The True Church: a means of societal transportation

Dean
6 March 2008


The young Joseph Smith began his quest for truth because, in his words, "the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible" (Joseph Smith History 1:12). He was, I would argue to say, not so set on finding the "true church," but rather, he was set on finding which organized body of individuals interpreted the teachings of Christ in the most accurate way. Yes, it is a matter of syntax, but it’s an important one. You see, out of cultural habit and tradition, we often use the phrase, "I know the church is true," when I’d be willing to bet that most people are trying to express that they know the gospel is true. This is but a grammatical microcosm of how people can lose track of what the church really is and how Christ’s gospel should be applied through it. Because of the way in which members’ actions are viewed and scrutinized, we need to be vigilant in the words and phrases we use, and not fall prey to vain repetition. Speaking literally and honestly, I know the gospel is true – and I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a sociocultural construct.

When we look at modern society, we see the signs of human sociality at every turn: clubs, schools, workplaces, cities, countries, etc. Religion is yet another one of these institutions that provides certain reinforcements of human thought (in this case spiritual thought). Even in Christ’s time we see that a church organization was a part of reinforcing the word of God. Though Christ only mentions "his church" once in the Bible (Matthew 16:18), he certainly established a series of leadership roles. There were twelve apostles, a group of seventy, preachers, and many other positions meant to emphasize and coordinate different aspects of the church organization. Shortly after the death and resurrection of Christ, his most loyal followers established what is considered to be the first Christian church, gathering merely 120 members. Later, because of the ministry of the apostles, the number grew much higher, requiring a change in the church organization. That transformation happened then much as it has happened now – the social and administrative structure established by Christ has been modified. In terms of members and administration, we have far surpassed what Christ’s original church ever was. Logically, then, we have had to create additional systems whereby we can socially support and reinforce each other. The gospel has ever been the same – it is merely the mode of social transportation that shifts with changing societies.

As followers of Christ, a fundamental principle is that we are attempting to achieve the kingdom of God on earth. With that said, we must realize that we are fallible beings attempting a perfect society; God’s end with mortal means. To articulate, the modern Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded upon the same structure that Christ established in his church, but one of the most significant changes of the early church came when the Lord revealed the Relief Society. Its purpose was the "relief of the poor, the widow, the destitute and the orphan, and for the exercise of all benevolent purposes," founded on a structure similar to the priesthood organization. The relief society was certainly never mentioned in the Bible, but at that point in time, it was a necessary addition to support a rapidly growing base of followers, many of whom needed assistance. Dozens of other organizations have subsequently been established for various reasons, all falling within the umbrella of the church structure, all employing their facilities for the better social involvement of members worldwide. The social organization in the worldwide perspective has, however, been interpreted and accepted differently, as depicted by this excerpt of an Ensign article (The Universality of the Gospel, August 1971):

In this dispensation, the restored church has been cast in an Anglo-American sociocultural context. This means that although the gospel is universal, the type of social organization developed to take it to other nations is by necessity Anglo-American. This in itself should not be offensive to any true Latter-day Saint. Careful study will show that at other times in the history of the world, the revealed gospel was cast in a Jewish, or Nephite, or Israelite sociocultural context and that at that time those societies had a similar task of teaching the gospel to others. But the gospel is universal, and all men from all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples should be able to recognize it. It is highly probable that as the gospel is accepted, men of other nations will have to experience greater changes than the average Anglo-American convert.

The authors of the above quote come from a Latin American backdrop, and through that viewpoint they accurately recognize the truth and fundamental purpose of the church and its function in relation to the gospel. They know without a doubt that the gospel is true, and understand that the church organization is subject to an ever changing social climate.

In pointing out the fluidity and malleability of the church, it in no way detracts from the truth within. Across the scriptures, the Lord has told us that he is "the same yesterday, today and forever" (Moroni 10:19), but we must inherently realize that he is the same in purpose, the purpose being the eternal salvation of men and nothing else. To further support this, the Lord told us in the Doctrine and Covenants 1:30 (emphasis added):

And also those to whom these commandments were given, [that they] might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually.

Once again, we have returned to the word that kicked this all off – ‘true.’ Through the juxtaposition of these two verses, I think the correct intention of Christ’s words can be identified. If we understand our Savior on even the most basic level, we know that He is a constant being who is always seeking the salvation of humankind. He wants us, in our own mortal state, to establish a living (in other words, fluid and changeable) social organization that is true to him – true to the mark, true to His word, true and faithful to their Lord and Redeemer. This meaning of the word ‘true’ differs greatly from the definition of ‘being correct,’ but comes closest to faithful or dutiful. To use the word ‘correct’ in regards to Christ’s church would be to imply that the social structure will never change, that it will never mold to accommodate changing modes of interaction, and that this is as good as it gets. I know that isn’t what the Lord has in mind.

We are attempting to achieve the kingdom of God, and the Lord recognizes the difficulties. I know Christ loves us, and wants the best for us. I know the gospel is a set of undeniable truths and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an ever-changing sociocultural mode of conveying the powerful teachings of Christ. In lieu of this knowledge, I probably wouldn’t spend my time in front of the congregation during fast and testimony meeting articulating the syntactical difference, but it does help to be aware of this knowledge, and it definitely affects my perception of this church. I hope it affects yours, too.

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