Recently, some life experiences got me thinking about personal covenants we make with God–not covenants that are part of the standard ordinances of the Church like the sacrament, baptism, temple endowment, etc.–but other promises we personally make to God. Often when we face circumstances of severe trial or unusual distress, we reach out to God and ask for his special blessings and promise, if we can get those those, that we will do certain things for God in return. While these covenants differ from those made standard gospel ordinances, I have come to believe that they carry just as much power and potential for blessings from God, perhaps more so.

The scriptures have several examples of these non-standardized, personal covenants that individuals and groups of people have made with God. Hannah in the Old Testament and the people of Ammon in the Book of Mormon are two examples that stand out to me. I can also recall stories from our living prophets and apostles and other prominent leaders where they discuss making personal covenants with God. Two of which I will share are are from Elder Neal A. Maxwell and President Abraham Lincoln.

Hannah Covenants to Give Her Son to Service of the Lord

In the book of 1 Samuel, we are given the story of Hannah, who desperately wants a son and vows, if she should receive one, to give him to the service of the Lord. Hannah received assurance from the prophet Eli, and no doubt from the Holy Spirit of God to her heart as well, that God had accepted her covenant. Hannah was blessed with a baby boy soon thereafter and after the baby was born and old enough to leave his mother’s arms, Hannah was faithful to her side of the covenant with God. This story is found in 1 Samuel Chapter 1:

1) Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah…
2) And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
5) … for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.
10) And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.
11) And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
17) …Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18) And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
19) …and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.
20) Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.
24) …And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.
26) …And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.
27) For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
28) Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.

The Anti-Nephi-Lehies Bury their Swords in Covenant with God

The story of the people of Ammon who took upon them the name of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, has always fascinated me. These people were vile sinners and even murders, yet they were converted to the Lord and because of their wicked past, they felt a special need to make an extra, personal covenant with God. Because they felt so blessed by God, this group of people covenanted that they would not take up weapons of war again, even in self-defense, after God had cleansed them of their prior sins. The story is in the Book of Mormon, Alma chapter 24:

15) Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby.
16) And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we shall go to our God and shall be saved.
17) And now it came to pass that when the king had made an end of these sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth.
18) And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man’s blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.

The prophets and leaders of the church took this covenant by the Anti-Nephi-Lehies very seriously. Both parties went to great lengths to keep that covenant, even at the risk of their own lives, yet they were miraculously blessed and delivered for being faithful to their personal covenant.

Neal A. Maxwell Dedicates His Life to the Lord in a Covenant Prayer

The following story is take from A Disciple’s Life: The Biography of Neal A. Maxwell by Bruce C. Hafen, chapter 13.

During the middle of the battle for Okinawa, Neal had the most transforming experience of all. He was part of a mortar squad that fired at Japanese positions hidden in the hills. His own mortar position created an obvious invitation for the enemy to locate and eliminate his firing capacity and him. They needed only to direct their own artillery and mortar fire at the place where Neal’s squad sent up its shells. By identifying his position and comparing where their shells hit, they could direct their fire closer and closer until they had done their deadly job.

One night in late May, the shrieking noise of artillery fire caught Neal’s attention with a frightening realization. Three shells in a row had exploded in a sequence that sent a dreadful message the enemy had completely triangulated his mortar position, and the next series of shots would hit home. Suddenly a shell exploded no more than five feet away from him. Terribly shaken, Neal jumped from his foxhole and moved down a little knoll seeking protection, and then, uncertain what to do, he crawled back to the foxhole. There he knelt, trembling, and spoke the deepest prayer he had ever uttered, pleading for protection and dedicating the rest of his life to the Lord’s service.

Neal later called this “one of those selfish, honest prayers” that many people offer in times of great stress. He didn’t feel entitled to anything in particular, and he knew many of his combat buddies prayed that night as fervently as he did. …After the prayer, Neal turned his attention again to watching the night sky, which was earlier ablaze with flashing, fiery noises. His body spontaneously tensed up as he waited, searching the darkness for sounds and clues. But no more shells came near him.

Later he wrote: After that triangulation occurred, the shelling stopped at the very time they were [about] to finish what they had been trying to do for days. I am sure the Lord answered my prayers. . . . The following night they began to pour [more] shells in [on our position], but almost all of them were duds either the ammunition had gotten wet or they were not exploding in the very thick, oozing mud. . . . I felt preserved, and unworthily so, but have tried to be somewhat faithful to that promise that was given at the time.

