A few weeks ago my YSA (Young Single Adult) congregation in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints got together with a group of Muslim young adults for a service project. We made Thanksgiving gift bags of food for an elementary school in South Central L.A. The children at the school are all impoverished and so they would not have had a Thanksgiving dinner without the bags. We were told that many of the children were fed at school and possibly that was all the food they had for the day. I wonder what they have to eat on weekends?
During the event I became friends with the Muslim young people. There are many similarities between the Muslim and Latter-day Saint religions. We got a list of similarities from Brother Steve Gilliland, the LDS liaison to Muslims in the Los Angeles area.
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
Both religions are a way of life and not just a way of believing.
They are family oriented in their religious practices.
They worship privately, in their families and their religious community.
They believe in being modest in their dress and behavior.
They believe in pre-marital chastity and fidelity in marriage.
They each have a dietary/health code:
LDS- Word of Wisdom (D&C 89)- Alcohol, Tea, Coffee, Tobacco prohibited, Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Meat eaten.
Muslim- Halal- Alcohol, Pork, Gelatin, prohibited, Grains, Fruits, Vegetables eaten. Meat is eaten when it is killed in an acceptable manner.
They Pray many times a day.
They have regular scripture study.
They have formal times for fasting from food and drink as well as individual periods of fasting.
Muslim-Month of Ramadan (When Muhammad received the Koran from God)
LDS-Fast Sunday (First Sunday of the month)
They give generously to the poor and needy.
LDS- Tithing, Fast Offering, Service
Muslims- One of the Pillars of Islam, Service
They give generously of their time in service to their congregation, masjid, ward/branch.
They occasionally ritually worship in a sacred place ehere simple, white clothing is worn by all.
Muslims- Mecca
LDS- Temples
They strongly encourage their children to receive a good education.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
They believe in one divine power source- God, Allah, Heavenly Father.
They believe in Him as a merciful, compassionate and all powerful God.
They believe that life has meaning and purpose and that diversity and the challenges of life can be for our good. (D&C 121:7-8)
They believe in periods of religious apostasy in history and in prophets called to restore the truth.
LDS-Joseph Smith restored the Church, Thomas S. Monson is the prophet today.
Muslims- Mohammed received the Koran.
They believe that prophets are ordinary people with extraordinary guidance for us from God.
They believe in an unlettered prophet who brought forth a remarkable book of God's teachings.
Muslims- Muhammad received the Koran from God.
LDS- Joseph Smith received and translated The Book of Mormon from God.
They believe in following the Bible's teachings as well as their unique books of scripture.
They believe in the Old Testament prophets such as Adam, Abraham, Noah, and Moses.
They believe that in the beginning Satan rejected God's plan, was cast out, and now tempts us to reject God's teachings.
They believe that all will be accountable in the afterlife for their mortal choices.
They believe God will forgive those who honestly repent and do righteous deeds.
They believe in freedom of religion, civil liberties, and human rights for all with accompanying responsibilities.
They believe in the sanctity of human life and oppose the killing or harming of any innocent human being.
They believe in repelling evil with goodness.
They believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus and honor and respect Mary.
Muslims believe Jesus was a great prophet. Latter-day Saints believe He was the Son of God, the Savior of the world.
They believe in the Resurrection, Day of Judgement, and Second Coming of Jesus.
They believe that heavenly rewards can come also to people not of their faith who live according to God's teachings.
They believe that some people and cultures have distorted their faith to promote
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