42 Evidences of the True Church of Christ

I just finished this amazing book called "The Greatest Quest" (by Blaine and Brenton Yorgason). It's about a group of college students during WWII (one of whom was an atheist), who look through the Bible to see what elements were involved in Christ's original church. They came up with 15 points at first, but over the years, they found 42 "evidences" that would identify a church that had the same blueprint as Christ's.
Their reasoning for wanting a church that mirrored Christ's from Jerusalem was the principle that Christ is perfect, therefore his church would be perfect. (see also evidence #32)
I really enjoyed following them as they visited different churches and honestly tried to figure out if their teachings went along with the list they'd compiled.
Although this book is a novel, it's based on a true story.

I'm personally going to go through my Bible and highlight the verses they picked out, and identify how my church applies those 'evidences.'

There are many other deep questions, answers, and spiritual discussion, but here are the 42 points they found and the scriptures that supported them:
(Note, I don't mean to violate any copyrighted material, and I don't claim any of this as mine)

1. The Godhead consists of three separate and distinct beings-- God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost
*Genesis 1:26-27; 3:22
*Matthew 3:17; 28:19
*Luke 3:22
*Acts 7:55
*1 John 5:7

2. God the Father, as well as his Son Jesus Christ, who is a resurrected personage, both have bodies of flesh and bone and spirit
*Genesis 32:30
*Exodus 33:23
*Luke 24:39, 41-43
*John 20:17; 21:13-14
*Acts 7:55-56
*1 John 3:2

3. Jesus is the Christ, the literal Son of God, the Messiah, and the only perfect person upon the earth-- and not only a great teacher.
*Luke 9:35
*John 17:4-5
*Hebrews 1:6-7
(there are many other scriptures supporting this point, but they only had a few listed(

4. Jesus Christ, as revealed in the New Testament, is Jehovah, God of the Old Testament
*Exodus 3:14
*John 8:58
*Isaiah 43:11
*Hosea 13:4

5. The Holy Ghost is a distinct personage of spirit and is the third member of the Godhead.
*Matthew 3:15-16
*John 14:26; 16:13-14; 20:21-22
*Ephesians 1:17

6. The Holy Bible is the word of the Lord insofar as it is translated correctly. It is the record of the Jews and will be joined with another record in the last days (these days) to relate God's word to his people. This second record will come from a descendant of Joseph.
*Ezekiel 37:15-17
*Isaiah 29:18
*Revelation 20:12-14

7. Jesus Christ is recognized as the head of his Church,
with other officers named, beginning with a foundation of apostles and prophets, and including teachers, saints, elders, evangelists, bishops, deacons, priests, and high priests.
*John 15:16
*Mark 3:14-15
*Ephesians 2:19-20; 4:11-14

8. Officers in Christ's church will be "called of God." They will receive their authority through "the laying on of hands." On cannot call himself to the ministry
a. College degree or license insufficient
b. Royal priesthood will be known as such
c. Bishops and leaders are to marry and to have children
*Acts 19:25
*Hebrews 5:4, 10
*1 Timothy 3:2; 4:2-3

9. Members of Christ's church will be "workers," and will be called "saints." In addition, women will be included in activities and leadership.
*Proverbs 12:4
*Romans 1:7
*Ephesians 4:12
*1 Corinthians 11:7
*2 Thessalonians 1:7-10

10. There will exist within the church separate entities for each of the groups of members. Adult and youth organizations will exist. This point stands to reason, if Christ is concerned with helping each individual from that person's own level of understanding.
*Ephesians 4:11-14

11. Christ's church will believe in the "virgin birth" of Jesus Christ but will not believe in the "immaculate conception" of Mary.
*Isaiah 7:14
*Matthew 1:19-20, 23
*Luke 1:26-31, 42

12. Christ's church will believe in immortality and eternal life, and in a heaven and a hell. After the resurrection, we will be assigned to different places according to the judgement. The first resurrection will be fore the righteous and will commence 1,000 years before the second resurrection.
*John 3:16-17; 5:28-29; 14:2
*1Corinthians 15:20-22, 40-42
*1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

