Who can go?

Over 1,700 Mormon youth ages 16-18 from the McLean to Massaponax area are invited. But you don’t have to be a Mormon to go. You just need to keep the standards…which leads us to the next question:

Why have a Mormon Prom?

Mormons strive to live a high standard that helps them be disciples of Jesus Christ “at all times, in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9). Below are some excerpts from a pamphlet titled For the Strength of Youth, which are incorporated into the standards of the Mormon Prom:

• “Attend only those dances where dress, grooming, lighting, lyrics, music, and entertainment contribute to a wholesome atmosphere where the Spirit may be present” (see Music and Dancing).
• Dress modestly. “Never lower your standards of dress. Do not use a special occasion as an excuse to be immodest. When you dress immodestly, you send a message that is contrary to your identity as a son or daughter of God. You also send the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval” (see Dress and Appearance).

Having such standards help youth avoid immoral behavior (which can lead to lots of undesired consequences) and invite the Spirit of the Lord into their lives. Unfortunately lots of youth, all over the world use prom as an excuse to participate in sexual transgressions. The For the Strength of Youth also goes into detail about this topic—here is a little blurp: “Do not have any sexual relations before marriage, and be completely faithful to your spouse after marriage” (see Sexual Purity). Simple as that. The best way to prevent unwanted sexual behavior is to avoid any situation that could possibly lead to that—another great reason for this upcoming Mormon Prom.

I am grateful for my husband, whom I was blessed to go to Prom with in high school. It was actually our first date! I remember vividly how impressed I was that he kept the high standards as described in The For the Strength of Youth and it made our date so fun and worry free!

I invite you to learn more about Mormon youth and why they want to live in such a unique way by chatting online with Mormon missionaries. I testify that Jesus Christ lives and He is our Savior. And through Him we can live this high standard in order to receive true and lasting happiness!

As a Mormon, or more properly known as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have a firm testimony that every person walking this earth is a child of God. Since God is literally the Heavenly King, we are literally princes and princesses that are awaiting all of the blessings that come from being heirs of this Divinely royal line (if we are faithful to His commandments). For some reason, the world teaches us that we can have fame, glory, and riches if we become self-centered, entirely concerned about “how am I going to succeed?” But these are blatant lies. The way to true happiness, glory, and eternal riches only comes from losing ourselves in the work of God–having the attitude of “how am I going to help others succeed?” To serve God doesn’t mean we have to go serve in some isolated mountain, reading scriptures all day, everyday. But we do have to be “anxiously engaged in a good cause” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27), by serving and lifting others towards the light of Christ.

If you feel like you aren’t in a position to help others because you are not as Christ-like as you would like to be, remember that you can change. You can become all that you were created to be–heirs to the throne of God, through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He suffered the Atonement (feeling the pains, sicknesses, temptations, and effects of sin) so that we can be made pure and clean.

I invite you to learn more about your divine mission–how you are meant to build the Kingdom of God. You can do so by meeting with Mormon missionaries. They can also teach you about how to use the power of the Atonement to become completely clean from the effects of sin. These missionaries are called and set apart, by the power of God, to be representatives of Jesus Christ to teach His holy word.

If you have felt inspired to do something about what you have read, don’t only think about doing it, but recall with me the words of a Mormon apostle, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, who has said, “somewhere between the hearing, the writing of a reminder on our smartphone, and the actual doing, our “do it” switch gets rotated to the “later” position… let’s make sure to set our “do it” switch always to the “now” position!” (“Your Potential, Your Privilege,” Ensign, May 2011). And always remember the words in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

This article was written by Ashley Bell, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Additional Resources:

How can I feel God’s love in my life?

Am I special?

Read the full message by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf  titled “You Matter to Him”

Read the full message by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland titled “Sanctify Yourselves”

For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

When I read this I thought, “ahah” they could have forgotten me!  But more importantly I learned that Jesus Christ could not forget me, nor can He forget you.  The holes on His hands that rose with Him when He was resurrected are eternal reminders of His love for us.

When my brother and his wife had a little girl, I went to the hospital to meet my new niece! My sister-in-law was exhausted and needed to sleep; I had the great opportunity to hold a new child who had just barely come into this world from the presence of our Father. As I held her in my arms, I looked at her face and felt the power that she held. I held her for nearly an hour before my sister woke up, but it seemed like only a few minutes. The whole time Heavenly Father allowed me to learn something about the rising generation, they are really special. The truth I learned from this experience was only magnified when I held my own precious child for the first time. Words will never be able to describe how close heaven felt that sacred night. President James E. Faust said, “My dear young sisters [and brothers], your future is bright. It can exceed your fondest dreams and expectations” (“Womanhood: The Highest Place of Honor,” Ensign, May 2000). And guess what?  That applies to you!

Not only did you inherit qualities from your earthly parents, but also you inherited qualities from a loving Heavenly Father. He wants you to have eternal life. The only way that we can have that great gift is if we accept it by living God’s commandments, and it is only made possible because of our Savior Jesus Christ—through His great gift of the Atonement. Our Father in Heaven sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to live a perfect life and then to suffer for mankind. What our Savior felt wasn’t just a collective amount of pain; He felt the pains for each of us individually. He took upon Himself  pains, sicknesses, temptations, and even death (see Alma 7:11).

So what does the Atonement mean to you? I hope it means that you understand that our elder Brother, Jesus Christ, knows you personally. He knows you better than your friends, your family, and even better than you know yourself. He knows your potential and the power that you have to change the world. And because He knows you, He knows what you need in order to return to live with our Father. Heavenly Father placed you on this earth at this specific time because you are needed. He really has saved the best for last. It is no coincidence that you are in the family you are in, it is no coincidence that you live where you live, and it is no coincidence that you are reading this article right now. In fact, I don’t believe there are such things as coincidences. Amongst all of the experiences that we have each and every day lay countless tender mercies from God. Elder David A. Bednar, speaks of tender mercies:

Through personal study, observation, pondering, and prayer, I believe I have come to better understand that the Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ (“The Tender Mercies of the Lord,” Ensign, May 2005).

I invite you to learn more about what your role is as a child of God by prayerfully reading the  Mormon scriptures, Abraham 3 and Doctrine and Covenants 138, and asking God what He has in store for you to do—follow His promptings—now. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is indeed Christ’s church. I know, because I have prayed, fasted, studied, and lived its teachings. You can do the same—and I promise doing so will bring you joy and peace beyond anything you can even comprehend. This is truth.

This article was written by Ashley Bell, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Additional Resources:

Meet with Mormon missionaries

How did The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints begin?

The Lord Jesus Christ in Mormonism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoen3eab868&feature=youtu.be