"I Am The Light Of The World: He That Followeth Me Shall Not Walk In Darkness,
But Shall Have
The Light Of Life."
Christ proclaimed to those who were supposed to be representing Him on earth as He lovingly spared a sinful woman from their fists bearing stones. How had His church on earth become so corrupt and so full of error?
During His earthly ministry, Christ restored His Gospel to the earth, establishing His Church as it was from the beginning. After Christ's death and resurrection,
Jesus Christ's apostles and disciples struggled to keep the restored Church from weakening and distorting.
Most apostles were martyred after great persecution, and the apostolic authority to bestow priesthood keys was lost. We call this era the Great Apostasy.
Church members were being persecuted, yet they had no true leader who could lead or receive revelation on behalf of the Church. Church doctrine was left open to conflicting opinion and debate and many plain and precious truths were lost.
he realized through studying the scriptures his church did not teach the same things the scriptures taught. He feared many church leaders were dishonest because they would forgive people's sins only for money. He wrote 95 statements about how his church had changed from the time of Christ. He was put on trial and told to take back what he had written. He refused, was declared a criminal and thrown out of his church.
would not let its members read the scriptures for themselves: only the priests were allowed to read and interpret the scriptures for people. So he translated the Bible into English, which allowed more people to read it. He felt the church had strayed and was not the same as Christ's Church in the Bible.
Priesthood: The Power of God, given to man to act in His name.
Hundreds of years passed, and inspired people tried to restore what had been lost from Christ's original church, reforming new churches, yet still lacking that priesthood authority of the original church of our Savior.
John Wycliffe, born in 1320, became a leader in his church. His church, which was said
to be directly descended from Christ's church,
John Wycliffe, born in 1320, became a leader in his church. His church, which was said
to be directly descended from Christ's church, would not let its members read
the scriptures for themselves: only the priests were allowed to read and interpret
the scriptures for people. So he translated the Bible into English, which allowed more people to read it. He felt the church had strayed and was not the same as Christ's
Church in the Bible.
Martin Luther: Born in Germany in 1483, a priest and teacher of teacher of religion in his church,
Martin Luther: Born in Germany in 1483, a priest and teacher of teacher of religion in his church, he realized through studying the scriptures his church did not teach the same things the scriptures taught. He feared many church leaders were dishonest because they would forgive people's sins only for money. He wrote 95 statements about how his church had changed from the time of Christ. He was put on trial and told to take back what he had written. He refused, was declared a criminal and thrown out of his church.
In the early 1600's people fled to the American colonies so that they might have freedom of worship, yet they did not want to give others the same freedom of worship as themselves. They cast many out of their communities for believing differently.
Anne Marbury Hutchinson, born 1591, mother of 15,
at her trial for heresy for dissension from her
church in America.
She was convicted and excommunicated from her church. She became a key figure for religious freedom in the American Colonies.
Roger Williams came to America in 1631 to find a place to worship God freely.
He was forced to leave his church and later decided that there was, “no regularly constituted Church on earth” that had the authority Christ's Church should have.
By the 1820's, America had become a safe haven for religious freedom and worship, yet there was great spiritual confusion and strife between the differing denominations, each grasping onto what they believed was Jesus Christ's original intent for His church on earth.
Joseph Smith came from a deeply religious family who believed in constantly striving for truth. At the age of fourteen, Joseph had studied a number of different religions, searched the scriptures for answers and still felt great confusion as to which church he should join. He wrote, “...it was impossible for a person young as I was...to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong...If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?” ( Joseph Smith History, 1:8,10).
Joseph read in the New Testament, James 1:5-6:
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him... But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering..." and since he knew he was lacking wisdom, he turned to God in a prayer of faith.
He found a quiet place, in a grove of trees,
to ask God which church he should join.
There, Joseph's prayer was answered. He saw God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ. He saw that they were two separate and distinct persons,
not 'one intangible being' like most churches of his day taught. They spoke to him and told him that the churches on the earth, through passage of time and error, lost the proper authority to be "the true church". This First Vision marked the beginning of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth.
RESTORATION OF JESUS CHRIST'S CHURCH ON THE EARTH
For ten years, Joseph Smith was tutored by the Lord and other heavenly messengers until God authorized him to establish His Church on the earth. Joseph Smith was baptized by John the Baptist, and received priesthood authority directly from the hands of John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John who, appearing as angels, had received their priesthood power and authority directly from Jesus Christ Himself (Luke 9:1).
Just as in times of old, we have a prophet on the earth today, Russell M. Nelson. He and the Church’s other Apostles were ordained by proper authority which can be traced in an unbroken chain back to Jesus Christ.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord Jesus Christ's authorized church on the earth today. It bears all the divine direction, power, and full gospel of Jesus Christ, including the blessings and joy we can receive from living its teachings!