This week, General Conference Odyssey covers the Sunday morning session of April 1980. This was a special session, broadcast from the Peter Whitmer home in Fayette, New York, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The statistics in 1980 against this year’s is certainly something to celebrate in our day.
Membership
1980 4,638,000
2018 16,118,169
An interesting note: “The latest gain of one million members took less than three years since the 10-million-membership line was crossed in November 1997. In contrast, it took 117 years for the Church to reach its first million members, in 1947.” This according to the year 2000 report.
Statistics can certainly be important, but there is more to consider. We are seeing the prophecy fulfilled
of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. This church is truly the kingdom of God, “which shall never be destroyed … the stone … cut out of the mountain without hands that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold” (Daniel 2:44-45).
But then we have the parable, or prophecy, of the ten virgins where five came prepared with enough oil to last the night. “The bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut” (Matthew 25:10). We cannot take our membership for granted.
In the Proclamation, read by Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet and apostles proclaim:
- “We testify that this restored gospel was introduced into the world by the marvelous appearance of God the Eternal Father and His Son, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.”
- “We solemnly affirm that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is, in fact, a restoration of the Church established by the Son of God, when in mortality he organized his work upon the earth; that it carries his sacred name, even the name of Jesus Christ.”
- “We declare that the Book of Mormon was brought forth by the gift and power of God.”
- “We give our witness that the doctrines and practices of the Church encompass salvation and exaltation not only for those who are living but also for the dead.”
- “We affirm the sanctity of the family as a divine creation and declare that God our Eternal Father will hold parents accountable to rear their children in light and truth.”
- “We bear witness that all men and women are sons and daughters of God.”
- “We testify that the spirit of prophecy and revelation is among us.”
It seems to me that if we truly declare these things, as our prophets and apostles do, our actions should represent this Christ we worship, that our actions become more and more like Him, as we are His representatives. If so, we must:
“Yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him” (Mosiah 3:19).
Our burden is to carry around with us enough oil (Holy Spirit) to last until the Savior comes. We don’t want to be caught empty like the other five who are left to wander strange paths searching for that elusive oil. Our membership is not a guarantee of exaltation.
We were sent to earth to be tried and tested. We are all subject to Satan and his clever temptations. But if we call upon Jesus Christ, He will come “with healing in his wings, and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved,” (2 Nephi 25:13) and their joy shall be full forever” (2 Nephi 9:18).
Another General Conference Odyssey post:
The constant calling back Marilyn Nielson