Instruct and edify

“I don’t need a church to develop my relationship with God and to be a good person.”

Ever heard or seen a variation of that comment anywhere before?

Orrrrr maybe even thought something like that before?

In 2015, Elder Christofferson gave one of those General Conference talks that has just stuck in my mind, titled: “Why the Church”.

Elder Christofferson spends his entire talk outlining why we actually are organized into and asked to attend a church.

Spirituality is, of course, a personal journey.

But there are unique purposes for an organized church.

He said, among many things:

“In the Church we not only learn divine doctrine; we also experience its application.”

This is what I’ve learned to love about church the most, especially recently.

We teach each other with new perspectives in church, and we practice applying what “loving your neighbor” and service really look like.

In Doctrine and Covenants 43:8, the Lord counsels members of the church:

“That when ye are assembled together ye shall instruct and edify each other, that ye may know how to act and direct my church, how to act upon the points of my law and commandments, which I have given.”

There is a reason we are going back towards full activities resuming in the church.

We need to interact with and edify people who are lacking.

Someone at church needs to see you, being exactly who you are.

They need to hear that comment you’ll make, or just see you showing up after they know you had a tough week.

So why the church?

There are many beautiful answers to this question (seriously, just go listen to Elder Christofferson’s talk, because obviously the Sacrament is THE main reason).

But today, I’m loving the answer that we need each other.

Not the perfect versions of ourselves that we think we need to become first.

But we need each other, exactly as we are.

Messy, unsure, overwhelmed, trying our best, super tired, feeling inadequate…

We can show up exactly as we are, and still instruct and edify others. And we need to be instructed and edified by other people, no matter who they are.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black