The Know

In an inspired preface for the 1833 Book of Commandments, later updated and renamed as the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord affirmed that Joseph Smith and others had been given “power to lay the foundation of this church, . . . the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:30).

While the Lord’s designation of the Church as “the only true and living church” may run counter to “the fashionable opinion of this age . . . that all churches are true,” this title reflects many aspects of the restored Church not found elsewhere in the world.1 Specifically, according to President Dallin H. Oaks, “Three features—(1) fulness of doctrine, (2) power of the priesthood, and (3) testimony of Jesus Christ—explain why God has declared and why we as His servants maintain that this is the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth.”2

Fullness of Doctrine

First, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints enjoys a fullness of the doctrine of Jesus Christ, “which is the plan that our Heavenly Father has outlined for the eternal progress of His children.”3 President Oaks taught, “Many church denominations or philosophies that exist in the world today contain, in greater or lesser measure, truths revealed by God in earlier days, along with a mixture of the philosophies or manipulations of men.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints differs, however, because the fullness of doctrine was restored completely following the Great Apostasy.4

According to Elder Neal A. Maxwell,

The doctrines of the Church and its authority are not just partially true, but true as measured by divine standards. The Church is not, therefore, conceptually compromised by having been made up from doctrinal debris left over from another age, nor is it comprised of mere fragments of the true faith. It is based upon the fulness of the gospel of him whose name it bears, thus passing the two tests for proving his church that were given by Jesus during his visit to the Nephites (3 Nephi 27:8).5

Elder Maxwell later went on to explain that all the doctrines of the Church are needed and work together, “otherwise, if focused upon singly and exclusively, these doctrines are so powerful we can spin off and go wild. . . . The doctrines of the Church need each other as much as the people of the Church need each other. We dare not break the doctrines apart or specialize within them, because we need them all to achieve spiritual symmetry, an outcome that requires connections and corrections.”6 While the various churches of the world do contain portions of the doctrine established by Jesus Christ, none cultivate its complete fullness, an aspect of the true Church that has been identified at length in the scriptures of the Restoration.7

An important part of containing the fullness of the doctrine of Jesus Christ also rests on the guidance of living prophets and apostles who hold priesthood keys and are authorized to teach revealed doctrine. As Robert L. Millet has observed, “‘The only true and living church’ means that doctrinal finality rests with apostles and prophets, not theologians or scholars.”8 This doctrine is established by “the unanimous voice” of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—“that is, every member in each quorum must be agreed to its decisions, in order to make their decisions of the same power or validity one with the other” (D&C 107:27). As prophets continually teach something with a united voice, we can be confident that it is the will of the Lord for the current dispensation.9 Continuing revelation to prophets thus is an important aspect of living and understanding the fullness of Jesus Christ’s doctrine.

Power of the Priesthood

Second, the priesthood is essential to having both a true and a living church. President Henry B. Eyring taught, “This is the true Church, the only true Church, because in it are the keys of the priesthood. Only in this Church has the Lord lodged the power to seal on earth and to seal in heaven as He did in the time of the Apostle Peter. Those keys were restored to Joseph Smith, who then was authorized to confer them upon the members of the Quorum of the Twelve.”10

President Oaks also taught, “As a result of our having the power of the priesthood, the leaders and duly authorized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are empowered to perform the required priesthood ordinances, such as baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the administration of the sacrament.” Additionally, “the keys of the priesthood . . . entitle [the Prophet] to revelation in behalf of the entire Church.”11 The holy priesthood thus connects the Saints to God in a real, tangible way.

Stephen D. Robinson and H. Dean Garrett have also observed that the Church is connected to God as a plant is connected to its roots “by continuing revelation and by the direct bestowal of priesthood authority.”12 Hence, “a living church is one still connected to God, its source, through living apostles and prophets who both hold the keys of priesthood power and receive direct divine guidance.”13 Authorized priesthood leaders exercise important powers in extending callings, bestowing patriarchal blessings, performing healings, receiving donations, and approving and supervising many other actions as they strive to guide and unify the Lord’s Church. Without these things, no church could be considered truly living.

Testimony of Jesus Christ

Finally, President Oaks taught, “The third reason why we are the only true Church is that we have the revealed truth about the nature of God and our relationship to Him, and we therefore have a unique testimony of Jesus Christ.”14 In short, to say it is the true and living church because of its unique knowledge and testimony of Jesus Christ is not to say that no one else in the world has any truth or that they cannot learn many things about Jesus Christ without becoming a member. Rather, it emphasizes that the Church’s unique knowledge of Jesus Christ is benefitted by living prophets and apostles who can help clarify the nature of God the Father and His work of offering salvation to all people. Furthermore, the Church benefits from additional information regarding the premortal and present actions as well as the future glories of the Lamb of God.

Indeed, as Millet observed, “Latter-day Saints have no difficulty whatsoever accepting a person’s personal affirmation that they are Christian, that they acknowledge Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God, their Savior, the Lord and Master of their life.”15 While “most religious leaders and followers are sincere believers who love God and understand and serve Him to the best of their abilities . . . we want all who investigate our church from other churches or systems of belief to retain everything they have that is good and to come and see how we can add to their understanding of truth and to their happiness as they follow it.”16

The Why

Central to all the reasons God has called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “the only true and living church” is the presence of a living prophet of God.17 That prophet, seer, and revelator continues to receive divine communications from God to help Church members truly overcome the various challenges faced in the world today. Casey Griffiths observed, “As a living faith, the Church continually undergoes change to adapt to changing circumstances and to continue the long effort to perfect the Saints. Being a living church is essential to also being a true church.”18

Indeed, as President Russell M. Nelson has taught, “If you think the Church has been fully restored, you're just seeing the beginning. There is much more to come.”19 It is only through a living prophet that this can be done. Elder Maxwell similarly observed, “The Church is neither dead nor dying. The Church, like the living God who established it, is alive, aware, and functioning. It is not a museum that houses a fossilized faith; rather, it is a kinetic kingdom characterized by living faith in living disciples.”20

Furthermore, because there is a prophet in the world today, it can rightly be said that the Church is, as Robert L. Millet described, “the most steady, sure, and solid institution on earth, the closest to the pattern of the primitive Christian Church, in terms of dispensing the mind and will of God and enjoying His complete approbation.”21 Or, as Robinson and Garrett noted, “The gospel is not just the particular religious system used by Latter-day Saints to enter God’s kingdom—it is the only way anyone enters God’s kingdom. . . . There is no other way.”22 President Jeffrey R. Holland also recently testified of this same principle: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the vehicle God has provided for our exaltation. The gospel it teaches is true, and the priesthood legitimizing it is not derivative.”23

Because God has called this the only true and living church, God has established a plan of salvation whereby all people, on both sides of the veil, can eventually come to a knowledge of the Savior Jesus Christ and receive the ordinances necessary to join His kingdom. As Millet concluded, “We hold to the truth that God has spoken anew in our day and restored His everlasting gospel through living prophets. This is our distinctive position, our contribution to a world that desperately needs a belief in God, an understanding of His grand plan of salvation, the promise and hope that come from a Redeemer, and confirming evidence for the historical veracity of the Holy Bible.”24 This is the central message of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its invitation to the entire world.