Mormons believe that their church is a “restoration” of the original church established by Jesus Christ. The 6th Article of Faith states:
"We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth."
Mormons, how is the LDS church like the New Testament church? There are of course multiple churches claiming that they have prophets, apostles, etc. so it isn’t just about naming someone a prophet or an apostle (i.e., function is important here). So what makes the LDS church unique in its organization and/or supposed relationship with the “Primitive Church”?
CatholicGuyNY,
I would imagine that the scripture that immediately comes to one’s mind who is familiar with the New Testament, when they read the LDS 6th Article of Faith, is Ephesians 4:11-16 as follows:
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till 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 fulness of Christ:
14 That we 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;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
By the way, I don’t think Joseph Smith was saying in the Wentworth Letter that the LDS church was necessarily “unique” by the characteristics mentioned in the 13 Articles of Faith. He was writing that the LDS church had those characteristics, so that someone reading about the church beliefs and organization could have a simple reference guide–a list that could be published in a newspaper article. That was the intent of those statements.
So whether other church organizations have similar offices or not is not at issue–the 6th Article of Faith is saying, the LDS church has the “same organization” meaning that it matches what was described by Paul in Ephesians 4:11-16. That may or may not be a unique characteristic.
So the organization described is: 1) Twelve called living apostles, 2) men who are regarded as living prophets, 3) pastors (bishops) who preside over local congregations, 4) teachers who are called to teach the people at a local level, 5) evangelists who travel spreading the gospel message, and 6) other callings so that every adult member has a “calling” and responsibility and thus fulfills what Paul described as the “whole body being fitly joined together” (See also 1 Corinthians 12:14-28)
All those callings and responsibilities, authorized not through self-appointment but through the person who is to serve being chosen and called through the spirit of revelation, have the intent of leading to the “perfecting of the saints,” “the work of the ministry” and “the edifying of the body of Christ” as the members seek the “unity of the faith” in their “knowledge of the Son of God” as they reach upward unitedly toward the “measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
Have a good day.