13. The Savior's church will honor Sunday as the Sabbath, with the understanding that the resurrection transpired Sunday morning, the first day of the week-- and thus replaced Saturday as the Sabbath.
*Hosea 2:11
*Matthew 28:1
*John 5:18
*Acts 20:7
*1 Corinthians 16:2

14. Officers as well as members of Christ's church will receive continuous revelation from God.
*Amos 3:7
*Matthew 16:13, 16-19
*Ephesians 1:17

15. Members of the Lord's church will be payers of tithes and offerings
*Malachi 3:8,11
*Luke 11:42
*Hebrews 7:4-5

16. Members of the church will regularly partake of the Lord's supper. The sacrament represents the flesh and blood of Christ and is partaken of in remembrance of him.
*Matthew 26:26-28
*Acts 20:7
*1 Corinthians 16:1-2

17. Members of the Lord's church will experience miracles, such as visions, tongues, and prophecies. In addition, the church will practice divine healing. When members of the church are sick, elders of the church will anoint them with oil and heal them.
*Matthew 9:18
*Mark 6:5; 16:17-18
*Acts 5:12, 16
*James 5:14-15

18. Church leaders will teach that the resurrected Jesus Christ will come again to the earth in the last days. This "second coming" will be greatly anticipated.
*Job 19:25-26
*Matthew 24:30
*Acts 1:11; 3:19-21

19. Members of the Lord's church will be persecuted for their beliefs.
*Matthew 5:10-12; 24:9
*Luke 6:22-23

20. The church as a whole, as well as its members, will be recognized for their "fruits"-- as will the prophets who lead them. The church will esteem honesty, virtue, and wholesome activity.
*Proverbs 15:4
*Luke 6:43-44
*2 Corinthians 9:10
*Philippians 4:17
*Hebrews 13:18

21. The church must provide salvation for all of God's children, not just those who receive the gospel while living on the earth. It will practice baptism for the dead.
*Mark 16:16
*John 3:1-8
*1 Corinthians 15:29

22. The church will build temples similar to the one Solomon built, which was destroyed and built again at the time of Christ. These temples will have unique purposes, including baptism and other ordinances. Temples will also be holy places, contain the Holy of Holies, and be used by members as places of worship.
*Isaiah 2:3
*Malachi 3:1, 7

23. Christ's original church was organized by him and named after him, and his church today will also be named after him.
*Acts 4:10-12
*Ephesians 1:22; 4:11-14; 5:23-24

24. Specific authority to function in the administration of the church is called "priesthood." It is obtained through ordination by one having the power to so ordain.
*1 Samuel 13:9-14
*Mark 6:7
*John 7:16; 20:21
*Acts 19:2-5
*Hebrews 5:4-6, 8-10

25. A higher priesthood authority is required to bestow the Holy Ghost than to baptize
*Matthew 16:19
*Mark 1:7-8
*Acts 8:15-18; 19:2-6

26. The church that Christ originally organized did not baptize infants since the prerequisite for baptism was (1) a capacity for repentance of past personal sins, and (2) a personal belief in the divinity and teachings of Christ.
*Mark 10:14-15; 16:16
*Acts 2:38; 8:12

27. The church is to send out missionaries (in twos), to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ
*Mark 6:7
*Luke 10:1

28. The church will have a welfare system to provide for the poor and the needy within the church. Members are to provide for themselves and their families first, and then receive help from the church.
*Deuteronomy 15:11
*Psalm 9:18
*Isaiah 14:30
*Mark 10:21
*Luke 18:22
*Romans 15:26

29. The church will have a law of health. Alchoholic beverages will not be used by members of the church.
*Ephesians 5:18
*1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:9-10

30. The church will be one that is restored to the earth. Christ's original church experienced a great apostasy or falling away, but his church will be returned or restored again in the last days.
*Jeremiah 31:31-34
*Acts 3:19-21
*2 Thessalonians 2:1-13
*Revelation 14:6-7

31. Christ's church will believe in being saved by the grace of Christ through exercising faith in him. In other words, it will teach that when we repent of our sins and forsake them, the atonement of Christ will cleanse our sins.
*Matthew 7:21-29
*Mark 16:15-16
*Luke 6:46-49
*1 Timothy 4:10
*James 1:22-25; 2:14-26

