How To Lead Your Church Through Change

The piece of work of the Lord requires an organization led by the Lord through leaders He has chosen and authorized and whom He directs in carrying out His purposes. Scriptural history shows that such leaders accept been either a prophet or prophets and apostles. This was the pattern in the years of covenant Israel and in the elevation of time, and information technology continues in the restored Church building of Jesus Christ.

The Lord Leads His People through an Organization

Our Heavenly Father's purpose is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life" of His sons and daughters (Moses 1:39). In this dispensation, He does this through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose purpose is "to help individuals and families qualify for exaltation."ⁱ

"The great and compelling triad of responsibility laid upon the Church," President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) taught, is "to, first, carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of the globe; second, to implement that gospel in the lives of the membership of the Church; and, 3rd, to extend through vicarious work its blessings to those who take passed beyond the veil of death."²

In our day many seem to desire spirituality or faith but think they can have information technology without whatever religious organization. Those who think they can attain this apart from a formal organization ignore the well-recorded history of what the Lord Jesus Christ established to assure the continuity and effectiveness of His gospel and teachings. As Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reminded usa in a notable general conference talk v years ago, "In the peak of time, Jesus organized His work in such a way that the gospel could be established simultaneously in multiple nations and amidst diverse peoples."³ That arrangement included the Apostles and other officers described in the New Testament.

Why is an organisation required to accomplish the purposes of the Lord? Though our Savior loves and helps us individually, to accomplish His purposes for the whole torso of God'southward children—peculiarly His covenant people—He acts through an arrangement led past prophets and apostles.

Merely through an arrangement tin the individual members of what the Campaigner Paul called "the body of Christ" (one Corinthians 12:27) receive the opportunities they need to achieve the spiritual growth that is the purpose of their creation. And just an organization with unlike talents and a variety of efforts can achieve what is necessary to accomplish the Lord'southward piece of work.

Things that can be accomplished but through organized groups of believers include major efforts to help the poor, to proclaim the gospel in all the earth, and to build and maintain temples. The Prophet Joseph Smith said God'south objective in gathering His people was "to build unto the Lord a house whereby He [can] reveal … the ordinances of His business firm and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of conservancy."^four

An organization is besides needed to achieve the Lord's commandment to "exist ane; and if ye are not one ye are not mine" (Doctrine and Covenants 38:27). President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency has taught that we cannot achieve that oneness—that unity—equally individuals. "Nosotros must seek it and authorize for it with others. Information technology is non surprising so," he observed, "that God urges us to assemble so that He tin anoint us."^five

Individual believers also need to experience religion through a religious organization because only in this style can we exist authoritatively reproved or chastened for sin and error. That chastisement is essential for our spiritual growth (see Doctrine and Covenants 136:31; 101:4–5; see likewise Mosiah 23:21–22).

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) gave another reason for religious or spiritual persons to be organized: "because random, individual goodness is not enough in the fight against evil."⁶

The Restored Church of Jesus Christ Is Governed by Prophets and Apostles

The organization of the Church of Jesus Christ must take leaders chosen past Him and given the power and authority to declare His will to His people.

"Ye have not chosen me," the Savior taught, "but I accept chosen you, and ordained you lot, that ye should become and bring forth fruit" (John xv:sixteen). The Bible is clear on who chooses prophets and apostles. In the Old Attestation this is clearly seen in the callings of Moses and Samuel, and in the New Testament it is seen in the callings of the Twelve Apostles and the Campaigner Paul (see Exodus iii; one Samuel three; Mark 3; Acts ix). These leaders did not volunteer, and they were non elected by believers.

The Bible also shows that religious leaders must accept the dominance of God's priesthood, which is conferred by 1 already holding that authority. The Bible descriptions of the callings and authorizations of Aaron, of members of the Twelve Apostles, and of the Lxx illustrate this principle (see Exodus 28:one–4; Mark 3:14–xv; Luke x:1, 17). Priesthood authority did non come up from reading the scriptures or from a desire to serve. And the ordination that confers priesthood authority comes from the heads of the Church, and it is known publicly (see Doctrine and Covenants 42:11).

In the Old Testament, the spiritual leaders were prophets. They are described in three unlike roles. Some were holy men performing a prophetic function for their posterity, like Abraham. Some were leaders exercising political equally well as priestly ability, like Moses and Joshua. Near were performing their prophetic role independent of patriarchal or political position, like Samuel and Isaiah. The Volume of Mormon reports the same three positions of prophets, such every bit Lehi (patriarch), King Benjamin (politico), and Alma the Younger (afterward he relinquished his position as the main judge) (encounter 1 Nephi 1–2; Mosiah ane–six; Alma 4–5). Yet, it is clear that all the prophets who preceded Jesus Christ called the people to repentance, and, most of all, they prophesied of the coming Messiah.⁷

The office of Apostle is first identified in the New Testament, when the Savior called Apostles as He organized His ministry to proclaim, baptize, and heal. The Apostle Paul wrote that the Church of Jesus Christ is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself existence the principal corner stone" (Ephesians two:20). Jesus also called Seventies and sent them along to minister (see Luke 10:1, 17), and He authorized the calling of other officers, such every bit pastors and teachers (see Ephesians 4:11).

A paramount function of Apostles in the Church that Jesus established was to concord the keys of the priesthood. When the Savior promised the Apostle Peter "the keys of the kingdom of heaven," He described this as the ability that "whatsoever one thousand shalt bind on earth shall be bound in sky" (Matthew sixteen:19). In other words, the keys assure heavenly effect to the authorized deportment of priesthood dominance on earth. Apostles who concord the keys of the priesthood accept the correct and responsibility to preside over and direct the activities of the priesthood of God and the Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth.⁸ This includes the performance and supervision of the essential ordinances of the gospel.

