Four days ago on Valentine's Day, my wife Geri and I celebrated the birth of our oldest child, Kellen, 33 years old and now the father to five of his own with one more to come in June. Ten days from now we'll celebrate the birth of our youngest child, Jenna, who will be 18 and who is here with us today. In between, three other pregnancies resulting in five children--you do the math. Kellen, Megan, Morgan, Matt, Greg, Caitlin and Jenna--each one the part of a new generation.
My children, separated by 15 years, are each part of this new generation called the millennial generation, or those born after 1980. The challenges of today are different from the challenges that other generations faced. Some would argue that the challenges that youth today face are more difficult than those who have gone before, while others would argue that they're all difficult, but simply different challenges and temptations. However, I think we can all agree that things will not get any easier. We know that we are in the latter days and with that, Satan's influence is stronger and will continue to get even stronger yet.
Never before has there been a greater need for God's influence of righteousness, and for each of us to understand what God's will is for us, and for Him to be a part of our lives and to those around us.
According to recent research by the Pew Research Center's Religion and Public Life Project, younger Americans, those ranging in age from 18-29, or really most all of you here today, are noticeably less religious than those who are older, or most of us here on this stage.
Among some of this research it was found that your generation, is less likely to be affiliated with any particular religion than your parents or grandparents. The numbers indicate that nearly one-third of Millennial's claim to be unaffiliated with any particular religion, the highest percentage ever in Pew Research Center polling.
If you include the entire U.S. population the number is lower at just under one-fifth, as indicated here and as you also notice, is on the rise. But again for your generation it is 32 percent.
In fact the number of people who attend church infrequently, yet describe themselves as unaffiliated to any religion has been growing.
As you can see here to the left side of the vertical bar, those who fit that description has increased from 38 percent in 2007 to 49 percent in 2012. In the line below, those who are affiliated with a religion has dropped from 60 percent to 50 percent over the same period of time.
Data from the General Social Surveys, which has been in existence since 1972, also found that your generation attends religious services less often than those older than yourselves.
Eighteen percent of you attend religious services weekly or nearly weekly as you can see with the little yellow dot in the lower right corner of the graph, compared to 26 percent of Baby Boomers at the same age on the far left, and nearly the same as that of Generation X, those born just before you and indicated here at 21 percent with the dark blue line. The Silent Generation, those born between 1928 and 1945 are in yellow, and the Greatest Generation, those born before 1927, are shown in red. Again all compared at the same age.
Another interesting fact--this one from Gallup surveys, indicate that the percentage of, what they call "nones," in the U.S., or those of all ages not identifying with any particular religion has risen 22 percent over the past four years.
But let's talk for a minute about those who are unaffiliated with religion, those who do not believe in organized religion.
Some opinions conclude that the reason for this change is a trend to marry later in life and that engagement in organized religion and marriage rates go hand-in-hand. Others say that today's churches, in an attempt to attract the younger generation, need to be more hip by making worship services more fun and entertaining and less formal. Many do not like the strict rules of organized religion and would prefer to go it on their own.
But if we look more closely and see what the effects of not having organized religion would have been and might be, it just might change opinions.
Let's take a look at history and see what effects not having organized religion might be. We'll begin in the Bible to see what it has to say about the church and about organized religion.
On the surface, the belief that there is no need for organized religion may seem innocent enough. Being a good person is certainly within reach. I know how to treat other people, I can pray and my prayers can be answered, and I have the Light of Christ to direct me. By living the 10 commandments I know I must worship God and God only, that I should keep the Sabbath Day holy, honor my father and mother, not kill, commit adultery, or steal.
But to deny the need of organized religion would be to also deny the need for the word of God, including the Bible and the 10 commandments, because the Old and New Testament have the word of God to his prophets as the leaders of His church during that time. In fact it is the words in the Bible that help much of mankind be good people, understand the Light of Christ and live the 10 commandments.
Secondly, it is in the Bible that we find how Paul taught the Savior's church should be set up on earth, and why it was important.
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers..." And why did he give us prophets and apostles? Paul continues, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Til we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ"[1]
It seems obvious that from this scripture that there was a need and the Savior provided a solution to that need. He gave prophets and apostles so that we can be perfected and that they might do the work of the ministry, until we all come to a unity of the faith.
Without the Bible mankind would quickly become a wicked and perverse nation and subject to Satan and his followers. We would quickly be lacking any moral compass because of a lack of the word of God and not knowing good from evil. And we would no longer have all that the Bible contained including how Christ's church was set up anciently, lead by the Savior himself with prophets and apostles. And most importantly, we would not have the record of the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ, His life and teachings, His crucifixion, His resurrection, and of course the knowledge of the atonement. It is necessary for us to have the Bible--it is necessary to have the Word of God.
