Saints Unscripted

Whether or not you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church or the LDS Church), you might have noticed something interesting… members of the Church seem to be OBSESSED with the dead. They perform baptisms for the dead in the temple (see this episode for more information: https://bit.ly/2FXdaw3), they spend hours upon hours finding their ancestors that lived hundreds of years ago, they believe in being ‘sealed’ to their families for eternity, etc. They really seem to be okay with the idea of death and that they will see their loved ones again.   In this episode, we talk about family history work (also called genealogy work). Essentially, this is the work of finding records of those who have past on and determining what temple work (baptism, endowment, sealing, etc) needs to be done for them in a LDS Temple (otherwise called a Mormon Temple). There are multiple resources to help people of all faiths complete their family history work. Two of the resources are FamilySearch.com and Ancestry.com. Check them out!

Mormons have been called a cult for a LONG time. But is Mormonism actually a cult? Well, you might be surprised...   We gave Saints Unscripted a list of definitions of 'cult' that we found online. They were not informed of the definitions before the filming of the show so their reactions are RAW! And it turns out that Mormons just might be a cult...   Check out the video and let us know if you think Mormonism is a cult. Yes, we expect some haters to rejoice that they have been proven right ;) But guess what? With these definitions of 'cult,' we just might be proud of being a cult.

Today we talk about the difference between testimony and conversion. Many people use the two interchangeably but there IS A DIFFERENCE!   Kwaku explains that the difference between having a testimony and being converted is that someone can have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ but still not be converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He says that it's similar to "believing" but not being "born again."   Justin quotes Elder Bednar who says, "Testimony is the beginning of and a prerequisite to continuing conversion. Testimony is a point of departure; it is not an ultimate destination. Strong testimony is the foundation upon which conversion is established." Justin says that a testimony is the beginning of something greater and conversion is more like a lifestyle.   David points out that testimony is a prerequisite to conversion. Testimony leads to conversion.

The Bible and the Book of Mormon both emphasis the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy. Of the ten commandments, number four in Exodus 20:8-11 says, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church or the LDS Church), members are encouraged to refrain from working on the Sabbath Day.   However, are there circumstances in which one has to work on a Sunday?

Saints Unscripted open up about their own weaknesses and short comings. Do our weaknesses define us or limit our potential?  Check out Justin, Kwaku and Mimi, stars of the hit new YouTube show “3 Mormons” discuss Mormon weaknesses and share opinions and insight on what it mormons struggle with in today’s world!   Is it true that Latter Day Saints struggle with being perfectionists? What kind of pressure does your divine potential really put on you? Each of our three hosts has a different take on weakness and how it affects their lives.  Justin has struggled with being a self starter in the past. For example, he mentioned that he was very good at sports growing up, but stopped exercising as soon as he no longer had a coach that was telling him what to do. Old habits die hard and this has been a reoccurring struggle in his life.  Mimi reminds us that we should never compare our weaknesses with other people’s strengths. She referenced an example given at the LDS General Conference titled “Spiritual Eclipse” In this talk, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve apostles, in order to portray how unrealistic social media can be, shows a picture of some well backed muffins in a beautiful table. The picture then zoomed out to show a messy table, a crying child, and a normal looking home. To her detriment, Mimi has personally struggled with comparing her worst with the best of her friend’s social media experience.   Lastly, Kwaku shares a story of his “Friend” who felt guilty for kissing too many girls. While he was not doing anything wrong, he felt that he was not doing it for the right reasons and still felt bad about it.   Are weaknesses necessary for this life? The group explains that working through our weaknesses brings us closer to Christ, while overindulging and giving in to our weaknesses leads to sin and furthering themselves form Christ.

Poetic Kate (check her out on Twitter-- she's HILARIOUS) joined us to talk about soul mates. Do we have soul mates? Is there such thing as 'the one'? And if so, how do we find them?   Elder Uchtdorf and President Kimball have both said that "the one" doesn't exist; that we can choose to be happy with different people. However, is that just a general rule? Are there some people who have soulmates? Poetic Kate says that yes, her husband was exactly the one for her. She says that her patriarchal blessing indicated that she had a specific person to marry and that she has felt that her husband is exactly that person.   David jokingly says that his wife married him because he couldn't get anyone else to marry him. All jokes aside, David agrees that no, there is no such thing as a soulmate.

Guess what? Mimi's mom is a Mormon convert! That is right, not all Mormons are born Mormon. Mimi invited her mom to come on the show with us to talk about her conversion story and how she came to find the church.  Mimi’s mom (Pam) talks to us about her growing up in Hawaii. Listen along as she explains what it is like growing up trying to find a good religion with her family. Later on, she finds the Mormon missionaries.   Many of you might be looking into the Mormon church. If you are, watch this video! Tons of things can happen during the process of discovering what being a Mormon is all about. Just like Pam talks about, there are ups and downs, good and bads.

Today we had the great privilege of filming with Kelsey Edwards, a musician, model, and actress! Kelsey came on the show to talk about what to expect when going through a Mormon temple for the first time. Scroll down for the links to her awesome projects. :)   Kelsey talks about how, while the temple is awesome, her first experience was a little bit difficult. "I was very intimidated," she says. "It's a little different than what you expect... there's a lot of symbolism." But after attending again, she felt more at home. She's not alone in her experience; many of you may have experienced something similar. And that's okay!   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) builds temples all over the world. There are over 150 temples worldwide with more under construction.   When a member of the LDS Church turns 12 years old, if they are worthy, they can enter the temple and perform baptisms for the dead. Nope, this doesn't involve actual dead bodies, just the names of people who have died. When someone is older (there is no age requirement, necessarily), they can choose to make additional covenants in the temple so long as they are worthy.   One very cool element of the temple is the temple sealing. In a sealing, a couple and family can be 'sealed' (or joined together) for time and all eternity. This means that even in the afterlife, they have the potential of being with one another.

We get this question more than ANY OTHER: "What do I do if my family is unsupportive of my decision to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?" (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has often been abbreviated as the 'LDS Church' and the 'Mormon Church,' due to the belief in the Book of Mormon as inspired scripture that testifies of Jesus Christ.)  This problem is very common because more often than not, family members feel like their loved ones are betraying them or choosing the Church over them. Many youth who have experienced this disappointment from their family also express a need for support and love from their family. Joining the restored Church (otherwise known as the Mormon Church or LDS Church) is NOT a choice to stop loving family and friends. It is a choice to be spiritually changed and uplifted. It's a choice to love Jesus Christ more fully. It's a positive choice with a positive change.

Most days, we try to provide episodes that will help explain Mormon doctrine (doctrine from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). But every once in awhile, we release a totally random, slightly strange episode. And that's what you're getting today!   In this episode, we share unusual (little known) stories about the prophets in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as Mormons). There are 17 prophets and we talk about ALL OF THEM. Have you heard the stories we mention? Let us know in the comments below!   The prophets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are as follows:   Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, Heber J. Grant, George Albert Smith, David O. McKay, Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson, Howard W. Hunter, Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, Russell M. Nelson