Are Mormons Christians?

We as members do believe that we are in fact Christians. We worship the Father in the name of Christ. Our beliefs are built on a foundation, which is Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith once said "The fundamental principles of our religion is the testimony of the apostles and prophets concerning Jesus Christ, ‘that he died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended up into heaven;’ and all other things are only appendages to these, which pertain to our religion."

Many different Christian denominations don't believe that we are Christ centered faith. In recent decades, however, some have claimed that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a Christian church. The most oft-used reasons are the following:

1. Latter-day Saints do not accept the creeds, confessions, and formulations of post–New Testament Christianity.

2. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not descend through the historical line of traditional Christianity. That is, Latter-day Saints are not Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant.

3. Latter-day Saints do not believe scripture consists of the Holy Bible alone but have an expanded canon of scripture that includes the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

All of those things are true. And yet, we are a Christ centered faith.

1. What are the percentages of sacramental worship services that focus on Jesus Christ? 100%

2. There were 1.3 million worship services with the sacrament (communion) administered in Christ's name last year.

3. We members believe that the Bible is Holy scripture testifying of Christ's divinity, and the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.

The noun definition of the title "Christian" is - person who belives in Jesus Christ

The adjective definition of the title "Christian" is - belonging to a religion based on the teaching of Jesus Christ 

 Jesus Christ is mentioned 3,925 times in the Book of Mormon-a mention every 1.7 versus. Now does the LDS church sound like a Church that is not Christian? No, we don't. We believe wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Sure we may have some differential beliefs, but what Christian denomination doesn't. Nicodemus believed that if you just believe in Jesus then you will be saved. Almost all Christian denominations believe that only faith matters not works. We believe in free will to do good or evil. Most Christian churches think that free will to do good is seriously impaired. 

We all have different beliefs. And we strive to try our best to respect other beliefs. The 11th Article of Faith says, "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." 

All I will now say is this. Now that you've taken a little peek on how we actually are Christians, don't try to correct us and tell us that we are not. If you want to know if Mormons are Christians, ask a Mormon not your pastor or preacher. 

Why Do Mormons Not Drink Coffee And Tea?

Doctrine & Covenants 89:9-10 says "And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly."

"And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man."

We as Mormons believe that Coffee and Tea are harmful to the human body. Below are some items I have found on the web telling why both Coffee and Tea are harmful to the body.

Coffee

"Among the typical health claims about coffee is it decreases the risk of developing cer­tain cancers and diabetes. However, it increases your risk for stomach cancer and leu­kemia. Just like with most drugs, there are perceived benefits -- and then there are the side effects which often render the “cure” worse than the disease.

Coffee can also:

• Interfere with your body’s ability to use water, and promote fluid loss
• Raise your cholesterol
• Send your insulin levels out of control
• Contribute to rheumatoid arthritis and stroke
• Damage your blood vessels
• Increase your risk of heart disease

Coffee interferes with your body’s ability to use folate, and vitamins B12 and B6. Your body needs these nutrients in order to keep your homocysteine level in the healthy range. Elevated homocysteine levels are associated with a wide range of serious, even life-threatening conditions."

Here are 10 reasons why Coffee is harmful to the body.

1. "The caffeine in coffee increases catecholamines, your stress hormones.  The stress response elicits cortisol and increases insulin.  Insulin increases inflammation and this makes you feel lousy.
2. Habituation to caffeine decreases insulin sensitivity, making it difficult for your cells to respond appropriately to blood sugar.  High blood sugar levels lead to arterial deterioration and increased risk of mortality related to cardiovascular disease.
3. Unfiltered coffee has the highest amount of beneficial antioxidants yet also leaks the mostditerpenes into your system.  These diterpenes have been linked to higher levels of triglycerides, LDL and VLDL levels.
4. The helpful chlorogenic acids which may delay glucose absorption in the intestine have also been shown to increase homocysteine levels- an indicator for increased risk of cardiovascular disease which tends to be elevated in diabesity.
5. The acidity of coffee is associated with digestive discomfort, indigestion, heart burn, GERD and dysbiosis (imbalances in your gut flora).
6. Addiction is often an issue with coffee drinkers and makes it really difficult to rely on the body’s natural source of energy.  Ask any coffee drinker about how it feels to withdraw from coffee, and you will mistake their story for that of a drug addict’s…
7. Associative addictions trend with coffee – who doesn’t immediately think of warm, frothy sweet cream and sugar when they picture coffee?  Surely the business of coffee has inspired a culture addicted to the sugary, fatty tastes of what has become more of a meal then a drink! That morning latte is the epitome of food lacking nutrition density yet packing energy!
8. 5-HIA, an organic acid and component of the neurotransmitter serotonin ( the happy chemical) seen in the urine tends to be elevated in coffee drinkers which means they may be at risk for lower levels of serotonin synthesis in the brain.  Serotonin is necessary for normal sleep, bowel function, mood, and energy levels.  It is a vicious cycle as caffeine can disrupt sleep and promote anxiety and depression. We all know someone who tends to be tired, wired and over caffeinated!
9. Elevated urinary excretion of important minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium have been noted in coffee drinkers. An imbalance in your electrolyte status can lead to serious systemic complications.
10. Constituents in coffee can interfere with normal drug metabolism and detoxification in the liver making it difficult to regulate the normal detoxification process in the liver.  Another issue to be aware of with coffee intake is how certain medications such as levothyroxine (thyroid) as well as tricyclic antidepressants are poorly absorbed, making symptoms curiously worse for patients.

