The Blueprint of Christ’s Church

On January 12, 2014 Elder Tad R. Callister gave a CES Devotional at BYU-Idaho about the core doctrine of Christ’s Church. Many members are not as familiar in the New Testament as they are The Book of Mormon, so he taught our doctrine using (almost) solely New Testament scriptures.

Here are the doctrinal points he made:

–Organization

• Built on Apostles & Prophets (Ephesians 2:20)
• Importance of Apostles (Acts 1:22-25)
• How Long Do We Need Apostles? (Ephesians 4:13)
• Why Do We Need Them? (Ephesians 4:14)
• Seventy (Luke 10)
• Bishops (1 Tim. 3; Titus 1:7)
• Elders (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5)
• Deacons (Philippians 1:1)
• Evangelists aka Patriarchs (Ephesians 4:11)
• Pastors (Ephesians 4:11)
• How Are They Chosen? (John 15:16)
• By What Power Do They Act? (Matt 10:1; Luke 9:1; Mark 13:34)
• Name of the Church (3 Nephi 27:8; 1 Corinthians 1:12-13)

-Teachings

• Christ has a Resurrected body of Flesh & Bone (Luke 24:39)
  • Christ Eats Physical Food (Luke 24:41-43)
• Christ Ascended to Heaven (Acts 1:9)
• Christ is on the Right Hand of God (Hebrew 1:3)
• God has a Physical Body (D&C 130:22)
• God and Christ are Separate Beings (Luke 22:42; Mark 15:34; Acts 7:55-56; JS-History 1:17)
• Those who Die without the Gospel (1 Peter 4:6)
• Three Degrees of Glory (1 Corinthians 15:41; 2 Corinthians 12:2)
• Eternal Marriage (Matt 18:18; 1 Corinthians 11:11; 1 Peter 3:7)

-Ordinances

• Bless, Not Baptize, Little Children (Mark 10:16; Matt 19:15)
• Baptism (John 3:5; Acts 2:38)
  • By Immersion (Matt 3:16; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Baptism, in Greek, means “to dip or plunge in water”; D&C 20:73-74)
• Baptism for The Dead (1 Corinthians 15:29)
• Options for those who die without being baptized
  1. They are Damned
     • Wrong (Acts 10:34; 1 Timothy 2:4)
  2. God Did Not Mean to Say “All Need to Be Baptized”
     • Wrong (D&C 1:38; Mosiah 2:24)
  3. You Can Be “Baptized By Desire”
     • Wrong (John 3:15)
  4. God Meant It
     • Right!
• Holy Ghost By the Laying on of Hands (Acts 8:17; Acts 19:5-6)

-Fruits (Matt 7:20)

• Health
  • Our Bodies Are Temples (1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19)
  • Health Law (Ephesians 5; 1 Timothy 3)
• Miracles and Gifts of the Spirit (Hebrew 2:4)
• Angels & Visions
  • The angel announcing the birth of Christ to Mary
  • The angels coming to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration
  • The angel releasing Peter and John from prison
  • The angel speaking to Cornelius
  • The angel warning Paul of the impending shipwreck
  • The angel coming to John the Revelator
  • Stephen’s vision of the Father and the Son
  • John’s vision of the last days
• Missionary Work (Matt 28:19)
• Morality
• Family-Centered Church
  • Husbands are Supposed to Love Their Wives (Ephesians 5:23-25)
  • Children Obey Parents (Ephesians 6:1)
  • Bishops Must Rule their Home Well (1 Timothy 3:4-5)

-Revelation (Amos 3:7; 2 Corinthians 12:1; Acts 1:2)

• Continual Revelation (Article of Faith 9)

If one studies this church, he will be ruined for other churches. (John 6:67-68)

If this church is true, then Joseph Smith is a prophet, & Vice Versa. (Matt 7:18)