In defense of my Christianity.

I have a husband who is very interested in politics. I happen to go on spurts with all of it. Sometimes I'm there with him watching every debate. Other times, I just can't muster the energy for it. Don't get me wrong. I think it's important that we are involved. We enjoy far too much in this nation to afford ourselves apathy. However, judging by my recent posts, take a wild guess which spurt I'm on as of late. I'm just tired folks. I can't stay up and watch debates with him when he DVRs them. All three babies of mine (yes, the two inch long little worm makes 3) have me collapsing into bed by 8:30 pm. Not kidding. And maybe there's some women out there who have more kids, and who have a full time job, and who are also running for public office. Maybe you use a thigh master at your desk while you're typing important emails. And you're reading this and making the tsk tsk tsk noise at me me because I'm telling you I don't have the energy to be super into it right now. But I just can't afford to care very much about your opinion if you are thinking that.

Truth be told, I don't want to talk about politics today. I want to talk about my Christianity.

It puzzles me that this issue is again being brought up in the sphere of politics. This whole, "He's a mormon, not a Christian! He's a cultist and going straight to hell!!!" or "A vote for a mormon is a vote for Satan himself!" It just seems preposterous to me that anyone is saying that about anyone in such a public forum. First of all, you're not doing Christianity any favors in the eyes of the rest of the world. You sound creepy and fanatical. It all really surprises me. Because I can't imagine having the audacity to say that about anyone, and I guess I just like to view the majority of Americans as being decent and fair and civil. And then when a religious leader says something so blatantly poisonous, especially in a venue where it has absolutely no right to be, it's just startling to me. There have been numerous people standing up to it, stating that politics is nowhere for such talk and someone's religious belief is simply irrelevant as a qualifier for the oval office. In fact, this article by Joe Scarborough is masterfully eloquent. I love every single word of it. And I agree wholeheartedly. However, I am not running for public office. So I'd like to address the fact that the people making these statements are judging me personally along with 14 million plus members of my faith worldwide who very much believe in Jesus Christ. Not as a prophet. Not as a great humanitarian, but as the Savior of the world and Redeemer of mankind.

I don't know how anyone could take it upon themselves to feel that they have the authority to tell someone who professes Christianity that, "sorry, you actually don't make the cut". Let me set the record straight. I don't pretend that my blog is nationally known or important to really anyone. But if there is one single person who reads this, who isn't sure whether they classify me or any other latter-day saint (mormon) to be Christian, I need to clear the air. Too many thoughts have been swimming around in my head about it.

Jesus Christ, who was born in a manger in Bethlehem to Mary, is my personal Lord and Savior. He is the Redeemer of all mankind. Nothing means anything in my religion without Him, His teachings, His gospel, His unspeakable suffering in the garden of Gethsemane and upon the cross at Calgary. Everything we do is centered around Jesus Christ. The temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that now dot the earth, found in more than 40 countries, teach us about God's plan of happiness for His children and center on Jesus Christ. I know that it is only through His infinite atonement that I am ever to return to live with my Father in Heaven. I know that without Him I am nothing, nor could I ever be anything. He is my elder brother. He is my Redeemer. He is the prophesied Messiah. He volunteered himself to die a horrific death because He loves us and knew we would all be lost without His redeeming blood. And He will return to the earth with great glory one day. I think about and look forward to that day every single day of my life.

Some believe that we are not Christian because we don't believe that it is solely through the grace alone of Jesus Christ that we are saved. We believe that the Lord requires something of us. This is not to say that His grace is not sufficient; it is. But he taught while He was on the earth what is expected of us. Why would the Lord give commandments at all if he wasn't asking us to keep them? Why did he tell Peter and thus, all of us, three times to feed His sheep? He taught that we must accept His gospel and strive to live by his teachings. He taught us to try to be like Him and to love one another. So, no, as a latter-day saint, I don't believe that there is anything I can do to "work my way into heaven." It is by the grace and infinite mercy of Jesus Christ that I am able to have the opportunity to strive to be like Him. I know I will never be worthy. I know that perfection is not possible in this life. But we are here to progress. We are here to overcome weaknesses and to refine ourselves. We are here to conquer the carnal; the natural man. And this requires a great amount of exertion on our part. I do know however, that after we have done all we can do, His grace is what rescues us from a fallen state.

Others believe that we are not Christian because they say we worship the prophet Joseph Smith instead of Jesus Christ. This simply is not true. The name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We believe Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God in order to restore the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth again. He is important to us, as are all of God's prophets. I love him. He gave his life for the work of Jesus Christ.

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Do not tell me I am not a Christian.

Do not tell me I am not a Christian when I have personally exercised faith unto repentance for my sins and have felt the redeeming love and cleansing power of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. I have felt those burdens lifted and removed from my soul. I have been made whole many times over because of what He sacrificed for me. No one could ever tell me that the miracles I've experienced in my life because of my faith in Jesus Christ are not real.

Do not tell me I am not a Christian when the church that I belong to quietly comes to the aide and rescue of millions of brothers and sisters of all different faiths who suffer from natural disasters, hunger and poverty. The church I belong to clothes the naked and feeds the hungry as the Savior instructed.

Do not tell me I am not a Christian when I taught so many as a missionary, have taught in Sunday School and now teach in Relief Society (the sisters organization of the church) and it is made very clear to me through the promptings of the Holy Spirit that the most important thing I've ever done as a teacher, ever do or ever will do is to testify of Jesus Christ; that He lives, that He is our Savior, that He knows each and every one of us and every trial or sadness we will ever know in this life and that He gave His life to redeem you and me.

Do not tell me I am not a Christian when upon finding my older brother who passed away in my house, the only words to bring comfort and solace that my father offered to his quaking daughter that night on the telephone were, "to muster all the faith you have in the Savior. Mera, you've just got to muster absolutely every ounce of faith and trust that you have in Jesus Christ, and know that everything will be okay." Those words and my decision to in turn act upon those words was the source of strength that pulled me through the darkness that filled the months that followed of dealing with the trauma of that horrific day.

I could go on and on.

But I feel a lot better. In all reality we are all trying to better the world in whatever way we can, and it's sad to see things that could divide people of faith anyway. Some of my very favorite and best friends on this planet are not of my faith, nor of my political party for that matter. We should be focused on our commonality and drawing strength from it. Even with those who profess no religion whatsoever, there is much more common ground than we sometimes tend to concentrate on. Now I have that song, "Come on people now, smile on your brother everybody get together try and love one another right now" in my head... You know the one. But I feel better getting some thoughts out of my brain and into text. I can get off the computer now and respond to my 3 year old saying over and over again, "Mom, remember chocolate milk?" as if referring to a long lost friend we used to throw parties with all the time. Thanks for reading.