Has anyone noticed in general, there are many people who cannot act well on their own, have problems making good choices and decisions and in general have a poor sense of spiritual direction? Do these people find their way, spiritually, all by themselves? This, of course, shows that no one is perfect and no one has the ability, by themselves and by their own personal beliefs to return to God.
For the least people, God provides direction and leadership. This is the very pattern God set up in all the scriptures in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon. When God cares for his people, if they have not fallen badly to corruption and wickedness, God provides by giving them leadership. This is called a prophet and in all cases in the scriptures throughout time, there has always been a prophet directing, teaching, supporting, caring and loving the faithful people of God. Only when the people abandon God, has God left them to their abandonment, to again later, reclaim them by and through his prophet.
Why then is it that many Christians in this world reject the idea of a prophet for God? – Well the answer is they are not faithful as they could be.
Without leadership and a structured religious organization, God’s faithful would get lost and fall to many follies. This example is seen many times within the scriptures, in particular the New Testament. Many times God’s Apostles had to address false (Greek influenced) beliefs and doctrines in the early Christian Church. How many times in the Old Testament people ignored God, resulting in the loss of the Church, their faith and spiritual direction? Of course, the number is far too many.
There are some who think that all they need is their belief in God or in Jesus Christ and attend no Church. Thinking that this suffices their spiritual involvement and responsibilities to God.
There is no such thing as a church of one.
It may sound great to be on the mountain top, all alone and believe you are with God, but this is surely unrealistic and will not gain you any salvation, albeit the view is good.
At all times, God provided an organized Church for his faithful and any one person is not a church unto him/herself. Ideas that they belong to a spiritual community or church in “spirit” while they are separate from God’s Church on the earth follow false ideas and fantasies.
Salvation is not just for you, as an individual, it is for all and God knows that he must provide to the spiritual needs for all.
This is especially important when there exists the spiritually strong and spiritually weak. Many people exist at varied levels of faith from the almost nonexistent low to the high. There are many (in fact too many) who cannot or will not communicate with God, which is by prayer and unable to receive his instruction, teaching or guidance back. All people, believers of Christ or not, have shortcomings that handicap them in life and/or faith. How is God to assist these, the weaker, incapable and suffering to gain and achieve salvation?
A simple word, by “charity” and this charity from God is manifested in his Church. Why through a Church? It is because God expects other faithful to act in charity toward their brethren and to organize the faithful to act charitable to others is called a Church. To exercise charity is a form of worship and love for God. As it is said in the scriptures, “to do unto the least of them is also doing it unto God” and it is that act of Christ-like charity that God loves.
Some may say that they do not need a Church to be charitable to others, in this they err. To ensure the work of charity is properly directed and taught, requires leadership and organized direction.
It is a requirement that each one of us, who chooses to perform the will and work of God, must do so through and with his Church. This work for God cannot occur in a disorganized group or loosely connected group who reject God’s leaders. To do work for God requires authorization. A person cannot take this task upon him/herself by their own volition.
God’s kingdom is an orderly place and no thing is done without the authority to do it. In that same image of order, is the Church created by God on earth.
Spiritual direction and leadership is imperative for our salvation, to keep us on track, to receive God’s direction that serves all his membership and no one on this earth can do without God’s true Church, if they seek salvation and entrance to his eternal Kingdom.
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