Knowing who has the authority to preach the Gospel is vital.Otherwise, if everyone took it upon themselves to preach, there would be what I call spiritual mayhem, in that in almost no time at all, few would be able to discern between true and false doctrine. This means that even fewer would know what to do - what steps to take, what covenants to make and keep - to make it back to the Celestial Kingdom, to dwell eternally with their families and God.
Spiritual mayhem, indeed. Talk about being "tossed to and fro, and carried about" (Ephesians 4:14).
Elder Neil L. Anderson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, points out: "There is an important principle that governs the doctrine of the church. The doctrine is taught by all fifteen members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is not hidden in some obscure paragraph of one talk . . .our doctrine is not difficult to find" (October 2012 General Conference).
When it was revealed that any worthy boy or man, regardless of race, should also receive the Priesthood, some members of the Church grew angry and confused. Defensively, they would refer to what General Authorities (including Apostles and Prophets) had said contrary to the new revelation given to ordain all worthy men of all races to the Priesthood. To these angry accusations, Elder Bruce R. McConkie (former member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) stated: " . . .all I can say . . . is that it is time disbelieving people repented and got in line and believed in a living, modern prophet. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation" (CES Religious Educators Symposium, 18 August, 1978). In other words, the doctrine of the church is received by revelation by the President of the Church, and supported by all 14 others of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. One of my dear friends, while striving to defend the certain principles, will often quote the talks of General Authorities long since deceased, and, while these lines are powerful and often true, it is important to verify that the same principles are being taught, as Elder Anderson says, by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve.
The doctrine is not difficult to find. Yet, if we all stepped out of our authorized bounds, it would be.
A person must be authorized to preach the Gospel, because with that authorization comes the guidance of the Holy Ghost in knowing specifically how to preach to any particular individual. An authorized minister can come to know perfectly what their listeners need. They can discern thoughts and feelings, and can know exactly what to say or do, so that the Holy Ghost can confirm in the listener's heart the truth of what is being preached.
An example of this can be found in the Book of Mormon, when Ammon is preaching the Gospel to King Lamoni, a Lamanite. At one point, Lamoni is so overwhelmed with how powerfully Ammon's message is touching his heart that he asks: "How knowest thou the thoughts of my heart?" (Alma 18:19). To which Ammon responds: "I am a man . . . .and I am called by [God's] Holy Spirit to teach these things . . . .And a portion of that Spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowedge, and also power . . . " (Alma 18:34-35).
If an individual does not have authority, they will not have the guidance of the Spirit in preaching the Gospel. The command is to "preach [the] gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent froth to teach the truth.
"Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me (authorized) and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
"And if it be by some other way it is not of God" (Doctrine and Covenants 50:14, 17-18, emphasis added).
Any returned missionary will quickly tell you that it was not them who convinced and converted their converts, but this Spirit of truth spoken of who carried the messages preached into the hearts of those heeding. Likewise, convert after convert will tell you: "I don't remember what the missionaries said, but I'll never forget what I felt."
Just as I was about to leave for my own mission, I was given a blessing by my Uncle Ron Hammond, who, at the time, was serving as an Area Authority for the Church, and, who previously served as a Mission President in Mexico. In that blessing my heart felt encouraged as he said: "I bless you, that on your mission you will know what to say at the right time; in the right place; to the right person; and for the right reason." That particular blessing was so appropriate for the journey I was about to embark on - to preach the Gospel. Just two days later, I received a very similar blessing from my Stake President as he officially set me apart as a full-time missionary - a representative of Jesus Christ.
And I felt set apart! For the entire two years of my mission, I knew in my heart that I was authorized to preach the Gospel. I lived differently; I loved differently; I spoke differently. When my two years ended, I felt that authority leave me when I took off my badge and cried for hours over it. I could barely listen as my Stake President told me that I was no longer responsible for preaching the Gospel, but that now my responsibility was to get an education, remain faithful in the church, and find and marry a wife in the temple. There is a difference between those authorized and those not. The authorized are not better, but simply are given a separate task that the Lord has called only them to do.
So, what would happen if someone without authority (without the Spirit of truth) attempted to preach the Gospel? In my experience, I have only seen one outcome: contention.
