The basic beliefs of Mormonism are that God is our Father and the Creator of the world, Jesus Christ is his Son and the Savior of mankind through whom alone we can be saved, and that the Holy Ghost testifies of God and Jesus Christ and guides men on earth. The path that leads to salvation through Jesus, which He described as the straight and narrow path, consists of faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism in His name, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end in faith and righteousness relying wholly upon the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. This path, along with the knowledge that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was resurrected is, according to the beliefs of Mormonism, called the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Gospel means good news and the good news is that Jesus Christ has overcome physical and spiritual death, both of which prevented us from returning to live with our Heavenly Father again.
These represent the fundamental beliefs of Mormonism about God and salvation. Mormonism’s beliefs about life also include the Plan of Salvation, also called the Plan of Happiness, which includes the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but also explains where we came from,why we are here ( the Purpose of Life), and where we are going. According to Mormon beliefs, all mankind lived before this life as spirit children of our Heavenly Father. God presented us with a plan which included life on this earth and the mission of Jesus Christ. We accepted it and have been sent down here to live and grow. Only by making choices and learning from own mistakes can we grow to become more like God. We live in a world where good and evil coexist and we can be tempted to do both wrong and right. This ability to choose, called agency, is essential for growth. Because God knew we would all make mistakes, he sent his Son Jesus Christ to atone for the sins of the whole world and enable us to return to God’s presence where we will be judged according to our works. The path which leads to salvation in the Kingdom of God is the gospel of Jesus Christ. After death, according to Mormon beliefs, we will return to the Spirit world and there await the resurrection and the judgment. Jesus Christ will be the ultimate judge and will assign to each person a kingdom according to their works and faith on Him.
Another important belief of Mormonism is that God sends prophets to make His plan and His Gospel known. The Bible contains the records of the ancient prophets who taught the people of Israel and Judea and later the whole world.Mormons believe that God still sends prophets today, who have authority from God to teach and baptize people in His Name. The first of thesemodern prophets was Joseph Smith, who translated the Book of Mormon and received many important revelations which help us understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The most important role of a prophet is to testify of Jesus Christ. The Mormon Church still has prophets today who continue to be guided by revelation from God.