This leads us to the restoration of all things.
During the time Christ lived on this earth he established his church, called apostles and prophets and instituted the sacrament, all with the approval of God, the authority of God, the priesthood of God.
Later the Apostles and other righteous leaders were killed or left the church. This departure also meant the loss of God's priesthood authority and the Church no longer functioned as the Savior had done while alive. The ordinances of the Gospel changed and the truths taught by Christ were lost and no longer available to those who remained. Without these important and necessary components of the Church it would no longer function as God's church, and so it was. The Church was no longer on the earth.
The Apostle Paul prophesized of this apostasy:
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition[2]
To deny the need for organized religion is to deny the need for the restoring of all things, including the Church of God as it was anciently organized. It would be the belief that living in this time of apostasy without any direction from God was sufficient. And very importantly, there would be no need for the covenants and ordinances that existed during the time of the Savior, assuming that they would somehow magically reemerge again--or not. God does not work in this manner. He is a God of order and there was a need for a restoration of all things. The prophet Peter prophesized of this need:
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.[3]
And so this need was established. That, we, according to Paul:
. . .henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;[4]
And so to say that there is no need for organized religion would result in the loss of God's word; the Bible, and as prophets prophesized in the Bible, no need for a restoration of these important truths ever again.
Enter Joseph Smith Jr. For one thousand seven hundred and fifty years man lived in the dark ages, absent of God's authority held by Jesus Christ and His 12 apostles. The First Vision in April of 1820 marked the beginning of the return of this authority. This young man of 14, struggling to understand God's will needed help. In his own words, "it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong."
And so he asked himself the question that each serious investigator of truth would ask, "What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?"[5]
Joseph Smith was later lead to a hill where he found gold plates, and with the power of God he was able to translate and produce a second witness of Jesus Christ--the Book of Mormon.
And so began the restoration of all things. And with that restoration a need to perform God's work on earth as it was while the Savior was here--with Gods guidance, His approval, His authority.
To deny the need for organized religion would then be to deny the need of this power and authority--the priesthood of God.
And so on the banks of the Susquehanna River early in the summer of 1829, from the hands of three of Christ's apostles--Peter, James, and John--the power and authority of God given to man to act in His name returned to the earth again.
One year later, in Fayette, New York, at the home of Peter Whitmer, a small group of Saints met and the Church of Jesus Christ was once again organized on the earth.
And with the organization of His church once again with Priesthood authority, he spoke once again to His prophet and declared:
Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion. And furthermore;[6]
Organize yourselves, prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.[7]
The loss of God's authority--the Bible containing the word of God, and later the Book of Mormon as a second testimony of Jesus Christ. The authority of God being restored to the earth followed by the organization again of His church. And yet there was still a need to reinstitute the covenants and ordinances of God's church as they existed at the time of Christ.
Without organized religion and the authority to act in God's name, we would be living without the ordinances of the Gospel, including the power of the endowment and the power to seal families together forever.
Later God gave the ordinances and covenants of the temple to the prophet Joseph Smith, and with the power of the Priesthood he gave it to others.
I'd like to play for you now, something that when I heard it several years ago strengthened my testimony of Joseph Smith, the reality of the Priesthood, and the need for the ordinances and covenants of the Church. On March 19, 1897, just 18 days following his 90th birthday, President Wilford Woodruff recorded his testimony into what he calls a "talking machine."
I'm going to play a portion of this recording, and if you haven't heard it, I think you'll find it pretty remarkable. As you listen, ponder in particular the use of the priesthood power by the Prophet Joseph Smith and the resulting endowment bestowed upon the head of Wilford Woodruff and others.
I bear my testimony that in the early spring of 1844, in Nauvoo, the prophet Joseph Smith called the Twelve Apostles together and he delivered unto them the ordinances of the Church and kingdom of God; and all the keys and powers that God had bestowed upon him, he sealed upon our heads, and he told us that we must round up our shoulders and bear off his kingdom, or we would be damned.
I am the only man now living in the flesh who heard that testimony from his mouth, and I know that was true by the power of God manifest to him. At that meeting he stood on his feet for about three hours and taught us the things of the kingdom. His face was as clear as amber, and he was covered with a power that I had never seen in any man in the flesh before.
I bear testimony that Joseph Smith was the author of the endowments as received by the Latter-day Saints. I received my own endowments under his hands and direction and I know they are true principles.
