The Church of Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ’s Church. That may sound like a simple statement, but it is deep when you remember that it explains the role that Jesus plays in the Godhead. Jesus Christ has been delegated from Heavenly Father all things “earthy”: that means everything that makes possible the salvation of mankind. From creation to judgement, Jesus Christ runs “the people lab” where a fallible, weak, transgressing humanity is born, tested, cleansed, prepared, and advocated for so that we can reenter the presence of God.
Jesus Christ was foreordained to be our Savior: the Redeemer of mankind. He told the Brother of Jared, “I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ…In me shall all mankind have (eternal) life.” (1) And Joseph Smith learned, “That by (Christ), and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. (2) “In me”, “by him”, “through him”, and “of him” teaches us that it is Jesus Christ that makes possible mankind's’ path back to God.
The Plan, the oversight, the tutoring, the delegation, the power source all flows from God the Father to Christ. (3) The Savior works under the direction of the Father and is in complete harmony with Him. (4) Heavenly Father taught Jesus how to save mankind and gave him all of the power He needed to do so. Elder Matthew Carpenter taught, “To help us in our progression to become like Him, Heavenly Father has given all (the) power and knowledge (needed) to save us, to His Son, Jesus Christ.” (5) In the Book of Mormon, Helaman teaches his sons that, “He (Jesus) hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them (meaning mankind) from their sins because of repentance.” (6) God the Father gave Christ the power and the ability to save us, thus, Jesus is executing God the Father’s Plan, for God the Father’s children.
By offering Himself, accepting the assignment, and then finishing His mission to overcome physical and spiritual death (7) for mankind, Jesus became the literal “life” of the world. Jesus was sent by the Father to counteract the consequences of the Fall. Mankind would die forever in body and spirit without His intervention. “There is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world.” (8) Because we are fallen and lost (9) without the rescue of the Redeemer, our very existence now and forever was “bought with a price”, and that price was the atoning blood of Christ. (10)
The Doctrine and Covenants teaches, “That He came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; that through Him all might be saved whom the Father had put into His power (or management) and made by Him.” (11)
This scripture teaches at least two deep and important ideas. First, that God the Father will save us through Christ. Second, that the sons and daughters of God the Father have been “put into” Christ’s management (or “power”). The religious educator and scholar, Robert J. Matthews explained, “In His capacity as Savior, Christ represents the Father in all things pertaining to the salvation of man.” (12) Jesus has been given the stewardship or authority to work with all things that would make possible mankind’s successful sojourn on earth.
This has been true from the beginning. President Joseph F Smith taught, “In all His dealings with the human family, Jesus the Son has represented and (continues to) represent Elohim His Father, in power and authority. This is true of Christ in His preexistent, antemortal, or unembodied state, in the which He was known as Jehovah, also during His embodiment in the flesh; and during His labors as a disembodied spirit in the realm of the dead; and since that period in His resurrected state.” (13)
We are told in scripture that Jesus is “the mediator” of the new covenant. (14) Through the atonement, Christ became mankind’s liaison with God the Father. That gives Christ a managerial and ministerial role in the lives of mankind. This delegation is made clear over and over again in the scriptures. Whenever we hear the Father speak, He is introducing us to His Son and then inviting us to look to and follow Christ so that we can be saved. “This is my beloved Son. Hear Him.” (15) It is also clear in the words of Jesus, who is continually reminding humans, “I came into the world because my Father sent me” (16), “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (17), and “I do nothing of myself but as my Father has taught me.” (18)
Christ is the conciliator in all things pertaining to our probationary state. He works with us, enables righteousness in us, strengthens us, cleanses us. He represents us and advocates for us. He presents us back to Heavenly Father, ready to reenter God’s presence.
Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God
In order for Christ to be able to play this atoning, saving, advocating role for us, Christ needed power and authority from God. To accomplish the works of the creation, the Atonement, and the judgement, defense, and justification of mankind, God the Father gave Jesus Christ a portion of His total priesthood power and authority.
