The True and Lving Church

I teach Relif Society- This Sunday I am teaching on The True and Living Church by President Henry B. Eyring.

First, I wanted to list the reasons that he gave, why the Church of Jesus Christ is the True and Living Church.

We have living prophet and apostles on the earth. Just as there always was in scriptures: Abraham, Moses, Peter James and John.

In this church are the keys of the priesthood. The power authority to act in God's name, as the prophets and apostles had in scriptural days. The power to heal the sick, the authority to receive revelation and guidance for the church as a whole.

In this church is the power to "seal". To bind in heaven those ordinances performed here on earth- such as marriages in the temple.

God's people have not always been worthy of the marvelous experience we have shared today. The Apostles, after the Ascension of Christ, continued to exercise the keys He left with them. But because of disobedience and loss of faith by the members, the Apostles died without the keys being passed on to successors. We call that tragic episode "the Apostasy."

In our church we believe there was this "falling away." The priesthood that was on the earth, because of a lack of righteousness, was at some point, not continued to be passed down. This is what makes us a truly unique church.

The Catholics disagree. They claim the position that there was not an Apostasy, that the priesthood of God has always been on the earth, and is found in their church.

This is where we are similar to the Catholic Church. We both see the need for the priesthood. We both have a "prophet" of sorts. (theirs of course is the Pope.)

There were those who disagreed. Martin Luther, and other reformers, saw that the Catholic church was not teaching the same Christian doctrine that Christ had taught while on the earth. The different religious sects would notice that something was amiss, and break off "protesting" the Catholic doctrine, and doing their best to teach Christ's doctrine according to the scriptures. The Baptists, for example, saw that the baptisms were not being performed by immersion, knew that according to the scriptures, this was not right, and eventually had their own church, baptising the way that Christ himself taught and was baptized.

This is where the three categories emerged.

1. The Catholic Church- claiming to always have Christ's authority, being a constant line from Christ himself.


2. The Protestants, or Reformers. This includes the Christian Churches which broke off from the Catholics, in an effort to "reform" or "protest" the Catholic church.


3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who believe that not just a reformation, but a restoration was necessary.

My time is up- I need to go make breakfast for my kids. Have a great day!