He would occasionally talk about those two nights in the years that followed, never offering more details about the experience but usually adding something like, “I foolishly thought at the time that I could pay the Lord back, and now, of course, I’m in greater debt to Him than ever.”

Abraham Lincoln’s Solemn Vow to God

My last example of a personal covenant with God is about Abraham Lincoln and is a story told by General Daniel Sickles, who fought for the Union army in the Battle of Gettysburg during the US Civil War. General Sickles noticed that immediately preceding the battle at Gettysburg, when nerves of all commanding officers should have been on edge, there was a certain calm and assurance about Abraham Lincoln. After the victory, when Lincoln was asked how that could be, he replied:

“Well, I will tell you how it was. In the pinch of your campaign up there, when everybody seemed panic-stricken and nobody could tell what was going to happen, oppressed by the gravity of our affairs, I went to my room one day and locked the door and got down on my knees before Almighty God and prayed to him mightily for victory at Gettysburg. I told him that this war was His, and our cause His cause, but we could not stand another Fredericksburg or Chancellorsville. Then and there I made a solemn vow to Almighty God that if He would stand by our boys at Gettysburg, I would stand by Him, and He did stand by our boys, and I will stand by Him. And after that, I don’t know how it was, and I cannot explain it, soon a sweet comfort crept into my soul. The feeling came that God had taken the whole business in his own hands, and that things would go right at Gettysburg, and that is why I had no fears about you.” (Hill, Abraham Lincoln—Man of God, 339–40.)

Timothy Ballard, in his book, The Lincoln Hypothesis, goes into much more detail about Lincoln’s conversion to God and the covenants he made personally and on behalf of our country as it’s leaders. I highly recommend the book, and you can check out my blog post on The Lincoln Hypothesis which has many of my favorite quotes from the book.

Consulting with My Friends and Family about Personal Covenants

As I was contemplated this topic, my father happened to be at my house and so I asked him what he knew about personal non-standardized covenants. His initial reaction was that he hadn’t put a lot of thought into the subject. But upon thinking about it a little more, a few minutes later he said when he was in high school, he wanted to make the baseball team very badly. He remembers praying and asking God if he would allow them to make the baseball team that he would dedicate his life to serving the Lord. My dad did make the baseball team and that experience seemed to increase his faith in God. He has dedicated his life to serving the Lord and is in fact, now serving a full-time mission with my mom. He has written about their senior mission on my Mormon Mission Prep website if you want to check it out.

I also thought I should reach out to a friend I worked with when I worked for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the church office building in downtown Salt Lake City. This person had once told me about a personal covenant he had made with God when his family was going through a very difficult time. I don’t think I should share the details of that private, personal story with you, but it was a faith promoting experience to call him and hear the account again. This friend reiterated to me his conviction the covenants we make in the standard gospel ordinances are patterns the Lord is trying to teach us. He said that he feels that the Lord wants all of us to learn to make and keep our own personal covenants with God and that the greatest blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ come to us by doing so. I wholeheartedly agree.

The Book of Abraham teaches that God sent all people to Earth “to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abraham 3:25). I have often thought that another related purpose of this life is for God to see if we would do two things that we promise we’re going to do…if we will do the things that we covenant to do, whether it be a standard covenant through the traditional gospel ordinances, or a personal covenant we make with God.

In December 2016, I volunteered to coach my son’s 10-year-old basketball team in the Lake Pointe Church league. We looked at various community basketball league options for our son and Lake Pointe was the least expensive. And we liked the fact that it was a church league with good Christian standards. When I volunteered to be the team coach, Lake Pointe required me to fill out a “Belief Statement” form in which I answered whether or not I agreed with several doctrinal statements from their church. Whether I agreed or not with the statements, I had to agree to support Lake Pointe’s doctrinal beliefs if the issue were to come up during my weekly devotional with the kids or in other public situations. (Click here to see the Belief Statements on Lake Pointe’s website)

Being a coach, even though it was a bunch of 10-year-olds, was stressful. I did enjoy, however, sharing a bible verse with the boys each week at practice. And each of the games was begun with a prayer, and I volunteered to offer it a couple of times during the season. When we were leaving one of the games, a man from the crowd who I had never met before came up to me and thanked me for the nice prayer I offered. It was overall, a good experience with the Lake Pointe Church basketball league.

