A talk I gave in church about going to church

 A talk I gave in church:

Good Afternoon Brothers and Sisters. Brother Brown asked me about a week ago to share a message in church. I think the topic is especially appropriate for the environment in which we currently find ourselves in, where the church is allowing the continued broadcast of sabbath services in an effort to reach those members who are currently unable to attend due to pandemic related concerns. As we are able to watch church on TV, and use provided materials to teach and learn in the comfort of our own homes, some may begin to ask questions such as” Why do we have a church? Why do we need a church? Why can’t people just worship in their own homes, or on a mountain, or in a closet or any other place where they can feel close to God, and have that be enough? Why do I need to go anyway?” 

I have been thinking on the subject of the last 10 days, trying to decide how to answer those questions and what I was supposed to share with this congregation. I think I would like to start by talking about a scripture passage. 2 Nephi 31:17-21. 

17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.

19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

In these verses, Nephi teaches about our path back to our Father in Heaven and our goal of gaining eternal life. In verse 17 he teaches that the gate by which we should enter is repentance, baptism and enduring to the end. Elder Dallan H Oaks testified in his October 2021 general conference address that “the restored church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been established to teach the fullness of (Christ’s) doctrine and to officiate with His priesthood authority to perform the ordinances necessary to enter the kingdom of God.” Baptism is certainly to be administered by priesthood authority, through property defined and designated channels: namely our bishop, or the local mission president. Repentance under certain circumstances, may also require priesthood assistance. Many times, we can seek and receive forgiveness for our sins on our own, through prayer with our Heavenly Father. Other times, for actions that might cause our membership in the Lord’s restored church to come into question, an authorized Judge in Israel is required to help guide us through the necessary steps to regain our proper place. That judge is our bishop. He was called by inspiration by those with the proper priesthood keys to support us, love us and share our burden as we work to correct our mistakes and return to full fellowship.

We can see that the gate to the path that leads us to our Heavenly Father is operated by priesthood authority. In verse 19, Nephi teaches that “after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, is all done? Behold I say unto you, Nay. In verse 20 we read: “wherefore ye must press forward,” meaning that we can’t just sit around and wait for God to walk down our path toward us and drag us along. Verse 20 again: we “press forward, feasting on the words of Christ, and endure to the end, behold thus saith the Father, Ye shall have Eternal Life.” Verse 21: “This is the way, there is none other way…This is the doctrine of Christ.” 

So, now we are on the path, the Strait and narrow. How do we press forward? One part of the covenant we made at baptism is to bear one another's burdens. In both Galatians 6 and Mosiah 18, it lists bearing one another’s burdens as a specific function of the church. We can help each other get through tough times as we lead, guide and walk beside each other, helping those around us to find the way.

We know that the Lord’s work is to bring about the immortality and eternal life of his children. Immortality is a free gift given to all as a result of Christ’s resurrection. Eternal life is a gift given conditionally. It is predicated upon making and keeping sacred covenants, the first of which is baptism. However, there are more ordinances and covenants we must make to continue on the path to our heavenly father and eternal life. Those ordinances and covenants require the priesthood which is only available in Christ's true church. Some of these covenants and ordinances we make only once for ourselves. We do have the opportunity to remind ourselves of them when we perform them as a proxy for our ancestors.

Other ordinances, such as the sacrament, are performed weekly under direction of the bishop and carried out by priesthood authority. Partaking of the sacrament is the most important reason for church, and generally requires us to be in attendance at church each Sunday to participate. Elder Oaks teaches that “in addition to feeling peace and joy through the companionship of the spirit, church attending members enjoy the fruits of gospel living, such as the blessings of living the word of wisdom and the material and spiritual prosperity promised for living the law of tithing. Crowning all of this are the authoritative priesthood ordinances necessary for eternity, including the sacrament we receive each Sabbath Day.” Christ taught specifically about the sacrament in 3 Nephi 18: 5-14. Verse 5 teaches that one person per congregation “shall be ordained among you and to him will I give power that he shall break bread and bless it.” Verse 11 and 12 teach that the sacrament isn’t optional. Christ said, ”And this shall ye always do to those that repent and are baptized in my name” and “I give you a commandment that ye shall do these things.” In our ward, the Bishop is the one who is authorized to administer the sacrament, and he delegates that responsibility to the Aaronic priesthood. That means that we can’t just decide to do it ourselves in our own homes when we can’t make it to church. We should strive to partake in this ordinance each and every Sunday as we are able.

