The Apple Story

I wanted to share a conversation I had with Prez Walker. The conversation started at the end of 1997 during what was becoming a regular chastening shortly after I had, once again, upset either a companion or leader with some overzealous behavior in regards to the process I took towards baptizing. After a short but heated exchange of opinions, very frustrated, I asked Prez if I should just give up, slow down, and/or take it easy in an effort to avoid offending anyone else. In Prez’s typical and almost mischievous way, he leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head, and said, “Ruggles, let me tell you a short story.”

He proceeded to tell me about a young man who was charged with preparing sliced apples. This young man was eager to impress his employer but was surprised when all he was given was a hammer. As the young man did his best with what he was given, he reluctantly went to present what were hardly sliced apples. After leaving the apples with his employer, he was soon given a dull machete. The young man quickly took advantage of his new tool preparing what were much better looking sliced apples. Each time the young man returned with his apples, he was given a better tool until he eventually was given a paring knife. By this time, the young man could not only prepare finely cut apples, but many more apples in the time it used to take.

After telling the story, Prez looked at me and asked, “What would have happened if the young man refused to present the apples he had prepared with the hammer until they looked like they were cut with a paring knife?” I responded that the young man would have wasted a lot of apples and he would have never felt like he could have presented the apples because no matter how hard he tried, he would not have been able to make the apples appear as if they had been cut by a paring knife and would have thought himself a failure. Prez then looked at me and said that he didn’t want me to not slice apples or even slice less. He told me that after each month that I presented to the Lord what I had prepared, that I should make sure to start next month with better tools and skills to not only improve upon what I presented, but how many as well. Prez then looked at me and said, “Ruggles, don’t be afraid by the mess that may surround you until you learn to prepare perfectly sliced apples.”

That was the last time I ever looked back concerning myself with whether or not I should “take it easy” until I figured out how to become a better missionary. I learned that it is the process of constantly refining myself that truly leads me to becoming what the Lord wants me to be. I’ve held on to that story as it has served me well over the years in reminding me that when I fear the “collateral damage” of the process it takes to be better at something, I am only fearing myself and therefore aligning myself with the self doubt that our adversary works hard to promote.

To my surprise, while I was with a group of former missionaries at the ten year reunion, Prez started that story again. This time instead of apples he used watermelons, and instead of expounding on the watermelons, Prez paralleled an even better example. Prez made reference to the pioneers that traveled across the country to Utah. Initially, there were several deaths along the trail towards Salt Lake and many doubted whether or not it was worth the risk. Many of the first pioneers who crossed the plains did not follow what they viewed as important instructions and died because of it. As the leaders of the church continued to encourage the journey, members paid better attention to the prophet’s instructions and soon the journeys across the plains resulted in no deaths at all. The instructions never changed, just the members following them with perfect obedience! Prez pointed out, interestingly, the church didn’t slow the number of members across the plains because of the tragedies that initially took place. Similarly, we as missionaries were told what to do but until we followed the instructions with exactness, we couldn’t reach our full potential.


Obviously the three years Prez was in Chile were very similar in process to both the apple and pioneer stories. Likewise, a good number of us Westies share the same progression. How many of us felt that it would have been better to stop or slow down our methods until we were better at it? The one time I slowed down, because I was afraid of a mess I had created the previous month, was one of the darkest times of my mission. I soon realized that the feelings that consumed me were not of the Spirit. After a reflective, “De donde vienen estos sentimientos?” self evaluation, I quickly went back to what let me feel the Spirit. Soon I began working with that paring knife and took part in building God’s kingdom in ways I had only read about.

While I return home from celebrating Prez coming home ten years ago I feel overwhelmed with gratitude that the Lord saw fit to allow me to be part of something so special and sacred. May we all take to heart what could be in our wards and stakes. Let’s remember that the best way to retain is through the waters of baptism! Retain does not mean retard. We are not to slow the work of the Lord because of our limited mortal perspective. As I have studied this topic off and on, I found a couple scriptures and notes that I wanted to share to end my soapbox. Thank you for all the friendships. I’m forever grateful. The scriptures and notes are as follows:

Hebrews 5:8, “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.”