Brigham Young explained, “For by (Jesus) were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, and of redeeming the same from the fall, and to the judging of the quick and dead, for the right of judging rests in the priesthood, and it is through this medium that the Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son (19), referring to His administration on earth. It was necessary that Christ should receive the priesthood to qualify Him to minister before His Father, unto the children of men, so as to redeem and save them.” (20)
When we think about God the Father as the source of all power and His authorization of Jesus Christ to do the work of salvation, it makes wonderful sense that the full name of the Melchizedek Priesthood is “The Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God.” (21)
The word “Order”, which appears in the full name of the Melchizedek Priesthood, suggests that this priesthood is a classification inside a larger structure. We know this to be true. Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught that God the Father gave an “endowment” or part of his total priesthood power to the Son. “Our Eternal Father enjoys this high status of glory and perfection and power because His faith is perfect and His priesthood is unlimited…(That) priesthood is the very name of the power of God...He has given us an endowment of heavenly power here on earth, which is after the order of His Son.” (22)
Just to clarify, God’s total priesthood power and authority that we discovered in depth in Chapters One through Four is not the same as Melchizedek Priesthood. The word “priesthood” is used in at least two ways, which can be confusing. (23) First, preeminent and infinite is God’s total priesthood power and authority which magnifies men and women through the Holy Ghost. Second, is Melchizedek Priesthood which is a portion of God’s power specific to saving mankind through ordinances. (24)
The Church Handbook confirms this doctrine because it also teaches that the word “priesthood” has two meanings. “First, priesthood is the power and authority of God the Father. It has always existed and will continue to exist without end...Second, in mortality, priesthood is the power and authority that God gives to man to act in all things necessary for the salvation of God’s children.” (25)
Christ is the High Priest after the order or portion of God the Father’s total priesthood that is called Melchizedek Priesthood. (27) Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught that Melchizedek Priesthood is held by Jesus Christ and has within its realm the ability to save mankind. “The Melchizedek Priesthood is the highest and holiest order ever given to men on earth. It is the power and authority to do all that is necessary to save and exalt the children of men. It is the very priesthood held by the Lord Jesus Christ himself.” (28)
The Name of the Melchizedek Priesthood
In the scriptures, there are several examples of a good man’s name being assigned to represent a holy thing. Some instances are “Aaronic” priesthood and the “Abrahamic” Covenant. In the spirit of that pattern, it would not be surprising if the priesthood were renamed after a valiant and faithful executor of the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God. We have been instructed to call “The Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God” by the name of “Melchizedek Priesthood” in order to avoid the too frequent use of God’s name. The Doctrine and Covenants teaches that Melchizedek was chosen because he was “such a great high priest.” (29)
Melchizedek lived about 2000 BC and
he was a notable prophet and leader. (30) He was called, “The King of Salem” or
Jerusalem, the king of peace, and he was known as “The Great High Priest”. (31)
Abraham received the priesthood from Melchizedek. (32)
Melchizedek was a spiritual leader
at the time that the City of Enoch was prepared to be translated. Melchizedek
and Enoch prepared an entire population to be worthy to be “taken up” and
reenter the presence of God. (33) This is significant because ordinances
performed by God’s power and authority and their associated covenants are how
we are cleansed and readied to return to our Heavenly Father. Exaltation is the
very reason for Jesus Christ’s mission, thus Melchizedek and his ministry could
be a type, or symbol, of Christ and His mission.
Melchizedek was a faithful ancient prophet, but there is another interesting explanation for the use of the name “Melchizedek”. It is possible that we were asked to use the Hebrew word, “Melchizedek” because it means “king of righteousness”. This may very well be a direct reference to Jesus Christ. One of His titles is “The King of Righteousness” and using that phrase is more discreet and holds the other name sacred.
Gib Kocherhans, a long time church educator, taught that, “Perhaps we have assumed that reference to deity was thereby eliminated (in the name “Melchizedek”), rather than rendered…in a more discreet form…Perhaps the Lord is telling us…that the term Melchizedek Priesthood is but a discretionary way of identifying the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God, who is the true King of Righteousness.” (34)
Why do we need ordinances?
During November of 1845 the Nauvoo Temple was dedicated and the administering of endowments started on December 10th. Over the next eight weeks about 5,600 Saints received their temple ordinances. Persecution and danger increased and there was tremendous pressure for the Saints to leave Nauvoo. President Brigham Young addressed the Saints on February 3rd and told them that needed to leave the next day, but Saints still filled the temple. President Young urged the Saints to return to their homes and prepare for their departure west.
In his history, President Young recorded, “Notwithstanding that I had announced that we would not attend to the administration of the ordinances, the House of the Lord was thronged all day…(I) informed the brethren that I was going to get my wagons started and be off. I walked some distance from the Temple supposing the crowd would disperse, but on returning I found the house filled to overflowing. Looking upon the multitude and knowing their anxiety, as they were thirsting and hungering for the word, we continued at work diligently in the House of the Lord. Two hundred and ninety-five persons received ordinances.”
