What is a Saint?

What is a Saint? Let’s start by defining what a saint is not! A saint is not someone who has been recognized by ecclesiastical leaders to stand above all the other struggling members of the faith. So, a saint is not approved as such by a pope or group of cardinals. A saint does not become such post mortem, as their life is scrutinized and said to contain something above and beyond that which normal lives consist of. A saint is not chosen because some real or imaginary miracles have occurred in connection with them. There is no magic, grandeur or hocus pocus surrounding a true saint of God.

So, What is a Saint? A saint is a person, male or female, who has found the only true and living Church of Christ, and who has received their own witness through the Holy Ghost of this fact. Further, a saint is someone who has repented of his/her sins, and who has joined himself/herself to the body of Christ (become a member of this Church) by being baptized for the remission of sins, and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. Thereafter, whosoever strives with full purpose of heart to live a good life, keeping the commandments of God, and in every way strive to be a living limb on the body of Christ, is a Saint.

Becoming a saint is a personal choice and commitment, not an appointment of a corpse. But what is a saint to do? A saint is to marry within the covenant and have children (if this blessing is open to them). They are to love their spouse with all their heart, and be faithful and true, loyal, and never betray the other. A saint is to bring up their children to walk in the path of the Lord. The child of a saint will never doubt the love of its parent(s). A saint will strive to be happy, and to make his/her spouse and children happy. This happiness can not be assumed except one strives to live after the commandments with exactness. Failing to obey the commandments brings sorrow; nevertheless, since also saints are nothing more than humans, a saint should always strive to repent before the sin has become part of his/her nature.

A saint lives in the world, but not of the world. So, he works, he votes, he goes to the gym, he goes to the movies, he goes on vacations, etc. But knowing that he is a saint determines how he works, who he votes for, what he looks at in the gym, what films he watches, what he does on his vacation. A saint is not governed by rules and commandments; the rules and commandments are one with him, thus he is free and happy.