The Strength of the Church

In the most recent general conference Sister Aburto said this: “The Church is more than the buildings and the ecclesiastical structure; the Church is us, the members. We are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with Christ at the head and the prophet as His mouthpiece.” It is easy to get caught up in the structure or programs of the Church, but at the core what makes up the Church is the members and their faith in Jesus Christ. President Hinckley summarized it this way many years ago: “The strength of the Church is not in these buildings, nor in its thousands of houses of worship across the world, nor in its universities and hospitals. These are all facilities, desirable, means to an end, but only auxiliary to that which is the true strength…. The strength of this church lies in the hearts of its people, in the individual testimony and conviction of the truth of this work.” The Church has influence and power in the world not because of its money or buildings or land or leaders but because of the goodness in the lives of its members who keep covenants with the Lord Jesus Christ. When Nephi saw our day he saw indeed that there was power in the Church through the lives of the faithful: “I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Nephi 14:14). The Lord gives power to do good to His saints who keep covenants in righteousness.

            Sister Aburto spoke about her first time attending the Church when she was 26 years old. Against the backdrop of a recent separation from her husband, she recounted, “When I entered the building, I was filled with warmth as I perceived the faith and joy of the people surrounding me. It was truly ‘a refuge from the storm.’” The strength she found in those members led her to likewise find faith and testimony. I have often marveled at how I can go just about anywhere in the world and find instant connections with those members of the Church there because of their faith and goodness of their lives. When my wife and I got stuck in Crowsnest Pass in southern Canada with our small daughter because we hit a deer, members gave us a place to stay for the weekend and welcomed us with open arms. When I traveled for business to Oman, I was able to get in touch with ward members who not only picked me up for their Friday Church service but also had me over for dinner afterwards. And when I moved to northern Idaho many years ago and was all alone in a new place, after my first visit to the ward I was immediately welcomed and had friends of like standards to do something with that next weekend. In all cases it was our mutual faith in Christ, even if not immediately discussed, that created trust between strangers and friendship between fellow disciples of Him. As Sister Aburto said, wherever I go in the world, when I worship with local Latter-day Saints I find “a refuge from the storm” and feel the warmth of their faith and joy. I give thanks to the Lord for my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the blessings of countless connections and friendships it has brought me through our mutual love for the Savior. I hope that I can strive to likewise live among “the peaceable followers of Christ” and become with all disciples “of one heart and one mind.”