This is the True Church

Look at 1 Nephi 14:10 “. . . Behold there are save two churches only: the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil;” We read “church” as a place or organization of religious or spiritual worship. But a broader definition could include governments, educational entities, businesses, etc. We’re told that you’re either on one side or the other.
Then verse 14 says that Nephi “. . . beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb. . .” [to me saying believers and followers of Jesus Christ, whatever denomination or entity,] “and upon the covenant people of the Lord,” [those of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,] “who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they [both groups?] were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.”
When I see the good works of groups like Live Action who fight against abortion, or Prager U educating people about liberty, I think that we should look at, and for, others as allies in the fight against evil and be more proactive about supporting righteous causes as prophets have encouraged.
With the current blatant displays of evil it is easier to see who’s on the Lord’s side and who’s not. I thank God for all those who do their best to follow the Savior according to their light and knowledge. And I’m glad I’m not the judge of the intents of hearts.

Rozy, In my less charitable moments, but I see the dichotomy you identify without the careful parsing. I don’t understand why an angel would use such stark language to carefully parse all meaning out of it to make it mean exactly what a universalist would make it mean.

People of the covenant, armed with righteousness and the power of God (priesthood) and everyone else is the other church.

Here’s the way I’ve reconciled it — God’s church is here today. Virtually everyone knows about it or has the opportunity to know it. And most of them have rejected it or rejected the idea of even considering it.

How do you reject God’s church and not be fighting against the lamb?

Harsh words, and I wouldn’t be inclined to give them at all, but I can’t help but see how starkly the angel puts it. There’s not a lot of room for equivocation.

Two churches only. Don’t mistake that for meaning people in “our” church can’t be of the church of the devil, as if you aren’t covenanting with the Lord and armed with righteousness and the power of God then you are the devil’s church.

This is why when it comes to matters of morality I’m never shocked. Yes, Prager U might do a good job educating people about liberty. But I feel sadly suspiciously confident that they worship at the feet of the devil in many ways. Why or how can I be so harsh? Well, I know how the devil tempts and gets “members” of the Lord’s church to give into temptation when they haven’t been armed with righteousness, despite covenanting to do so.

How could I not suspect that’s happening outside the church? How can you reject God, reject his spirit when it testifies to you that his church is on the earth today, and not be under the dominion of the devil to some degree?

I’d like to say that, just as “members” own actions can exclude them from being part of the church of God, then non-members righteous actions can make them part of that church — and I believe it is so, so long as they come until his church and don’t reject it.

I’m not sure how you can reject the Lord’s church and still be counted as part of the saints of the church of the lamb who have covenanted and been armed with power and glory.

This doesn’t mean I go around smugly judging others. The Lord didn’t when he was surrounded by all kinds of deceitful, failed people. He gave them a chance. Joseph Smith was surrounded by sinful backstabbers, and he gave them a chance. I think we ought to do the same. But I don’t have the wool pulled over my eyes.

Either that, or this angel who give the inside scoop to Nephi is one of those destroying angels who the Lord is always having to hold back because they are excessively harsh and just waiting to rain down their parade on mankind….

“With the current blatant displays of evil it is easier to see who’s on the Lord’s side and who’s not.”

Totally agree with this — but surely it’s evil to reject the Lord’s church. Peter was labeled evil for a time by the Savior as well.

Fortunately, the Lord is infinitely forgiving, and quick to forgive as well. But I think we do the angel a disservice when we expand his words to mean anyone who does good, while rejecting God’s church.

Sute – I understand what you’re saying, but there are still many, many people who have never even heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, let alone had an opportunity to study it and make a decision to accept or reject it. Yet, they are really good, moral people, many who claim to be Christians, followers of Christ and who are as shocked at the evil and immorality of the world as we are. Many work hard to introduce others to the Savior and fight against the devil’s takeover of the world. I guess my understanding of the scripture was just for me and not really to be shared. It has helped me look for allies and be a better missionary.

Since Prager U was mentioned, I’ll point out that Dennis Prager is Jewish, and grew up as a secular liberal, but turned to conservatism while at Columbia University when he saw how naive people around him were regarding the nature of evil.

There are plenty of moral people fighting the good fight who aren’t Christian; they work with what they know. Mormon’s name was getting in the way of the Church’s true name, so that should help people know us better in the long run.

The two churches are Zion and Babylon.
Yes, church membership maps imperfectly, yet we are the ones particularly charged and empowered to build Zion – the pure in heart.

Babylon – worldliness – church of the Devil – that which is opposed to Christ.

At the risk of sounding like a a broken record, this is exactly what my Isaiah chapters have been discussing.

44 For you shall alive by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.
45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.
48 And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world.
49 And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.
50 And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.
51 For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.
52 And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.
53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.

“Mormonism,” so-called, embraces every principle pertaining to life and salvation, for time and eternity. No matter who has it. If the infidel has got truth it belongs to “Mormonism.” The truth and sound doctrine possessed by the sectarian world, and they have a great deal, all belong to this Church. As for their morality, many of them are, morally, just as good as we are. All that is good, lovely, and praiseworthy belongs to this Church and Kingdom. “Mormonism” includes all truth. There is no truth but what belongs to the Gospel. It is life, eternal life; it is bliss; it is the fulness of all things in the gods and in the eternities of the gods.

It is our duty and calling, as ministers of the same salvation and Gospel, to gather every item of truth and reject every error. Whether a truth be found with professed infidels, or with the Universalists, or the Church of Rome, or the Methodists, the Church of England, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Quakers, the Shakers, or any other of the various and numerous different sects and parties, all of whom have more or less truth, it is the business of the Elders of this Church (Jesus, their Elder Brother, being at their head) to gather up all the truths in the world pertaining to life and salvation, to the Gospel we preach, … to the sciences, and to philosophy, wherever it may be found in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and bring it to Zion.

DC84- exactly.

And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.
51 For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.
52 And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.
53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.

The Lord always speaks in much starker language than I would of I were having this conversation with a good non member friend. But he wants to make us as he is. Not for us to be a we are.

How can we possibly be like him and not be like him?

I think all of this has to be tempered with the reality of his grace on the cross. With how he expects us to treat others in be parable of the sheep and goats. I think it’s impossible to get to know the Savior if we excessively hyper focus on one aspect and exclude others. So I need to be forgiving and open to others coming to Christ and actually minstering to them, but I have no illusions as to their righteousness or wickedness if they’ve rejected the Lord. It’s his standard after all.

This is weighty doctrine ad you can easily become the caricature of the sanctimonious Frollo if you’re not aiming for Christ in every dimension.