The Church of Jesus Christ Today

The Church of Jesus Christ Today

Here we are again, another week and another Halloween coming upon us. Let’s start off with our good news and missionary updates… Elder Douglas Harker will be coming home on October 27th, 10 days, Elder Vince Darly will be coming home on December 1st and Elder Daniel Ribble will be home on December 18th. Any good minutes that were missed, please feel free to comment on the blog. We would love to hear.

Today, being the 17 of October, we had our discussion on Chapter 17, The Church of Jesus Christ Today from Bunnie Kantro. The last time Bunnie gave the discussion, it was on The Church of Jesus Christ in Former Times, where we discussed how the church set up by our Savior and how after his death, it was taken from the earth. In today’s discussion, we continued on with how the church was restored.

The Church was of Jesus Christ Was Taken from the Earth:

Questions One: Why was the Church of Jesus Christ removed from the earth shortly after the Savior’s death and Resurrection?

While Jesus was here on the earth, he established His Church to have the proper ordinances and authority so that it’s teachings could be taught with truth. However, after Jesus ascended into the heavens, men slowly changed the doctrines and the ordinances of the church. There was apostasy everywhere, no more “direct revelations” from our Father in Heaven. The true church was now gone, taken from the earth. Men began to organize their own churches, conflict, confusion and lots of contention was amongst the people. The Lord knew that this would happen. He said, “there would be ‘a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord…They shall…seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it’” (Amos 8:11-12) (pg 95).

The Lord Promised to Restore His True Church:

Question Two: What were some of the conditions in the world that prepared the way for the Restorations of the Gospel?

The Savior made a promise that he would restore His Church in the “latter days.” He said, “I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder” (Isaiah 29:14). For many, many years, the people lived in a “spiritual darkness”. They were looking for answers, for a church that taught true gospel principals. Many people realized that there was no true revelation and no true authority. After about 1700 years with the people searching for the truth, the Lord decided that it was time for the church to be restored (pg 95-96).

New Revelation from God:

Question Three: When Joseph Smith received his First Vision, what did he learn about God?

In 1820, a young boy wanted to know the truth about which church he should join and he was told to join. So he went into the woods and asked God and was told to join. Heavenly Father and Jesus himself appeared to him and told him to join none of them. He also told Joseph “that the creeds of present churches were ‘an abomination in his sight’” (Joseph Smith – History 1:19: also verses 7-18, 20). With this event, we once again began to have direct revelation from our Father in Heavens, the Lord chose a new prophet and since that time, the heavens have not closed up (pg 96).

Authority from God Was Restored:

Question Four: Why was the restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods necessary?

In addition to restoring the church, God also needed to give back the priesthood to worthy men, first one being Joseph Smith. In 1829, John the Baptist came to confer the Aaronic Priesthood on Joseph Smith an Oliver Cowdery (D&C 13; 27:8). Later, Peter, James and John came and gave the Joseph and Oliver the Melchizedek Priesthood and the keys of the kingdom of God (D&C 27:12-13). Later on, “addition keys of the priesthood were restored by heavenly messengers such as Moses, Elias, and Elijah” (D&C 110:11-16). Through the restoration, the priesthood was finally upon the earth once again. Yeah! How blessed we are to have the priesthood upon us (pg 97).

Christ’s Church Was Organized Again:

Question Five: What events led to the organization of the Church on the earth again?

On April 6, 1830, the Savior was once again directing His Church (D&C 20:1). He called His ‘restored” Church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (D&C 115:4) as Christ being the head of His Church to this day just as it was in ancient times, “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am ell pleased” D&C 1:30). Joseph Smith was sustained as a prophet and as the “first elder” (D&C 20:2-4). Later on, the First Presidency was organized Joseph was sustained as President. The Church began to organized the same offices we in the ancient times which included apostles, prophets, seventies, evangelist or patriarchs, pastors or president officers, high priests, elders, bishops, priests, teachers, and deacons (Articles of Faith 1:6). Today, we have a true prophet who is also the president, who not only holds all of the keys but gets direction from our Lord Jesus Christ (D&C 107:65, 91); he has two counselors who assist him; we have twelve Apostles who are special witness of the church, and we have other general officers of the Church who have their special assignments and those include President Bishopric and the Quorums of the Seventy. As the church continues to grows, more and more units of organization are revealed such as the organizing of local divisions or stakes as we know them, and each stake has a stake President as well as two counselors who preside over each stake and each stake has 12 high councilors; Melchizedek Priesthood quorums are organized in stakes and within each stake, smaller areas are divided into wards and each ward has their own Bishop and two counselors who preside over each ward (pg 98). Wow, imagine that, having such order, having the same order all the way down the line in a church. Now I ask you, what other church has that?

Important Truths Were Restored:

Questions Six: What important truths have been brought back with the Restoration for the Church?

Today, our Church teaches us the same principles, it performs the same ordinances as it did in the days that Christ was alive. Articles of Faith number four says, “We believe that the first principles and the ordinances of the gospel are first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, second repentance, third baptism by immersion and forth, the laying on the hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.” These gifts were restored when the Church was restored and through the power of God, Joseph Smith was able to translate the Book of Mormon (pg 99). Among that, other truths were also restored and they are as followed:

1. Our Heavenly Father is a real being with a tangible, perfected body of flesh and bones, so is Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit.
2. We existed in pre-mortal life as spirit children of God.
3. The priesthood is necessary to administer the ordinances of the gospel.
4. We will be punished for our own sins and not for Adams’ transgression.
5. Children do not need to be baptized until they are accountable (eight years old).
6. There are three kingdoms of glory in the heavens, and through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, people will be rewarded according to their actions on earth and according to the desires of their hearts.
7. Family relationships can be eternal through the sealing power of the priesthood.
8. Ordinances and covenants are required for salvations and are available for both the living and the dead.

The Church of Jesus Christ Will Never Be Destroyed:

What is the mission of the Church?

Since the restoration in 1830, the Church as grown rapidly in membership! We have churches and members in almost every country as well as temples. Christ said, “This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations” (Joseph Smith – Matthew 1:31). We have the promise from our Heavenly Father that the church will never again be taken from the earth… “He would ‘set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, and it shall stand forever’” (Daniel 2:44). No more ‘dark ages’ for us or for the future generations (pg 99).

We are blessed in a time where we have the truth among us. We have scriptures, we have a living prophet who receives direct revelation and directs us. We are blessed to have the heavens open to us again. We too are blessed to have personal revelation. We have organization in our church, we know who our leaders are, the set up is the same every where we go, starting from the top, the Prophet, all the way down to the bottom, each ward, the set up is the same. Our Heavenly Father is a very well organized man. There is order in the kingdom as well as in the church and thank heavens for that.

Join us next week for our next discussion lead by Sister Debbie Adams, Teaching For Our Times (TFOF), “He Lives! All Glory to His Name” by Elder Richard G. Scott. Take some time and read ahead. Enjoy, and thanks for reading. Until next time…

Kelly