One of the things I find most odd about many Christian churches is their emphatic claims to be the true church of Christ. They rarely define what that means, except to say that their doctrine is the most correct, their believers will be “saved” insofar as they believe their teachings, and they have whatever authority is needed to be authentic. But these claims, by themselves, do not define what the true church of Christ actually is.

The true church of Christ consists of those who believe in Him and seek to think, feel, and act as He would. Anyone or any institution that does otherwise is, in those respects, following someone else. Christ taught that bearing His name must be demonstrated by being built upon His gospel. (3 Nephi 27:8–11) Those who are built upon His gospel will understand His teachings and live accordingly.

A person or organization can claim to represent Christ only in those aspects that are fully aligned with His teachings and character. Any aspect that does not fully align does not meet this standard and is not of Him. And so, any claims to represent or be a part of Christ’s true church must be conditional.

Those who claim to represent what Christ is must demonstrate conduct that represents who and what He is. They must demonstrate His teachings and example.

Our conduct must give substance and validity to our claims.

The Book of Mormon speaks of the pride of the latter day Gentiles and their many churches, each claiming to be the Lord’s. These churches are described as proud, contentious, full of malice and envy, and seeking worldly gain while neglecting the poor. (2 Nephi 26:20–21; 28:3–4, 12–14) They may say many of the right things and give lip service to Christ, while their hearts remain far from Him—the very condition Jesus condemned. (Matthew 15:7–9) Why is that?

Those who believe they already have it all figured out and are fully aligned with the requirements of Christ’s gospel will see no need to change, repent, confess wrongdoing, or increase in humility and faithfulness. They are beyond reproach. Nephi warns against precisely this attitude: the conviction that we have received enough and need no more prevents us from receiving further light and understanding. (2 Nephi 28:27–30)

The claim to be the true church of Christ, or to belong to the true church of Christ, is a massive, massive claim! And it is a claim that should never be made lightly. Anyone who makes this claim should make it very, very carefully. They should explain what they mean by this. And they should be quick to humbly acknowledge their fallibility and propensity for error, while affirming that they strive to forsake all sin and keep the commandments of God in all things, even though their understanding and practice remain imperfect.

John taught: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9)

The reality is that we are all deeply fallible, incomplete in our understanding, emotional, and prone to weakness and error because of our mortality. Even those fully committed to keeping the commandments of God, walking without any intentional sin, and following the teachings of Christ in all things remain prone to error through emotional thinking and incomplete or mistaken understanding. Nephi explicitly acknowledges that even the humble followers of Christ can err because they have been taught by the precepts of men. (2 Nephi 28:14)

To be a disciple of Christ, of His church, and of His kingdom is an ambitious undertaking. This is more of an ongoing endeavor than a destination we can claim to have reached.

Disciples are followers, not masters.

A church is a community of disciples committed to worship and learning. The Book of Mormon describes church members gathering to fast, pray, and strengthen one another, while relying upon Christ for guidance, instruction, and empowerment to do good. (Moroni 6:4–6)

Christ’s kingdom is not of this world. To belong fully to His kingdom, we must learn to live by His will rather than the ambitions and values of the world. (John 18:36)

Christ’s church is not a club, a team, a corporate organization, or a trophy. Nobody is “saved” just because they are on the winning team. Salvation is based purely on merit: on the merit of Christ and on the merit of those who do His will. This is an essential principle that most Christians have a very hard time with and most reject.

Christ makes salvation possible; faith makes it plausible.

Without mighty faith in Christ, nobody is saved.

“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. (Doctrine and Covenants 130:20 – 21)

To enter Christ’s kingdom one must be pure, faithful, and in full compliance with the laws governing this blessing. Christ teaches us how to do this and promises that those who follow Him, who are true and faithful in all things, will receive Eternal Life. Earthly teachers, priests, and institutions often teach that those who believe and follow them will receive Eternal Life; in this they deceive; they have no power, authority, or ability to make good on this promise. Christ sets the conditions for salvation and Christ alone grants entry into His kingdom and no other.

“O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.” (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:41)

Too often, claims that “this church is true” represent a very sad state of ignorance and pride, especially when the implication is that the institution is beyond correction. This is not humility. This is ignorance, vanity, and pride. The question is not merely whether we claim to belong to Christ’s true church, but whether we remain willing to be taught and corrected by Him in every aspect of our lives.

“And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them. But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.” (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:42 – 43)

On the whole, most people, especially religious people, think they are far better than they really are. This is human nature. And this is a great stumbling block. And I have yet to meet any religious guru who is not plagued by this aspect of pride. I am also greatly challenged by this. But we are taught that “save [we] shall cast these things away, and consider [ourselves] fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open [the gates of His kingdom] unto [us].

We need to stop pretending that we are better than we are.

One of the ways corporate churches and corporate church leaders need to do this is to humbly give heed to those within their ranks and those they cast out who have serious concerns about the doctrine taught and the policies in place. But they are far too concerned about claiming what they don’t have and upholding their “good name” to humbly consider such things. At best, they consider the complaints of their detractors as minor defects and label such opinions as “evil speaking against the Lord’s anointed.” This betokens great pride.

I don’t know that I have ever seen a corporate church humbly consider the complaints of their detractors in an honest effort to correct errors and improve. Certainly, not every criticism or complaint is fair or accurate. But even an angry critic may identify a real wrong that needs correction, and dismissing detractors does not betoken any level of genuine humility. Rather, it betokens great arrogance and pride.

When a religious institution expects individuals to confess their faults and repent, yet responds to criticism of itself with defensiveness, silence, or attacks on the critic’s character, it undermines the integrity of its own teachings. A church that claims to represent Christ should be willing to examine uncomfortable evidence, acknowledge wrongdoing, repair the harm it has caused, and correct its conduct whenever error is discovered. Its humility is demonstrated most clearly when correction threatens its reputation, authority, or interests.

This concern is personal for me. Before I left the LDS Church, my church leaders had known for years that I had serious concerns about the institution. Yet they never invited me to discuss those concerns or showed any interest in understanding them. When I requested that my name be removed from membership, I was explicitly told that they had no interest in discussing my complaints or concerns. The message I received was that the Church itself was beyond question and that whatever troubled me was my problem, rather than something that might reveal a fault deserving examination or correction. They were entitled to disagree with my conclusions, but how could they fairly assess my concerns without first hearing them? Such a response does not reflect well on an institution that teaches humility and repentance. Those principles should govern how leaders respond to criticism just as surely as they should govern the lives of members.

Experiences like this reveal how easily a claim of divine authority can block honest self-examination. If every disagreement is assumed to reveal a fault in the person raising it, the institution leaves itself little opportunity to recognize and repent of its own errors. But this temptation is not confined to religious leaders or institutions. Any of us can become so invested in being right that we stop asking whether we are wrong.

People and institutions that make such bold claims and then get so defensive when others challenge them need to take a step back and honestly reconsider how meek and humble they really are. If we lack the humility to endure cross-examination or tolerate opposing voices with legitimate concerns or grievances, how legitimate are our claims to represent the true church of Christ?

We need to stop claiming things we don’t really possess and titles we have not really earned. We need to face reality. We need to humbly acknowledge our fallen natures and shortcomings. We need to emulate the humility of the Brother of Jared, who declared to God:

“Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires.” (Ether 3:2)

This was a righteous and faithful man, full of meekness and humility. He did not go strutting before God, making claims of righteousness, entitlements, and privileges. No indeed. Although he was exceedingly faithful, he still acknowledged his unworthiness and the fallen condition of his nature. He understood that, compared with God’s holiness, he remained utterly dependent upon divine mercy. But he did not make this an excuse; rather, he used it as a plea for mercy as he endeavored to keep the commandments of God more fully.

Jesus Christ invites everyone to follow Him, to be united with Him, and to be of His church. In doing so, He sets very high standards for faithfulness and obedience. The scriptures declare that God cannot look upon sin with even the least degree of allowance. (Alma 45:16) His gospel requires that we have faith in Him, repent of our sins, be baptized, become sanctified through the Holy Ghost, and faithfully follow His example. (3 Nephi 27:19–21) And yet, He does not expect us to acquire complete understanding and maturity all at once.

As mortals, we are fraught with limitations. Our emotions can cloud our judgment, and our understanding is very limited. Nevertheless, we are promised the companionship of the Holy Ghost to guide us, teach us, and help us along if we are faithful and humble. (John 14:16–17, 26) But we still make many mistakes. Not every mistake is an act of willful rebellion against God. We are commanded to cease sin, and that certainly includes knowingly choosing what we understand to be wrong. Yet ignorance, weakness, and distorted judgment can leave faults in us that we have not recognized. Jesus distinguishes between wrongdoing committed with knowledge and wrongdoing committed without it, while teaching that greater knowledge brings greater accountability. (Luke 12:47–48) Our responsibility is to remain teachable and repent as those faults come to light.

And so those who would be of Christ’s true church are committed to these principles. They are committed to faithfulness, love, and humility. They are committed to Christ and to each other. There may be faltering. There will be mistakes. There will be trials. There will be many opportunities for learning and improvement. The Book of Mormon makes room for this continuing repentance: those who sincerely repent and seek forgiveness are forgiven (Moroni 6:8). But those who are of His church will not be making audacious claims of their own superiority or immunity from error.

Those who are true disciples of Christ do not point to themselves. They point to Christ. They do not brand themselves as sinless saints, because they are too humble for that and too aware of their own mistakes and limitations. Jesus identifies love for one another as the sign by which others will recognize His disciples (John 13:34–35). Their adoration is centered completely in Jesus Christ, and never in themselves. Such as these are called “the humble followers of Christ” because of their faithfulness, meekness, and humility. (2 Nephi 28:14, Alma 4:15, Helaman 6:5,39)

So, the question before us is not whether our preferred church is true, but if we have the humility and faith to receive chastening and continually improve as disciples of Christ. The true church of Christ is not found in corporate structures, titles, assurances, or declarations of authority. It is found wherever imperfect people humbly gather to learn, repent, and follow Him more fully, without demonstrating defensiveness and pride. Jesus taught that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21). Let us, then, lay aside our boasting and accept His invitation: to remain teachable, to confess our faults as they come to light, to love one another as Christ loves us, and to point always to Him.

---

Personal Footnote: In my essays, I endeavor to teach what God has taught me. That being said, I in no way claim to have “everything figured out.” I am endeavoring to share what I understand, and I remain responsible for how thoughtfully and clearly I communicate it. If you are offended or bothered by my tone, or by the confidence with which I make my assertions, I invite you to consider whether your discomfort arises from an error in what I have written, a fault in how I have expressed it, or a truth that challenges your assumptions or pride. I am willing to consider those same possibilities in myself. Whatever truly comes from God deserves to be received with gratitude, even when it is uncomfortable. But my claim to inspiration does not place my writing beyond examination or correction. I ask you to prayerfully examine what I teach, receive whatever the Holy Spirit witnesses is true, and help me recognize and correct wherever I have erred.

---