The Articles of Faith

Last Sunday, 14 August 2011 was the day when the whole family did a “family presentation” during our sacrament meeting in the Church. Joseph and I delivered our respective talks while Hendrik shared what he knows best – reciting the Articles of Faith. 

Middle of May this year, Sis Aubrey Ng, one of the members of the church gave Hendrik the Articles of Faith magnetic word strips. This gave me an idea to incorporate it in our Family Home Evening or FHE – Monday nights where the whole family gather together to have a night of fun, communication, coordination and learning.  In our FHE program for the past three months, Hendrik had been learning and memorizing the Articles of Faith. We would normally give him one week to memorize one article of faith before changing to the next one. He would try his very best to memorize within the given time frame; or rather it was an easy and effortless task for him as he is blessed with super sharp memory and was able to memorize them in no time. 

First Sunday of June, three weeks after we started including the Articles of Faith in our FHE program, Hendrik shared with the church members by reciting the first three articles of faith that he had memorized during the Fast and Testimony meeting. We received heart-warming comments from the members of the church. 

When I learned from Joseph a few weeks ago that we were assigned to give talks and / or “family presentation” scheduled last Sunday, Joseph and I thought that it would be the best time to let Hendrik finish what he has started. After all, church members were asking us for updates about Hendrik’s progress with the Articles of Faith. So, without further ado here’s a sample video of Hendrik reciting the Articles of Faith:

 

  

Articles of Faith*

1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Joseph Smith

* Thirteen statements describing the fundamental beliefs of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

~~~ end ~~~