October 11, 2019

Unity of the Church

To my fellow followers of Jesus,

As you have already read in the scriptures: the Church is one, just as Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit are one. They ARE undivided. The Church is instructed by God to be united, to agree, to be of one mind, one Spirit, and to move in one accord.

To the simple childlike follower of Jesus, these instructions are not a matter of interpretation, but of obedience. Let's conform our lives to his teaching. Let us walk by faith and not by sight.

Although the Church may appear divided, it is not. There is only one true King and one true people. The same Spirit dwells in every true believer, and is always leading the children of God toward love and unity. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Remember that we have an enemy, and he seeks to divide. His ways are knowable, and rather predictable if we are wise and on guard. Our Lord warned us that false men would creep into the "church" and lead people astray, bringing them under bondage through preaching false gospels and teaching as doctrine the commandments of men. False teachers esteem knowledge and teaching, which puffs up brother against brother, rather than being led by the needs of others and love which unifies. It should not surprise us that in these last days the deception would be worse than in Jesus' day.

However, let us turn our attention away from these people and toward one another. My hope for the Church, and for my neighbors of the 19th Ward in particular, is that we would come to know one another apart from these divisions and begin to recognize the Church as Jesus sees it.

Let us love one another in the communities where we find ourselves.


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