Engaging Gospel Doctrine (Episode 35)

LESSON 9 “ The Only True and Living Church”

Goal Class members will appreciate the inspiring potential meaning in the phrase “true and living Church” Overview  Discussion of the lesson manual approach  Meaning of “only true and living Church” in textual and historical context  Discussion of other pertinent scriptures and sources  Exploration of what “true” and “living” mean and how they could apply  Discussion of how God interacts with us, taking into account other religions and cultures

It is worth noting that we have here again a lesson in the category of “legitimizing narrative”. The topic of what “only true and living Church” means provides for a rich discussion however.

Purpose in Lesson Manual:

To teach class members about the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith, to help them appreciate the blessings of Church membership, and to encourage them to show the Lord their gratitude for membership in His Church.

New Era (August 2011), Elder Oaks. Because of this declaration of the Lord, we refer to this, His Church—our Church—as the “only true Church.” Sometimes we do this in a way that gives great offense to people who belong to other churches or who subscribe to other philosophies. But God has not taught us anything that should cause us to feel superior to other people. Certainly all churches and philosophies have elements of truth in them, some more than others. Certainly God loves all of His children. And certainly His gospel plan is for all of His children, all according to His own timetable.

So what does it mean that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true Church?

Three features—(1) fulness of doctrine, (2) power of the priesthood, and (3) testimony of Jesus Christ—explain why God has declared and why we as His servants maintain that this is the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth.

The third reason why we are the only true Church is that we have the revealed truth about the nature of God and our relationship to Him, and we therefore have a unique testimony of Jesus Christ. Significantly, our belief in the nature of God is what distinguishes us from the formal

1 creeds of most Christian denominations. https://www.lds.org/new-era/2011/08/the-only-true-and-living-church?lang=eng

Go over Geoff’s insights here: http://geoffsn.blogspot.com/2011/06/only-true-and-living- church.html

D&C 1:30. Given on November 1, 1831 at a special conference. (discuss assigned reading)

Additional passages (I am surprised these weren’t included)

2 Nephi 29:7 Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?

Alma 29:8 For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.

See First Presidency Message in 1978: http://www.dovesandserpents.org/wp/wp- content/uploads/2011/10/First_Presidency_Gods_Love_1978.pdf (good balance)

Maximally beneficial theology: God is at work among all religions, especially in mine.

Church as “true” and “living”

“Mormonism is truth. . . . The first and fundamental principle of our holy religion is, that we believe that we have a right to embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation or without being circumscribed or prohibited by the creeds or superstitious notions of men, or by the dominations of one another, when that truth is clearly demonstrated to our minds, and we have the highest degree of evidence of the same.

“Have the Presbyterians any truth? Embrace that. Have the Baptists, Methodists, and so forth? Embrace that. Get all the good in the world, and you will come out a pure Mormon.

“One of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may.”FF1

He expressed the same ideal on another occasion: “We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons.”FF2FF

Brigham Young “Mormonism,” so-called, embraces every principle pertaining to life and salvation, for time and eternity. No matter who has it. If the infidel has got truth it belongs to “Mormonism.” The truth and sound doctrine possessed by the sectarian world, and they have a

1Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 199 2Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 316 2 great deal, all belong to this Church. As for their morality, many of them are, morally, just as good as we are. All that is good, lovely, and praiseworthy belongs to this Church and Kingdom. “Mormonism” includes all truth. There is no truth but what belongs to the Gospel. It is life, eternal life; it is bliss; it is the fulness of all things in the gods and in the eternities of the gods (DBY, 3).

Resources  Mormon Matters episode on the One True Church  Don Bradley, The Grand Fundamentals of Mormonism  1978 First Presidency Message, God Loveth His Children  Givens, God Who Weeps (see Chapter 4 on Universalism)  Mormonism as most true church  Mormon channel episode on the topic: http://www.mormonchannel.org/mormon- identity/4