Because the Spirit isn't there to guide and direct unauthorized preaching, people can quickly become confused, defensive, and argumentative. These things quickly lead to the preaching of opinions and other false doctrines, which will usually not be accepted by whomever is being preached to.
Think of it this way: Pretend that I am the ice-cream man, driving my little ice-cream truck through town. While driving, I spot you speeding in your own car, swerving around me to get ahead. When I see this, I blare my ice-cream truck music as loud as it can go. I follow you, pull up to your side, and motion you to pull over. Because you're humble, you do so.
Pompously, I walk up to your door and tell you that I saw you speeding, and that I've written up a ticket. What would you say to that? I have several things that I'd say, some of them being: "Whatever!" or "Get lost!" or "You can't do that, you don't have authority!"
Soon, a heated argument erupts between us; me telling you not to speed; you telling me to mind my own business, etc. And how will it end? Most likely by you getting tired if me and pulling away, while I shout at the rear of your car.
Now pretend a similar situation happens in which "speeding" is "you not coming to church", and handing you a ticket is "telling you to repent." And remember, I'm not a cop.
The following is a real dialogue of someone attempting to preach the Gospel to another person, who was once a member of the Church, but has left. Notice how the one being preached to responds.
Unauthorized preacher: “ Now, there is a single message I'd like to leave with-something that I have needed to do for a while now . . . Repent and turn back to the God who created you and sustains your breath from day to day~our Father in Heaven who knows and loves you with a love that is powerful and pure. There will come a time in your life when I'm certain the last thing on your mind will be what our church
is doing wrong...it is a shaky foundation you have created for yourself. When you've hit rock bottom, you'll know whether your own intelligence is enough to sustain you. When your life comes to a close, I hope it will have been spent well, and I'd challenge you to stop spending it opposing a religion that ought to mean nothing to you by now. Leave it alone-allow us to live it in peace, and live your life in "freedom" as you profess to have found.”
Preachee: "I’m sickened by your comment (by much of it, but mostly the end). I’m afraid that many believers share your apparent wish that we ex-believers hit rock bottom so that we’ll turn around, repent, and realize the error of our ways. “When you’ve hit rock bottom . . . .” I don't wish that on any other honest and good people, regardless of their creed."
Whew! I'm glad I wasn't there. Can you feel the contention? But, more importantly, do you see how the unauthorized preacher has a beautiful testimony, and could have simply shared it, but didn't? Do you see how the preaching was completely useless, and led to nowhere? If this person was authorized, how different do you imagine it would have been?
I know that I imagine that it would have been full of love, even if the "preachee" didn't accept anything in the end. I see that there was an opportunity for mutual understanding, and room for the Spirit, who, instead, was thrown out like dog waste.
The most annoying part about this, and the reason why I groan so deeply, is that a lot of the time when this sort of thing happens, the preachee associates this kind of bad preaching to all members of the Church. You can know that this particular example wasn't the first time this sort of thing has happened either. Have you ever heard anyone say "Mormons are so judgmental" or "Mormons don't accept people"? I'm no gambler, but I would bet that these types of conversations and false preaching are the reasons why many of these statements are ever made about the Church of Jesus Christ.
Do you see what I mean? Have you ever had a similar experience? This can change, but what can we do? Let's discuss now sharing the Gospel.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Part I: Authority
As I mentioned in the introduction, I have noticed that many members of the Church find difficulty in knowing the differences between preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and sharing it. In this section, I would like to begin discussing what I believe to be the differences. Remember that none of the following is the doctrine, nor official opinion of the Church.
***
One thing to always remember is that one of the great "folds" of the Church (as we call them) is missionary work. I believe this comes from the Savior's command to "Go . . .into all the world and preach the Gospel . . ." (Mark 16:15). With that, another thing to keep in mind is to whom Christ gave this most meaningful commandment: He gave it to His remaining eleven Apostles.
It is well known that the word "apostle" means "one who is sent forth" (see the Bible Dictionary). This definition immediately denotes that the apostle, or the one sent forth, is given a special mandate. In other words, these people (men, in this particular example) had authority.
Authority is permission, (in this case, divine permission), and is an element which is completely necessary to preach the Gospel. "We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority," (there's that word again!) "to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof" (Articles of Faith 1:5). "And it came to pass that none received authority to preach or teach except it were by him from God" (Mosiah 23:17). "Behold I command you that you need not suppose that you are called to preach until you are called" (Doctrine and Covenants 11:15). (All emphases added.)
