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This is a blog written about the real Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |
| So aside from our scriptures, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also believes in covenants and ordinances. Words not often heard in the modern world. These two things are vital in our belief system. We believe that unless a person over the age of eight—whether in this life or the next—makes covenants and receives ordinances, they cannot attain the glory of the Celestial Kingdom. They can be in the Terrestrial or Telestial but never Celestial.(See my other entries on the spirit world and agency for more information.) Covenants are promises we make to God the Father and Jesus Christ. When we make and keep these promises we can receive the blessings Heavenly Father grants in return. What we don't receive in this life will be given in the afterlife. Ordinances are ceremonies that help us make covenants. These two principles have existed from the beginning of the human family. First with Adam and Eve, on through Noah, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Law of Moses was given to guide the Covenant people of Israel(the family that made and kept Covenants with God.) When the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, came the Law of Moses was fulfilled and no longer needed to be enforced. Then when the apostles who had been appointed by Jesus and later by Peter died, the covenants and ordinances were corrupted or lost. (This is what my religion refers to as the Apostasy.) My religion believes that a small family split off from the house of Israel. The father being warned of the first Diasporia by an angel. We believe that around 600BCE this family and a couple of friends of the family went across the ocean on boat. Most of them kept the Law of Moses and the other covenants. A few of the brothers didn't agree with this idea and split off. This led to centuries of conflict between the two branches of the family. Our scriptures tell us that during a brief period of time, around when Christ was born, some of the fighting stopped. Then, after Christ was resurrected and had Ascended to Heavenly Father, he visited the North American continent. While here he taught the remaining family members. They became united again and for about two hundred years afterward there was peace.(Jesus stuck around for only a brief time. But then had to leave because he had other people to teach who had been scattered by the Diasporas. Thats another story.) After the two hundred years of peace, war began again. This war would wipe out the all the people who were keeping the covenants. On the North American continent, when the last member of the covenant, Moroni, died the covenants and ordinances were lost here as well. We believe that our first prophet, Joseph Smith, talked with God after reading the verse about "If any of you lack wisdom ask of God and He will give unto you liberally and upbraideth not." Joseph went to the woods, prayed to God and received a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ. He talked with deity. Through the revelations Joseph Smith went on to receive, the ancient covenants and ordinances were restored.(It was a gradual process and these revelations lasted from when Joseph was a teen until just before he was murdered in the 1840s.) Now that the preliminaries are taken care of, we can explain the ordinances and covenants of the religion. Baptism is the first ordinance a member will receive. We believe in baptism by immersion. Anyone over the age of eight can be baptized.(I'll explain why in the entry about agency.) Although anyone under the age of eighteen must get their parent's permission before being baptized. Baptism usually takes place in a small pool called a font when possible. If not some members have been baptized in pools, rivers or the ocean. This is only done without a font if there isn't one available nearby. A member of the priesthood—always of the order of Melchezedich, the highest order—stands in the water with the person being baptized recites the ordinance and Baptizes the person in the name of The Father The Son and The Holy Ghost. Once the ordinance is recited the person is then dunked totally under water. If part of the person floats above the surface, the ordinance and action is repeated. Once a person is Baptized, they can then be Confirmed. Two Melchezidich priesthood holders place their hands on top of the person's head, while another stands witness. They recite the ordinance and once it is complete the person receives the Gift of The Holy Ghost. This helps guide the individual and will be present with them as long as they are worthy and keep their baptismal covenants. Sacrament is an ordinance that renews our baptismal covenants and we are encouraged to take part if we have made the covenant and are worthy to participate. This is held once a week on Sunday. It helps us by letting us remember Jesus and start fresh each week with a remission of our sins. When a male member—please don't complain to me this is just how it's done—reaches the age of twelve, he may receive the Aaronic Priesthood. This is the first level of the priesthood and allows recipients to help pass the Sacrament on Sundays. They won't receive the Melchezidich Priesthood until they are nineteen years old and are keeping all their other covenants. When a member is about to serve a religious mission for the first time, or get married, they receive temple ordinances. These are for everyone. Men and women. They are called Anointing and Endowment. The content and manner they are received in is not open for discussion outside the Temple. They are sacred and we believe that Jesus said not to throw pearls before swine. Don't get me wrong, I don't think y'all are less but Jesus was using a metaphor. This means that what is sacred enough to happen in the temple is not meant to be shared with outsiders. The final and most important ordinance is the Sealing. This is both for Marriages and families. Through this ordinance, spouses can be together forever—for eternity not just till death—children who are born to parents who converted to the church can be sealed to their parents. After a couple is sealed in the temple, any children they might have are considered "born in the covenant". This means the families receiving these ordinances can be together forever so long as they choose to. These are the main ordinances of my faith. They are crucial to the Salvation of the human family. This life is not the end and these ordinances are eternal. Even if someone doesn't get a chance to hear and accept the gospel in this life, someone—usually a descendant of that person—can serve as a proxy for the deceased. That way the dead are given a chance at salvation as well. |
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