This past Wednesday night a group from May Memorial visited the Powhatan LDS church, more commonly known as the Mormons. I had arranged a field trip to visit their church building and to meet with some of their leaders.
Those who went on this “field trip” had a wonderful time, primarily because the members of the Powhatan LDS church are simply delightful people. They are kind, hospitable, and gracious. They welcomed us warmly and were eager to share their faith and how they practice their religion. Based on this visit and other encounters with Latter Day Saints, I’d like to offer a couple of observations.
First, it is easy to feel a great kinship with Latter Day Saints because they place a great emphasis on family and family values. They are people who live morally conservative lives, and in this age and culture their example is refreshing and attractive for many Christians. Children are important and valued, as are the generations that came before them. They do much genealogical research so each family can learn about their ancestors and get a view of their “big family.”
Second, they are committed to their local church and they are hard workers. Their building that we visited was immaculate. There was not a spec of dust, a cobweb, or any clutter that could be seen anywhere. The building maintenance (and all other roles in the church) are done by volunteers. Each family takes turns cleaning the facility, getting it ready for whatever is to happen that week, and they believe that the cleanliness of their building is a representation of how they commit themselves to God. I admire this.
Third, Latter Day Saints, by their beliefs, do not fit within traditional Christianity. Their belief and practice of “baptism for the dead,” the belief that religious works will earn a higher degree of heaven, and their rejection of Christian Trinitarian doctrine are just a few of their beliefs that place them outside of what we know as Christianity. The reason they work so diligently in genealogical studies is so they can “baptize by proxy” an ancestor who did not accept and adhere to LDS faith and practice. This “baptism by proxy” will earn a great-great-great grandparent release from “soul prison” to a higher degree of heaven. This clearly is not Christian teaching. I do not say this as a slander or in any derogatory way. The kind bishop we met last Wednesday night clearly said as much.
Fourth, while Latter Day Saints hold beliefs and doctrines that are inconsistent with what we would call “Bible-believing Christianity,” they love God and seek to do everything they can to live lives that are pleasing to Him. Their adherence to other books they hold equal with the Christian Bible lead them away from traditional Christianity, but they are not diminished in their desire to live committed, holy, and pure lives in which they love and serve their neighbors.
Lastly, even amid differences, and some of them are sizable differences, I feel blessed to share our community with the congregation of Powhatan’s LDS church. They make our community a better place, and their devotion encourages me to give of myself more fully.
I, along with millions, have been blessed by the music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and one of my favorites by that group is their singing of the Wesley hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, arranged by their director Mack Wilburg. You can watch and listen to it by clicking here.