Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith the founder of Mormonism developed a view of the afterlife that was more complex than any other Christian religion. In the Mormon religion their final judgment comes in multiple stages. The first stage begins right after death. The spirit is judged immediately and is assigned to either paradise or spirit prison. Paradise allows the soul peace and rest but spirit prison is the opposite. Spirit prison denies the soul rest. Those in paradise must wait until the times of Christ’s second…

Name: Joseph Smith Age: Nine Birth Date: 4/18/2004 Grade: Third / Fourth Native Language: English School: P.S. 55 Family Background: Joseph Smith is a nine year old boy. He has recently passed the third grade and will be starting fourth grade in September at P.S. 55. Joseph lives at home with his mother and two older brothers. His brother Michael is 15 years old and attends Tottenville High School. Matthew the middle child is 11 years old and attends Intermediate School 34. Joseph’s father,…

One can interpret faith as a subjective experience. Many of us approach religion in our own personal way. Whether that means rejecting the entire idea of religion or following in our family’s religious footsteps, it is a personal choice that we all come to make at some point in our lives. I’ve always been very open to the idea of religion. The air of mystery that surrounded The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the reason I chose it as my listening post. The Church of…

It is essential to point out it is through this passionate testimony and faithful journey that a faith movement was born. As Joseph responded to his desire to serve God, he was surrounded by a culture that was experiencing great conflict in values and social division. These challenges shaped this prophets leadership and began a journey of discovering the value of all people.…

Sister Wives, should polygamy be legalized? Polygamy has been around for many years and with the TV show Sister Wives it can now be viewed in our homes weekly with each new season it brings. The show reminds us of the controversy that surrounds plural marriage. Should plural marriage be legalized? There are many opinions on this touchy topic. Should we, as a society, just leave it be, mind our own business as it were? Should we turn a blind eye to the accusations of abuse and underage…

One of the most important concepts for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the idea of the priesthood. The priesthood was restored in May of 1829, with the Aaronic priesthood being restored in the house of David Whitmer, and the Melchizedek priesthood being restored in a variety of events over a thirteen day period (Porter). Since its restoration, the priesthood has been an integral part of the lives of members of the church. Women are told to seek worthy priesthood holders for…

The relationship between my faith and my work as a therapist is very interesting to me. I was born and raised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) also known as Mormons. When I was two my family moved to a home in Provo, Utah where my father became a professor at Brigham Young University which is owned and run by the LDS Church. The area where I lived was about 99% Mormon. In fourth grade there was only one student in my entire grade-level who was not a member of the…

Part of the reason that the Pearl of Great Price is so great at preparing people for making further covenants in the temple is because it talks so much about sacrifice. In this paper, I will show was sacrifice means in the Lord’s eyes and how Adam and Eve’s sacrificial behaviors can be applied to other righteous people in the Pearl of Great Price, as well as present day. I will also show the qualifications and blessings of true sacrifice, as well as Satan’s counterfeits for sacrifice,…

The people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are considered peculiar by people both within the church and non-members. This may be for different reasons but I think most people can tell that those of the LDS faith are unlike most other people in this world. This can be for many things, but I think a big part of it is the Word of Wisdom. So my question is, “Is the Word of Wisdom essential for the members of the LDS faith?” As the world and society continue to change, many things…

I believe a large percentage of the Abundant Life Center’s membership would have no idea of the day-to-day needs of the marginalized within the St. Joseph area. Even though our own membership reflects a snapshot of the marginalized in St. Joseph, we frequently respond to the these needs on a project-by-project bases, as opposed to trying to building Zion within the context of the lives of those suffering. For example, I remember gathering several children, with a car full of Christmas…