JST Hebrews 11:40 “God having provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without their sufferings they could not be made perfect.”

Alma 32:16, “blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.”
St John 20:29, “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

Moses 5:6, “And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.”

Is the Middle Ground found in another?

Disclaimer: I know my entries are long. I have a great deal I'm trying to figure out.

At a very young age I realized that people treated me differently. My white classmates didn't think, talk, nor live the way I did and many distanced themselves from me and regularly belittled me. My Hispanic and black classmates rejected my attempts to hang out with them (except for kids that were from my barrio) because of the color of my skin. That was all before sixth grade....

The summer before sixth grade I became ill. I would randomly loose my breath and simply couldn't breathe. Doctors tried treating me for asthma and various other things, including six horse pills a day, and nothing seemed to help. I started to notice that I would lose my breath most often when I became upset. I noticed if I didn't get upset, I didn't have an episode. As suddenly as it began, I never had another issue after that summer.

The year I started sixth grade was the year that LCISD had decided to put all sixth graders in their own school. The school district had decided on Jackson Middle School which was situated in one of the worst parts of town. We were bussed in from all over the district to go to Jackson. This would be the first year that I would meet new kids from all over the district. Most of my friends from my neighborhood had started maturing and the topic of girls and sports became the only topics of discussion. Sixth grade was also the year that an elective class would be provided: band or theater. I wanted to get into theater but my mother figured that since she already had a flute, that they could afford to put me into band.

So there I was excited to start over to get a new set of friends. I was an eleven year old still several years from maturing the way most of my classmates had, reluctantly entering band as the only male flute player, and determined to feel accepted by those around me. I had everything going my way!

Due to kids being bussed in from all over to one school, the demographic of Jackson was split almost in thirds. There quickly began a separation from the whites, Hispanics, and blacks. Jackson was located in an area that had almost no whites living there and we were surrounded by drugs and violence. The separation was most evident during large gatherings like, lunch, PE, or school functions. I was from an all Hispanic barrio, except for my family, and I had started to think that I fit in best with the Hispanic crowd. In fact, I remember clear as day while during PE several of the kids were playing football, many whites and almost all of the Hispanic kids were left to find something else to play. Someone had brought a soccer ball and suggested that we play whites against the Mexicans. Can you guess what team I played on? That's right primo!! Viva Mexico!! That very game started my love for soccer and it has never stopped. That game also started my path towards believing that it would be possible to be accepted by everyone. Additionally I even started telling people that I was Hispanic and that my family was from Spain.

From my sixth grade year until now I've made it my quest to appear acclimated in every group and or culture I came across. In junior high and high school I tried to convince whites that I was rich and privileged, Hispanics that I was Hispanic, and blacks that I could relate to being discriminated against. There were few exceptions. I went to great lengths to not allow any white friends know where I lived excluding my friends from church. It wasn't until my senior year in high school that I let a girl drop me off at my driveway. It was Christmas break of my first semester in college, that I let my best friend from high school come inside where I lived.

By the end of my sophomore year in high school I felt like I had mastered the art of gaining acceptance in almost any scenario. I had formed relationships with certain upperclassmen that provided protection when I may have been around any gang members. All the popular white girls liked being around me therefore forcing the white jocks to befriend me. I lived in a Hispanic community and I treated everyone from there as family. I became friends with a few other serial social animals (one black, one Hispanic, and one white) that allowed me to go to any party no matter what race was throwing it. During my senior year in high school I thought that I had gained acceptance from any one I had put effort in getting it from.