The first wagons left on February 4th. Temple work finally stopped four days later, and the great exodus from Nauvoo went forward. Looking back on that remarkable period, Elder Erastus Snow declared, “All felt satisfied that during the two months we occupied (the Nauvoo Temple) in the endowment of the Saints, we were amply paid for all our labors in building it.” (35)
What did those early Saints understand about ordinances that moved them to stand and wait and refuse to journey without them? Perhaps they understood that ordinances are fundamental to the process of coming to Jesus Christ and being perfected in Him. (36) That word, “process” is predictable when you are talking about the way that God develops His children. His way is line upon line, little by little, and grace for grace. (37)
In my mind, any discussion on "ordinances" needs to start in Genesis 28 where Jacob has an amazing experience. He left Beer-sheba and walked towards Haran. When the sunset and it was dark, he stopped for the night. He took some stones and "put them for his pillows" and then laid down and went to sleep. During the night he had a wonderful dream. (38) He saw himself on the earth at the foot of a ladder. The ladder reached to heaven, and God stood above it. Jacob realized he needed to climb it in order to obtain the blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven. (39) When Jacob awoke he was aware that in the dream, God was reaffirming the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant, or in other words “The Fullness of the Gospel” or “The New and Everlasting Covenant.” The dream symbolized the steps to heaven, He exclaimed, "...this is the gate to heaven!"
Jacob’s dream was a beautiful symbol of the orderly, series of steps that we must take and of the ordinances that we must perform in order to return to our Heavenly Father. As we climb each rung, we come closer and closer to Him. Elder Marion G. Romney said that “The covenants (Jacob) made with the Lord were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings-- blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with (God).” (40) And Joseph Smith said that this vision was Jacob's opportunity to understand (what leads) men and women into God's presence. (41) Then this, “When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top: and so it is with the (ordinances and covenants) of the Gospel-- you must begin with the first and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation.” (42)
The hymn, "Nearer, My God, to Thee" (43) is a beautiful retelling of Jacob's experience:
1.
Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee!
E’en though it be a cross That raiseth me.
Still all my song shall be Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee!
2. Though like the wanderer, The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me, My rest a stone,
Yet in my dreams I’d be Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee!
3. There let the way appear, Steps unto heav’n;
All that thou sendest me, In mercy giv’n;
Angels to beckon me Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee!
4. Then with my waking thoughts Bright with thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee!
5. Or if, on joyful wing Cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, Upward I fly,
Still all my song shall be Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee!
Some of our latter-day temples have Jacob's ladder
themes in the stained glass and finish-out motifs. This is very appropriate
since the temple is where the whole ordinance ladder can be done vicariously
for our kindred dead, and because the culminating living ordinances are also
performed there. The word "temple" comes from the same root as the
word "template", or in other words "a pattern". The temple
is a pattern of actions and behaviors that bring us back into God's presence.
The Doctrine and Covenants says the same thing, but in this way, “Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh.”(46)
All of the blessings of ordinances, from baptism on up the ladder, bring (in part) cleansing. When we talk about the blessings of the Atonement being revealed to mankind in ordinances we are talking (in part) about the Godly promises of remission of sin through repentance. Again, God cannot look on sin with the least degree of allowance. (47) But clean through Christ's advocacy and mediation and the Holy Ghost's sanctification, we will be fit to return to the presence of Heavenly Father. Elder John H. Vandenberg explained that ordinances “ultimately help bring (our) souls into a state of cleanliness, that (mankind) may dwell with their Father in Heaven in the eternities. It is a step-by-step process.” (48)
And that right there is the purpose of life-- to be the beneficiary of the cleansing that is promised by Christ's Atonement-advocacy and the sanctifying "fire" of the Holy Ghost. Then, clean, we can reenter the presence of God.
Through these priesthood ordinances, men and women who are covenant-makers and keepers have access to great spiritual blessings. Doctrine and Covenants section 107 makes this clear: “The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys (or unlock, or give the opportunity to partake of) all the spiritual blessings of the church— (which are) to have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. (49)
This
scripture lists the promises that flow to us from ordinances: the Gift of the
Holy Ghost so that one can know “the mysteries” through revelation from open
heavens, membership in The Church of Jesus Christ, and the ability to return to
the presence of God the Father, through Jesus’ Atonement and advocacy. Elder
David A. Bednar taught, “The ordinances of salvation and exaltation
administered in the Lord’s restored Church … constitute authorized channels
through which the blessings and powers of heaven can flow into our individual
lives.” (50)
Heavenly Father is a God of order. (51) “There is order in the kingdom of God, and there is order in the way we learn about it.” (52) Ordinances are a step by step way to learn the Gospel and to learn God’s expectations.