Now what… If you think you can’t cut that coffee out, think again.  I did it and now I want you to feel the same level of renewal and restoration I experienced. It’s a wise experiment to provide yourself a break from coffee intake and see what it feels like to live your life on your own fuel.  Remove coffee and caffeine safely from your system and see how authentically energized you feel!"

Here are some of the effects from drinking Tea.

Tea (Non-Herbal)

"The top ten harmful effects of Tea."

1- As per as the new study by Rutgers University scientists have found new research that tea is harmful to us as it causes chromosome damage and also fetal leukemia. This was reported by the edition of The Washington times online.

2- Tea extracts also have a compound name as phytochemicals which are in plant-derived foods that effects our biological activity in the body. This can really cause dangerous side effects into us. This was said by Joshua Lambert, the lead author of the university.

3-Tea is a big source of slowing down our digestion. Tea contains an element called ptyalin, this is a kind if digestive ferment of saliva. Tanin is responsible for this condition, but we often use milk so however it gets disappears when we do so since milk precipitates milk. But since tea delays our stomach digestion that could lead us to gas formation diarrhoea and constipation as well.

4- Tea is also a major cause for kidney disorder. Experiments have been proved that 5 cups of tea increases a persons urine by 400- 500%. This continuous process of stimulation for consuming caffeine might damage them. Tea also creates kidney stone as it contains high concentration of oxalate.

5- Tea also causes Premenstrual syndrome as people who usually drink 1- 4 cups of tea everyday as likely to have Premenstrual syndrome than the non tea drinkers. People who drink 8 cups of tea or even more have chances for Premenstrual syndrome almost 10 times.

6- Drinking to much of tea leads to incontinence which makes urgent impulse for frequent urine. As per as the recent study caffeine exerts pressure onto the bladder that leads to muscle surrounding which in returns increases the need of urinate.

7- Due to caffeine the respiratory and cardiac muscle also get stimulated leading to coronary arteries which gets diluted as a result increases into the rate of blood flow. The fastening of respiration lowers the carbon dioxide level.

8- Tea is also a source of element that can increase th toxicity in human body. People who take in large amount of tea would go through this. The younger leaves of tea lack the quantity of aluminum whereas the older tea leaves are the actual source. For avoiding this picking of the tea leaves leads to the reason.

9- Tea also leads to insomnia. This is a good source of alerting you mentally and physically too as its large amount induces to insomnia. It only effects for people who are addicted to tea. This also causes sleeping disorders that are quite common which affect the health of humans in a negative order. Researchers have proved this and has rather recommended to have less of tea in order to stay fit.

10- tea is a source of esophageal cancer as per as the study. Esophagus is a canal that links the oral cavity to your stomach and when you drink a very hot tea this canal gets damaged, as a result it leads to this disease. To avoid this a warmer tea is better to take in. If you try and follow this method of waiting thus could lead to lowering the rik of this esophageal cancer.

Why Don't Women Hold The Priesthood In The Mormon Church?

The answer to this question at its core is remarkably simple. Before I get to the answer though I would like to address something. I know that there are members and non-members of the church reading this. Some of you members may even be part of LDS feminist groups such as the Ordain Women. But all I ask from you is this, please take into consideration the information that I have put forward concerning the question stated above, thank you.

