LDS Articles of Faith: 4
We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
I don't believe in the importance of ordinances. I do see them as symbolic teaching moments, however I don't think they are a necessary step in perfection.
As for principles, I believe the first principle is love. Love for all people, love for ourselves. And I think to really love others, you need to love yourself first.
Some times it may be easier to love others after having faith in Christ. Because if you have that much faith in Him and try to immulate Him, then you will love others. That was His greatest message, in my opinion.
Repentance is important because it is a step in perfection. It is assessing mistakes and learning from them, correcting them, and building upon that new knowledge. True repentance is a change of heart. I believe repentance is between you, God, and whomever you wronged. I don't think Bishops or clergymen need to be involved in that process.
I don't believe in the importance of Baptism.
I don't believe you need to be given the Holy Ghost through a blessing. I believe anyone can have the Spirit at anytime, and they need to learn to focus on it and listen for it. I don't think someone putting hands on your head and praying is going to suddenly make you more attuned to feeling the Spirit.
1 comment:
"I don't believe you need to be given the Holy Ghost through a blessing. I believe anyone can have the Spirit at anytime, and they need to learn to focus on it and listen for it. I don't think someone putting hands on your head and praying is going to suddenly make you more attuned to feeling the Spirit."
oh, the laying on of hands isn't going to suddenly make you more in tune with the Spirit. That comes with time. lots of time. Yes people can feel the Spirit without the laying on of hands, but that comes at random times. The laying on of hands entitles one to have the Spirit with them all the time. Note that I said entitles. the Spirit will withdraw itself from someone if they are not living accordingly. For me (yes, perfect, little me (said sarcastically)) the Spirit has withdrawn itself when I was making bad choices. But I found that when I started turning my life around and working to become a better person again, I was feeling the Spirit a while lot more than when I was making the bad choices.
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