These scriptures are why I feel strongly to repeat often that I don't have this authority! I'm not called to preach the Gospel, nor am I attempting to do so. I'm sharing, but I'll get to that little later.
So, what does preaching the Gospel entail? When the Savior gave this command, what did He specifically have in mind for his Apostles (and others that would be called in the future) to do?
If I were to ask these questions to a group of missionaries, I'm 100% sure that a zealous answer would quickly come: "To call people to repentance!" And, while this answer is on the border line of overbearing, it's true. Yet, there is more to it than that. Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preaching faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ; repentance; baptism by immersion by one having authority; receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost; and enduring to the end. "Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. Verily, verily I say unto you, this is my gospel" (3 Nephi 27:20-21, emphasis added); "Preach my gospel" (Doctrine and Covenants 50:51).
Who, then, is authorized to preach the Gospel? From what I understand, this question can be answered by looking at who has the authority to preach the Gospel in the Church; the world; and in the family.
The Church:
The President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has all the authority and responsibility to preach the Gospel and testify of the divine. Though the President is the Senior Apostle, this authority and responsibility belongs also to 14 other Apostles - whom we call Prophets, Seers, and Revelators. These men make up the First Presidency of the Church, and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
With these two governing bodies come the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric. The Quorums of the Seventy are presided over by a Presidency of the Seventy. All of these governing bodies (the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Presidency of the Seventy, First and Second Quorums of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric) together are called General Authorities. Each of them have the authority to preach the Gospel to members of the Church everywhere.
Now, let's talk about who has the authority to preach the Gospel to members of the Church on a smaller scale: The stakes and wards.
The Stake President is authorized to preach the Gospel to the members of the Church in his stake boundaries. With him are called two other brethren to serve as his counselors. By assignment, they too are authorized to preach the Gospel to members, again, within their stake boundaries.
The Stake President also calls a few brethren from the stake to serve on what is called the High Council. These brethren have the assignment to assist the Stake President in spreading the Gospel to the members of his stake.
Hopefully the redundancy has caught on, but if it hasn't: It is important to note that the authority of the Stake President to preach the Gospel goes only as far as his stake boundaries. A Stake President shouldn't, and most likely wouldn't, for instance, preach the Gospel to his co-workers. This same principal applies to the Stake President's counselors and the High Councilmen, and, even then, only as assigned by the Stake President.
The Bishops - as called by the Stake Presidents, and approved by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - are given the assignment and authority to preach the Gospel to the members of their own wards. They are also authorized to stand as Judges in Israel. As with the Stake Presidents, Bishops are assisted by two counselors, who, together, make up the ward Bishopric.
Through the Stake Presidents and Bishops are called the Priesthood Quorum presidents. The Bishop - himself being the president of the Aaronic Priesthood in his ward - calls and gives Priesthood keys and authority to the Deacon's Quorum president, and the Teacher's Quorum president. Though generally young, these two presidents have the authority to preach the Gospel to the members of their quorum, whom they serve. Likewise, the Stake President - who is the president of the Melchizedek Priesthood in his Stake - calls and gives Priesthood keys and authority to Elder's Quorum presidents. These men, along with the Deacon's and Teacher's Quorum presidents, have the same authority to preach the Gospel to the members of their own quorum.
Concerning auxiliary presidencies (Young Men, Young Women, Relief Society, Sunday School and Primary presidencies): from what I understand, these brothers and sisters do not have the same authority and obligation as the Stake Presidents, Bishops and Quorum presidents to preach the Gospel. Much like Home or Visiting Teachers, they do have the responsibility to receive specific insight and revelation as to how they can best help those members whom they are called to serve. If, for instance, a Relief Society president perceived a problem among the Relief Society sisters of her ward, it would be appropriate for her to coordinate with the Bishop on how to best approach the situation, and right any wrongs. This, I believe, is why we have Ward Correlation Meetings.
