and the new ways can both be right and
correct.
We all need to remember that we are not privy to everything,
but that we are blessed to have the Gift of the Holy Ghost and that we can
always seek the Lord’s help in receiving comfort, reassurance, peace,
direction, and understanding.
Here are some of the testimonies from early Black members in
the Church:
- “Jane
Elizabeth Manning James”
- “In
My Father’s House Are Many Mansions” (story of Green Flake)
- “You
Have Come at Last” (story of Anthony Obinna)
- “Break
the Soil of Bitterness” (story of Julia Mavimbela)
- “I
Will Take It in Faith” (story of George Rickford)
- “Long-Promised
Day” (story of Joseph W. B. Johnson)
What do you learn about the Lord’s process for guiding the
policies of His Church in Official
Declaration 2?
2 Nephi
26:33 For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that
which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain
unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto
him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that
come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female;
and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and
Gentile.
Witnessing
the Faithfulness
Race
and the Priesthood
A
Personal Essay on Race and the Priesthood
history.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
BeOne.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The Power of Ministering to the One: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/10/44johnson?lang=eng
It’s OK to say “I don’t know. While you
should try your best to help the people you teach to answer their questions
about the gospel, the Lord doesn’t expect you to know everything. When you
don’t know how to answer something, admit it. Then point learners to revealed
doctrine, and bear sincere testimony of what you do know.
1. Nature of Godhead.
2. Individual Responsibility
3. Salvation is open to all, because of the Atonement of
Jesus Christ.
4. The Doctrine of Christ.
5. The proper [ priesthool] order of receiving callings in
Christ's Church.
6. Christ's true Church is on earth again.
7. Gifts of the Spirit.
8. God's word is found in both the Bible and the Book of
Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
9. We believe in continuing revelation. The heavens are
open.
10. The gathering of Israel is taking place on earth and in
the Spirit World, in preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
11. Freedom to practice religion.
12. Law-abiding citizens.
13. Disciples of Jesus Christ.
The Bible and the Book of Mormon teach that monogamy is
God’s standard for marriage unless He declares otherwise (see 2 Samuel
12:7–8 and Jacob
2:27, 30). Following a revelation to Joseph Smith, the practice of
plural marriage was instituted among Church members in the early 1840s
(see section 132).
From the 1860s to the 1880s, the United States government passed laws to make
this religious practice illegal. These laws were eventually upheld by the U.S.
Supreme Court. After receiving revelation, President Wilford Woodruff issued
the following Manifesto, which was accepted by the Church as authoritative and
binding on October 6, 1890. This led to the end of the practice of plural
marriage in the Church.
The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as
President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is
not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out
of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of
men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty. (Sixty-first Semiannual
General Conference of the Church, Monday, October 6, 1890, Salt Lake City,
Utah. Reported in Deseret Evening News, October 11, 1890,
p. 2.)
… I saw exactly what would come to pass if there was
not something done. I have had this spirit upon me for a long time. But I want
to say this: I should have let all the temples go out of our hands; I should
have gone to prison myself, and let every other man go there, had not the God
of heaven commanded me to do what I did do; and when the hour came that I was
commanded to do that, it was all clear to me. I went before the Lord, and I
wrote what the Lord told me to write. …
I leave this with you, for you to contemplate and consider.
The Lord is at work with us. (Cache Stake Conference, Logan, Utah, Sunday,
November 1, 1891. Reported in Deseret Weekly, November 14,
1891.)
Now I will tell you what was manifested to me and what the
Son of God performed in this thing. … All these things would have come to pass,
as God Almighty lives, had not that Manifesto been given. Therefore, the Son of
God felt disposed to have that thing presented to the Church and to the world
for purposes in his own mind. The Lord had decreed the establishment of Zion.
He had decreed the finishing of this temple. He had decreed that the salvation
of the living and the dead should be given in these valleys of the mountains.
And Almighty God decreed that the Devil should not thwart it. If you can
understand that, that is a key to it. (From a discourse at the sixth session of
the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple, April 1893. Typescript of Dedicatory
Services, Archives, Church Historical Department, Salt Lake City, Utah.)
The Book of Mormon teaches that “all are alike unto God,”
including “black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi
26:33). Throughout the history of the Church, people of every race
and ethnicity in many countries have been baptized and have lived as faithful
members of the Church. During Joseph Smith’s lifetime, a few black male members
of the Church were ordained to the priesthood. Early in its history, Church
leaders stopped conferring the priesthood on black males of African descent.
Church records offer no clear insights into the origins of this practice.
Church leaders believed that a revelation from God was needed to alter this
practice and prayerfully sought guidance. The revelation came to Church
President Spencer W. Kimball and was affirmed to other Church leaders in
the Salt Lake Temple on June 1, 1978. The revelation removed all restrictions
with regard to race that once applied to the priesthood.
We declare with soberness that the Lord has now made known
his will for the blessing of all his children throughout the earth who will
hearken to the voice of his authorized servants, and prepare themselves to
receive every blessing of the gospel.
I was overjoyed in June 1978, when we learned that the
Priesthood was open to all worthy male members of the Church! Scott and I were
taking a bus to go to Lagoon that day, and we stopped in the mall to see his mom
Rosalyn. She told us about the announcement. It was thrilling.
On September 30, 1978, at the 148th Semiannual General
Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it was presented
to the Church membership, so that we could all add our sustaining vote. What a
sacred blessing.
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