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"And it came to pass that I beheld the great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it." (1 Ne. 13:6)
What exactly is "the great and abominable church?"
"And [the angel] said unto me: Behold there are two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil." (1 Ne. 14:10)
So does that mean that the LDS Church is the church of the Lamb of God, and all other churches are of the devil? Yikes! That would bode ill for the world!
Fortunately, that isn't the case. We are told in the Doctrine & Covenants,
"Contend against no church save it be the church of the devil." (D&C 18:20).
Obviously, all other churches cannot be the church of the devil, or this statement would make no sense. We have been advised by our prophets that other religions contain some truths of the gospel and do much good on the earth. Our church joins with other churches in many causes, and often supports other churches in their needs. We are taught respect for all religions.
In an article in our church-published Ensign on Muhammed, we find this quote by apostle B.H. Roberts:
"While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is established for the instruction of men; and it is one of God’s instrumentalities for making known the truth yet he is not limited to that institution for such purposes, neither in time nor place. God raises up wise men and prophets here and there among all the children of men, of their own tongue and nationality, speaking to them through means that they can comprehend. … All the great teachers are servants of God; among all nations and in all ages. They are inspired men, appointed to instruct God’s children according to the conditions in the midst of which he finds them.”
This was the second article published in the Ensign on Muhammed. "Ishmael, Our Brother," can be found in the June 1979 Ensign. Respectful articles were also published on Buddhism,Hinduism, Roman Catholicism, and Lutheranism. In a separate article honoring Martin Luther, President Joseph F. Smith is quoted:
"Calvin, Luther, Melanchthon, and all reformers, were inspired in thoughts, words, and actions to accomplish what they did for the liberty, and advancement of the human race. They paved the way for the more perfect gospel of truth to come.”
President Hinckley was known to invite those of other faiths to, "Bring all the good you have with you, and let us add to it."
At the closing of the April 2011 Conference, President Monson reminded us again, "We are a global church. Our membership is found throughout the world. May we be good citizens of the nations in which we live and good neighbors in our communities, reaching out to those of other faiths as well as to those of our own."
So what then can Nephi's vision refer to?
The Guide to the Scriptures, which is the LDS-written scripture dictionary included in non-English LDS scriptures, but also available in English on-line, defines it as "Every evil and worldy organization on earth that perverts the pure and perfect gospel and fights against the Lamb of God." In this sense, it may not be confined to a "church" as we know it at all, but may include philosophies, government organizations, drug cartells, cults, cultures, media, etc.--anything whose purpose is to pull people away from Christ.
What will be our escape from them? They will fall into the pit they have dug for the believers. (1 Ne. 14:3) When you work for the devil, the pay is not good, and never what you were promised.
"And it came to pass that I beheld the great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it." (1 Ne. 13:6)
What exactly is "the great and abominable church?"
"And [the angel] said unto me: Behold there are two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil." (1 Ne. 14:10)
So does that mean that the LDS Church is the church of the Lamb of God, and all other churches are of the devil? Yikes! That would bode ill for the world!
Fortunately, that isn't the case. We are told in the Doctrine & Covenants,
"Contend against no church save it be the church of the devil." (D&C 18:20).
Obviously, all other churches cannot be the church of the devil, or this statement would make no sense. We have been advised by our prophets that other religions contain some truths of the gospel and do much good on the earth. Our church joins with other churches in many causes, and often supports other churches in their needs. We are taught respect for all religions.
In an article in our church-published Ensign on Muhammed, we find this quote by apostle B.H. Roberts:
"While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is established for the instruction of men; and it is one of God’s instrumentalities for making known the truth yet he is not limited to that institution for such purposes, neither in time nor place. God raises up wise men and prophets here and there among all the children of men, of their own tongue and nationality, speaking to them through means that they can comprehend. … All the great teachers are servants of God; among all nations and in all ages. They are inspired men, appointed to instruct God’s children according to the conditions in the midst of which he finds them.”
This was the second article published in the Ensign on Muhammed. "Ishmael, Our Brother," can be found in the June 1979 Ensign. Respectful articles were also published on Buddhism,Hinduism, Roman Catholicism, and Lutheranism. In a separate article honoring Martin Luther, President Joseph F. Smith is quoted:
"Calvin, Luther, Melanchthon, and all reformers, were inspired in thoughts, words, and actions to accomplish what they did for the liberty, and advancement of the human race. They paved the way for the more perfect gospel of truth to come.”
President Hinckley was known to invite those of other faiths to, "Bring all the good you have with you, and let us add to it."
At the closing of the April 2011 Conference, President Monson reminded us again, "We are a global church. Our membership is found throughout the world. May we be good citizens of the nations in which we live and good neighbors in our communities, reaching out to those of other faiths as well as to those of our own."
So what then can Nephi's vision refer to?
The Guide to the Scriptures, which is the LDS-written scripture dictionary included in non-English LDS scriptures, but also available in English on-line, defines it as "Every evil and worldy organization on earth that perverts the pure and perfect gospel and fights against the Lamb of God." In this sense, it may not be confined to a "church" as we know it at all, but may include philosophies, government organizations, drug cartells, cults, cultures, media, etc.--anything whose purpose is to pull people away from Christ.
What will be our escape from them? They will fall into the pit they have dug for the believers. (1 Ne. 14:3) When you work for the devil, the pay is not good, and never what you were promised.
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