Those seeking answers to questions about the doctrine, history, and policies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now have a few more resources in their quest for knowledge and understanding.
The Topics and Questions section of the Gospel Library app and ChurchofJesusChrist.org has three new pages with clear and insightful answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the faith.
- Race and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Women’s Service and Leadership in the Church
- Religion and Science
These three pages join others added to Topics and Questions in 2024 about the role of prophets, the origins of the Book of Abraham, the importance of the Lord’s Church, and the multiple accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision.
Each page provides information in a simple Q&A format for easy understanding.
“It is a wonderful process to see the interdepartmental cooperation and effort to prepare these important topics,” said Elder Mark A. Bragg of the Seventy, who serves on the Gospel Topics steering committee. “And it is truly instructive to see the prophets, seers and revelators discuss them and improve upon them. These gospel topics are inspired and inspiring.”
The page on race and the Church teaches that “God loves all His children. We are equal in His eyes, and He recognizes our divine potential to progress and become like Him. He wants each of us to return to live with Him and receive eternal life. Our differences bring beautiful variety to our lives.”
The page reflects the teachings of Church President Russell M. Nelson, who has said, “The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent!”
The topic of women’s service and leadership shows that “women and men work and counsel together to bless God’s children. Women contribute to the Lord’s work as they testify of Jesus Christ, strengthen friends and families, share the gospel, contribute to communities, minister to those in need, and serve and lead in the Church.”
“The divine endowment of women allows them to influence others in a way that helps them come closer to the Lord and feel His infinite love for them,” added Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson. “We hope all women understand that their families, the Church, and the world need their inspired wisdom and influence. They are beloved daughters of God. Each has infinite worth and value to Him.”
The resource on religion and science notes that “apparent conflicts [between science and religion] are simply reminders that we do not yet understand all there is to know about either religion or science. Our pursuit of truth requires us to be humble and patient, recognizing the limits of our knowledge. The Lord has promised that in a coming day He will ‘reveal all things’ [Doctrine and Covenants 101:32–34).”
The Church offers five guiding principles to help people find answers to questions on these and other topics.
- Center your life on Jesus Christ.
- Be patient with yourself and others.
- Recognize that revelation is a process.
- Consult reliable sources.
- Work to understand the past.
For those helping others with their questions, Church resources encourage you to respond with love, listen with humility, trust in the Lord, nourish your own faith and assist others throughout their journey.
“We are grateful that this resource continues to be added to, and we hope it will be helpful to the members of the Church,” said Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the Seventy, chair of the Gospel Topics steering committee. “Asking questions and seeking answers is a lifelong pursuit, and we come closer to the Savior as we do this.”