The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

As I continue my series on the practical aspects of our faith, I sit down with Tiffany and talk about the practical side of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which goes by its nickname Mormons.

Sherlyn is part of the XYZ church.  A consumer by nature, she is looking for a perfect church with the perfect pastor, perfect building, perfect message to meet her needs.  She has never accepted her own brokenness. She cannot spell grace.

Josh is one of the deacons at XYZ. He sends monthly emails about scriptures which he thinks will encourage people. However, he has never invited anyone over to his place, visited anyone, or feels the need to. His ‘spiritual’ emails are full of legalism.

Jasmine has all the boxed ticked as a loyal member of XYZ. She gives weekly, prays daily, conforms to all the ethos of XYZ. She only hangs around those who go to her church. She has no friends outside the church. She is a conformist.

XYZ has been around for three decades. Its vision statement is to spread the gospel. In three decades it has never crossed the membership number of 50. It is dead in the water.

Tiffany, Josh, and Jasmine all follow the Jewish Messiah and Rabbi who was a robust and dynamic game-changer in his society. He called the legalist’s whitewashed tombs, the conformists to sell everything and the critical to look at the huge lumber in their own eye. So often we forget the message of the Jewish Rabbi. In our own insecurities, we become judgmental, think we are better, look down on those who do not follow him and think that by ticking all the right boxes we will make it to the pearly gates.

Tiffany welcome and let’s start by telling me a little about you?

Hi, I’m Tiffany, and I run the blog Saving Talents.  I’m married with 3 kids, currently ages 7, 4, and 2 months.  I got my degree in math education and taught for several years before staying home when my husband (Phillip) and I started having children.  I’m about to start my third year homeschooling the kids.  I also have severe Crohn’s disease, which plays a big part in my life – I spend a lot of time in the hospital.  My family and I are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We live in Houston, Texas in the USA.

Talk to me about the Latter-Day Saints. What kind of faith it is, who you worship, and what do you on Sundays?

So, the full name of our religion is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We have the nickname of “Mormons” but as a church, we don’t like it very much because people don’t know that we believe in Jesus Christ.  We believe in Him as the Savior of the world who died on a cross and was resurrected.  It is a Christian religion, but because of the nickname, people don’t know that we are, in fact, Christians.

Well, COVID has definitely limited our Sunday activities, but pre-pandemic we would meet together in one of the thousands of church buildings across the world for services.  The first hour is spent listening to talks (like speeches) that members of the congregation prepare in advance.  We also partake of the sacrament (like communion, only we use bread and water) to remember that Jesus died for our sins.  The second hour we divide by ages and attend Sunday School classes.

The unique thing about our religion is that we have what is called a “lay clergy.”  This means that our bishops and other leaders are volunteers.  They are just regular members of the congregation who are asked to volunteer their time for a few years to lead.  They are not paid, and they have jobs and families of their own.  When their time is done, they are given other assignments (like maybe a Sunday School teacher) and someone else takes their place for a few years.

Do you have to go and become a missionary when you are a teenager?

So, I didn’t have to be a missionary, but I chose to be one!  I went when I was 21, and I was a missionary for 18 months.  Phillip also chose to be a missionary, and he served for 2 years starting from when he was 19.

I used the word “served” because missionaries are not paid!  In fact, they actually pay the money themselves to go be a missionary!  We also don’t choose where we go – we fill out paperwork and an assignment comes from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Our church (16+ million members worldwide, with more members outside of the USA than in the USA) is run by a man we believe to be a prophet of God, just like Noah or Moses or Abraham was a prophet.  He is helped by 12 Apostles and 2 counselors (who are also Apostles).  They are Apostles just like Peter, James and John were apostles, with the same authority that Jesus Christ gave to them 2,000 years ago.

All missionary assignments are given by one of these 15 men.  They receive the paperwork, pray for inspiration, and make an assignment.  It isn’t delegated out or randomly chosen, or even looked at logically.  These men are told by God through the Holy Spirit where each individual missionary is supposed to go.

I was assigned to Puerto Rico – and I didn’t speak Spanish!  I quickly learned, though, and am still fluent even though it’s been over 10 years.  I also spent some time in Barbados and the Dominican Republic as part of that service.

I love the name of your blog? Talk to me about it and the unique name?

After starting a couponing blog several years ago (which we later sold), Phillip and I realized quickly that saving money is more than just using coupons and making budgets.  It’s an entire lifestyle where you try to be a wise steward of your money.  The more we studied the parable of the wise steward (also known as the parable of the talents and is found in Matthew 25:14-30)), the more we wanted to share these everlasting gospel truths and principles with others.

Where “Saving Talents” comes from

Each of the words in “saving talents” has two different meanings.