President Russel M Nelson said, ”We cannot wish our way into the presence of God. We are to obey the laws upon which [that blessing] is predicated.” Elder Oaks goes further by saying that “One of those laws is to worship in church each Sabbath day. Our worship and application of eternal principles draws us closer to God and magnifies our capacity to love.” I say that going to church is not about getting a gold star for our attendance, nor is it about gaining God’s favor for the upcoming week. Church is not just a place to go each Sunday, it is the living body of Christ, a vibrant organism of believers animated by the Holy Spirit. Rather than a static, man-made organization or a physical building, it relies on interdependence, diversity, and mutual care, where every member has a vital role to play. Christ wants each of us to be an active part of it for our own good and for His glory.

The church gives us a dedicated place to receive ordinances and listen to instruction from modern prophets and apostles. It also gives us an opportunity to grow in ways we could not otherwise grow. From 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 we learn that everyone is granted different gifts and talents. Some people are given the gift of wisdom, others faith. Some people have a gift for preaching, and others have a gift for administration. Many different gifts function to strengthen the body of Christ and when the body is healthy, its members realize that they are part of the congregation not only to receive, but to give, share and serve.

Proverbs 27:17 says “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Heavenly Father uses our interactions with others at church to show us the areas in our own lives that might need a little work. These days it is too easy to get caught in an echo chamber on social media. Coming to church with good intentions helps keep us humble as we learn to help and serve those around us.

Sometimes we might be tempted to say “The Church doesn’t really need me.” We look at the organization of the church and think that because classes and quorums and auxiliaries seem to be running smoothly, that we can’t or don’t need to participate.The thing is, there is always more to do! In Luke 10: 2, Jesus taught that “the harvest is truly great, but the laborers are few: Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that he would send forth laborers…” Our willingness to help as we accept callings and volunteer our time is likely an answer to someone else’s prayer.Elder Oaks teaches that “Attendance and ACTIVITY (as opposed to passivity) in church help us become better people and better influences on the lives of others… We are strengthened by associating with others of like minds. In church attendance and participation our hearts are, as the bible says, knit together in love.”

Elder Oaks also teaches that “a persuasive example is more powerful that a sermon.” At church I can find people who have maybe gotten a little further along on the strait and narrow path than I. Or maybe they have just experienced some of the same things I am working on. In Titus 2 we learn about the value of sharing our experiences with others in order to lift them up and help them along. That we can both teach And learn how to “sound in faith, in charity, in patience.”

Our example to those around us can be powerful motivators, especially for those of us that have the privilege of working with the youth. I have heard from some of my close associations that though they are not inclined to attend church currently, they are grateful for the lessons they learned growing up in church, and the experiences they had at church that shaped them into the people they are today. If we want our children to follow in our footsteps, we need to demonstrate that the path we are on is important. If we want the youth to learn to come to church with openness and a readiness to learn, we need to show them what that looks like. If we want our kids to come to know and have a personal relationship with our Father in Heaven, the best chance for that to happen is for them to see us work to develop that same relationship ourselves. Luke 6:40 implies that the student will become like the teacher, that our children will do what they have seen us do, not what they have heard us say.

We need the church. The Church needs us. I want to close by echoing Elder Oaks’ testimony that “we do not believe that good works or spiritual growth can only be accomplished at or through church. Much can and should be done on our own, in our families and communities. However, fullness of doctrine and its saving and exalting ordinances are available only in the restored church. In addition, church attendance gives us the strength and enhancement of faith that comes from associating with other believers and worshiping together with those who are also striving to stay on the covenant path and be better disciples of Christ. I pray that we will all be steadfast in these church experiences as we seek eternal life, the greatest of all the gifts of God, in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.