So like I said the answer to the question at its core is very simple. The answer is, women hold the 'Key' to physical birth while men hold the 'Key' to spiritual re-birth. All women have the ability and blessing to give birth. It's a sacred and spiritual blessing that our Father in Heaven has given them. The role of women is to nurture, love, guide and teach correct principles to their children. 

The role of men is to preside over their family, direct them in righteousness, love, and seek to do service for his family and his fellow man. To help the men fulfill that purpose God has given them the Priesthood Keys. Just because men have been given responsibility to hold the keys doesn't mean that they have more privileges, blessings, or power than women in the church or in spiritual things. Men aren't the priesthood, the priesthood is the power and authority of God, but men are the vessels that God has authorized to "hold" and watch over the keys of His priesthood so that they aren't misused or lost. God has said that His house is a house of order and He has designated men responsible for keeping the keys of the priesthood organized and safe so that when they are needed they will be available to all who seek them, both men and women.

Women don't lose anything because they don't "hold" the keys or administer the priesthood. They are still given the authority to participate in the same priesthood ordinances and receive the exact same blessings as the men who administer the ordinances. God has given women equal responsibilities to that of men. Although these responsibilities are not always clearly defined, like the roles of the Priesthood, the jobs of women are equally if not MORE important than the role of men. Men and women are different and God has given each different talents, gifts and responsibilities that enrich the lives of all human beings.

The world tells women that if they don't have the exact same responsibilities or opportunities as men then they are being cheated and controlled. This is just another of Satan's lies. And if any of you women here believe that you are being cheated and controlled just because you don't have the priesthood, you need to think again. Enemies of the Church often state that Latter-day Saint women are "under the thumb" of their husbands. Such descriptions are not only untrue, but are offensive to Latter-day Saint men. A proper understanding of the relationship between women and the priesthood will reveal that the Church reveres and respects womanhood and offers women every possible blessing.

Now before I end, let me go out with a bit of a bang by asking a couple simple questions. First off, where is the most spiritual part of a man's body...? Give up? The answer is the hands. The power of God comes through the hands of men. We as men give blessings by the laying on of hands, we confer the Priesthood by the laying on of hands...etc. Now let me ask another question. What is the most spiritual part of a woman's body...? This one is a bit harder, it's the womb. You as women don't realize how lucky you freaking have it, honestly. You have such a higher responsibility and such a higher calling than we do as men. One reason we have the Priesthood is so that we can be on the same level as you! The reason why the womb is the most spiritual part of a woman's body is because it is a LITERAL, PHYSICAL, DOORWAY from heaven to earth. Now just let that sink in a bit. You women who are reading this post, you are the literal physical doorways from heaven to earth. How does that make you feel? I hope it gives you a new outlook on who you are as a daughter of God. You have been trusted with one, if not the most sacred responsibility on this earth. All of you women who feel that you are being cheated because you aren't given the ability to hold the priesthood keys need to stop being so butt-hurt. You have such a higher calling than any man on this earth, and you need to realize that. 

I hope that this post has given you at least some insight on why women don't hold the priesthood. But as I stated in the first paragraph of this post, please take into consideration the information that I have presented to you. Pray about it, and ask our Eternal Father if the role of a woman is really one of the most sacred roles on this earth. Thank you for your time, please leave your comments below.

The Atonement- By Dan Williamson

My name is Daniel Williamson, I am a native to Colorado, I work in Emergency Medicine, I am married to a beautiful and amazing woman named Jamie and I am the father of two wonderful little girls, Kylie and Victoria. Together with all of these titles I hold, I have another which is most precious to me, that of a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, I am an Elder in the Church, a Returned Missionary, I am a Mormon.

I say that my membership in the Church is most precious to me, some may criticize me for saying this, stating that nothing should come before my wife and kids, to them I say that without the Gospel I would not have any of these wonderful blessings (least of all because it was at a Church Young Single Adult ward that I met my eternal companion). There are many people who would say “I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have the Gospel”; I am not among them. I know my weaknesses, I know of what evil I am quite capable and I know the consequences thereof and it is for this reason that I am so grateful for this atoning gospel.

I invite all of those who may be reading this to ponder with me both the Atonement and the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what they can do in our lives.

First, the most basic question is also the one with the most profound answer:

What is the Atonement of Jesus Christ?- To answer this question we can first break the word down to its syllables: AT/ONE/MENT. It is the Plan set forth By God to make us “At One” with Him again. In the Church we hear the word Zion many times, this means “Of one heart and one mind”, if we are to truly obtain this Zion, we must be of one heart and one mind with our Heavenly Father. To become one with Him again indicates that at some point there was a separation from Him. Let’s recount briefly, the story of Adam and Eve.