At the time I filled out the Belief Statement, I found it difficult to simply answer “Agree” or “Disagree” for many of the questions. Many of the statements had a lot of nuance, and I found myself wishing I could write out a paragraph in response to each one where I could more fully explain why I agreed or disagreed. Ultimately, I put that I agreed with most, if not all, the statements. And I did so with all sincerity. While I’m a faithful Mormon, I found I had much in common with the good Christians at Lake Pointe Church, though, perhaps, I thought, they may be surprised about the way in which I agree. Because I have this website as a platform, I thought I would write an open letter with my short (or sometimes long) essay responses to the Lake Point Church Belief Statements.

Statement 1: I believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I Agree. I thought this was an interesting way to kick off the statements. I didn’t realize that there are Christian denominations out there who don’t believe in the actual physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. I suppose they believe the resurrection of Jesus Christ is metaphorical. I guess it makes sense that there are people and churches who believe that. Even in Jesus’ day, the Jews were split on this subject, some believing in the literal resurrection (Pharisees), and others not (Sadducees).

One of my favorite Biblical verses about the literal resurrection is 1 Corinthians 15:20–22 “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

And one of my favorite verses about the resurrection from the Book of Mormon is in Alma chapter 11: “42) Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death. 43) The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time …45) I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption.”

Statement 2. I believe the miracles were supernatural occurrences as presented in the Biblical account.

I agree. Again, it is very interesting that this is one of the 15 points they chose to highlight. I suppose in this day and age, it is very difficult for people to believe the miracles Jesus and others performed in the Bible, like Moses parting the Red Sea, and Jesus instantaneously healing the blind and lepers, walking on water, and raising people from the dead. But I certainly do believe that Jesus’ miracles really happened and that he did them by tapping into higher powers that we mortals do not yet understand. And I believe that some day, when “we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13) that we will understand the Celestial laws by which the scriptural miracles were performed.

Statement 3. I believe a Christian cannot lose their salvation.

I’m not sure if I responded that I agree or disagree with this statement. The argument can be made either way, depending on how one defines salvation. Traditional protestant or evangelical Christians, which I think is how one would classify Lake Pointe Church, believes in a binary heaven and hell in the afterlife and defines salvation as those who will be in heaven while the people in hell will not have salvation. Mormon theology about salvation is much more nuanced and, honestly, more reflective of the reality of degrees of righteousness and wickedness of people. We Mormons believe that in the resurrection there will be degrees of heaven divided into three main groups called the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial Kingdom, any one of which is better than this life on earth and could thus be considered salvation.

Salvation that cannot be lost. As we read in 1 Corinthians 15:20–22, quoted above, Jesus Christ, through his infinite atonement, has made it so all mankind will be resurrected. When Paul said that “all be made alive” he meant that all who lived on this earth will be resurrected without condition. The Book of Mormon also teaches this principle. It says that resurrection “shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God” (Alma 11:44). Being resurrected and restored to a glorious, physical body is a wonderful blessing that is a gift from our Savior that all mankind will receive and cannot be lost. If that is the salvation Lake Pointe Church is referring to, then I agree with the statement.

Salvation that can be lost. Regarding the salvation that can be lost, I believe that a person must commit a sin in order to lose their salvation in heaven. If a person never commits a sin, their salvation is not in jeopardy. In order to commit sin, a person must be old enough and wise enough to know right from wrong. Little children, or people with disabilities giving them the mental capacities of a small child, do not know right from wrong and thus are not capable of committing sin. Having never sinned, these people are saved and will be in heaven. The Book of Mormon is clear on this subject:

“Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me. … 10) Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children. …12) But little children are alive in Christ.” (Moroni 8: 8,10,12)

For everyone else, Romans 3:23 applies: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” In other words, we have all transgressed God’s commandments and in so doing we have lost our salvation. So regarding the question “can a Christian lose their salvation?” I think the answer is clear: Yes. Any Christian who lives to the age of accountability will lose their salvation because nobody has lived a sinless life except Jesus Christ.

Then the question is, what does an individual have to do to regain our salvation? Jesus taught many things on this subject:

• John 3: 3,5 “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. …Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
• John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
• Matt 18:3 “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

I could go on and on listing the teachings of Jesus and other prophets and apostles regarding how to qualify for salvation. And all those scriptural teachings are true. But how does one truly know if he or she has qualified for salvation? To answer this, I like what Joseph Smith taught: “The more sure word of prophecy means a man’s knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood. It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.” (D&C 131: 5-6) He further stated that “to have a positive promise of your own Salvation is making your Calling and Election sure, viz the voice of Jesus saying my beloved thou shalt have eternal life. Brethren never cease struggling until you get this evidence. Take heed both before and after obtaining this more sure word of Prophecy.” (21 May 1843 Howard and Martha Coray Notebook 208 as quoted in The Words of Joseph Smith by Andrew F. Ehat)

A Book of Mormon prophet named Moroni taught that we are not saved until we are actually saved, meaning being promised salvation and actually being saved or redeemed are two different things. Of course God’s promises are sure, and for those that are promised salvation, the day will come when they are actually saved and brought back into God’s presence.  Moroni said that “because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man. And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed” (Mormon 9:12–13 emphasis added).

