Last Sunday, September 28, I awoke to the sad news that the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints passed away. President Nelson just celebrated his 101st birthday less than 3 weeks prior to his passing. So, it wasn’t a huge surprise but as someone I respect and appreciate for his wisdom and teaching, it was still a rather somber morning as I prepared to attend church. But because my church time is a bit later than typical, I also heard the news of Grand Blanc, Michigan and the tragedy there. Normally, I don’t watch television before church services so that I can keep my mind focused on the Sabbath. Sunday morning though, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. While it wasn’t any worse than other horrible tragedies this world is suffering lately, it was more poignant for me.

Even though I had never heard of Grand Blanc before Sunday morning, I felt a personal connection to my fellow saints over 1,000 miles away. That’s because with very little description, I could picture the scene quite vividly.

The congregation had just partaken of the weekly Sacrament. This means they were gathered in the chapel as families. The Sacrament is the most holy and sacred portion of our two-hour church time. Personally, it is the time I reflect on my relationship with Jesus Christ. I think of all He has provided for me during the week and all that may need some self-correction on my end to better align with His teachings and mission. This is a personal, quiet moment to focus solely on Christ.

This time of the meeting is the quietest it will be for the two-hours. With the exception of a fussy baby, small children, or older adults who need to adjust their hearing aid, this is a time of quiet reflection during the Sacrament prayers and while the bread and water are each passed. This is a time to renew our covenants we made at baptism and to truly feel Christ’s grace.

Right after the Sacrament is passed, there is usually this little moment where the meeting shifts. The best way to describe it is a moment we begin to stir a little. The extreme quiet is lifted a as a member of the bishopric will stand at the pulpit and announce the rest of the meeting’s program. We have a lay ministry and every Sunday speakers from the congregation or neighboring congregation will address everyone in the chapel.

From what I understand, it was about at this moment in the service that the events occurred. Thankfully it did occur at this time. If the assailant had waited until the second hour, families would have been separated and everyone would have been spread out in the building for classes. Surely, the fire would have claimed even more victims. Panicked parents would have been rushing toward their children to protect them. It would have been absolute devastation.

As bits and fragments of the news came in, 1,000 miles away we wondered if someone picked the day specifically because of President Nelson’s death? That does not seem to be the case. It was just the most unfortunate timing. There is never a good time for such a thing to occur but this happening on this particular day made it seem quite specific.

While any act of violence is horrendous, this is what made this specific act a little more personal for me.

Now, for the casual reader, I am going to answer some commonly asked questions. This is not intended to persuade anyone to think differently, only to provide a little background. If you have LDS friends or coworkers in your midst, this might provide some ideas on how to comfort them. It is not intended to be a debate so I will turn off the comments. If you feel the need to debate what I’m about to share please stop reading now.

Question 1: why do some news outlets refer to your church as “mormon” and others as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

That is a good question and I can see how it might be confusing. There was a slight name change in the beginning. Originally, it was called the Church of Christ when the church was established in 1830. In 1838, it became The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The reason for that longer name is it is patterned after the ancient church during Peter, James, and John’s time. The Latter-day Saints differentiates the time.

“Mormon” originally started as a derisive term by nonmembers. But, the nickname stuck. Never in the history of the church has it been an official name, it’s always been a nickname that even the members started using. Leaders have repeatedly reminded us to use the proper and full name to avoid confusion but the nickname had become so popular that it has been difficult to undo. President Nelson reminded us and a massive course correction began in 2018. Reminding us to use the full name of the church rather than the nickname to not confuse people on the foundation of the church. Now, when “Mormon” is used rather than the full name, it has circled back to be a sign of ignorance or derision. Members appreciate the effort to refer to the church by the full and proper name: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Or even LDS is preferred to “Mormon.”

Question 2: Who is Mormon then?

Another good question. Mormon was a good guy but he was only a man and this is definitely not his church or his teachings. He compiled a book of ancient scripture (see below).

Question 3: Do you have your own bible?

No, we do not. We read and study the Holy Bible KJV. The life and teachings of Old Testament prophets such as Noah, Moses, and Elijah along with other prophets and notable figures are studied and taught in families and classes. The New Testament with the four gospels detailing Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, along with the disciples’ lives is also studied and taught.

We do also recognize the Book of Mormon as another testament of Christ. It is another collection of prophets that lived on the American continent. We do study and teach from this book as well since it helps point us to Christ.

We also have the Doctrine and Covenants. Scripture which is more modern than the ancient text and the Pearl of Great Price.

The function and purpose of each book is to point us to Christ. How to be a disciple of Christ. We learn from many generations that came before that lived in this world and their successes and failures in living the Word of God.

All of these books point us to Christ.

Question 4: Are you. Christian?

Yes. Absolutely so.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not rely on the Nicene Creed for its theology or doctrine as other Christian churches do. We believe in modern revelation. Because of that reason, people actually argue this point.

It does get tiresome being told that we are not Christian when we very much rely on Christ for salvation. I think it would be similar to a river telling a lake it doesn’t have water simply because they are two different bodies of water.

I appreciate and respect your belief as a Christian. I also identify as a Christian.

Question 5: Do you worship Joseph Smith?

No, not at all. I do appreciate him and his teachings though. He was a good man that did important things. He had the same calling as Noah, Moses, Daniel, Peter, and Book of Mormon prophets Nephi, Mormon, and others. I respect him and honor the work he did. The same goes for President Russell M. Nelson that just passed and the next leader Dallin H. Oaks.

But I worship God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ. I know that it is only through Christ that I can be saved. I also know it is only through Him that the community members of Grand Blanc Michigan will be healed. It is only through living His teachings that we will obtain peace. He is the way, the truth. And the life.

If you made it to this point, you might have more questions since this was just a brief overview. You can reach out to churchofjesuschrist.org and navigate to the About Us menu.

If you are a praying person, please keep all victims of such tragedies in your prayers. Let’s unite and pray for peace!

Thank you for reading and keeping it respectful!