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Moroni on the Church:
And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.
What exactly is the good word of God? Is it the scriptures? The simple doctrines? The testimonies of fellow members?
I heard today of someone who is less pleased with the "social" aspects of church attendance and wants more "doctrine" and I was left wondering what that meant.
What does it mean to be nourished by the good word of God?
We are all numbered among the people of the church of Christ --- we have taken his name. When we speak as moved upon by the Holy Ghost is scripture, the will of the Lord, the mind of the Lord, the word of the Lord, the voice of the Lord.
So therefore are the "social aspects of Church" part of this nourishment by the good word of God? Or are they a distraction?
Learning that the social aspects of the Church matter and are important as per the way we are programmed as human beings was a surprising lesson to me when I discovered it. But I believe they are.
And while, yes, scriptures etc are important, I think the reason Moroni says the Saints did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls is because in order for religion to work, it requires more than merely me and God. We must learn from our fellow travelers. And sure they can get things "wrong" (according to my more correct knowledge?), but we too are mortal and fallible and apparently there is worth in a bunch of mortal and fallible fools meeting together to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of our souls.
So welcome to the social gospel.
Hey. I don't like people either.
But it's good for us.
I can have very ascetic tendencies at times and not want to go to church and socialize (Ward Christmas party last night) but I truely believe that IF we don't have that interaction and communication with the brethren and authorities, then there is quite a risk of becoming a law unto one's self and then where are you?
ReplyDelete.
ReplyDeleteIn a compound?
This just reveals my hard heart, I suppose, but I really don't go to church to hear doctrine at all. I tend to think I already know all the doctrines, after a lifetime of activity in the church. Flat doctrinal declarations are so boring...
ReplyDeleteBut although the doctrines are simple, their consequences in real life are very complicated. I get most of my value from church attendance by listening to how the doctrine plays out in other people's lives, how other people understand the practical implications of our doctrine, and sharing my faith with other people. In other words, the social aspects of church are the only ones that matter to me.
Apropos, I just recently realized that the root of the word religion has to do with binding and tying. As an indulgent folk etymology, I've decided that to me, the word religion primarily refers to the ties that bind us into a Zion community. So when I talk about religion, I'm always thinking of the social, rather than doctrinal implications. ("pure religion" comes to mind.)
Well said, Recession Cone. You just saved me the time of formulating a comment because I completely agree with you and can't state it better than you did.
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ReplyDeleteHe stated it better than I did.