Articles of Faith

Arches National Park - Utah

My Fundamental Beliefs

I attended Family Home Evening at my parents house.  In closing, they recited the 13 Articles of Faith as part of my nephew’s preparation to graduate from Primary.  To better reflect my beliefs, my Articles of Faith would include these modifications:

1. 1. I believe in God, the originator of all things, in our divine relationship to Him, and in the gentle promptings of the spirit to recognize and appreciate His purpose and design.
2. 2.I believe the concepts of good and evil were created by men but that our actions have real cause and effect on our spiritual progress for which we will be held accountable.
3. 3.I believe that through our atonement following Jesus’ example, all mankind can be saved, by our inevitable recognition and acceptance of the laws and principles of the Gospel.
4. 4. I believe the principles of the gospel are; first, trust and faith in free-agency and our right to choose our own path; second, acknowledgment of the divine nature of learning and repentance; and third, our unfettered access to the Holy Spirit. 
5. 5.I believe we are all called of God and authorized to manage our own spiritual affairs without the need for those claiming authority over us.  The power of the priesthood and the Holy Spirit are our divine birthright and are freely available at all times if we are worthy to perceive their presence.  They can not be gifted, denied, rescinded, or enhanced except by our own personal hand.
6. 6.I believe in fellowship among the faithful but that the concepts of organized church and ecclesiastic authority are inherently evil and impede spiritual progress.
7. 7.I believe in all manner of spiritual gifts in so much as they clarify and enlighten our purpose for being and enhance the principles of pluralism and universal siblinghood.  
8. 8.I believe all scripture to be the word of man and reflects the untold millennia of collective effort by our species to uncover the purpose of our existence.  They are of incalculable value in our personal pursuit of truth and meaning.  
9. 9.I believe the only true revelation is personal revelation.  Truth is relative and subject to the needs of our personal progression towards exaltation.
10. 10.  I believe we are all God’s chosen and that the gathering of the tribes of Israel, the establishment of Zion, the future reign of Christ, and all the many many scriptural revelations are allegory for profound and sacred truths.