Interestingly I was still able to gain my new found popularity without compromising the majority of my religious beliefs. I never at one time got involved with any alcohol, smoking, or drugs. It was also known that I was respectful with the girls and that a lot less would happen with them than the girls wanted. That's not to say that I wasn't surrounded by the above mentioned activities. My friends openly drank, smoked and took and sold drugs in front of me and I admittedly at some times even encouraged it. Most of my friends knew I was a Mormon and the only one in my grade. I often would get in debates with other Christians as to whether or not I was Christian. I went to early morning seminary every morning and I would arrive to school more than an hour early between the time I finished seminary to when school started. I spent that time doing homework and going to various school clubs like Science Club, Fellowship of Christian Students, Student Environmental Action Coalition, Spanish Club and Black History Club.

I'm sure many people felt that I was just an above average well rounded kid. The problem was that I had gained acceptance at a price. The price was that I led people to believe that I was something that I wasn't and I had essentially built myself a house of cards that would eventually fall. I obviously had a talent for networking but I had formed it on a person that was not everything people believed him to be. Of course now that I look back on it, I see that most people would not have cared that I was the only white kid growing up in a small trailer with loose plywood floors and ten people in it. I also see that I would have been better off only making half the "friends" I had made over the years. It has been a long process of self reflection. Its not hard for me to see the benefits of telling the truth, its only hard for me to believe that people will still like me the same after having the truth. I wanted to have friends whether or not they were friends with me or who they thought I was.

My mission in Chile changed everything. It was there that I had found the strength to stand for something. I don't think there will ever be another time in my life that I will be able to dedicate myself to one thing the way I did in Chile. I learned that there are many things in life that are worth losing friends over. I also learned that when I didn't try to lead people into thinking a certain way, that people still like me and sometimes even admire me. I learned that I had to be true to myself and then and only then could I be true to others. Ultimately I learned that my relationship with Christ was directly related to how I acted around others. If I truly believed that Christ accepted me for who I am, then I would have the faith to be me.

Since returning from my mission, I married someone that requires me above all else. She does not concern herself with the consequence of speaking the truth, just the truth. I love her for it so much. There have been aspects of my previous life that have reared their ugly head on occasion and she has seen me through. She and I create what I think is the ideal middle ground. While I try to improve on being transparent, she trys to take other's feelings into consideration. We try to help eachother as best we can.

My prayer is that I can continue to identify my faults and have the faith sufficient to change for the better. I appreciate all the comments!