Elder
Dennis B. Neuenschwander, formerly of the Seventy, taught this principle. He
said that “sacred ordinances reveal the order of the kingdom of God in a
progressive manner…The power of the Atonement itself is unlocked by sacred
gospel ordinances.” For example, “Remission of sins is extended through the
ordinance of baptism. Confirmation brings with it the promise of the constant
companionship of the Holy Ghost. Ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood opens
the way to teach, bless, and comfort. Worthy participation in the holy
ordinances of the temple reveal our eternal possibilities and place us in a
position to realize them.” (53)
The ordinances of Jesus Christ’s gospel are absolutely required for salvation and exaltation.
Those requirements were instituted from before the foundation of the world. (54) They have always been a fixed part of the gospel. Joseph Smith taught that ordinances are not to be altered or changed, because all of mankind needs to know what they must do in order to be saved. (55) There needs to be a standard and a known path. Man’s journey to exaltation needs to have prescribed elements that have been set up in advance. If this were not the case, salvation would an arbitrary matter. (56) Everybody must comply with certain fundamental ordinances or else nobody needs to comply with them. (57) We need a path. We need the conditions. In the ordinances, we have it.
Priscilla
Staines, a convert in Wiltshire, England, told of her personal, sacred
experience with the ordinance of baptism. Priscilla was nineteen years old when
she joined the Church in 1843. She had to steal away in the night to be
baptized because of the persecutions of her neighbors and the displeasure of
her family. She wrote, “We waited until midnight … and then repaired to a
stream of water a quarter of a mile away. Here we found the water…frozen over,
and the elder had to chop a hole in the ice large enough for the purpose of
baptism…None but God and his angels, and the few witnesses who stood on the
bank with us heard my covenant; but in the solemnity of that midnight hour it
seemed as though all nature were listening, and the recording angel writing our
words in the book of the Lord.” (58)
What is the Power of Covenants?
Covenants are the promises that are inseparably linked to the ordinances. As we are preparing to perform ordinances, we stop and study, understand and embrace the covenants that are connected to the outward sign. The promises are set by God. He lays out a set of expectations, and He promises blessings in return for obedience. They are instruments of voluntary action that help us to concentrate our efforts to accomplish the purpose of life. (59)
When we enter into the covenant of baptism, we come to a Judge in Israel and declare our desire to be a disciple of Christ. In that baptismal interview, we say something like this, “I believe that this is true. I have faith in Jesus Christ and I have repented of my sins. I want to follow Christ and be a member of His Church. I intend to walk a covenant-walk for the rest of my life.” The Judge in Israel assesses our sincerity and preparation, then recommends us by signing his name as a witness of our declaration of faith and intention. This recommendation process allows an ordinance to be performed. Ordinances are done in front of witnesses and are noted and recorded. The ordinance is an outward sign of the promises that we are making. It is like the “signature” on the “contract” of the covenants.
This process is beautifully described by the Lord in the Doctrine and Covenants, “… All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church.” (60)
Covenants are guideposts for God's higher, holier behavioral standards. (61) They are for the spiritually mature who have made conclusions about how they want to live their lives, and who they want to follow. Covenants tell you how to act and behave. When covenants with God are made, one is promising a new pattern of behavior: a pattern that has the possibilities through Christ of changing us into something celestial. Something that is higher and holier. This requires molding us into something that is a different shape-- transforming, shifting, and moving us. Covenant-making is a total sell-off of your personal desires and a buy-into submission to God and His commandments. Elder Dale G. Renlund says that this "fidelity to God" needs to be "unchanging" (62), meaning a feet-in-cement, unwavering commitment.
