Articles of Faith (2003)

The Reform Mormonism Articles of Faith

1. We believe in God.
2. We believe in living moral and accountable lives.
3. We believe that all people are children of God, and may experience God’s love in this life, and will return to God after this life. We believe that God’s love includes freedom from judgment and condemnation.
4. The first principles of our belief are: first, faith; second, knowledge; third, revelation; fourth, restoration.
5. We believe that the Kingdom of God lies within us, and that with our work, God has revealed, is now revealing, and will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to this Kingdom.
6. We believe that every individual, by divine birthright, holds complete authority to act in the name, and with the power of, God, and that this power is shared equally among all.
7. We claim the privilege of religious freedom and responsibility, and believe that the diversity of religion in the world is essential to developing our understanding of God. We seek after the divine knowledge contained in all religions.
8. We believe that religious titles, such as prophet, pastor, evangelist, etc., are appropriate based on the skill and willingness of the receiver.
9. We believe that religious texts contain a mixture of truth, inspiration and personal opinion. We believe in using knowledge and personal revelation from God while studying religious texts, their translations, and their historical context.
10. We believe that spiritual phenomenon exits on the Earth.
11. We believe in treating the Earth with respect, and in leaving improved conditions for our posterity.
12. We believe in obeying the laws of government, in taking part in the creation and enforcement of law, and in lobbying peacefully for redress or changes to laws we feel violate individual respect and dignity.
13. We believe in being honest, true, and benevolent; in being faithful to our commitments; in doing good. We seek after things that are virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy.

Commentary on the Articles of Faith

One might wonder why, if Reform Mormonism welcomes exploration into any religious or spiritual terrain, it would seek to limit itself by prescribing a set of tenets such as these Articles of Faith. It might seem that, from the outset, we are saying, “go explore everything” and then turning right around and saying “but this is what we believe.” To some extent this is true; since the Articles of Faith each begin with the words “we believe” they do suggest a limitation. Let’s explore the reason why these Articles have been provided here.

Joseph Smith delineated a set of “Articles of Faith” in 1841. It was a simple set of 13 statements, adopted by the LDS Church as an authorized summary of its principal doctrines in 1890. The Articles, as recently revised, are part of LDS catechism and are memorized as an indication of achievement by LDS youth.

In his introduction to the book Articles of Faith (1899), James Talmage (1862-1933), an LDS leader and Apostle, stated that the LDS Articles of Faith were “not to be regarded as a complete exposition of belief” primarily because one of the LDS Articles of Faith states that God is continually revealing new things to people, and that this is an essential feature of their belief. For this reason, according to Talmage, the LDS do not announce a formal religious creed as usually set forth in other religious sects. One can draw from this statement, therefore, that no complete presentation of belief can be provided because it is subject to changes and enhancements as God continues to change and enhance things. This aspect of the LDS articles of faith is also true of the Reform Mormonism articles; they are not complete, because things change over time.

If these Articles are not a complete representation of the beliefs of an organization, what exactly are they?

Talmage went on to say that the LDS articles of faith were adopted by the church “as a guide to faith and conduct. As these Articles of Faith present important doctrines of the Church in systematic order, they suggest themselves as a convenient outline for a study of the theology of The Church…” You could choose to view the Reform Mormon articles of faith in exactly the same way: as a guide and an outline. Their importance as a systematic order of presentation is particularly relevant, and perhaps the strongest reason for their creation and inclusion here.

They are not complete, and not exclusive. They are a guide; they are a convenient way to summarize things. As a summary, they become something that an individual can use to quickly decide if the tenets of the organization are in harmony with their personal beliefs; one must remember, when making this decision, that these statements of belief are within a context of tolerance of much wider beliefs. A Reform Mormon is not obligated to believe any or all of these statements. Reform Mormonism is more defined by the freedom to explore than the restriction to a particular set of beliefs. As summaries of a general approach to belief, however, it is likely that someone who considers themselves a Reform Mormon will feel comfortable with most of these Articles. One of the great things about being a Reform Mormon is your freedom to dissent from these beliefs, and to discover your own particular view of these beliefs as a result of your own knowledge and revelation.

Such simple statements can be taken and understood in a variety of ways. Exposition on these statements allows for further study and enhancement; yet such exploration is merely the result of someone’s opinion regarding these statements, and should not be taken as the method or result that another individual should use to develop their own understanding. This approach is in stark contrast to the LDS method where members are expected to accept and incorporate the opinions of the LDS leadership insofar as interpretation of theology is concerned.

You cannot – and should not – merely accept other’s views of these subjects as your own. Your perspective of them is something you must explore and discover. The decision to accept these Articles as something you can agree with is entirely dependent upon your personal effort to enhance your progression by seeking further knowledge. Your resolution of any current belief you have that may seem at odds with one of these Articles is a personal journey you are encouraged to undertake, but you may find that your current belief actually already falls under the Article, and you do not have to resolve anything. Also, it is not necessary that you view these Articles as something you must either believe in totally or not at all – Reform Mormonism does not insist upon an “all or nothing” approach to belief. As you will discover within these Articles, your own path of belief is not subject to absolute dictation from others; you are free to construct it from those pieces of knowledge which come to you, and that you discover over time. You need not accept a concept that you do not understand simply because it comes “bundled” with a group of other concepts which appeal to you. Conversely, you need not reject a group of concepts simply because they seem bundled with a particular concept that you do not accept. You are free to explore each concept individually and see where you wind up. This freedom is as important as – in fact, is inextricably linked to – the concepts themselves.