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As the term is used in the Book of Mormon, the church of Christ are all
who have been baptized (Mosiah
18:16-17; 3 Ne. 26:21). The Doctrine and Covenants defines the
church broadly as all who repent and come to Christ (D&C
10:67-68). B. H. Roberts taught that in a certain sense, everything
which promotes truth and righteousness is part of Christ's church.
The baptized are organized into local communities for collective worship
and mutual support. These communities meet at least weekly, on the Lord's
day, to pray, to take the the sacrament, to
be nourished by God's word, and to speak to one another about the welfare
of their souls (Moro. 6:4-6; D&C 59:9-12).
The church are encouraged to conduct their meetings as led by the Spirit
(Moro. 6:9). Certain members are assigned to
lead and teach, but ultimately all members are called to teach one another,
so that all may be edified of all (D&C 88:77,
122).
Having received Christ's Spirit through baptism, the church are Christ's
body: as the spirit animates the body, so Christ acts in and through the
baptized (1 Cor. 12:12-27). The church as an
institution provides an instrument by which the baptized organize themselves
to carry out Christ's work in the world. The church's work includes a
charge to impart temporally and spiritually to all in need, whether in
or out of the church—to the poor, the hungry, the sick (Mosiah
18:29; Alma 1:30; Morm. 8:35-39).
| Charles W. Penrose: We
find by looking through the New Testament, the nature of the Church,
the power within it. . . . When [the Saints] were baptized into Christ's
Church they were all baptized by one spirit into one body, they became
united, they were organized after the pattern of heaven, and the Holy
Spirit ran through the whole body. . . . Every part of the body of
the Church was actuated by the same spirit and the same influence,
and that was the power in their midst . . . |
| Journal
of Discourses 25:332-33 |
| B. H. Roberts: All that
makes for truth, for righteousness, is of God; it constitutes the
kingdom of righteousness—the empire of Jehovah; and, in a certain
sense at least, constitutes the Church of Christ. . . . [T]he spirit
of the Lord's commandments to His servants and the dictates of right
reason would suggest that we seek to enlarge this kingdom of righteousness
both by recognizing such truths as it possesses and seeking the friendship
and co-operation of the righteous men and women who constitute its
membership. |
| Conference
Report, April 1906, 15 |
| John A. Witdsoe: The
aim of the Church, organized for human good, is to make [people] happy. |
Program
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake
City:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1937), 17 |
| John A. Witdsoe: Whatever
pertains to human welfare must be the concern of the Church. The function
of the Church is all inclusive, comprehensive; hence all issues of
life must receive its careful consideration. Whatever concerns man
is the concern of the Church, whether of earth or heaven, whether
of this or a future life. |
| Priesthood
and Church Government (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1939), 177 |
| Lowell L. Bennion: The
purpose of the Church is the purpose of the Gospel; the purpose of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to help men achieve the very purpose
of life. The purpose of life is joy through self-realization of our
full nature as a child of God. . . . The Church also has a social
mission. It is here to build up the kingdom of God by establishing
a society of men who will live as God requires them to live. The Church,
as a body of people, endowed with the gifts and powers of Deity, is
here to represent God and Christ on the earth. |
| An Introduction
to the Gospel (Salt Lake City: Deseret Sunday School Union Board,
1959), 209-10 |
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