Statement 4. I believe in literal heaven, hell, and a personal devil.

I’m sure I clicked that I agree with this statement, though, as previously mentioned, as a Mormon, I don’t believe that a single heaven and a single hell are the only two options after this life. I believe that the Savior’s reference to “many mansions” (John 14:2) was touching on the fact that heaven has a place for all people of a wide variety of levels of righteousness. Paul expanded on this concept of differing degrees of heavenly glory in his first epistle to the Corinthians: “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Cor 15: 4-42)

As for the “personal devil” aspect of the statement, I’m not exactly sure what Lakepointe means. I did a quick search on Google for that term and didn’t get much help. From what I surmise, Lakepointe is asking if the devil is a real person who really tempts us. And to that I answer yes. The Devil with a capital D is Satan or Lucifer. There are also numerous devils with a lower case d who are the followers of Satan.

The Devil was once an angel in the presence of God. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (Isaiah 14:12) In the pre-earth life, Satan rebelled against God and sought to destroy the followers of the Son of God with his lying and make them his captives (Moses 4:2-3). “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Rev 12: 7-9)

Statement 5. I believe the Bible is without error in it’s original form.

Absolutely, I agree. One of the fundamental tenants of Mormonism is that “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly” (Article of Faith 8). I also concur with this statement from Joseph Smith: “I believe the bible, as it ought to be, as it came from the pen of the original writers” (15 October 1843, Joseph Smith Diary, by Willard Richards, as quoted in the Words of Joseph Smith). The Bible is the word of God. It is a source of truth and inspiration and spiritual light for all who read it and apply its teachings.

Statement 6. I believe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three persons but one God.

Again, I agree. This one surprised me because I thought most evangelical Christians believed the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three separate people. But I’m not super familiar with other religions’ beliefs.

One of the best illustrations that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate beings is at the baptism of Jesus, where the Father’s voice is heard coming from heave, the Son is physically present in the river, and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove. “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:16-17).

Another clear statement on the nature of the three members of the Godhead–the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–is by the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1843. “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us” (D&C 130: 22).

Statement 7. I believe a Christian fully receives the Holy Spirit when he is saved.

I’m pretty sure I put that I agree with this statement, though, as we’ve already discussed, I think we have some differences in the definition of “saved.” Still, I have no problem agreeing with the statement that someone who has fully received the Holy Spirit is saved.

The concept of fullness has become more and more important to me as I have studied the gospel of Jesus Christ over the years. Concepts like the fulness of the Holy Ghost (D&C 109:15), the fulness of the Priesthood (D&C 124:28), a fulness of joy (D&C 93:33), and fulness of glory (D&C 132:6 and D&C 84:24), are replete in LDS scripture. It seems clear that while many of us experience these gifts partially, the greatest blessings are reserved for those who receive these things in fullness. This concept of partially versus fully receiving the Holy Spirit is highly related to what we have already discussed with the degrees of glory of heaven. And like the three degrees of glory, the apostle Paul also talks about the fullness of God and Christ.

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Ephesians 3: 14-19, emphasis added)

“For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4: 12-13, emphasis added)

Statement 8. I believe that man was created by God and did not evolve from something less than human.

I put that I agree with this statement, though I really appreciate this opportunity to add more detail to my answer. I believe, as is stated by Moses in Genesis that “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) and that on the sixth day of creation “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27 ).

Though the Mormon Church founder and prophet Joseph Smith lived long before Einstein (E = mc2) and other modern scientists discovered that you can’t create something from nothing, Joseph Smith taught that God didn’t create the world nor mankind out of nothing. He said that “in the translation [of the Bible] …the word created should be formed or organized” (Words of Joseph Smith page 60).  God confirmed this to Adam and Eve when he said “for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:19) speaking of the eventual death and decay of their mortal bodies.

Something not stressed in the LakePointe Church statement but that is stressed in the Bible is that mankind was created in the image of God. Brigham Young taught, “When we look upon the human face we look upon the image of our Father and God; there is a divinity in each person, male and female; there is the heavenly, there is the divine” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 51). More than just looking like God, the scriptures, both ancient and modern, teach the men and women are literal children of God.

• Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
• Psalms 82:6 “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”
• Psalm 127:3 “Children are an heritage of the Lord.”
• Revelation 21:7 “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”
• D&C 76:24 “That by him [Jesus Christ], and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.”

Because men and women are children of God, they inherit some characteristics of God, like our appearance, and we have the potential (eternally long term potential) to become completely like God some day.  The earth was a creation of God, but not a begotten child of God, and something created does not inherit the characteristics of the creator. But because we humans are children of God, we inherit the capability of becoming like our father and mother some day. In fact, Jesus himself commanded us to strive to become like God Our Father in Matthew 5:48 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

As for the last part of the statement–that mankind did not evolve from something less than human–that is clearly a jab at evolutionism.  While I think it should be stressed that human and animal evolution is a theory and not fact, I think there could be elements of truth in it. Still, to the extent that mankind’s body may have evolved, I believe that process was instituted and guided by God. The bottom line is that I think God is the father of the human race, and not any other being.

Statement 9. I believe that all Christians have direct access to God.

I absolutely believe this. And not just all Christians, but all people everywhere. I can think of almost no greater knowledge that is largely hidden (generally by ignorance and unbelief) from the human race than the fact that we have access to God. He is aware of us. He knows our names. He hears and answers all of our prayers. James in the New Testament encouraged us to use that access to God to ask for wisdom and direction in our lives. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). And Jesus said during his earthly ministry that using that access to get to know God was the very definition of eternal life.”And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

Statement 10. I believe in the power of prayer to affect and change lives.

Yes, again, of course I agree. Jesus taught that sincere prayer brings great blessings. “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matt 6:6). James taught that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).

Mormon, the ancient prophet of the Book of Mormon, stressed that prayer in vain or lacking sincerity will not bring blessings. “For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing” (Moroni 7:6).  But said he, sincere prayer can help transform your life and your eternal life. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure” (Moroni 7:48).

Statement 11. I believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin.

Yes, I agree. Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, the Old Testament prophet Isaiah said: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son” (Isaiah 7:14). Jesus’s virgin birth doesn’t mean he lacks a father, it means he had no earthly father. God was the father of Jesus. This is how the angel Gabriel described it when he brought news of the forthcoming virgin birth to Mary, the mother of Jesus:

“26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:26-35)

And this was the experience of Joseph, Mary’s espoused husband:

“18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23) Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matt 1:18-23).

I believe Jesus’s virgin birth happened as described. I believe he had a mortal mother, from whom he inherited the ability to die, and an immortal father, from whom he inherited the ability to overcome death, resurrect, and bring resurrection to us all.

Statement 12. I believe when a person repents of their sin and turns by faith to Christ, they are saved by grace.

Yes, absolutely, I believe that God has granted us time to repent, through faith in Jesus Christ, and if we do so, we will be saved by His atoning grace.

Repentance: Both Matthew and Luke quote Jesus teaching the need for all of us to bring forth the fruits of repentance” (Matt 3:8 and Luke 3:8). When John the Baptist began preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, his opening message was “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 3:1-2). The Book of Mormon explains that one of the main purposes of this earth life is to repent. “And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God” (Alma 42:4). The fruits of repentance are to “make confession unto the Lord” (Ezra 10:11), “cease to do evil” (Isa. 1:16), “turn yourselves from all your transgressions” (Ezek. 18:30), and have “Godly sorrow” (2 Cor. 7:10) for your sins. When we do this we are promised that “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18) by the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Faith: The role of faith in the repentance and salvation process is well documented in the scriptures. Jesus taught, throughout his mortal ministry, that physical and spiritual healing come through faith in God. On more than one occasion, when Jesus gave sight to a blind man, he said “thy faith hath saved thee.” (Luke 7:50 and Luke 18: 42) To a sick man and his friends was this exchange showing that faith is a necessary part of being forgiven and saved: “Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee …Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed” (Matt 9:2,6-7). And Paul, the great apostle and missionary of the church after the resurrection of Christ, taught this important linkage between faith, grace and salvation: “By grace are ye saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8).

Grace: The apostle Paul taught that “through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved” (Acts 15:11), thus teaching us that grace is the power of God that allows mankind to be saved. Paul further taught that “the grace of God …bringeth salvation” Titus 2:11 and he implored us to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy” (Heb. 4:16). The Book of Mormon prophet Jacob added his witness that “it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved” (2 Ne. 10:24). Jacob further pointed out “how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Ne. 2:28).