32. The church will preach only the true gospel of Christ, with no variations. It will neither add to the meaning of Christ's teachings nor takeaway from them--even though current revelation will provide insight into them.
*Matthew 5:19
*Galatians 1:6-9
*Ephesians 4:5
*Hebrews 13:8-9

33. Christ's church will espouse a pre-earth life, or a pre-existence, such as that taught by the Orthodox Jews. Included in this teaching will be the doctrine of fore ordination and not predestination. God the Father will be recognized as having created the individual spirits of all people.
*Genesis 1:26-31
*Job 38:4-7
*Ecclesiastes 1:4-5
*John 17:5
*Ephesians 1:4-5
*Hebrews 12:9

34. The church will believe in the "original sin" of Adam. Nevertheless, it will teach that Christ atoned for Adam's sin, and that we will be punished for our won sins, as Adam's sin has already been atoned for.
*John 1:29
*Acts 24:14-15
*Romans 5:6-19
*1 Corinthians 15:21-23

35. Christ's church will teach that the gathering of Israel, in the last days, will be literal.
*Isaiah 5:26-30; 11:12-13; 35
*Jeremiah 3:14-18; 31:10

36. Members of the true church will respect the beliefs of others and will allow all people to worship as they choose.
*Galatians 5:22-26; 6:1-2
*2 Thessalonians 1:7-10

37. The church will be subject to the laws of the land, regardless of the type of government in power in that land--thus rendering to Caesar that which is his, and to God that which is his.
*Matthew 22:21
*Mark 12:17
*Luke 20:25

38. Is should be recognized that, while perfection is to be sought by each member of Christ's church, the members will have human failings and will make mistakes, and they will thus need to grow and learn--line upon line, precept upon precept.
*Isaiah 28:10
*Ephesians 4:11-14, 28, 32

39. After repentance, baptism by immersion is essential, as is receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. A person performing these ordinances of baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost must be duly authorized to perform such ordinances.
*Matthew 3:13-15
*John 3:5
*Acts 2:38, 41; 22:16

40. The Savior's church will have an unpaid ministry. This lay ministry will be called "by revelation," even as the apostles called new members to their quorum following the resurrection of Christ.
*Amos 3:7
*Micah 3:11
*John 10:13
*Acts 1:22-26
*1 Corinthians 9:18
*1 Peter 5:2

41. Satan is a real spirit being and not a figment of people's imagination.
*Job 1:6
*Matthew 4:10
*Mark 1:13; 8:33
*Luke 13:16; 22:3, 31
*John 13:27
*Acts 26:18

42. The Holy Ghost will bear witness of the truthfulness of the Savior's plan, when it is presented. This is the one sure way of knowing which, if any, of the churches belongs to the Savior.
*John 16:13-14
*1 Corinthians 12:4-12
*Galatians 5:22-26
*Ephesians1:17

The Prophet Joseph Smith

A very important man in the church was Joseph Smith jr. He was the man who organized the church after the Apostasy, when it had left the earth.
Here is a movie about him. It brings up major times in his life, and shows how hard he worked to build up God's Church.

I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, and that he led His church in righteousness. I know that he had trials, but he still pressed on, and was able to find comfort in his faith.
I am very grateful for all he did.

What do those crazy Mormons believe in, anyway? part 10

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the ten tribes; that Zion, the New Jerusalem, will be built upon the American Continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and the the earth will be removed and recieve it's paradisical glory.

This talks about some historical/scriptural things.
Let's start with the gathering of Israel.