I not only received my own endowments under his hands, but I bear my testimony that Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, George A. Smith, John Taylor and other brethren received their endowments under the hands and direction of the Prophet Joseph[8]
It is interesting to note that three months and one day from the time that this momentous meeting took place in Nauvoo, the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum were martyred. This meeting, called the Last Charge, was also the last meeting the Prophet had with the 12 before they left for missionary work in the East, and of course the last one before his death.
We are a church built on true principles. For those who believe there is no need for organized religion we declare two important truths.
1) Individually, mankind can and does receive revelation and inspiration for matters of importance for him or herself.
2) Collectively, mankind receives revelation and inspiration through a prophet of God for matters of importance necessary for the organization and needed purposes of His church.
Imagine the circumstances from many years ago of Moses had there not been this second truth, the need for revelation from God through His organized way.
Moses and Israelites
Moses and the Israelites had lived in Egypt for approximately 400 years during which time a Pharaoh had come to power that opposed the Israelites, and then enslaved them. Moses issued a request to the Pharaoh to set He and the Israelites free, but was denied. He asked to let them go into the desert to worship, but was denied and instead the Pharaoh gave the Israelites added difficulties making their daily labors of making bricks even more difficult. The Lord again asked Moses to request freedom for the Israelites but because of Moses' feeling of inadequacy he had to be reminded of who he was--"I have made thee a God," or as indicated in the Joseph Smith translation, "I have made thee a prophet."[9]
And so with the priesthood authority, Aaron, who had been made the spokesman for Moses, performed the first of many miracles to convince the Pharaoh to let them have their freedom by casting down his rod and making it become a serpent. That was followed by 10 plagues including the river turning to blood, cattle dying, of boils, of hail and fire, darkness, and the killing of all of the firstborn in the land. And in the many attempts of the Pharaoh's magicians to imitate the miracles and plagues, they failed.
Finally the Pharaoh was willing to let Moses and the Israelites go and Moses again, by the authority of the Priesthood, performed this final miracle to free the Israelites by parting the Red Sea and allowing them to depart into the Promised Land.
Imagine the circumstances for Moses and the Israelites had not the authority of God been manifest through His Priesthood and through His prophet. There is a need, a necessity for God's power of this second truth. The Israelites needed a prophet, they needed someone to help them collectively, and the Lord delivered.
The Israelites needed a prophet to be delivered. They could not have done it on their own. They needed this additional communication from God to His prophet . . . this second important truth.
Elder Oaks speaks of these two truths, first receiving our own personal revelation:
In the personal line we pray directly to our Heavenly Father, and He answers us by the channels He has established, without any mortal intermediary. We pray to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, and He answers us through His Holy Spirit and in other ways.[10]
The second truth allows us to have the knowledge necessary for us to pass through the gate to return back to our Father in Heaven. This knowledge is the commandments, covenants and ordinances given to us by God to bless us and strengthen us while on this earth, and to allow us to pass through this gate. Without them the gate will be closed.
Of this second truth, Elder Oaks says:
Some members or former members of our church fail to recognize the importance of the priesthood line. They underestimate the importance of the Church and its leaders and its programs. Relying entirely on the personal line, they go their own way, purporting to define doctrine and to direct competing organizations contrary to the teachings of prophet-leaders. In this they mirror the modern hostility to what is disparagingly called "organized religion." Those who reject the need for organized religion reject the work of the Master, who established His Church and its officers in the meridian of time and who reestablished them in modern times.[10]
From these two truths we have available to each of us all that we need to know and do to return to our Father in Heaven. Simply being good, and doing good, is not enough.
One of the most important things that has returned to us in the latter days is the re-instituting of the sacrament. If there were no organized religion, we would not be able to participate in this important ordinance every week.
While serving as a bishop here on campus, I met with students who were struggling with sin and transgression and tried to help them begin the repentance process, which in some cases meant taking away, for a time, the privilege of this sacred ordinance. To have this sacred opportunity taken away was important to them and difficult for them to endure. But over time, as they met the requirements to be made whole again in the eyes of their Father in Heaven, and were finally able to partake of the sacrament, the hurt and pain was replaced with joy and happiness. I cannot imagine not having this opportunity each week to rededicate myself to following God. Without organized religion, without the Gospel of Jesus Christ, this would not be possible. We cannot do it on our own.
Having the Gospel and its teachings on the earth allows those teachings to spread to others and make changes in people's lives. It moves the focus of those who do not believe in organized religion from themselves, to others. It removes selfish acts and replaces them with selfless acts.
