| Question |
When I first moved to this town I didn't know much about the church. All I
had honestly heard was that Mormons are weird and I shouldn't be involved
with them. Still I felt like they were being judged and that I would find out
for myself. My best friend is LDS and I never judged her and found out that
she had all the same morals and values that I have. She knew Jesus was her
savior just as I did and we both strived to be better people constantly
surrounded by temptations and negativity from teenagers in our school. Now
that I look back we were very strong in our faith and still are. The only
differences I found in our overall religious aspects in our lives was that
her whole family always seemed so happy! My family is wonderful, and I am
truly blessed, but over the years it seemed that she had something I felt I
was missing although I know we both felt the holy ghost and were both strong
in our Christian faith. I recently went through some tough times and
afterwards examined my life and felt like there was something spiritual
missing, like there was more. have always been a spiritual person and started
researching the LDS faith. So now I am taking discussions and am very
interested in the church. I truly feel the sprit when I talk to the
missionaries and talk with her family. Still there are some things that bother
me about the church. One question is does the church believe that the virgin
Mary actually had physical intercourse with Heavenly Father? Also I
understand the concept that we can become like Heavenly Father, a god, yet
still subordinate to God. So why then was Moroni an angel and not a god? Is
that because we won't be gods until after the resurrection when our spirit
and body will unite? Then what exactly are we in heaven before the
resurrection occurs? Thank you for your example of faith and also for sharing
your talents for music is a heavenly gift and truly touches our lives
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| Response |
I am so pleased that you are currently involved in learning more about the Church, and I know that the missionaries who are teaching you will
explain the answers to your questions; however, I would like to comment on some of them.
Concerning Mary, the mother of Christ, and her relationship with God our Heavenly Father, the scriptures are not exactly clear
on how this literally took place, but they do say that he is the "Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh" (see John 1:14, John 3:16). We believe those
scriptures are true.
You asked why Moroni, an angel was not a God, and asked if it was
because "we won't be Gods until after the resurrection?" The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that when Moroni came to him and revealed the sacred record which
had been written upon Golden plates, he was, in fact, a
resurrected being. As far as we are concerned, men and women cannot progress toward godhood until after they are resurrected and their spirits and bodies
are reunited. After we leave this life, our spirits leave our physical bodies. The physical body is returned to the earth and the spirit returns to the
Spirit World or Paradise where we "rest from all of our labors" and receive further instruction and blessings
from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As time goes by, it will be our individual and distinct opportunity to have our bodies in their most perfect and
proper form reunited with our spirits and, thereafter, we will be able to stand before God to be judged according to the things which we have done upon the
earth. Ask the missionaries if they will give you a copy of the Doctrine and Covenants so that you can read
Section 138 which gives greater detail as to what goes on in the Spirit World.
Continue in your learning about the Church and keep your faith and humility with you. I promise that if you keep the Spirit in your life you will come to
know the truth of these things, and your testimony will grow.
Sincerely,
Donny Osmond
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