The promises that we enter into with God are worthy of our seeking and are always so generous. Elder Neuenschwander explained, “Only God can extend forgiveness and a remission of sin. Only He can bestow membership in His Kingdom. Only God the Father can promise the spiritual gifts and access to His power through the gift of the Holy Ghost. And on and on with all of the blessings that he so richly bestows on the man or woman who enters into covenants through ordinances. He is the only one that has the power and authority to guarantee a covenant’s benefit and reward.” (63)
The “power of covenants”, that we hear spoken of so often, is not some ethereal, bestowed, essence of strength but instead it is the safety that is available when a person has the integrity to keep the promises that he or she has made. The “power” is in your intention and effort at keeping them. It is found in feeling bound by them and in having the honesty to comply with what you have promised. Elder Ronald A. Rasband asked, “How important is it to you to keep your word? To be trusted? To do what you say you will do? To strive to honor your sacred covenants? To have integrity? By living true to our promises to the Lord and to others, we walk the covenant path back to our Father in Heaven...Is your word your bond? Keeping promises is not a habit; it is a characteristic of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.” (64) We should feel bound by our covenants. We should remember that we made those promises in the company of witnesses and before God.
Covenants raise your view to eternity. Elder Donald L. Hallstrom taught that “Ordinances and their associated covenants have the power to elevate our lives above a merely temporal existence” and “to connect us with heaven and help us overcome the confusion of the mortal world, (covenants) raise our view, providing a vision of the things of eternity.” (65)
This is a great insight. If we take seriously having made a covenant that we sealed with an ordinance, then we will work every single day to keep the promises. This gives us a heavenly purpose in our lives. A covenant raises our view to that which is eternal. It changes our behavior. For example- a covenant-keeper ministers because he or she promised to bear one another's burdens at baptism. A covenant-keeper holds on tight to an eternal marriage with chastity and loyalty because he or she promised that they would. A covenant-keeper fights against pride and greed so that he can magnify the priesthood.
Being
a covenant-keeper means that God can bless you. It is no wonder that President
Russell M. Nelson has said that “The greatest compliment that can be earned
here in this life is to be known as a covenant-keeper. The rewards for a
covenant-keeper will be realized both here and hereafter.” (66)
I have thought a lot about the power of the covenants that are associated with the ordinance of the Sacrament and how they bind us to behaviors. Each week we partake of the emblems of the Savior's body and blood and recommit to walking a straight path of discipleship. In the words of the ordinance itself, “…that they are willing to take upon them the name of Thy Son, and always remember Him, and keep His commandments.” (67) President Nelson has said, "…the Sabbath was given as a perpetual covenant, a constant reminder that the Lord (will) sanctify His people.” (68) Through the Sacrament, weekly or “perpetually”, we are reminding ourselves of the promises and intentions that we made on the day that we performed the ordinances. Through the Sacrament, we are making them again.
One Sunday morning during the Sacrament, I was pondering the emblems of Christ’s body and blood. I thought about the frequency of that ordinance and of the opportunity to make covenants anew each week. I thought, “What I promised at eight years old has been renewed by me each week for more than forty years since. That is at least 2100 times that I have told the Lord that I am still here striving. That I am still on board and am doing my best at discipleship.” And because of the perpetual nature of this covenant, meaning that I do it weekly, I am never further than 168 hours from having made that promise to God again!
Recently my sister and I did a late-evening session in the Ogden Temple. The session was the last of the night, the sun had gone down, and the workers were finishing up the last little things so that they could go home. But then I started seeing a new bustle. An angelic army was appearing. It was the temple cleaners who were coming to the temple for a nightly shift. My sister told me that they do it every night. A large volunteer crew arrived, put on white scrubs, and they dust and vacuum for three hours. She told me that once when it had been her turn to take a shift, she didn’t ever see even a single piece of dust. The crew cleaned what was already immaculate.
That reminded me of a story I heard Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge (69) repeat from Sister Linda K. Burton, former General Relief Society President. She said that the temple is cleaned so often and with such great care that the rags that are used stay perfectly “temple white.” By cleaning the temple so often, it stays so clean that the cloths never show a speck of dust. This is symbolic of repentance and the Sacrament. It is a perpetual covenant with God, and it keeps you unspotted and clean by doing it over and over again.
Ordinances are our passage to eternal life with our Heavenly Father. Covenants show us the path to walk and endow us with blessings along the way. And because the promises are essential and guaranteed by God, they need to be performed with proper authority or they are not efficacious. It is serious business to administer saving ordinances that bind people in covenants. For this purpose, Jesus Christ, through God the Father, has authorized men on earth to have the power and authority to bring humankind the ordinances. This happens within the safety of Christ’s Church, and in a way that protects conferral and use.