We know that they lived in paradisiacal glory with our Heavenly Father in a state of blissful happiness and immortality. We know that they were given two contradictory commandments (meaning that to keep one requires breaking the other) to multiply and replenish the Earth and to not partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. How long they remained in this state I do not know, but I do know that it was not designed to last, they did not have the knowledge required to multiply and replenish the Earth, this knowledge was to be obtained as mortals, where they may learn from their own experience the good from the evil.

Satan, in an ignorant attempt to sabotage God’s plan, tempted the couple and they did partake after being beguiled (deceived), for which they were cast out of God’s presence. Now you tell me what their sin was… Was it adultery? Murder? Fornication? Stealing? Nope, none of the above, they took a bite of a fruit that they didn’t even get to finish, and yet it was still enough to make Heavenly Father say “OUT!”. Now think back on your life, have you done anything worse than taste a piece of fruit (take this one literally) that you were told to leave well enough alone? I know I have.

Now some will say that God loves us and will remove all impurity from our lives just because. Others will say that he will allow sin no matter what and perhaps most commonly some will say “well its small” or “I do the big things, surely God will just ignore the small stuff”. These are deceptions from the devil himself, “for God cannot look upon sin with ANY degree of allowance”. To illustrate this, I want you to imagine your favorite food. Got it? Okay now imagine if I were to offer you a lifetime supply of that food, you could have as much or little as you wanted for free whenever you want. Sounds good right? Now I serve you a huge portion of it one day when you are starving and slather it in poop, do you still want it? Probably not so I will only add a little poop, sound better? Probably not. It doesn’t matter, poop is poop big or small and you don’t want to eat any of it. The same principle applies with God, sin is sin no matter how big or small He cannot allow any of it, that is why we must ensure that we are spotless at the end of the day.

Now is it possible to remove all sin from our lives? Absolutely! But is it possible to stop sinning during this life and become incorruptible? You bet it is! This is the wonderful power of the Atonement! This is the best of the Good News of the Gospel! This is what should bring us hope! To remove sin, we need to understand WHY we sin. The bottom line when you get right down to it and really and honestly look at it, we sin simply because we enjoy it. It’s the cheese on the mouse trap, Satan has glamourized the evil and made that which is wrong appear right and that which is right appear wrong or not appear at all. Imagine your favorite activity, something you LOVE doing, now imagine God coming out and saying that it is a sin to not only do this activity but to talk or think about it. Pretty hard huh? Now imagine something you HATE doing, and imagine God saying that this also a sin and to never do it again. Much easier this time right? Do you see why Satan has such a strong grip on the world right now? He appeals to our weaknesses that he knows so well and exploits them to our own self destruction.

The solution? Its simple, stop liking sin, if we are not supposed to do it and do not want to do it then it is easier to stop doing it. Now the snag here is addiction which is a whole discussion in and of itself so we will set it aside for now. The scriptures call this happening a “Mighty Change of Heart…. Having no more disposition to do evil but to good continually”, the scriptures have also talked about receiving a new heart and a new life. The gospel is not complicated, it is plain and simple but this is NOT easy, this word does not exist in God’s vocabulary. The methods behind the access, application and teaching of the atonement lie in the gospel and teachings of Jesus Christ, ask and ye shall receive, I urge anyone who reads this to ponder my words and to seek out the Gospel and Atonement of the Lord.

I have studied, sought after and applied every one of these teachings I have discussed and though I am the farthest thing from perfect on this planet, I can tell you it is true. This is the message of the Gospel, this is the good news that we can change and it can happen right here right now. Our weaknesses can become recognized and great strengths. We can return to live with our Heavenly Father and be like Him and receive all that he has, we can grow far passed our understanding of what our potential is. We need to believe in Christ but that will not save us in the end and it is not enough (Satan believes in Christ and clearly its not doing him any good) but we need to BELIEVE HIM. Have faith in Him and apply that which he DIED to teach us. He loves us more than we can understand and he is looking for every loophole, every excuse, every opportunity to strengthen us, teach us, forgive us, help us and bring us home. That is the unfathomable love of our Savior, the Great and Selfless Redeemer, our Lord and our brother. Through Him all things are possible.

These things I know to be true with a PERFECT knowledge and of Him and in His Holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ, I testify, Amen.