Fortunately, there are official Church resources that can help journalists, bloggers, leaders and members of other faiths, and any curious individual get “facts, statistics, background information, video and audio — and especially context” when reporting on, or learning about, Mormonism.

The Mormon Newsroom exists specifically for this purpose, to be a “stopping-off point for everything from a quick fact check to a deeper understanding of Church beliefs and practice.”

See this Mormon Newsroom post to see the various resources that exist. Following is a list of resources that might be helpful, particularly at this time when questions about and curiosity about Mormonism are plentiful.

• Mormonism 101: FAQ about Mormon beliefs
• Humanitarian Aid and Welfare Services Basics: How Donations and Resources Are Used: Information about LDS Welfare and Humanitarian efforts. Includes some financial information.
• What to Expect at Church Services: A Mormon bishop talks about what Sunday services are like.
• Temples: Sometimes there is confusion about temples and church buildings. We have thousands of church buildings worldwide. We currently have close to 140 temples. Our church buildings are used for Sunday services (visitors are welcome!), weekday activities and meetings, service projects like blood drives, funerals and wedding receptions…. You can take a video tour of what the inside and outside of temples look like at this link.
• Commentaries: Find multiple posts on various topics ranging from religious freedom to religion and science to the occasional public misunderstanding about Mormonism…and much more. As stated on the Mormon Newsroom site, “The purpose of commentaries on MormonNewsroom.org is to deepen conversations surrounding the Church and to explain and contextualize Latter-day Saint teachings and practices.”
• Political Neutrality: “This longstanding statement of policy makes it clear that the Church’s mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, not to elect politicians.”
• The Church and Its Financial Independence: Sometimes journalists (or even Church members) will try to analyze (or criticize) the Church based on financials alone. This article explores how different funds are used to accomplish the Church’s mission — but how the heart of our faith simply can’t be measured in monetary ways. “The only true wealth of the Church is in the faith of its people” (Gordon B. Hinckley). (See again the link on lay leadership and on our beliefs as well.)

You can also learn more about our beliefs at mormon.org or lds.org.

The post Answers to Questions about Mormonism appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Have you had a chance to look at the new mormon.org? Besides the many profiles of Mormons you can browse (including photos), or pages about Mormon values and Mormon beliefs, you can find responses from Mormons on frequently asked questions about Mormonism.

Obviously, our website focuses heavily on the lives of Mormon women, so today we wanted to point you to mormon.org’s FAQ about Mormon women. Find answers about the Relief Society, about roles of men and women in marriage, and about  what Mormon women do in the Mormon Church. You will also find responses in that section about why Mormon women don’t hold the priesthood — and why most of us really are okay with that. There’s much more to God’s plan than who holds what position in the Church structure. In fact, concern about or glory in or seeking for position is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Following are some simple examples of responses you will find.

Barbara Ann, Larisa, Hillarie, and many other women and men share their thoughts on the topic of the Relief Society.

Allexis Rae, Lynelle,  Jerry and others share thoughts on the role of husbands and wives in marriage.

Melissa, Jennifer Anne, Linda, and many others respond to the question about why Mormon women don’t have the priesthood — and how Mormon women do lead in the Church.

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You can read answers to other questions people sometimes ask in our Ask a Mormon Woman feature here at our website. And, if you would like to ask a Mormon woman a question directly, feel free to email us at gmail, with the username ‘mormonwoman’ or simply leave a comment at our Submit a Question page.

The post Questions and Answers about Mormon Women appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.