13856 Willow Creek Lane

Haines, Oregon 97833

12 December 2007

Editor, Baker City Herald:

Due to the presidential candidacy of a member of the LDS Church, there is currently a great deal of talk in the media about the Mormons.  Much of it is misinformation.  You would do a great service by publishing the following facts, as provided by Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the talk he gave in general conference October 6, 2007.  A shortened version of the list follows, but I have also enclosed the full text of his talk for your use.

Facts

• "Mormon" is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Members are often referred to as "Mormons," "Latter-day Saints," or "LDS."
• The Church was restored in 1830 in upstate New York with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president.
• There are now over 13 million members in 176 countries and territories.  About 6 million of these are in the United States, making the Church the fourth largest Christian denomination in America.  As one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in the world, the Church completes a new chapel every working day.  Members pay a tithe, which is 10 percent of their income, making this and other programs possible.
• Local congregations are led by volunteer, unpaid members.  Both men and women serve in assigned leadership positions.
• Mormons are well represented in politics and government.  There are 16 members in the U.S. Congress, from both political parties.

Faith

• The Church believes in the eternity of the soul, that God is the Father of our spirits, and that we can return to Him after death.
• The Church teaches that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior.  Members try to model their lives after Him and His teachings.  Christ's atoning sacrifice is commemorated in the Church's Sunday worship services, similar to the taking of communion in other churches.  The Church accepts as fellow Christians all who believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind.  Jesus Christ is the core of members' beliefs, and everything else is an appendage to it.  The Church is named for Him.
• The original church that Jesus established was lost and has been restored again in our day.  The priesthood, the authority given to man to act in the name of God, with apostles and a prophet to lead it, has been restored as have all necessary ordinances of salvation.
• The Church believes in and uses the Holy Bible, both the Old and New Testaments.
• The Church believes in the Book of Mormon and other books of scripture which support and authenticate the Bible and testify of the ministry and divinity of Christ and of God's ongoing revelation to man.  The Book of Mormon is "Another Testament of Jesus Christ."

Family

• Mormons place particularly strong emphasis on family as the basic unit of the Church and of society.  They have a deep commitment to marriage (defined as a union between one man and one woman).  Polygamy, a limited practice in the early pioneer days of the Church, was discontinued in 1890, some 117 years ago.
• Families and individuals, whether members of the Church or not, can attend Sunday services in the LDS chapels.
• Latter-day Saint families are encouraged to hold family home evenings weekly, usually on Monday nights.  This provides a regular and predictable time for parents to teach values to their children and to have fun together.
• The Church has auxiliary programs for women, youth, and children as a support to the family.  These programs provide such things as religious instruction, opportunities for Christian service, sports, drama, music, and Scouting.
• There is much focus on extended family, genealogy, and personal family history, providing young and old with a stronger sense of roots, identity, and belonging.  The highest and most sacred ordinances of the Mormon faith relate to families, both living and dead, and some of these ordinances take place in temples.

Fruits

• One of the fruits is a longer life.  Studies show that practicing Mormons are healthier and therefore live longer than the national average.
• Those who are married in and attend the temple regularly have a divorce rate far below the national and world average.
• Mormons achieve an educational level that is higher than the national average.
• Over 70,000 members volunteer at their own expense to serve for 18 to 24 months in humanitarian efforts, Church service assignments, and full-time missionary service throughout the world.
• Strong emphasis is placed on self-reliance and a solid work ethic.  Active involvement in communities and in providing service to others is encouraged.  The Church continues to donate substantial money, goods, and services to humanitarian causes around the globe, including untold hours of labor donated by members to assist in disaster cleanup and relief.

I hope that this is helpful and useful.  Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or for any assistance.  If, for instance, there are those who still insist that Latter-day Saints are not Christian, I'd be very pleased to respond.

Sincerely,

James E. Kerns