Yesterday I read the transcript of an
interview given by Terryl Given on faithmater.org with Elder Marlin K Jensen
former Church Historian where Terryl said:
“Two
ideas have really, really shaped my spiritual practice, I guess I would say.
One is Section 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants, beginning with about verse 52
where the Lord — and this is given in 1829, of course — speaks to Joseph Smith
about His church. He’s referring to a church already in existence, so we have
to ask “What Church is this?,” because he’s talking about the Restoration. He’s
saying, “I’m not doing this to do away with my church and I don’t want my
church to be panicked by what’s about to happen.” That’s the moment at which
you become aware that Joseph really understood this idea of an invisible church
that transcends any particular denominational category.”
This
had never been brought to my attention before, and going back and reading over
D&C 10 I really don’t come to the same conclusion Terryl is here, but that
is an aside. This morning I was reading in Mosiah 26, and an interesting
connection was made. In verse 17 Christ tells Alma:
17 And blessed art thou because thou hast established a church among this people;
and they shall be established, and they shall be my people.
Then in verse 21 Christ says:
22 For behold, this is my
church ; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto
repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and
him will I freely forgive.
23 For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world;
for it is I that hath created them; and it is I that granteth unto
him that believeth unto the end a place at my right hand.
24 For behold,
in my name are they called; and if they
know me they shall come forth, and shall have a place eternally
at my right hand.
It is interesting that Chirst seems to
be presenting a similar idea to that of Terryl, that Christ has a church, that
is not a set organizational of physical structure, and that he has accepted the
members of the Church Alma, and by extension in modern times Joseph Smith,
established. That perhaps the statement about being the only true Church on the
Face of the earth is more in reference to Christ’s church that our church
membership has been accepted into along with possibly others?
It is interesting that in D&C 10
there is another interesting statement:
50 And thus they (The prophets and people of the Book of Mormon)
did leave a blessing upon this land in their prayers, that whosoever should
believe in this gospel in this land might have eternal life;
So in other words because of those
Christ accepted into His Church in ancient times and their prayers for us the
inhabitants of America if we follow the doctrine found in the Book of Mormon;
Christ has granted that we will have Eternal Life. Sounds Like a nice Guarantee.
I have read from many detractors of the
church that it is very likely that the events on the restoration of the
Priesthood with John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John may have occurred
after Joseph formed the church and their argument is that Joseph had no
priesthood to create the church when he did.
To this I say look at the Church Alma
formed, He was a wicked Priest of King Noah. In Mosiah 11 it reads:
5 For he put down all the priests that had been consecrated by his
father, and consecrated new ones in their stead, such as were lifted
up in the pride of their hearts.
6 Yea, and thus they were supported in their laziness, and in
their idolatry, and in their whoredoms, by the taxes which king Noah had put
upon his people; thus did the people labor exceedingly to support iniquity.
7 Yea, and they also became idolatrous, because they were deceived
by the vain and flattering words of the king and priests; for they did speak
flattering things unto them.
In Mosiah 18:
17 And they were
called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that time forward. And it came to
pass that whosoever was baptized by the power and authority of God was added to
his church.
18 And it came to pass
that Alma, having authority from God, ordained priests; even
one priest to every fifty of their number did he ordain to preach unto them,
and to teach them concerning the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God.
The question here is from where and
when did Alma gain this authority of God?
In Mosiah 25 we read:
18 Therefore, Alma did go forth into the water and
did baptize them; yea, he did baptize them after the manner he did
his brethren in the waters of Mormon; yea, and as many as he did baptize
did belong to the church of God; and this because of their belief on the words
of Alma.
19 And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted unto Alma that he
might establish churches throughout all the land of Zarahemla; and
gave him power to ordain priests and teachers over every
church.
It would seam that here Alma is receiving
power from Mosiah the King of the land to ordain and establish his church.
Yet, in Mosiah 26 after the church
has been operating for some time and problems start occurring, Alma tries to go
to king Mosiah to get resolution on what should be done and he basically says, that’s
not my problem. I have no authority.
10 Now there had not any such thing happened before in the church;
therefore Alma was troubled in his spirit, and he caused that they should be
brought before the king.
11 And he said unto the king: Behold, here are many whom we have
brought before thee, who are accused of their brethren; yea, and they have been
taken in divers iniquities. And they do not repent of their iniquities;
therefore we have brought them before thee, that thou mayest judge them
according to their crimes.
12 But king Mosiah said unto Alma: Behold, I judge them not;
therefore I deliver them into thy hands to be judged.
With nowhere else to go Alma finally
faces the reality that he need help from God who he professes the church is
devoted to. Because he goes to Christ he is blessed:
19 And because thou
hast inquired of me concerning the transgressor, thou art blessed.
then Christ basically accepts Alma and all
those in his church whole sale as if he had Authority the whole time.
15 Blessed art thou, Alma, and blessed are they who were baptized
in the waters of Mormon. Thou art blessed because of thy
exceeding faith in the words alone of my servant Abinadi.
16 And blessed are they because of their exceeding faith in the
words alone which thou hast spoken unto them.
17 And blessed art thou because thou hast established
a church among this people; and they shall be established, and they
shall be my people.
18 Yea, blessed is this people who are willing to bear
my name; for in my name shall they be called; and they are mine.
Why is Christ telling Alma this? Alma
like many of us work with our best intentions not knowing if they are good
enough. Christ is a Non-linear being and what he does affects the past present
and future simultaneously. So accepting Alma and his efforts and the church and
its members back dates that acceptance even though he is just now hearing about
from the lord himself;
Even Alma’s son Alma, known as Alma the
younger, is told by an angle of the Lord in Mosiah 27:
13 Nevertheless he cried again, saying: Alma, arise
and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? For the Lord hath
said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and
nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my
people.
This evet changed Alma the youngers course in life and
eventually indicates he was ordained of his father
in Alma 4.
4 And they began to establish the church more fully;
yea, and many were baptized in the waters of Sidon and were joined to the church of God; yea,
they were baptized by the hand of Alma, who had been consecrated the high priest over the people of
the church, by the hand of his father Alma.
If and I do say if the argument about
the timing of those events to restore the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods
did occur after the formation of the church it would make no difference in my
mind, but I can understand why out of the weakness of men that Joseph an
imperfect man that he was would have altered the timing to remove a stumbling
block for his fellow men.
This term “My Church” is
not found in the scriptures often. In the bible, it is found only once in Matthew
18:
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build
my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
It is used three times in the Book of
Mosiah in regard to Alma and his church, once in Mormon when the lord seeks to
build up again his church and Five times during Christ’s personal ministry in
the Americas.
That the sacrament will be administered
in his church.
3 Nephi 18:5 And when the
multitude had eaten and were filled, he said unto the disciples: Behold there
shall one be ordained among you, and to him will I give power that he
shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of
my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized
in my name.
That they will prey as teaches taught.
3 Nephi 18:16 And as I have
prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people
who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you.
Christ teaches that if a church is
called in his name and built on his gospel then it is his church.
3 Nephi 27:8 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.
That
those in his church will do what Christ did.
3 Nephi 27:21 Verily, verily, I
say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church;
for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye
have seen me do even that shall ye do;
This last one is really the clencher.
And really a topic that I need to study more about.