The restoration of the Gospel has indeed affected every corner of the earth. Even for those who live in the far reaches of earth, far away from any branch, ward, or stake. Far away from any members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, many who have never heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--they have been affected in a positive way by the existence of the restoration of the church and its priesthood on the earth once again.
Faith
When all is said and done brothers and sisters--faith must, and will always be a component in our understanding of many doctrines of the gospel.
Alma instructs us to experiment upon his words, and then exercise even a particle of faith and then finally if you can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, that ye can give place for a portion of his words.
We may already be familiar with the topics that I have discussed today--the apostasy, the restoration, priesthood, the organization of the Church, the power to seal families, and finally faith.
But sometimes it may be necessary to be reminded of what we already know. My own testimony is a good example of this. Just over 38 years in an apartment on Kentucky Ave. in Evansville, Indiana, I learned something that I already knew.
I grew up in a home with good, honest, loving, and hard working parents. I never doubted how much they loved me and my three sisters. However the church was not an important component of our lives. I attended on my own almost every Sunday, but through a lot of hard work and practice, I got pretty good at finding ways on occasion to not attend. But I always wanted to serve a mission. I had cousins who served in Iowa, Brazil, and France, but still I wasn't as ready to serve a mission as I should have been and my testimony wasn't as strong as I wanted it to be, or so I thought. And so feeling a need to know the truth, and after praying and fasting in an attempt to get an answer, I finished my prayers at my bedside that night in Evansville, and the answer came in a very clear and concise way. The words were simply, "You have always known the church is true." And then my own realization that maybe I had wasted time questioning, and that it was time to go and do the work.
I knew what I knew, but I didn't know how to know it. Thankfully I turned to God who reminded me of what I already knew.
Elder Holland tells us to, "hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes."[11]
And from President Uchtdorf some of the best and simplest advice and counsel we might ever receive regarding this subject, and many like them. "First doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith."[12]
In the Spring of 1842, John Wentworth, the editor of the Chicago Democrat newspaper asked the Prophet Joseph Smith to send to him a synopsis of the church, and of its rise, persecution, and faith of the Latter-day Saints. The subsequent document of several pages included 13 statements of our beliefs. Although Wentworth never published any of the letter in his newspaper it did appear in March of that same year in the church's newspaper, Times and Seasons. Those statements of belief, now called the Articles of Faith support the need for organized religion that we have discussed today. And I quote in reverse order:
6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
4 We believe that the first principle of the Gospel is, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ...
We must exercise our faith in a way that in many cases most of us have never done before. We must indeed hold fast to what we already know, and additional knowledge will come.
And while the number of young adults unaffiliated with any religion continues to climb, there is also hope.
Again from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Only 11 percent of those who abandon their childhood Christian faith, say they had a very strong faith as a child and came from a home where a vibrant faith was taught and practiced. Just 11 percent.
An individual's childhood is greatly influenced when religion is in their lives. When society invests in a child religiously during their younger years, it makes a difference. They are then much more likely to be influenced for and in favor of religion when they are adults. We have a responsibility to raise children in religious homes and when we do, it is more likely that religion will be important to them as they grow older.
And so in conclusion, to have no organized religion would be our earthly existence without access to His word and the life and teachings of the Savior contained in the Holy Bible and His appearance to the Nephites living on this continent. Likely? I don't' think so. With the crucifixion of the Savior and subsequent death of the apostles and the loss of the authority of God, would God have left us alone? I don't think so. And so with the restoring of His authority again on the earth, would God have set up His church differently than how it was while he was on this earth? I don't think so.
The Church of Jesus Christ has a response to those who feel there is no need for organized religion--for those who are leaving their religion. God has reestablished that which was once lost. From the words of the Living Christ, the testimony of the apostles, we read:
We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth-"built upon the foundation of . . . apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.[13]
I add my testimony. God does live and He loves us. There is a purpose for our being here. We have a living prophet once again, he speaks with God for matters of importance to members of His church, and God speaks to him. We are not alone. In our brightest days and in our darkest moments, there is and always will be a plan, an organization, a way back--a church of God. There will always be the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Ephesians 4:11-13
[2] 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
[3] Acts 3:19-21
[4] Ephesians 4:14
[5] Joseph Smith-History 1:8-10
[6] D&C 132:8
[7] D&C 88:119
[8] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NjANSFISFY
[9] JST Exodus 7:1
[10] Dallin H. Oaks, "Two Lines of Communications" - Oct. 2010 General Conference
[11] Jeffrey R. Hallond, "Lord, I Believe" - Apr. 2013 General Conference
[12] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Come, Join With Us" - Oct. 2013 General Conference
[13] The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles