The Fold of God

By: Jake Callahan

Ok, let’s be real for a second. Sometimes, going to church feels more like a chore than an uplifting spiritual experience. Not all the time, of course, but every once in a while, I wake up in the morning wishing I could sleep in a little longer, or I walk out of church wishing I had just gone home early and eaten lunch instead. I’ve heard many people say things to the effect of “I can be a good person without going to church,” or “I don’t need to go to church to know Jesus.” And you know what? They’re right. There are plenty of excellent men and women in this world going about doing good in their lives and in the lives around them without having ever set foot in a church building. There are people who spend their lives studying scripture and learning to live like Christ did without a weekly sermon or Sunday school. It’s obvious going to church is not completely essential to understanding the gospel.

However, this does not change the fact that God has commanded us to participate in regular worship meetings. As part of His more overarching commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy, He has instructed us to “go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;” (D&C 59:9). So why does Heavenly Father see attending church as such a vital part of our lives? I don’t know for certain, but I have a few ideas.

The first, and most obvious, reason we go to church is to partake of the sacrament. Every week we get a chance to renew our covenants we've made with God and be forgiven and washed clean of the sins we've committed, and of the mistakes we've made over the past week. Elder Oaks has called sacrament meeting "the most sacred and important meeting in the church" for this reason (check out his 2008 talk, "Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament:" it's a good one). The centrality of the sacramental ordinance to our salvation can't be overstated, and I think when the question, "Why church?" is asked, most of us jump to this answer first.

But beyond that, what's the point? Why did God set up the church as a very group-oriented organization? We could just as easily show up, take the sacrament, and head home with two more hours of our day for ourselves. There's one scripture that I think gives us a huge hint as to what God's thoughts are on all of this. In Mosiah 18:8 we read about Alma as he speaks to some prospective members of God's church. He explains to them that entering the church means that they are "desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light.” This right here is why we are part of God’s church. The church exists for, as stated in Ephesians 4:12, “the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” So maybe going to church isn’t necessarily all about us.

Every one of us is on our own journey back home to our Heavenly Father and each one of us is at a different point along that path. I think sometimes we place more importance on where we are instead of if we’re moving, and this leads to a lot of unnecessary judgement—of ourselves and of others. The point of the church, the point of having a congregation that meets together and shares its testimony in sacrament meeting, in lessons, in quorums, is to create a group of people that strengthen each other. We are all in this together and we need to remember that part of our baptismal covenant is to help those around us on their way back to our Father. A lot of times we think that means missionary work but I think it’s even more pertinent to our interactions with those in our congregations.

When we bear our testimony, what are we trying to accomplish? Are we there to check boxes? To phone it in? To do it because that’s what a good church member does? When we teach, do we teach to help someone who is struggling with a belief to feel the spirit and answer their concerns? How often do we dance around difficult topics because they’re uncomfortable to discuss, or because some people might have doubts about them? That’s the whole point of learning and teaching together! Let’s face those difficult topics and try to offer what answers we have, in harmony with the spirit, to help those who may be dealing with doubt and confusion find peace and hope in their testimony. Any lesson not prepared with the intent to help some member of that class with something with which they're struggling is a wasted lesson. Doctrine should be taught in order to help people meet challenges, not simply for the sake of knowing doctrine (I'm looking at you, "Tithing is 10% of our income" and "Is caffeine part of the Word of Wisdom" lessons).

When we interact with others at church, are we trying to show off? To project a façade of competence and control? To impress others with how well we’re doing or how righteous we are? Or are we genuinely trying to get to know the people around us in a spirit of love, so that when opportunities to help present themselves, we are ready to answer the call?

Those who approach church attendance with the attitude of, “what will I get out of this?” will receive very little. The church is not there to serve us. The church is there for us to serve others, and every single person there can contribute to that goal. Each one of us has unique perspectives, ideas, and experiences that can lend strength to someone else, and just as with every other commandment to serve and love, the blessings are abundant. I believe that if everything we did at church was framed with the purpose of edifying and uplifting someone else who needs what you have to offer, church would be miraculous. It would be the most edifying part of our week. We would learn and grow and feel the spirit in a much greater measure than we currently do. The church organization is an inspired, powerful structure than can do so much good. So next time you go to church, take a look around. There’s something more you can give.