President Dallin H. Oaks Flashcards
Many years ago, Elder Mark E. Petersen, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, began a talk with this example:
“Kenneth and his wife, Lucille, are good people, honest and upright. They don’t go to church, though, and they feel they can be good enough without it. They teach their children honesty and virtue and they tell themselves that is about all the Church would do for them.
“And, anyway, they insist that they need their weekends for family recreation … [and] church-going would really get in their way.”1
Reasons for Church activity and attendance in any faith:
- help us become better people and influences
- we are taught how to apply religious principles
- we learn from one another
- we are strengthened by associating with others of like minds
- our hearts are “knit together in love” (see Colossians 2:2)
- Christ is “the head of the church” (see Ephesians 5:23-24)
- officers were given “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” (see Ephesians 4:12)
- attendance can open our hearts and sanctify our souls
- in service we find heaven-sent opportunities to rise above the individualism of our age…overcom[ing] the personal selfishness that can retard our spiritual growth
- we associate with wonderful people striving to serve God…remind[ing] us that we are not alone in our religious activities
Reasons for Church activity and attendance in the Savior’s restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
- we are taught the fulness of His restored doctrine
- the power and blessings of the priesthood
- right to officiate with His priesthood authority to perform the ordinances necessary to enter the kingdom of God (see John 3:5)
- receive the motivations and opportunities to apply His doctrine
- the opportunity to qualify to perpetuate their family for eternity
- it helps us grow spiritually…this means repenting…we have doctrine, procedures, and inspired helpers that assist us to repent (including membership councils)
- individual spirituality can seldom provide the motivation and structure for unselfish service provided by the restored Church (such as missionary callings and temple work). None of such service would be possible without the Church that sponsors it, organizes it, and directs it.
- work in cooperative efforts to benefit the larger community…learn how to work with persons of very different backgrounds and preferences…tradition of unselfish cooperation for the common good
- enormous humanitarian efforts worldwide
- feeling peace and joy through the companionship of the Spirit
- enjoy the fruits of living the gospel (ie: Word of Wisdom and law of tithing)
- the authoritative priesthood ordinances necessary for eternity, including the sacrament
- our worship and application of eternal principles draw us closer to God and magnify our capacity to love
- strength and enhancement of faith that come from associating with other believers and worshipping together
If we cease valuing our churches for any reason, we threaten our personal spiritual life, and significant numbers separating themselves from God reduce His blessings to our nations.
Some say that attending church meetings is not helping them. Some say, “I didn’t learn anything today” or “No one was friendly to me” or “I was offended.” Personal disappointments should never keep us from the doctrine of Christ, who taught us to serve, not to be served.7 (James 1:27)
…
President Spencer W. Kimball taught that “we do not go to Sabbath meetings to be entertained or even solely to be instructed. We go to worship the Lord. It is an individual responsibility. … If the service is a failure to you, you have failed. No one can worship for you; you must do your own waiting upon the Lord.”9
The scriptures God has given Christians in the Bible and in modern revelation clearly teach the need for a church. Both show that Jesus Christ organized a church and contemplated that a church would carry on His work after Him. He called Twelve Apostles and gave them authority and keys to direct it.
Members who forgo Church attendance and rely only on individual spirituality separate themselves from these gospel essentials: the power and blessings of the priesthood, the fulness of restored doctrine, and the motivations and opportunities to apply that doctrine. They forfeit their opportunity to qualify to perpetuate their family for eternity.
…
President Russell M. Nelson taught this principle in a memorable way. He said: “We cannot wish our way into the presence of God. We are to obey the laws upon which [that blessing is] predicated.”12
One of those laws is to worship in church each Sabbath day.13 (D&C 59:9)