So, in review, those who have the authority to preach the Gospel within the Church are:
-The President of the Church and his two counselors
-The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
-The Presidency of the Seventy, along with the two Quorums of the Seventy
-The Presiding Bishopric
These make up the General Authorities of the Church. After them come:
-The Stake President
-The counselors to the Stake President and the High Councilmen as assigned by the Stake President
-The Bishops
-The Quorum presidents (Deacon's, Teacher's and Elder's Quorums)
-Remember that the Bishop is the president of the Aaronic Priesthood and acts as the president of the Priest Quorum; and the Stake President is the president of the Melchizedek Priesthood and acts as the president of the High Priest Quorum.
The Bishops - as called by the Stake Presidents, and approved by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - are given the assignment and authority to preach the Gospel to the members of their own wards. They are also authorized to stand as Judges in Israel. As with the Stake Presidents, Bishops are assisted by two counselors, who, together, make up the ward Bishopric.
Through the Stake Presidents and Bishops are called the Priesthood Quorum presidents. The Bishop - himself being the president of the Aaronic Priesthood in his ward - calls and gives Priesthood keys and authority to the Deacon's Quorum president, and the Teacher's Quorum president. Though generally young, these two presidents have the authority to preach the Gospel to the members of their quorum, whom they serve. Likewise, the Stake President - who is the president of the Melchizedek Priesthood in his Stake - calls and gives Priesthood keys and authority to Elder's Quorum presidents. These men, along with the Deacon's and Teacher's Quorum presidents, have the same authority to preach the Gospel to the members of their own quorum.
Concerning auxiliary presidencies (Young Men, Young Women, Relief Society, Sunday School and Primary presidencies): from what I understand, these brothers and sisters do not have the same authority and obligation as the Stake Presidents, Bishops and Quorum presidents to preach the Gospel. Much like Home or Visiting Teachers, they do have the responsibility to receive specific insight and revelation as to how they can best help those members whom they are called to serve. If, for instance, a Relief Society president perceived a problem among the Relief Society sisters of her ward, it would be appropriate for her to coordinate with the Bishop on how to best approach the situation, and right any wrongs. This, I believe, is why we have Ward Correlation Meetings.
So, in review, those who have the authority to preach the Gospel within the Church are:
-The President of the Church and his two counselors
-The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
-The Presidency of the Seventy, along with the two Quorums of the Seventy
-The Presiding Bishopric
These make up the General Authorities of the Church. After them come:
-The Stake President
-The counselors to the Stake President and the High Councilmen as assigned by the Stake President
-The Bishops
-The Quorum presidents (Deacon's, Teacher's and Elder's Quorums)
-Remember that the Bishop is the president of the Aaronic Priesthood and acts as the president of the Priest Quorum; and the Stake President is the president of the Melchizedek Priesthood and acts as the president of the High Priest Quorum.
Make sense? Hopefully, because we're moving on.
The World:
Now, let's discuss who has the authority to preach the Gospel to those not of our faith, or, the rest of the world. There are two groups.
The first group is, again, the General Authorities of the Church. These brethren all have the authority to preach the Gospel to the world.
" . . .the Twelve [are] special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world - thus differing from other officers in the church, in the duties of their calling
"And they form a quorum, equal in authority and power to the three presidents [the First Presidency] . . . .
"The Seventy [First and Second Quorums] are also called to preach the Gospel, and to be especial witnesses unto the Gentiles and in all the world - thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling" (Doctrine and Covenants 107:23-25, emphasis added).
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, offered this powerful statement concerning his authority to preach the Gospel to the world: "I speak from the perspective of the gospel of Jesus Christ, including the plan of salvation. That is my calling. Local leaders [Stake Presidents, Bishops, etc] have responsibility for a single jurisdiction, like a ward or stake, but an Apostle is responsible to witness to the entire world" (Oct. 2012 General Conference).
The second group is the full-time missionaries. These brothers and sisters receive a letter, directly from the President of the Church, specifically telling them that they have been called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a specific part of the world. To further demonstrate the full-time missionaries' authority to preach, they are given white cards, also signed by the President of the Church, declaring them as authorized ministers of the gospel, and inviting all to "heed [their] message." Furthermore, each Elder and Sister missionary wears a badge bearing the Church's name, alluding to their authority to stand as representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is important to keep in mind, however, that full-time missionaries' authority to preach the Gospel to those not of our faith only extends to their mission boundaries. For example, I was called to preach the Gospel in the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), and until I got there, I didn't feel it was appropriate to preach the Gospel - even in the airport, or on the plane. I was happy to explain who I was, and where I was going, and what I was doing, yet I didn't feel to openly explain to the sweet lady sitting next to me, on the flight over the Atlantic, that she needs to repent and be baptized.
