President Gordon B. Hinckley said that peculiar translated from the Hebrew term means “valued treasure.” It has been translated from a Greek term that signifies “possession” or “those selected by God as His own people”….great unity is the hallmark of the true church of Christ, It is felt among our people throughout the world. We pray for one another that we may go on in unity and strength….God employs names that unify and sanctify…. as his sons and daughters we are known as brothers and sisters. Peter, the first Apostle, probably equivalent to the President of the church today, speaking to the church in general said, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” (1 Peter 2:9) In looking at peculiar the way the world does, generally, it means that a person or group deviates from the customary and are seen as unusual, odd, and distinct from all others. Most people do not want to appear different or peculiar when compared to other people in their society; it draws unwanted attention to them.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are often referred to as being a ‘peculiar’ people, not, however, the kind of ‘peculiar’ that would make us stand out in a crowd nor the kind President Hinckley referred to. The world sees us as peculiar based on our religious doctrine and practices. LDS beliefs are different and not often understood by those of other Christian faiths. Terryl Givens in an article entitled: ‘Clash of Cultures,’ researched what the residents of Clay County wrote to justify expelling the saints. The residents of Clay County drafted a document in which they named the factors that rendered coexistence impossible.
“Their (the Mormons) religious tenets are so different from the present churches of the age, that this always has and always will excite deep prejudice against them in any populous country where they might locate.” In addition, the settlers cited the Mormons:
”Manners, habits, customs, and even dialect peculiar to ‘eastern men.’ Third on the list was the familiar charge of opposition to slavery, and last was their “constant communication with the Indian tribes on the frontier and belief that Indians were, ‘a part of God’s chosen people.’” The Clay County document was correct in citing first the ‘religious tenets’ in opposition to the Mormons.
I have tried to list the many ways that the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are peculiar in respect to the ‘Christian world’s tenets.’ I have come up with these:
1. One of the primary reason we are ‘peculiar,’ to the world, is found at the end of the scripture quoted above in 1 Peter: “…that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” We believe in revelation and that by revelation He has called us out of darkness, the darkness that had veiled the earth for hundreds of years; the darkness that was brought about by a falling away or the apostasy of a stiffnecked people. It required a prophet and revelation to open up the heavens once more. John, the Revelator, referring to the last days saw “…another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” (Revelation 14:6) Many Christian churches no longer believe that God speaks to His people. They no longer believe that revelation is necessary. To them, the words of the Bible are sufficient, and it is all that they need. In their understanding, it is believed that anyone who adds to the Bible will be accursed. Yet, our living God has described to Amos His plan to speak with His prophets: “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7)
2. We are peculiar because we believe the basic principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are still: Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Repentance of sins, Baptism by immersion, Receiving the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by one having Priesthood authority.
3. We are ‘peculiar’ because we send out thousands of missionaries to spread the Gospel. The Lord commanded, “Feed my sheep.” and “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 28:19) Very few Christian churches send forth missionaries to preach the gospel to all nations, kindred, tongues and people. Based on the number of converts, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fastest growing Christian church. There are literally hundreds of small, independent Christian congregations with members composed only of those living in their surrounding communities, each one teaching its own brand of Christianity. Few of the large Christian churches proselytize. The missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on the other hand, are a large (53,000), self supported, army of mostly young men and women, going forth to provide all of God’s children, worldwide, the opportunity to hear ‘His Word.’
4. We are ‘peculiar’ because, even though we believe the number in the Godhead is three, as other Christians do, that is the end of the similarities. Most believe that the three are one and conclude that they are incomprehensible. We believe, based on scripture and modern day revelation, that the three members of the Godhead are distinctly separate and individual beings who are comprehensible, they are one only in purpose. Because we describe Christ differently than they, to them we are not Christians and therefore, ‘peculiar’.
5. We are ‘peculiar’ because we claim to have the same priesthood authority that was conferred upon Aaron, as well as the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood that was conferred upon the elders of the pristine church by Christ Himself.
6. We are ‘peculiar’ because we have no paid clergy but serve in our callings freely and/or provide donated time to provide for the poor and other charitable causes.
7. We are ‘peculiar’ because we give 10% (a tithe) of our income to the Church, plus other donations; such as fast offerings to assist the poor, financially. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse… and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3)
8. We are peculiar because we believe in miracles. We believe that God still intercedes in man’s behalf when faith is present. God is a God of miracles and where there are no miracles, it is because of the lack of faith. God changes not, and if He was once a God of miracles, He remains a God of miracles. Where there are no miracles, “The reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.” (Mormon 9:20)
9. We are ‘peculiar’ because we call ourselves saints just as the members of the church did in the church that was organized by Christ Himself, “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints…” (1 Corinthians 1:2) Each of the epistles written by the Apostles of old address members as ‘saints.’ (See ‘On Saints’ Vol I)
10. The very most ‘peculiar’ thing about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tenets is that we are a temple-building and attending people and know what the temple’s purpose is. We understand that the promises made to the fathers require that Abraham’s ‘seed’ provide the Gospel to all the families of the earth through the Priesthood. (Genesis 28:14 and Abraham 2:8–11) We believe that those promises must be planted in our hearts and that our hearts must be turned to our fathers lest the whole earth be wasted at His coming. (Malachi 4) Our hearts must be turned to those of our fathers who have passed beyond the veil without having an opportunity to hear the Gospel of Salvation and to enter through the gate, the gate of baptism, and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?” (1 Corinthians 1:29). This we do because God is just and merciful to all of His children, even those who knew not the way.
Elder George Q. Cannon said that: “…if our feelings and affections, our appetites and desires, are in unison with the world around us…we should do well to examine ourselves.” (in Millennial Star, 5 Oct. 1861, p. 645) Our tenets are very ‘peculiar’ to the rest of the world. This may seem a ‘negative’ to the world but it is a positive to our God. “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself.” (Deuteronomy 14:2) Peculiar from the Hebrew word segullah or “valued treasure.” People everywhere are invited to become a little peculiar; the Lord would exclude no one. More importantly there is work enough for all.