Origins of the Church

While in Mexico as a missionary, I was once asked the question: What is the single most important thing that you have to tell people? I think the answer to that question would make a good inaugural post to this blog.

The single most important message for every person on the earth to hear is of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is to know that Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins and is therefore the only source of Eternal Life, which is the greatest of all of God's gifts. This is the overall message of the bible and of every true prophet called by God. All of them have testified of Christ since the time of Adam. Christianity is not a 2,000 year old religion. It has existed since this world began and even before then.

The second most important message for every person on the earth right now is the news of the restoration of the Gospel. I am referring to the calling of the prophet Joseph Smith in the early part of the 19th century. Since the time of Christ, there has not been a more important event in human history than Joseph Smith's vision, which came as an answer to his prayer about which church he should join. Being much troubled on the subject, he had gone into the woods in western New York to follow the counsel of James, and "ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not." In answer to his prayer, 14 year old Joseph was visited by God the Father, and the Son, Jesus Christ, whom he observed to be two distinct personages, each possessing bodies of flesh and bone, and having glory beyond the brightness of the sun.

To read Joseph's personal account of the vision, click here.

As a prophet of God, Joseph Smith restored sacred truths that had been lost since the church established by Jesus Christ fell apart in the first few centuries A.D. He also re-established the Church of Jesus Christ and restored the Priesthood authority to teach the Gospel and administer ordinances such as Baptism and the conferring of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, which are the saving ordinances of the Gospel.

Three years after the first vision, Joseph Smith was visited by an angel, or a resurrected being sent by God, named Moroni. Moroni instructed Joseph Smith to translate an ancient record known as the Book of Mormon. This new book of scripture is another testament of Jesus Christ, that sits side by side with the Old and New testaments. It contains the word of God and the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now some of you will doubt the veracity of the statements I have made in this article, but if you were to just imagine for a moment that everything I have said is true, it would be easy to see why these are the most important truths for every human being to know. As for myself, I doubted these things for many years while growing up in the church, until I did the same thing as Joseph Smith and asked God about it directly. And now you have my testimony before you that these things are true because I received a powerful assurance in the moment that I went before God to ask Him.

And if you have read these words, I feel to warn you against casting them aside. I urge you to read the Book of Mormon, and hear the plea of Nephi:

And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.

And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.

And I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and last day.