After the Temple Ceremony was recently modified, a woman who was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who attended was so pleased with the modifications that she wrote; “Sometimes a true thing can become more true.” The Gospel of Jesus Christ was not restored, it is ‘being’ restored on a regular basis. Her husband stated: “Never have I felt more happy, satisfied, and peaceful to look at my wife and see tears of joy slowly rolling down her face.” Validation? Sense of worth?… What started in that grove of trees and was officially organized in 1830 was just the beginning. Joseph Smith was not the prophet of the church, he was the first prophet of the church in this dispensation. Since his death in 1844, there has always been a Prophet President of the Church. It has been said that the church is a living church, it has never been stale, never standing still. Some of the changes have been relatively minor but changes are common. The Church is a living, growing institution, with only six members in 1830 to nearly seventeen million in 2018. Truth is magnetic, and with nearly seventy thousand volunteer missionaries around the world sharing these truths, the church will continue to grow. Their primary truths that they share are in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, which both teach of Jesus Christ. These truths are eternal and unchanging, but the church is a living organization and will be modified to accommodate growth. Changes will only come through the current prophet in conjunction with the spiritual council of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “Sometimes a true thing, can become more true.” In the 1830’s a prominent non-Mormon visitor to Nauvoo asked the following question of the Prophet Joseph Smith, “What is the most distinguishing feature of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints faith? His answer “The most prominent feature is this: Sectarians all are circumscribed by a peculiar creed, which deprives them of the privilege of believing truths not contained therein. The Latter Day Saints on the contrary, have no creed, but stand ready to believe all true principles that exist, as they are made manifest from time to time.” Saying in a sense that the Church may receive new revelation that will add to or modify the church’s mission.
The Book of Mormon is a companion to the Bible. The Bible having been translated many times and modified recently by modern day scholars, to make it more novel like, easier to read for many in the world. How many things, or truths have been changed or modified over the six or seven thousand years since it was first translated and printed and/or reproduced for the masses. While the Book of Mormon has only had punctuations and grammar corrections that resulted from a young man’s difficult job of translation from the metal plates in the early 1820’s. Moroni was a prophet who lived about 400 years before Christ was born to the earth. Moroni challenged us today verifying that we each can know the truth through the power of the Holy Ghost. Christ also taught that all truth can be verified, known through the Holy Ghost. Moroni 10:4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. 6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledged that he is. 7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.”
May God bless all people to have an opportunity to be taught the truths of the Gospel. Though the gospel itself, is true and eternal, The church is a living and changing organization. “Sometimes a true thing can become more true.” as is described by the way that we are to receive and understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “Line upon line and precept upon precept.”