Mainstream vs. Truth

Dear Andy,
Over the past couple of months, I have found myself recalling the great times we have had together since we first met in college. I have such a profound respect for you as a friend, a husband, a father, and as a man of faith. My one great regret over the past years is that we have not had the opportunity to enter into a dialogue concerning the nature of our systems of religious belief. I will never forget the years that you spent in South America on mission. When I first heard that you were leaving college and would be gone for a couple of years, I did not understand why you were going nor did I understand what you would be doing. However, when I spend time with you today, I know that experience was transformational for you. In light of this, I would like to enter into a dialogue with you regarding our religious worldviews. I know that you are a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, however, until recently, I have not had a solid understanding of that religious system. I have spent some time over the past months reading and trying to understand the Mormon religion and I would like to share with you what I have found. I would ask for a portion of grace and understanding as I attempt to verbalize my understanding of your faith tradition. Please accept any errors in my description as ignorance as I will not intentionally misrepresent your faith. I hope that we can continue this conversation over the years to come as we both attempt to open our eyes to the realities of our differing perspectives.
I must begin by divulging the sources of my information. First, a text written by Mary Farrell Bednarowski, a professor of Religious Studies at United Theological Seminary, has been very enlightening in its treatment of the core beliefs and systems of Mormonism.[1] In addition to this text, I am currently enrolled in a course that investigates not only the Christian worldview but also that of many other religious systems. My hope is that neither of these sources has provided me with a “Christianized” argument against the Mormon faith. Now that I have provided you with the sources for my information, let me begin by sharing with you my understanding of some of the tenants of your faith.
Central to Mormon theology is the concept of God as Father. In this sense, God is the literal father of all people, and God is the literal Father of Jesus Christ. The concept of Father is not allegorical or figurative in nature. God, who exists and operates within time and space, is a male being with a physiology like yours and mine. In addition to physiological similarities between God and humans, God also has emotions and feelings. These psychological characteristics are the source of God’s creative will; God created this world out of love and has true empathy for us, since God was once one of us. While God did create this world, God is not the creator who made all things out of nothing. In addition, God is not alone. God coexists with many other gods and worlds and must deal with the realities that lie therein.
Connected closely to this understanding of the person of God is the ways in which God is revealed. Bednarowski notes that revelation, above all else, may be the most attacked belief in Mormon theology.[2] Not only is God revealed in nature, God reveals special knowledge to man at different times throughout history. This view does not discount the credibility of the Christian scriptures, but it does state that revelation did not end around the first century C.E.
Concerning the nature of humanity, Mormonism views the individual as made up of three distinct parts: 1) an eternal intelligence which has always existed; 2) a spiritual body which was conceived by celestial parents; and 3) a physical body which was conceived by mortal parents. Mormonism has a high view of humanity since it has connections with God’s purposes. Human mortality simply acknowledges that humans cannot escape death. However, our mortal lives are seen as vital to the spiritual growth of the person, because it is during this period of mortality that humans learn and grow towards divinity themselves.
Since humans exist as mortals, there must be some understanding of the brokenness that we see in the world and in the lives of people. It is here that the issue of sin is accounted for in Mormon theology. Sin is the result of individual choices and actions; there is no original sin that keeps humanity in bondage from birth. Mormonism does teach that humanity is fallen, but it is through that fallen state that humanity is able to experience God’s grace. If not for the fall, humanity would not have been subjugated to death, and without death, there is no resurrection, which reconnects the spiritual body with the physical body.
I do not intend to quickly pass over the doctrine of the resurrection. Mormonism affirms that Jesus Christ lived, was crucified on a cross, and was resurrected. However, Jesus’ death and resurrection are not a means of atonement or a covering over of sin, a doctrine found in Christianity. Jesus’ resurrection provided the opportunity for all humanity to be resurrected at some point after succumbing to death. Without the resurrection, the physical body and the spiritual body would be eternally separated. Salvation in Mormon theology involves the rejoining of the spiritual and physical body after death. Salvation alone is not the ultimate goal, it considered the “common minimum”; the faith and works of the individual provides for a deeper salvation experience3. The key to any conversation regarding the salvation of humanity in Mormonism is “agency”, the teaching that by their good deeds, humanity earns salvation. As Bednarowski states, “Humanity is saved by grace, but not by grace alone.” [3]
Finally, I would like to express my understanding of the Mormon teachings concerning the afterlife. This teaching is complicated, so I dare not assume that I will state in full or that I understand the totality of this doctrine. First, concerning death, there are several forms including physical death, separation from God, and death as a consequence of sin. Upon death, the spiritual body moves to one of two places, Paradise and Hell. Paradise is a spiritual realm of great activity where we participate in mission, guidance, and other work. For the unrighteous, Hell is the place where their spiritual bodies await the resurrection. When the resurrection occurs, both Hell and Paradise cease to exist. From here, there are three levels of God’s kingdom where most of humanity will dwell; 1) the telestial; 2) the terrestrial; and 3) the celestial. Those who have committed terrible sins are sent to dwell with the devil. Concerning the three levels of God’s kingdom, the telestial level, the first level, is not the goal or the desired dwelling place for Mormons. The ultimate hope is to dwell in the highest kingdom, the celestial kingdom, which is the place where the family dwells together and becomes like God.