First, before something is gathered, usually it's scattered. This happened to 10 of the 12 tribes in about 600 BC, when the Babylonians took over (note: the two that weren't scattered were Judah and Benjamin, the Jews. The tribe of Benjamin had merged with the tribe of Judah)
The gathering needs to happen spiritually, and physically. To be spiritually gathered, everyone will be gathered to God, in His true church. This church was lost for a time, when most of the apostles were killed; but it was restored again in 1830-ish, by Joseph Smith. Now, Israel continues to be gathered as missionaries of the LDS church go out and preach the gospel.
The physical gathering won't happen until the Second Coming of Christ (more on that later). We believe that those from the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manessah) will gather on the American continent, and that the tribe of Judah will gather in Jerusalem/Israel. The other tribes will be adopted into the tribe of Ephraim. 
For more info on this (and probably more accurate info :)) here are three resources.
This is a link to an article which was published in the Ensign (a church magazine)
Here is a link to a handbook
And, lastly, here is a video from a previous General Conference:

2) Zion, the New Jerusalem, is the church. It is founded on the American continent (specifically, Utah :)).

3) The 2nd Coming of Christ. The 1st Coming happened in 1 AD, when Christ was born. He died, and then rose again on the 3rd day. He will come again. This promise was first heard by His apostles, in Acts 1:11 ...this same Jesus, which is ^btaken up from you into heaven, shall so ^ccome in like ^dmanner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
When will this come? Some people in the time of the Apostles thought that it would be soon. But Paul said that "that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first..." (2 Thessalonians 2:3) This falling away was the Apostasy, that happened shortly after this revelation.
There are other signs of His coming, but no one knows exactly when it's going to happen.
This is a site that tells of some of the signs of the 2nd Coming.
Here is a paper written by another girl, sharing her thoughts on the 2nd Coming.
This is another talk, giving advice about how to prepare for it:

4) The earth will be removed and recieve her paradisical glory. What in the world does this mean? Hold on, let me look it up...
I believe that this is talking about the Millenium. This will come after the 2nd Coming. It is a 1000 year period, when the devil will be chained, and the earth will be a paradise.
For more on the Millenium, and what comes after, see ???

And that is the 10th Article of Faith. It's probably one of the most techinal, and hardest to understand.

What do those crazy Mormons believe in, anyway? part 9

We believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
This is one of my favorite Articles of Faith (for memorizing, that is :)).

One repeated word is "revelation", or the equivalent thereof. The scriptural definition of "Revelation" is communication from God to His children. This guidance comes through various channels according to the needs and circumstances of individuals, families, and the Church as a whole. When the Lord reveals His will to the Church, He speaks through His prophet. According to our faithfulness, we can receive revelation to help us with our specific personal needs, responsibilities, and questions and to help us strengthen our testimony. (True to the Faith; Revelation)
 
So we believe all He HAS. I think that this is the scriptures. The Bible and the Book of Mormon. We believe in them, and that they come from God.

All that He does NOW. This is an interesting comcept. And sometimes hard for other faiths to grasp. God still reveals things today. Just like the above definition says, when God wants to speak to His church, He speaks through the prophet.
When you think about it, God isn't a changeable God (*), and He isn't a respecter of persons (*). So why wouldn't He give revelations always?

God's Words... Never Cease

Elder Holland

All that He will YET. This means that God will continue to speak to us. And we have decided before hand to believe what He will say.

God is omniscience. He is all-knowing. He knows what's going to happen, and what's happening right now. His revelations can give us counsel TODAY of what we should do to get the best FUTURE experiences.

What do those crazy Mormons believe in, anyway? (part 6)

We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church; namely-- apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth. -Article of Faith #6.

We have all of those "jobs" in the church: Pres. Thomas S. Monson is our prophet living on earth today. He has 12 apostles called to help him. Our pastors are known as bishops, and they are in charge of presiding over wards, which can be a neighborhood, a city, or a state- depends on the concentration of church members there. We have teachers called by the bishops to help us understand gospel principles, and to answer our questions. Evangelists are also called Patriarchs. There are family patriarchs (the father), and stake patriarchs, and the prophet is also a patriarch, since he has all of the keys and all of the powers that God has given to men. Stake patriarchs give 'patriarchal blessings'. These blessings are for individual people, who seek to get them once they feel they are ready.

So that is that one. Almost. Just one more thing: These are the same jobs that the church members had in the time of Christ. How did we get them in these days? "That I can tell you in one word!:" Restoration!
Here is a video about the Restoration:

This shows how it happened.
The Restoration brought back the powers and keys that the church had back in the days of Christ, and Peter.

"That's All, Folks"