As part of their responsibilities, prophets and apostles have the prophetic duty and gift to teach the truths of the gospel and to prove as "special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the globe" (Doctrine and Covenants 107:23). They identify truth and error and authoritatively state, "Thus saith the Lord." President J. Reuben Clark Jr. (1871–1961), Offset Counselor in the Start Presidency, alleged that Apostles "have the right, the ability, and the say-so to declare the heed and will of God to his people, subject to the over-all power and authority of the President of the Church."⁹

Every bit servants of the Father and the Son, apostles and prophets teach and counsel equally directed past the Holy Ghost, with no desire other than to speak what is truthful and to encourage all to follow the pathway to God's blessings, including His ultimate destiny for all of His children: eternal life, "the greatest of all the gifts of God" (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7). Their voices tin can be trusted.

President M. Russell Ballard, Interim President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has said: "In today'southward earth, where 24 hours a day television and radio commentators spew along conflicting opinions, where marketers compete for everything from your money to your vote, there is ane clear, unpolluted, unbiased phonation that you lot tin ever count on. And that is the vocalisation of the living prophet and the apostles. Their only motive is 'the everlasting welfare of your souls' (ii Ne. two:30)."¹⁰

Access to the teachings of apostles and prophets is both a blessing and a great responsibility. The blessing is the ready admission to what the Lord would take us hear. The responsibleness is that this admission to the Lord's teachings makes us accountable to hear and to heed those teachings. Unfortunately, some believers fail in this responsibility. Non surprisingly, many in the world reject the fact that God gives apostles and prophets the authority and inspiration to speak in His proper noun. Fifty-fifty more reject prophets and apostles on the premise that God or that absolute right and wrong practise not exist.

Fortunately, many choose to believe and follow the teachings of prophets. They receive the promised blessings. President Russell M. Nelson has taught this: "God's long-established pattern of pedagogy His children through prophets assures usa that He will bless each prophet and that He volition bless those who demand prophetic counsel."¹¹

Prophets and Apostles Act through Councils

The Lord leads His Church through prophets (plural) and apostles (plural), equally they act through councils. There are many illustrations of this.

The Lord calls one prophet to initiate a new dispensation. Then, when that new restoration grows and matures, doctrine and policies for the group are revealed and taught through an organisation led past apostles and prophets. Thus, as the restored Church grew and matured in this terminal dispensation, the Lord revealed that its almost important business and most difficult cases should be decided by a council of the Showtime Presidency and Twelve Apostles (run across Doctrine and Covenants 107:78–79). In that location, every conclusion "must be by the unanimous vocalism of the same" (Doctrine and Covenants 107:27). Otherwise, they would non exist "entitled to the same blessings which the decisions of a quorum of iii presidents were anciently" (Doctrine and Covenants 107:29).

All of this shows the Lord's direction that His Church must exist governed by councils of apostles and prophets. This protects and promotes the unity that is essential in the Lord'due south Church.

"The Lord in the kickoff of this work revealed that there should be three loftier priests to preside over the High Priesthood of his Church and over the whole Church," President Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918) taught in the general briefing where he was sustained as President of the Church building.¹² He affirmed the importance of iii high priests in the presidency by declaring "that it is incorrect for ane human to do all the potency and power of presidency in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."¹³ He added, "The Lord never did intend that one human should have all power, and for that reason he has placed in his Church, presidents, apostles, high priests, seventies, [etc.]."^fourteen

The reference to the plural, prophets and apostles, is besides prominent in this familiar teaching by President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972): "There is one affair which we should have exceedingly clear in our minds. Neither the President of the Church building, nor the First Presidency, nor the united vocalisation of the Start Presidency and the Twelve volition ever atomic number 82 the Saints astray or transport along counsel to the globe that is contrary to the mind and will of the Lord."¹⁵

To become the official doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ, the individual teachings of apostles and even prophets need to be affirmed through the process of approving past other apostles and prophets. This is illustrated in the Bible in the approving activeness of the Apostles when Peter reported his revelation to take the gospel to the Gentiles (see Acts 11:1, 18). Similarly, when the dispute over the need for circumcision was brought to the Apostles, Peter reminded them of the significance of the revelation he had received, and the council then approved and settled the dispute with a confirming epistle to the Church (see Acts 15).

Similarly, in the restored Church, doctrine is not canonized until the body of the Church has received it by the law of mutual consent (see Doctrine and Covenants 26:2, 28:thirteen). That principle was revealed in 1830 and has been practical since that time.^xvi This exercise, which had non been followed by churches existing during the period nosotros call the Apostasy, protects gospel truths from being contradistinct or influenced by private ideas or individual opinions.

Finally, the essential unity on doctrine amongst different leaders is preserved by the long-continuing rule that questions addressed to individual Apostles or other authorities about doctrine or policy that is not clearly defined in the scriptures or handbooks are to be referred to the First Presidency (see Doctrine and Covenants 124:126).¹⁷

Prophets and Apostles Witness of Jesus Christ

During his ministry, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught this: "As God governed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as families, and the children of Israel as a nation; so we, as a Church, must be under His guidance if we are prospered, preserved and sustained."^xviii

This article has described how the Lord has washed His work through the ages and how this design and procedure continues in our own day. As the Apostle Peter taught, "all the prophets" have given "witness" of Christ (Acts 10:43). In our mean solar day, the Lord continues to do His piece of work through prophets and apostles who are authorized to act in His proper name to practice His work to bring to pass the eternal life of man. Read more insights from Church building leaders on the blessings the Church brings united states of america (page 32 of this result).