• Saving – the act or instance of economizing; protecting from depletion or destruction
• Saving – preservation from spiritual danger or destruction (specifically referring to the Atonement of Jesus Christ saving us from the fall, death, and hell)
• Talents – a unit of weight that measures 75 lbs. 75 lbs of gold today would be worth about $1,116,000 today.
• Talents – special often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitudes; mental or spiritual attainment of gifts

Four meanings of Saving Talents:

Because each word has two meanings, when you combine them together, you end up with four different purposes of saving talents:

• Putting money aside; frugal living.
• Using money in a way to help us towards our salvation. Being wise stewards, helping the less fortunate.
• Using and developing the attributes and gifts we naturally have so that we do not lose them; (e.g., continuing to practice the piano so that our skills are protected and do not deplete from lack of use)
• Gaining and using gifts (physical, mental, and spiritual) to help work out our own salvation and that of others.

Your blog talks a lot about the Book of Mormons. I have heard about the Bible and all the characters. What is the Book of Mormons and what is the most important message from it?

The absolutely most important message in the Book of Mormon is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Some people think that the Book of Mormon is our version of the Bible, but it’s not!  The Bible was written by the ancient prophets in the Old World – Jerusalem, Egypt, etc.  God spoke to prophets, and they wrote down what He told them.  Eventually Jesus was born and His life and the words of His Apostles are also part of the Bible.  Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints love the Bible!  We believe it is scripture, just as all other Christians do.

But we also believe that God loves all of His children, not just those who lived in the Old World.  Around 600 BC when Jerusalem was being taken over and the 12 tribes of Israel were being scattered (at the time of the prophet Jeremiah), one man and his family were warned by God to leave.  With God’s help, they crossed the ocean and landed in the Americas.  God assigned men to be prophets to these people as well, and the Book of Mormon is their writings.  Mormon is the name of one of the key prophets who combined all of the writings.

The Book of Mormon covers 1,000 years of history – from 600 BC to 400 AD.  The most important part of the Book of Mormon occurs about ¾ of the way through, when the resurrected Christ appears to the inhabitants in the New World.  After Christ was Resurrected and visited His apostles in Jerusalem, He told them (in the Bible) that He had other sheep which were not of that fold and He would visit them and there would be one-fold and one shepherd.  The people of the New World were those other sheep.

So, the Book of Mormon and the Bible are both books of scripture.  They are ancient writings from the time of Christ.  The Bible was passed down throughout the centuries, but the Book of Mormon was engraved on gold plates and buried in the ground around 400 ADS to protect it.  In the 1800s, Joseph Smith prayed to ask God which church to join.  God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph and eventually Joseph was led to where the plates had been buried for 1,400 years.  With the power of God, Joseph translated it into English.

We love both books.  In fact, most of us have purchased our Bible and our Book of Mormon as one book bound together, with footnotes that span both works!

I love your article on casting stones at others. It is a unique article and I was surprised by it. Give me a short version of it?

In the Bible, there is a woman who was an adulteress.  The law commanded that she should be stoned to death, and Jesus was asked His opinion.  He answered, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”  The idea of “casting stones” means to not judge others.

I love the symbolism of stones, however, that occur in the scriptures.  They show up so many places as being of help.  So, my post is why you should cast stones at people – just different kinds of stones than what the Pharisees said to cast.

• Stones of help (1 Samuel 7:12)
• Stones of missionary work (Daniel 2:34)
• Stones of empathy (Revelation 2:17)
• And many others.

I want to know about the practicalities of your faith in terms of peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, compassion, forgiveness, unconditional love, and serving?

As you may have inferred from the fact that we don’t have any paid clergy, our church is all about service!  In addition to all assignments being service-based, we also try very hard to serve others around the world who are not of our faith.

Missionaries, for example, are strongly encouraged to provide service in the areas where they are assigned.  The “Mormon Helping Hands” are local members who show up after natural disasters to help recover.  When Hurricane Harvey hit here in Houston, for example, members of our local congregations were organized and sent out each Sunday for cleanup.  Usually, the yellow shirts that they all wear are the first ones to show up in an emergency, and our buildings are used as control centers.

Our church also spends millions of dollars in funds each year to help third world countries and impoverished nations with water, vaccinations, food, medical supplies, and other needs.  However, we try not to publicize it a lot.  We don’t do it for the recognition or praise of man.  We do it because we are all God’s children.

That’s the basis for a lot of what we do – we are all children of God.  We have conservative Christian beliefs, but we also recognize a huge difference between people’s values and the choices they make.  For example, in the USA the Church spoke out against gay marriage because we believe it should be between one man and one woman.  However, in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Church headquarters are, they have actively lobbied for legislation that prohibits housing and job discrimination for LGBTQ.

We also believe very, very strongly in forgiveness.  God loves all His children.  He has commandments and requirements, but there is SO much more than death, immediate judgment, and heaven or hell.  There are many layers and parts that answer questions like “what about those who die who never heard of Christ?” that are unanswered (or have tragic answers) by other Christian denominations.

My articles that have done the best on all social media channels especially on Pinterest is about Self-Care. Talk to me about self-care from your faith perspective?

Our religion focuses on living a balanced lifestyle.  One of our prophets once said that each of us has a four-fold responsibility: first, our families; second, our employers; third, the Lord’s work (meaning Church assignments); and fourth, ourselves.

