Blessings
in the Church of Jesus Christ
So what do we mean when we say the Church is true if
we don’t mean that it’s perfect?
·
First and foremost, we mean that it is led by the Lord
Jesus Christ Himself through living prophets and apostles.
·
We mean that it has all the scriptures God has
revealed and every doctrine and truth of importance for our salvation.
·
We mean that it holds the priesthood authority to
direct the Church and to administer the essential ordinances, and we mean that
those ordinances will be valid both in this life and in the eternities.
·
We mean that those who follow its precepts will have
enduring joy both in this life and forever.
·
We mean that those who receive the saving ordinances
and keep the associated covenants, repenting sincerely as required, positively will be
exalted in the celestial kingdom of God.
·
And especially we mean that the Holy Ghost will bear
witness of these things to sincere seekers of the truth.
Following the teachings of the Church works—it makes
us better people, brings us peace and joy, and prepares us to return to our
Heavenly Father.
“The Church is [the] prophesied latter-day kingdom,
not created by man but set up by the God of heaven,” taught Elder D. Todd
Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. How important it is
for sincere believers in the truths restored by Jesus Christ to stand up and
testify boldly that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is “the
only true and living church” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:30).
We offer our full love and respect to all who believe
in and follow truth wherever it may be found. We respect and value the radiant
goodness we observe in so many other churches, and we do not criticize the
beliefs of any group or individual. But it is folly to imagine that we can
believe in Jesus Christ and the precepts He taught and receive the full benefit
of the blessings and ordinances available only in His restored Church without
believing in, championing, and defending that Church.
Of course, we should testify that the gospel of Jesus
Christ, the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and other fundamentals
are true, but there is also great importance in testifying of the truth of the
Church as an institution. In the temple we learn that that is where our
consecration is focused. As we feel the truthfulness of the organization that
the Lord Himself directs, then we feel responsible to be true to the doctrine
and practices taught by the Church. (J. Devn Cornish, "What
Do We Mean When We Say the Church Is True?," Liahona [June
2024], 20-21)