Now that I have expressed my elementary understanding of the Mormon tradition, I would like to provide you with an overview of my worldview. You have known since we first met that I am a follower of Jesus Christ and consider myself a Christian. It concerns me greatly when I turn on religious television and see the representations of my faith that are sent across the airwaves. I would like to clarify my understanding of the story for you. I believe that, before time and out of nothingness, God spoke all things into existence. This first statement is critical to the Christian worldview because there is a distinction between the created and the creator. In Christianity, nothing existed before God and God is the uncreated One. Upon creating the physical world, God created man and woman and breathed into them the Imago Dei, the image of God. Having been created in God’s image, humanity has a unique relationship with God. God created humanity to live in community, and God desires to be a part of that community. The first question in scripture is, “Where are you?”[4] This question signifies God’s search for us, a search that continues to this day. God’s search for us is a result of the fall, the moment in the story where the first people accepted the lie of the serpent and ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This act signified humanity’s desire to be more than God intended; the desire to be like God. As a result, humanity was separated from God and became subject to death.
Over many centuries, revelation of God was given to the nation of Israel. Through this relationship, God established laws and practices which were intended to help the nation turn towards God and away from their sinful nature. However, humanity does not have the ability to perfect itself, nor do humans have the capacity to live sinless lives. In an act of loving condescension, God became one of us by sending God’s son, born of a virgin named Mary, around the beginning of the first century C.E. The birth of Jesus firmly placed God ‘s actions within the realm of time and space. Having lived a sinless life, Jesus became an acceptable substitute for the sins of all humanity. On the cross, Jesus took on the sins of the world, died and was separated from God. Jesus then rose from the dead, leaving behind an empty tomb, claiming the ultimate victory over death. As a Christian, I take seriously Jesus’ words that he came to announce, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”[5] Jesus came to inaugurate the Kingdom of God and his death and resurrection began an era in which Christians live partially in God’s Kingdom as we await full realization of God’s Kingdom and the restoration of God’s creation. [6] In response to this, Jesus Christ is the only path to reconnection with God and the only means by which we may inherit eternal life with God.[7]
Having expressed my understanding of the Mormon tradition and having provided an overview of the Christian perspective, areas of commonality as well as areas of inconsistency are obvious. First and most profound to me is the idea that God empathizes with humanity. We both share an understanding that God knows what it is like to be human. God understands the realities of our temptations, he understands the power of love, and he experienced the sadness and pain of death. However, I must acknowledge that we come to this understanding in conflicting ways. Where Mormonism teaches that God was once human, therefore God empathizes, Christianity teaches that God’s empathy comes through the person of Jesus Christ. The life of Jesus is the vehicle through which the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is able to empathize with the realities of the human condition.
Secondly, both Mormonism and Christianity acknowledge that humanity lives in a fallen state. The choice made by the first humans in the garden brought sin and death into the world. The two worldviews split once we travel further down this road. The Mormon understanding that the fall is good in that it facilitates death, which in turn leads to resurrection and salvation, is inconsistent with Christian teaching. Christianity understands that God created all things and called them good. Creation was filled with purpose and humanity played an image-bearing role in creation. Christianity cannot reconcile that God intended for man to sin so that God could provide a means of salvation
Finally, I would like to acknowledge a differentiation between our worldviews that I found interesting. The Christian understanding of the afterlife is very nebulous. Within the Christian faith, while all believers affirm a Heaven where we will live with God for eternity, some believers do not affirm the existence of a literal Hell. In addition, not all Christians agree on the timing by which we are joined with God; either immediately upon our death or at the second coming of Jesus Christ. I understand that this lack of consistency within Christian doctrine of the afterlife contributes in some capacity to the confidence with the Mormon tradition that God has revealed new knowledge as to the nature of Heaven and Hell. The specificity with which the Mormon faith describes the afterlife is fascinating to me. I do not mean to belittle or disagree with the teachings in any way; I simply find it interesting that our two traditions hold things in common, yet we have much different concepts of what lies in store for humanity after death.
I am so grateful for your willingness to read this letter and to enter into this conversation with me. I understand that society tells us not to talk about politics or religion if we are to be politically correct; however, I believe that the depth of our relationship is such that we can have productive and informative conversations on these sensitive issues without altering our affection towards each other. So often, culture and even other religious systems misrepresent our theological understandings in an attempt to discredit our faith. I hope that we can enter into this dialogue free from any intentional misrepresentations. Again, I am so very honored to call you my friend and I am excited about the possibility that this conversation will lead us down a path to an even closer relationship
Sincerely,
Chad[1] Bednarowski, Mary Farrell. New Religions & the Theological Imagination in America. (Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1989).[2] Bednarowski, p. 22.[3] Bednarowski, p. 49.[4] Genesis 3:9[5] Mark 1:15 (NRSV)[6] Various writings and teachings of N.T. Wright. Wright understands 1 Corinthians 15:25-29 as Paul’s assertion that the Kingdom of God is both a present and future reality. In addition, Wright accepts as gospel the restoration of God’s creation as having been initiated by Christ.[7] John 14:6