That responsibility for ourselves includes the importance of living a balanced life.  The program for our children and teenagers includes setting personal goals in each of the four categories: educational, physical, spiritual, and social.

https://savingtalents.com/how-to-set-goals-for-growth-as-jesus-did/

While we recognize that it’s important to care for yourself, it is equally important to care for others.  We’ve learned that when things seem the most difficult when you reach out to find someone you can help, your own burdens are lessened.

How does your church deal with people who have depression?

Many Christian religions recognize depression, but they also feel that suicide is a sin that cannot be recovered from.  In our religion, we strongly believe that God is the final judge.  Mental illness, such as depression, is just as real of tribulation in this life as any physical disability.  Physical and mental trials are not a reflection of all of a person’s righteousness.

One of our Apostles gave a church-wide talk (speech) a few years ago that talks about this.  I can’t even begin to summarize his words on the subject, so I will provide the link to the video and transcript.  In this setting, he is speaking at our semi-annual worldwide conference, so it is official Church doctrine.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/10/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng

In another semi-annual worldwide conference, one of our female leaders spoke specifically about depression and suicide.  Again, her words are much more powerful than any summation I can give.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/10/31aburto?lang=eng

Some of us come to faith as a brand-new Mercedes, some as a Toyota, some as a broken-down Ford and others as a rusty car. We are all broken. However, we need to become intentional in getting help with our issues talk to me about it?

I think that my answers for the two previous questions answer this.  We believe in setting specific goals on a regular basis to improve ourselves and lead a balanced life.  And those who struggle with mental illness are strongly encouraged to reach out for help.

Our church also has free worldwide programs for addiction recovery, counseling services, disability resources, food support, and even immigration services.  These can all be found at this website:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/welfare-self-reliance/services-and-programs?lang=eng

Marriage and parenting are the two most difficult things I have done. Talk to me about what you have learned from marriage and becoming a mother?

Oh, my goodness, parenting is one of the most difficult things I have ever done!  Actually, I think marriage has been easy.  At least, it’s easier for me than for Phillip.  I spent the first several years of our marriage in and out of the hospital – the first 9 months alone I was hospitalized 13 times.  And then after the birth of our first (with less than 2 years of marriage), I was hospitalized 10 times in 5 months.

Because of all of those hospitalizations and being on my literal deathbed multiple times, Phillip and I have dealt with more than a typical newlywed couple would.  As a result, our relationship is more like one of 25 years together than just the 8 we have now!   I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve actually lost our tempers with one another.  We’ve definitely learned a lot from having health issues.  I outline the key lessons in this blog post:

https://savingtalents.com/lessons-from-health-issues-in-marriage/

Parenting, on the other hand, is hard.  I think the #1 lesson I’ve learned from parenting is that I’m a selfish person.  Almost always, when I get frustrated with my kids, it’s because they’ve done something that makes extra work for me.  Whether it’s interrupting me while trying to blog, not putting on shoes fast enough to get out the door, or making a big mess, any time I lose control of my emotions and am grumpy, it’s because it’s about ME and not about THEM.

What does woman empowerment mean to you?

That’s a hard one to answer.  I want to be able to explain this well, and I hope I’m not misunderstood.

We believe very strongly that men and women have equal value and worth.  We do believe that we have God-given gender responsibilities, but those exist in a perfect world.  It’s up to each individual family to look at those responsibilities and then ask God how to apply them to their specific situations.  The source of this comes from a church statement called The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-/1995/10/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng

Again, those occur in a perfect world.  Female empowerment is helping women rise to the same level of worth as men in the eyes of society.  Equal pay for women, for example.

However, I personally have been concerned that a lot of the movement to improve women’s status is coming at the expense of men.  It is possible to raise women up without pulling men down, but I don’t see that happening as much as I’d like.  I wrote a blog post about this for Father’s Day.

https://savingtalents.com/honoring-fathers-the-way-we-do-mothers/

I think women’s empowerment is vital and necessary – no woman should be demeaned or treated poorly because of her gender.  She shouldn’t be belittled or man-splained or anything like that.  I do think it’s important that we don’t swing too far in the other direction, though, and try to pull men down as we pull ourselves up.

Talk to me about the city you live in the food scene and why we should visit?

I love being in Houston.  It’s one of the most culturally diverse cities in the United States.  The people are kind, and I love the feel of the South.   We’ve lived here for three years now, and it’s been one of the best places I’ve ever lived.  There’s a bit of almost everything you could want.

There are so many reasons to visit!  The NASA Space Center, the beaches in Galveston, the yearly Houston Rodeo, and so much more.

With Crohn’s disease, I’m afraid I don’t eat out very much, especially in Houston!  Because it’s so diverse, there are restaurants with almost any type of cuisine you could imagine.  However, if you want “legit” Houston food, then you’re going to want to try a BBQ or steak house, or some good ol’ fashioned Tex-Mex (which is Mexican food, but Texas style).

Tell me a good joke?

A Muslim, a Hindu and a Mormon walk into a bar

The bartender says, “Ah the people you run into when you lose your liquor license.”