Among the full-time missionaries is the Mission President. His responsibility is to direct the missionary work in his mission. He also acts as an authorized Priesthood leader to the missionaries who serve under him.
As far as I know, there is no other group or individual who has the authority to preach the Gospel to our brothers and sister not of our faith.
The Family:
Finally, let's discuss who has the authority to preach the Gospel in the home. It's very straight forward:
The father and mother have the authority and serious obligation to the preach the Gospel to their children. It is by far the best if a child hears the Gospel from a parent before any other Priesthood leader, including the General Authorities.
Siblings should not preach the Gospel to siblings; cousins should not preach the Gospel to cousins; aunts and uncles should not preach the Gospel to nieces and nephews; grandparents should not preach the Gospel to grandchildren. If any grandchild, niece, nephew, cousin or sibling came to me seeking spiritual guidance, I would happily bare my testimony, then say: "Go to your parents, they're the ones to help you."
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ (the Church):
"Till we all come in the unity of faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and the cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-15, emphasis added).
"Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence" (Doctrine and Covenants 107:99).
The World:
Now, let's discuss who has the authority to preach the Gospel to those not of our faith, or, the rest of the world. There are two groups.
The first group is, again, the General Authorities of the Church. These brethren all have the authority to preach the Gospel to the world.
" . . .the Twelve [are] special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world - thus differing from other officers in the church, in the duties of their calling
"And they form a quorum, equal in authority and power to the three presidents [the First Presidency] . . . .
"The Seventy [First and Second Quorums] are also called to preach the Gospel, and to be especial witnesses unto the Gentiles and in all the world - thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling" (Doctrine and Covenants 107:23-25, emphasis added).
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, offered this powerful statement concerning his authority to preach the Gospel to the world: "I speak from the perspective of the gospel of Jesus Christ, including the plan of salvation. That is my calling. Local leaders [Stake Presidents, Bishops, etc] have responsibility for a single jurisdiction, like a ward or stake, but an Apostle is responsible to witness to the entire world" (Oct. 2012 General Conference).
The second group is the full-time missionaries. These brothers and sisters receive a letter, directly from the President of the Church, specifically telling them that they have been called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a specific part of the world. To further demonstrate the full-time missionaries' authority to preach, they are given white cards, also signed by the President of the Church, declaring them as authorized ministers of the gospel, and inviting all to "heed [their] message." Furthermore, each Elder and Sister missionary wears a badge bearing the Church's name, alluding to their authority to stand as representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is important to keep in mind, however, that full-time missionaries' authority to preach the Gospel to those not of our faith only extends to their mission boundaries. For example, I was called to preach the Gospel in the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), and until I got there, I didn't feel it was appropriate to preach the Gospel - even in the airport, or on the plane. I was happy to explain who I was, and where I was going, and what I was doing, yet I didn't feel to openly explain to the sweet lady sitting next to me, on the flight over the Atlantic, that she needs to repent and be baptized.
Among the full-time missionaries is the Mission President. His responsibility is to direct the missionary work in his mission. He also acts as an authorized Priesthood leader to the missionaries who serve under him.
As far as I know, there is no other group or individual who has the authority to preach the Gospel to our brothers and sister not of our faith.
The Family:
Finally, let's discuss who has the authority to preach the Gospel in the home. It's very straight forward:
The father and mother have the authority and serious obligation to the preach the Gospel to their children. It is by far the best if a child hears the Gospel from a parent before any other Priesthood leader, including the General Authorities.
Siblings should not preach the Gospel to siblings; cousins should not preach the Gospel to cousins; aunts and uncles should not preach the Gospel to nieces and nephews; grandparents should not preach the Gospel to grandchildren. If any grandchild, niece, nephew, cousin or sibling came to me seeking spiritual guidance, I would happily bare my testimony, then say: "Go to your parents, they're the ones to help you."
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ (the Church):
"Till we all come in the unity of faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and the cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-15, emphasis added).
"Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence" (Doctrine and Covenants 107:99).
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