Why We Need the Church
Elder William R. Bradford taught that the purpose of
the Church is this, “The formal organization of the Church consists of a
divine, orderly system by which we as individuals and as families can meet
together in an organized way to be taught God’s plan for our salvation, take
upon ourselves covenants, and administer the saving ordinances to one another
using priesthood power and authority.” (70) And President Russell M. Nelson
confirmed, “The long-standing objective of the Church is to assist all
members to increase their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Atonement,
to assist them in making and keeping their covenants with God, and to
strengthen and seal their families.” (71)
The Church is singularly-focused. Every program and
organization. Every fireside or face to face. Every ward activity or temple
trip. Every distribution of temporal resources. Every goal-setting program or
youth activity. Every Primary singing time or Come Follow Me manual. Every ward or stake council and every
calling. They are all focused on bringing people to ordinances.
The Church provides support and love because this
process of coming to God is just that, a slow process. It requires faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism of
water and of the Spirit, and enduring in faith to the end. Elder D. Todd
Christofferson has said that one cannot fully achieve this all by themselves,
in isolation. He explained that the reason the Lord has a church is to
create a community of Saints that will sustain one another in the strait
and narrow path which leads to eternal life.” (72)
The
Church of Jesus Christ is a Scaffolding to Support the Family
In Chapter Five of this book, the family was established as the eternal order of heaven. Family is the celestial organization. When a man and a woman marry and make commitments and promises to one another in a holy temple, a new family, a kingdom, or government within itself is created. (73) Families are eternal, which means that our relationships and roles therein never go away. They are permanent, enduring and everlasting.
The Church of Jesus Christ is organized differently than the family. The Church’s mission is to bring the spiritual blessings of ordinances and covenants to the children of God through authorized Melchizedek Priesthood channels. Instead of the co-equal, horizontal leadership of husband and wife, the Church is organized vertically (74) with authority to perform essential ordinances under strict command (through ordination) and key holders guarding and protecting the ordinances. The Church’s bounds are set-- bound to the jurisdiction for which a person is called and ordained or set apart, and bound to earth. These roles are temporary. We are called and released.
President Harold B Lee used this scaffolding analogy
when he explained that the priesthood programs of the Church operate in support
of the home. He stated, “Much of what we do organizationally, then, is
scaffolding, as we seek to build the individual.” (75)
Elder M. Russell Ballard expanded on President Lee’s
metaphor highlighting the temporary nature of the Church and the eternal nature
of the family. He said, “Although the Church plays a pivotal role in
proclaiming, announcing, and administering the necessary ordinances of
salvation and exaltation, all of that, as important as it is, is really just
the scaffolding being used in an infinite and eternal construction project to
build, support, and strengthen the family. And just as scaffolding is
eventually taken down and put away to reveal the final completed building, so
too will the mortal, administrative functions of the Church eventually fade as
the eternal family comes fully into view. In that context, it’s important to
remember that our Church assignments are only temporary and that at some point
we will all be released either by our leaders or by death. But we will never be
released from our eternal callings within the family.” (76)
Elder Dallin H. Oaks also taught the role of the Church in supporting families,
“The family is dependent upon the Church for doctrine, ordinances, and
(Melchizedek) Priesthood keys. The Church provides the teachings, authority,
and ordinances necessary to perpetuate family relationships to the eternities. Thus,
the family organization and the Church of Jesus Christ have a mutually
reinforcing relationship.” (77)
Elder David A. Bednar is another witness, “The Church
plays an essential function in the salvation of Heavenly Father’s children. It
makes available the exalting ordinances and offers the support we need to keep
those covenants. The Church of Jesus Christ works hand in hand with God in His
work to exalt His children.” (78)
The newly introduced home-centered church, along with Come Follow Me, brings us closer to the
patriarchal and familial structure. It pulls back the hierarchical priesthood
order in favor of the patriarchal priesthood order-- which is marriage and the
family. It brings responsibility for gospel teaching, ordinance preparation,
and repentance back to where it always belonged. Elder L. Tom Perry spoke to
President Lee's quote, too, when he said, “There are two principal reasons why
I appreciate (the) metaphor for the Church—as scaffolding for our eternal
families. First, it helps me understand what the Church is. Second, and equally
important, I understand what the Church is not.” (79)
Elder Donald L. Hallstrom has said that the role and function of the Church is to push things back to the family. “Our greatest responsibility as leaders who hold keys is to help fathers in the home, mothers in the home…and (the Church is) really supplemental to the very important work that goes on in the home.” (80)
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