“ We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists and so forth. "
A) Restoration of the church as an “organization”
Once Joseph Smith received the authority or priesthood, the Lord commanded him to re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ, on April 6, 1830. It is the restored Church. The same church that Christ organized while He was on the earth. Peter expressed this truth while preaching: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.1” Peter knew that before the Second Coming of the Lord, he would come again and restore His church.
Once Joseph Smith received the authority or priesthood, the Lord commanded him to re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ, on April 6, 1830. It is the restored Church. The same church that Christ organized while He was on the earth. Peter expressed this truth while preaching: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.1” Peter knew that before the Second Coming of the Lord, he would come again and restore His church.
B) The name of the Church: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The name of the Church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and not the "Mormons".
The name Mormon has been given because of the strong belief Latter-day Saints have in the Book of Mormon. But the Church is called by the name of Jesus Christ. Paul speaking said: “For the Husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and he is the saviour of the body.2” The same teaching was given by Jesus Christ on the American continent:
“And they said unto him: Lord, we will that thou wouldst tell us the name whereby we shall call this church; for there are disputations among the people concerning this matter. And the Lord said unto them: Verily, verily, I say unto you, why is it that the people should murmur and dispute because of this thing? Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day; And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day. Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake. And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses' name then it be Moses' church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel. Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you; And if it is be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth is own works in it.3”
The name Latter-day Saints has been added to distinguish the Church of Jesus Christ of today, with the primitive Church of Christ while He was ministering on the earth. A revelation was given to Joseph Smith, the prophet, a year after the church was organized which stated: “And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually.4”
C) Organization within the Church
The church is organized the same way it was organized when the Savior established his church on the earth. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.5”
A prophet holding the keys of the priesthood and supported by two counselors, constitute the first presidency of the Church. The prophet receives direct revelation from Christ, but Christ, is at the head of the Church.
Twelve Apostles have also been chosen by the Lord, through revelation, to teach God’s plan for us, to perform the Lord's work on the earth and lead His church with authority. They make sure that the gospel is taught correctly throughout the world. These men are true witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the Church of Christ is lead by revelation from the Lord through living prophets: for “Surely the Lord god will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.6” The church is worldwide and grows every year at a phenomenal rate. From 6 members in 1830, 11,000,000 members of the Church living throughout the world today.
Quorum of seventies are organized to go throughout the world and make sure that the Gospel truths are taught correctly without misunderstanding; “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two by two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.7”
Elders are chosen to take part in the welfare of the souls of each members; “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.8” “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commanded them to the Lord, on whom they believed.9” The church is organized in regions, stakes, wards and branches throughout the world. Each ward has a bishop, “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philipi, with the bishops and deacons10”. Each bishop has the qualification required from the Lord to officiate “ This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?11”
Through the priesthood authority, elders of the church have the authority to heal the afflicted; “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.12”
D) Come unto Christ: A responsibility
It is our responsibility to come unto Christ by being a member of His church. Moroni said, in the Book of Mormon “Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins. And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end. And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.13”
Christ's church contains the fullness of his gospel. Only in His church can we find the authority to perform gospel ordinances. It is important for everyone to find His church.
I recall one simple example using a milkman. Let us say that we are driving very fast. Let us say that we are driving over the speed limit when a milkman sees us driving too fast. He stops us and tells us that he will give us a ticket. Would it make sense that he could give us a ticket? Without the authority, he cannot do so. In a similar way, we cannot receive baptism by someone not having the authority. It is essential that we find this authority. This authority is found in Christ's church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
E) Church meeting and fellowship
“And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls. And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus.14” The Lord wants us to meet often that we may worship him and remain active in our faith. The sacrament is an essential part of these worship services. It is sometimes called “communion” and “last supper”. The Lord introduced it just before he was crucified: “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and breaks it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you.15”
Christ commands his followers to meet often, “And behold, ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not.16”
To follow God's commandments, the followers of Christ meet every Sabbath day. Ezra Taft Benson, one of the prophets of the Church wrote: “The purpose of the Sabbath is for spiritual uplift, for a renewal of our covenants, for worship, for prayer. It is for the purpose of feeding the spirit, that we may keep ourselves unspotted from the world by obeying God’s command.17”
The sacrament helps members of the church remember that Christ suffered for our sins and by His death and resurrection made it possible for us to return to the presence of our Heavenly father. On the same point of importance, this ordinance helps us remember the covenant or promise we made with God when we were baptized. When we partake of the sacrament we renew the promise to follow him and we have his Spirit with us, as long as we keep our part of the covenant.
The Saints go to church to be taught and to teach one another the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each of us has the chance to be a special individual, a unique individual with unique experiences. In this way, everyone can be strengthened through the experiences and testimonies of others. It brings a unique sense of unity and fellowship. “It is like a fire made with many logs. Together, the logs make a great fire and generate much heat. But if the logs are separated to burn individually, they soon cool. Instead of bright flames, they produce a dull glow. If they are left alone, soon the glow will die. Church members need to meet together to share convictions, to learn from each other, and to strengthen one another.18”
It is a great family that meets together. Everyone cares for his brother and sister. Everyone is heading in the same direction, with the goal to return in the presence of our Heavenly Father. It gives every member a chance to participate in the spiritual growth of his fellowman. It gives everyone a chance to serve the Lord and to develop and share personal talents and gifts. A lot of interaction is possible and makes this church a living Church.
By going to church, it enables the Saints to keep the Sabbath day holy which is one of the commandments of God. It also enables the Saints to develop knowledge and understanding of the truth. It brings opportunities to use the priesthood and strengthen the Disciples of Christ. Finally, it helps each of us to better understand the purposes of God, his love for us, and to make the Atonement of Jesus Christ more effective in our own lives.
References Part 6
1. Acts 3: 19-20
2. Ephesians 5: 23
3. 3 Nephi 27: 3-10
4. Doctrine and Covenants 1: 30
5. Ephesians 4: 11-13
6. Amos 3: 7
7. Luke 10: 1
8. Titus 1: 5
9. Acts 14: 23
10. Philippians 1: 1
11. 1 Timothy 3: 1-5
12. James 5:14
13. Moroni 6: 2-4
14. Moroni 6: 5-6
15. Luke 22: 19-20
16. 3 Nephi 18: 22
17. Ezra Taft Benson, God, Family, Country: Our Three Great Loyalties, pp. 103-4
18. Missionary Discussions: Uniform System for Teaching the Gospel
No comments:
Post a Comment