Like most children who were raised as members of the Church, I attended Primary as I grew up. One thing that I vividly remember is memorizing the Articles of Faith. Through games, songs, and group repetition, we would go over at least one of these thirteen principles every week in order to commit them to memory. At the time, I didn’t really think much of it - like the Pledge of Allegiance or the words to a nursery rhyme, they were just something to be memorized in order to get the candy bar or other incentive that was often offered. However, as I have continued to grow and to learn more about the gospel, I have come to a better understanding of the Articles of Faith, and their meaning in our lives.
The Articles of Faith were originally written by Joseph Smith when he was asked by a newspaper editor to summarize some of the basic beliefs of our Church. This was, I imagine, to help clear up some common misconceptions about the Church and to help others to understand some of the core principles of our faith. Today, they play a very similar role.
As a missionary in the referral center, I’m asked multiple times daily about many of the rumors and misconceptions that are circulating today. Do Mormons believe in the Bible? Do Mormons believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, or just another man? Do Mormons believe in baptism? To all of these questions and many others, the answer is as simple as directing the inquirer to the Articles of Faith. These simple statements summarize our beliefs and help others to gain a better understanding in order to help them to move closer to other steps that will help them to increase their faith and reach a more perfect knowledge not only of what we believe, but how to know for themselves that the things we believe are true.
I now understand why, as children, our teachers and leaders were so focused on helping us to reach a better understanding and knowledge of the Articles of Faith. With nothing more than a simple recitation of one or two of these Articles, members of the Church are able to give a clear and concise explanation of our basic beliefs, and give a proper answer to almost any question. In addition, knowledge of these basic principles of the Gospels helps us each personally to better understand the messages given to us through prophets and through the scripture. I encourage everyone who hasn’t read through the Articles of Faith recently to do so soon. Memorize a few of them, and think about them throughout the day. As a missionary, they have become an important part of the message I share daily, and I know that they can be the same to every member of the Church.

The Articles of Faith