What do Latter-day Saints believe? 10 questions I’ve been asked about the LDS faith

Whether you’ve heard about them or you know of one, many people might wonder what Latter-day Saints believe. Well, as a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (yes, that’s our official name) I’m here to debunk 10 myths about our church. Take a look!

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I’ve been asked a lot of questions about what I believe through the years. Sometimes people are just curious and sometimes people have heard myths and rumors that aren’t completely accurate. So, as a member of the LDS faith, I’m going to do my best to de-bunk some of the most common myths about what Latter-day Saints believe.

Important note: I am not an official representative of the LDS Church. The information provided below is based solely on my experience and understanding as a life-long member. If you would like to learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please visit comuntochrist.org.

#1: Do you believe in Jesus?

Yes! We are Christian. Our church is named after Jesus Christ. He is central to everything that we believe. Not only do we believe that He is the son of God, we also believe that he is the savior of the world. He is the light, the life and the hope of the world. I love Jesus.

#2: Does your husband have more than one wife?

We believe in marriage between one man and one woman. However, during certain periods in history–including in Biblical times— we believe God has commanded his followers to practice plural marriage. Between 1852 and 1890, Latter-day Saints openly practiced plural marriage. However, that practice is no longer followed by members of our faith. I only have one husband. Enough said.

#3: Why do people call you Mormon?

The term “Mormon” is a nickname that was publicly been given to members of our church because we believe in an additional book of scripture called “The Book of Mormon“. We actually prefer to be called “members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” or “Latter-day Saints”. We prefer not to use the term “Mormon”. Although Mormon was a faithful prophet, we do not worship him. We would rather focus on the fact that we believe in Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Redeemer.

#4: Do you wear magic underwear?

The temple garment (not magic underwear) is worn by adult Latter-day Saints who have made sacred promises in the temple. Garments are underclothing similar to an undershirt and knee-length briefs. The are a very sacred and daily reminder of our commitment to God to live good and honorable lives. Just like you wouldn’t make fun of a Muslim woman’s hijab or a Catholic nun’s habit, it is very offensive to joke about a Latter-day Saint’s temple garments.

#5: What is the difference between an LDS temple and a chapel?

LDS chapels are a place where members gather together regularly for Sunday worship services and weekly activities. LDS temples are sacred buildings where individuals can come and make promises with God. Only Latter-day Saint members who are prepared to make and keep these promises are allowed to enter. Temple are sacred places not secret places. In fact, when they are are first built, temples are open to the public for people to take a tour inside. There are currently 315 temples worldwide that are either completed, under construction or announced.

#6: Do you support the LGBTQ community?

There is a place for everyone in our church. We believe kindness, inclusion and respect for all of God’s children. Jesus Christ has a perfect understanding of our of our difficulties. If you want to learn more about our beliefs about same-sex attraction and transgender issues click here.

#7: Why don’t you drink coffee or tea?

We believe in a law of health that is called The Word of Wisdom. This law commands us to not put substances in our bodies that can be harmful and addictive such as tobacco, drugs, alcohol, coffee and tea. It’s all about having control of our own bodies and only consuming things that will keep us healthy and strong.

#8: Do you believe in the Bible?

Yes! We believe the Bible is the word of God and testifies of Christ’s ministry on the Earth. We also believe in another book of scripture called The Book of Mormon. It is another testament of Jesus Christ concerning the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. We believe that the Bible and the Book of Mormon work together to bring people closer to Jesus Christ.

#9: Do you believe in multiple heavens?

Latter-day Saints believe that after we die, each of God’s children will inherit one of three heavens (which we call degrees of glory). This will depend on the extent to which we accept and follow Jesus Christ. We also believe that a person’s reward in the afterlife will be determined by what they really desire in this life. In other words, God wants all of His children to be happy.

#10: Do you baptize dead people in your temple?

No. We do baptisms on behalf of those individuals who did not have the chance to get baptized while on Earth. This is called Baptisms for the Dead. We believe that when a person dies, their spirit leaves their body and continues to exist in a place called the Spirit World. There they can learn more about Jesus Christ and accept or reject the baptism that was performed for them in holy temples after they died.

Finding the good

Although Latter-day Saints believe differently in some aspects, there are still so many similarities among other religions of the world. We believe in God and we believe in loving everyone. Instead of trying to find the differences among us, hopefully this blog posts will help us better understand each other. Thanks! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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