[In D&C 10] “my
church” like “My disciples,” appears to identity Christ’s devout followers in
any (or no) religious organization. The revelation promises that “if this
generation harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them”
(Doctrine and Covenants 10:53). Then it makes this unusual statement: “Now I do
not say this to destroy my church, but I say this to build up my church; therefore,
whosoever belongeth to my church need not fear, for such shall inherit the
kingdom of heaven” (vv. 54-55). At the time this was said, there was no
restored church on earth, and there would not be for another year. Thus “my
church” seems to refer to a spiritual fellowship known only to God and consisting
of people, regardless of their institutional affiliations, whose private
beliefs and behavior qualified them for membership in it and who, like “my
disciples,” was expected to receive the fullness of the gospel and inherit the
kingdom of heaven. (Grant Underwood, “’The Laws of the Church of Christ’: A
Textual and Historical Analysis,” in The Voice of the Lord: Exploring the
Doctrine and Covenants, ed. Alexander L. Baugh [Provo, Utah: BYU Religious
Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2024], 100, comment in square
brackets added for clarification)
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