Why Do I Believe?

Why do I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's true church?
It's amazing--every single person on this earth can know personally that this truly is the Lord's church. I know it is true because I feel it. Every time I go to Church, every time I read The Book of Mormon, every time I study the teachings of the Prophets of the church, I feel it is true. I mention things unique to the Church, but I do not neglect to include a vibrant testimony of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the center of our faith. I also do not neglect to include a testimony of the divinity of the Bible. It is these feelings that keep me going, that motivate me to search deeper and stay true to the principles I have learned and that I know to be true. This is why I believe. I feel that the Book of Mormon is true. I feel that Joseph Smith was truly a man of God and a Prophet. I feel that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and my Savior.
Not only do I feel these things, but the truth of them is cemented in my mind and heart as I live the principles of the Gospel as taught in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As I live the teachings of The Book of Mormon and the Bible, I recieve a real and living knowledge that they are not fake, but real--and true. My faith is further confirmed as I observe and rub shoulders with the members of this church and see their very real sincerity and faith, manifested by their love and sincere service to their neighbors. We, as members of this church hope to be, and are a shining testament of its Divine origins. In this blog, I hope to answer questions and dispel myths about our very real and very wonderful church.

~Dustin

Why We MadeThis Blog (shorter version--for more, see below)

There are so many misconceptions about our Church. I used to shrug them off (primarily because I am so firm in my own faith), but recently I read an article by Elder M. Russell Ballard that made me rethink things. It is titled "Using the New Media to Support the Work of the Church". In it, Elder Ballard urges members to clarify misconceptions and help others to see the Church for what it really is. I quote, "There are conversations going on about the church constantly. Those conversations will continue whether or not we choose to participate in them. But we cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the church teaches. While some coversations have have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the church are established one conversation at a time. . .We are living in a world saturated with all kinds of voices. Perhaps now, more than ever, we have a major responsibility as Latter-day Saints to define ourselves, instead of letting others define us. Far too many people have a poor understanding of the Church because most of the information they hear about us is from news media reports that are often driven by controversies. Too much attention to controversy has a negative impact on peoples’ perceptions of what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints really is."
How do we clarify the mission of the Church and bring its message to light? Elder Ballard gives some great counsel:
1. You can start a blog in minutes and begin sharing what you know to be true
2. You can download videos from Church and other appropriate sites, including Newsroom at LDS.org, and send them to your friends
3. You can write to media sites on the Internet that report on the Church, and voice your views as to the accuracy of the reports
4. You can record and post your testimony of the Restoration, the teachings of the Book of Mormon, and other gospel subjects on popular video-sharing sites
**You can encourage other Latter-day Saints to do the same through these means
"The audiences for these and other New Media tools may often be small, but the cumulative effect of thousands of such stories can be great."
Please join us in this very important quest!

Why We Made This Blog

There are so many misconceptions about our Church. I used to shrug them off (prmarily because I am so firm in my own faith), but recently I read an article by Elder M. Russell Ballard that made me rethink things. It is titled "Using the New Media to Support the Work of the Church". In it, Elder Ballard urges members to clarify misconceptions and help others to see the Church for what it really is. I quote, "There are conversations going on about the church constantly. Those conversations will continue whether or not we choose to participate in them. But we cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the church teaches. While some coversations have have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the church are established one conversation at a time." This really hit me. It is true, the perceptions (and misconceptions, I might add) people have about the church are truly a product of what they have heard or read about the church--not what they have asked a member of the church about (wouldn't that be nice), but what others have told them. Think about it. How did you get your opinions and perceptions about other religions like Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists, the Jehovah's Witnesses, or any other religious or non-religious group or topic? It was through somebody you knew, or what you've heard or read (probably on a website or article, etc.) I would imagine that most of the opinions you've formed have not come straight from "the horse's mouth" so to speak, but rather a source that may or may not be reputable. So it is with the Church. People's opinions about the Church will be formed by a thousand little conversations about it. And in today's world, much of their information will be taken from the Internet. Elder Ballard continues, "We are living in a world saturated with all kinds of voices. Perhaps now, more than ever, we have a major responsibility as Latter-day Saints to define ourselves, instead of letting others define us. Far too many people have a poor understanding of the Church because most of the information they hear about us is from news media reports that are often driven by controversies. Too much attention to controversy has a negative impact on peoples’ perceptions of what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints really is." How true that is! We see it everyday in the media, all I ever hear from people about the church is "so your church believes in Polygamy, huh?" and "You don't believe in the Bible" or "Man, that Joe Smith guy was a real loser" and the grand-daddy of all misconceptions is "Mormons aren't Christians". How absurd! But the worst of them all (to me) is, "You know, you Mormons are pretty good people, despite your religion". When I hear that last comment, it really lets me know that people are truly being decieved by the myriad of misconceptions floating around about us (it is because of our religion!!!). What do we do about it? Elder Ballard gives some great counsel: "You could help overcome misconceptions through your own sphere of influence, which ought to include the Internet." His suggestions include:
1. You can start a blog in minutes and begin sharing what you know to be true
2. You can download videos from Church and other appropriate sites, including Newsroom at LDS.org, and send them to your friends
3. You can write to media sites on the Internet that report on the Church, and voice your views as to the accuracy of the reports
4. You can record and post your testimony of the Restoration, the teachings of the Book of Mormon, and other gospel subjects on popular video-sharing sites
**You can encourage other Latter-day Saints to do the same through these means
Melinda and I are going to use this blog to share our testimonies and to clarify common misconceptions about the church. "The audiences for these and other New Media tools may often be small, but the cumulative effect of thousands of such stories can be great." Just think, with the combined effort of hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saints, the Internet, instead of being full of filth, it can be full of faith! and we can truly demystify the church! Please join us in this very important quest!