The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

What We Believe

The following thirteen Articles of Faith are basic points of belief of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

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.

Missionary Work in the United Kingdom

The first Mormon missionaries to go overseas were sent to Britain in 1837, only seven years after the Church was founded. A total of seven missionaries were sent, including two members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the highest governing body of the Church). The group arrived in England on July 19, 1837, preached in Preston on July 23, and held baptismal services for nine new converts on July 30 before an audience of more than 8,000 curious onlookers. By the next week, 50 more converts were baptized. The teachings of the Church attracted more than a thousand converts in the first few years in the United Kingdom, despite mounting opposition from ministers and the press.

Between 1837 and the turn of the century, as many as 100,000 converts emigrated to join the main body of the Church in the United States. In fact, by 1870 nearly half of the population of Utah were British immigrants. Missionary work in the United Kingdom has continued to be successful in the 20th century despite setbacks during World War I and World War II. In the 1950s, Church membership in Britain increased as Church leaders encouraged new members to avoid further mass emigration and to build the Church in their native lands.

In the late 1950s, a temple was dedicated in London. In June 1998, another temple was opened in Preston, the site of the first preaching more than 150 years ago. Preston is the home of the oldest continuous branch (a small congregation) of the Church anywhere in the world, dating back to 1837.

Today there are nearly 200,000 members of the Church living in the United Kingdom and six mission including ours, the England Birmingham Mission. Our mission includes parts of England and Wales.

No doubt many wonder why we would elect to leave our loving family and friends behind and travel half way around the world to serve full time missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  There are times we even ask ourselves that question and the answer always comes back the same.  It is because of our love for Jesus Christ and the hope that His gospel brings into our lives.  In short, we will be bringing a message of warning, a message of peace and a message of hope to everyone we speak with throughout the England Birmingham Mission.