My response...


Chad,

I am excited that we have an opportunity to discuss our beliefs centralized around our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The unfortunate consequence of our nickname, Mormons,
is that people are led to think that we do not share the same convictions in following
Christ as mainstream Christians. The fact that we are members of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints seems to be overlooked. Even in your letter you only referred
to my faith as “the Church of Latter Day Saints”. The “Latter Day Saints” is only meant to
distinguish us from the church that Christ established while on the earth and His church
today that He reestablished after there had been a time without all His truths and
ordinances known to the LDS faith as the Apostasy. In this letter I hope to share with you
my beliefs as a Christian and also the differences that my specific faith has with
mainstream Christianity.

In your letter, it is obvious that you have received an in depth but brief education as to
the beliefs of the LDS faith. However I do wish to correct the most erroneous comment.
You wrote that, “Mormonism affirms that Jesus Christ lived, was crucified on a cross, and
was resurrected. However, Jesus’ death and resurrection are not a means of
atonement or a covering over of sin, a doctrine found in Christianity.” I do not blame
you for this mistake as I assume that you were most likely taught that we do not believe
in Christ’s atonement as a means to overcome our sins and death. I have struggled my
whole life with mainstream Christian churches teaching their congregations that
Mormons do not believe in Christ in an effort to keep anyone from investigating any
further my beliefs. It is hard for me to imagine what is worse: to teach that we do not
believe in Christ at all or to teach that we believe in His existence but not his
atonement. To believe that Jesus Christ is not our Savior, to me, is to negate the very
reason He came to Earth. I’d like to share with you what we teach of Christ so that you
may know what role He plays in the LDS faith.

Since my faith does not believe the mainstream Christian’s definition of deity as found in
the Nicene Creed, many churches teach that we do not believe in Christ or that we are
not Christians. It is true that the LDS faith believes that God the Father, His Son Jesus
Christ, and the Holy Ghost exist as three separate Beings acting together as the
Godhead. As I study the Bible and LDS scriptures, I conclude that without an external
definition given by either the Nicene Creed, authoritative leadership, or a spiritual
confirmation, it can not be determined whether the Trinity of mainstream Christianity or
the LDS doctrine of the Godhead is what the scriptures teach. It is also important to
understand that those of the LDS faith believe that we are created in the image of God
in its literal sense. I do not feel that it is coincidence that we as humans are the only
creation of God referred to in any scripture that I am familiar with as His children. We
believe that we as humans share the same physical characteristics of God down to ten
fingers and ten toes. We believe that both God and Jesus Christ live in an exalted,
immortal body of flesh and bone and that the Holy Spirit alone has not a physical body.
We also believe that we are not only created in the image of God but also that we are
descendants of God as His begotten spirit children and that we lived in His presence as
spirits before we came to live on this earth to further our progression. We believe that as
mortal humans on this earth there are two things that separate us from God’s presence:
our sins and our mortal bodies. Without overcoming these two obstacles, we believe
that we can never dwell in God’s presence again. We believe that God has prepared
a way back to His presence and we call it the Plan of Salvation. In the Plan of
Salvation, God has given us a means to overcome our sins and our mortality through
the Atonement of Jesus Christ, God’s only Begotten Son on this earth. In the Book of
Mormon, we are taught:

“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be
fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon
him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the
flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon
him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now
behold, this is the testimony which is in me.” Alma 7:11-13

This particular scripture is unique because it is the only one that I know of that teaches
that Christ not only suffered the pains of our sins but the pains of all suffering. In fact, if
you were to continue familiarizing yourself with the LDS’s teachings of The Atonement,
you would see that we believe that Christ’s scope towards our salvation is typically
more than what is taught in mainstream Christianity. The temptation seems to be with
my non LDS friends to somehow try to diminish our belief in Christ because we aspire to
one day be all that God is. It is because of that very belief that increases the role that
Christ plays in our salvation! For without the sacrifice that Christ made for us, we believe
that we would be a lost and fallen people unable to ever live with God again. The
Book of Mormon also reiterates this point by teaching,

“And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that
Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone
for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.
For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be
an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost,
and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.
For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of
any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.” Alma 34:8-10

I hope that by reading this information you are able to see past what you have been
told about my faith not believing in the single most important moment in the history of
the world, the Atonement. I also hope that you will understand that if we, as Mormons,
believe we truly are the actual children of God, and not just one of His infinite creations,
then He would want, as any good father, for us to have and be all that He has and is.
Under that light I hope you see that we do not intend to prop ourselves up as something
more than God wants, but that we simply seek to fulfill God’s will as His children. We
believe in the literal teachings of Paul to the Romans when he said,

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of
God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:16-17)

For quite some time I was perplexed as to why so many of my mainstream Christian
friends found this specific belief to be offensive until I realized that it is your doctrine that
teaches that God is not of the same substance as humans and that humans have as
much chance to be like God as does any other of His infinite creations. Over the years,
I’ve been able to familiarize myself more with the beliefs of other religions who profess
Christ as their Savior and it has served me a great deal in understanding the reason
behind so many misconceptions with the LDS faith. If a Christian is to be defined by the
doctrine set forth by the Catholic Church and or Nicene Creed, then by its standards
and doctrine we are not Christian. However if a Christian is to be defined by their belief
in the infinite scope in which Christ’s atonement can bring about salvation and eternal
life, then I believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has the most
complete doctrine found anywhere and for that reason I am part of it.

It is Christ that I follow above all else. I choose to be part of the LDS faith because of my
beliefs and convictions in my Lord and Savior. It is my belief that I should continually
seek out the truth of all things despite the sometimes difficult consequences. I would
encourage you to study the life of our Lord and Savior even Jesus Christ and ask
yourself if you are part of His church. Even before that, one would have to see the
need to align himself to His church and not just His teachings. I believe that many
Christian religions teach correct principles from the Bible but are the principles all we
need for salvation? If we are to believe in all the Bible’s teachings then we also believe
in the need for ordinances such as baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Spirit by
laying on of hands for our salvation. Can anyone baptize someone else in the name of
our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit or is there a need for authority in relation to our
Lord’s saving ordinances? If not every man can have the authority, which men can
and by whom do they gain this authority? I would challenge you as a faithful believer
of Christ to ask yourself whether or not gaining an education alone is what gives
someone authority. Christ did not give His apostles authority by a series of classes but
by the Holy Priesthood and through the power of the Holy Spirit. The very history behind
your Christian faith came from recognizing that there was no authority within the
Catholic Church because of its corruption and ever convenient doctrinal modifications.
Those brave Reformists refused to be part of something that did not align itself with
Christ’s teachings which is always the first clue into recognizing that there is no authority.
Which of the Reformists that you’re aware of taught that they had authority?

I’d like to conclude this letter by saying that I value our friendship a great deal. I hope
that this is only the beginning of our correspondences in relation to our beliefs. This
world would have us be filled with hate and spite. I pray that we will always remember
that it is Christ who saves and no other. I know that Christ is my Savior and yours. I know
that He is merciful and yearns for our return. These truths have been witnessed to me by
the Holy Spirit and I can not deny them. Thank you for your letter and your friendship.


Your Brother in Christ,


Ruggles