Statement 13. I believe the only Biblical grounds for divorce is adultery or if a Christian is married to a non-Christian and the unbeliever no longer wishes to remain married.

Yes, I agree that adultery is grounds for divorce, but I don’t think it should be automatic. There are many couples that have saved their marriage after one of the spouses have an affair, and I think all options to save a marriage should be employed before pursuing a divorce. And the second part of the statement, I also agree with. Marriage should never be forced upon anyone who doesn’t wish to be married.

Jesus taught that marriage is an institution that God established from the beginning with Adam and Eve. He said that “what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt 19:6). When the Jews pressed the topic further and asked why Moses permitted divorce, Jesus said “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.” (Matt 19:8)

In Genesis, God says that “it is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen 2:18), therefore he created Adman and Eve and commanded them to remain together and multiple and replenish the earth in a marriage relationship. Keeping a marriage strong takes hard work by both partners. The apostle Paul counselled the Christians of his day that spouses should love and cherish and respect one another. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Eph 5:25 also see Col 3:19). 

As a Mormon, I further believe that the marriage relationship, as God intents it, can last for all eternity. The prophet Joseph Smith taught that “in the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.” (D&C 131:1-3) This type of marriage is a covenant between the man and woman and God and can thus only be performed by the authority of God’s priesthood and in God’s Holy Temple. Men and women who are married this way, sealed in the temple and by the Holy Spirit of Promise (see D&C 132), may continue as husband and wife throughout eternity.

Statement 14. I believe in the physical return of Christ.

Yes, I agree, and if I can, I’d like to break this down into two parts: 1) the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that he physically lives today, and 2) the second coming of Christ when he will return to earth to reign.

Physical Resurrection: One of the best documented places in scripture of the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ is in the book of Luke, Chapter 24. In verses 5 and 6 it record angels announcing the literal physical resurrection of Jesus’ body. “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.” Then, later in the chapter, it records how Jesus visited with his disciples, they felt his physical body and he eat with them.

“36) And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37) But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38) And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39) Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40) And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41) And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42) And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43) And he took it, and did eat before them.” (Luke 24: 36-43)

Though Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 1), he still lives today and still has his physical, glorified, immortal body. And at the time of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, angels were present announcing his future second coming. “And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:10-11)

Second Coming of Christ: The prophets of God in the Old and New Testament have taught of the second coming of Jesus Christ. Paul said, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God” (1 Thes 4: 16). Zechariah taught that when Jesus comes, some will say, “What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” (Zech 13:6) Jesus himself taught some of the most detail around his second coming in Matthew Chapter 24. He gave many signs of the times and added “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matt 24:44)

Statement 15. I believe that even though Jesus Christ was perfect, He died on the cross for our sins.

Yes, I believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, and that he died on the cross as part of his infinite atonement to pay the penalty for our sins, and that he resurrected on the third day as a perfect, immortal being.

Peter was referring to the sinless life of Jesus Christ and the shedding of his blood for our sake when he spoke of “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). And Peter further taught that Jesus was one “who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). The wine of the last supper, Jesus taught, represented “my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28). Paul taught often of how we are sanctified through the shedding of the blood of Christ. “We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb 10:10).

The Book of Mormon adds it’s witness to these truths throughout its pages. One great example is the teaching of a prophet named Jacob: “Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered” (2 Nephi 2:5–6).

Another Book of Mormon example is a speech by a missionary named Amulek: “Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it. For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made. For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice” (Alma 34:8-10).

Write a paragraph summarizing the circumstances surrounding your acceptance of Christ as your Savior.

The last part of the Lake Pointe Church Belief Statement Form was to write a summary paragraph about how I came to know and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I wish I had saved what I wrote then, but I’m sure it was something like the following:

I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. My parents taught me from my earliest childhood that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer and I always believed it. When I was eight years old, my parents thought I was old enough to understand right from wrong, and they asked me if I wanted to follow the Savior’s example of being baptized as a covenant to always keep God’s commandments and be a witness of Christ at all times (Mosiah 18:9-10). I wholeheartedly made that covenant and received a special witness at that time from the Holy Ghost bringing me peace and joy and confirming that I had made the right choice. Since then I have had spiritual witnesses that are to numerous to count confirming the Jesus Christ died for my sins and was resurrected that I too may be raised to eternal life some day. I am eternally grateful to God for the gift of His Son, my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.