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By Chukwudi Nweje
• Some of the participants
On Saturday, February 17 2024, two ranking Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder David Bednar and Elder Patrick Kearon, of the Quorum of The Twelve Apostles of the Church, visited Nigeria in continuation of their mission to preach and propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Elder Bednar is not a stranger to Nigeria, having been to the country twice before. But the visit was Elder Kearon’s first time in the country. Also in the delegation were Elder Carlos A. Godoy, Sister Jennifer Kearon, Sister Susan Bednar, and Sister Monica Godoy. The team was in Nigeria for a serious mission. The elders were in Nigeria to commune with other members of the Church of Christ, including to hold meetings with Young Single Adults (YSA) from different parts of the country, who gathered at Lagos Nigeria Ikeja Stake Centre. They were also to meet with members of the press to address some of the common misconceptions and misrepresentations about The Church of Christ.
Some common misconceptions and misrepresentations about the Church include those on the belief, relationship with other Christian faiths and the origin of the name, Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints, a name said to have been given by revelation from God to Joseph Smith in 1838.
Elder Bednar and Elder Kearon answered questions on a wide range of subjects.
Our belief
We believe that we are all sons and daughters of God; that makes all of us brothers and sisters and so we have a wonderful responsibility to travel all over the world declaring the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and trying to preach the principle of His gospel that brings true happiness and joy. It is not reserved for only members of our church; we share that with everyone.
The Mission
We teach our people to live exemplary lives. It is not just preaching in terms of what we say; we think that disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ follow His example, which is the most powerful sermon you can pass; so we teach our people to learn the teachings of Jesus Christ and perhaps, even more important, not just to know them but to live them. We think that speaks very loud and very clear.
What we offer
We have a range of things that we offer to members of our church but let’s highlight just one. There is a recent statistics that over the next 20 years one in four young people in the world will be in Africa. So there is a rising generation of young people in Nigeria and we have what we call ‘Gathering Places’ where our young people come together and receive spiritual instructions; they also receive practical skills training that will help them become self-reliant. So, not only will they become faithful members of the Church and followers of Jesus Christ, but they will also become remarkable citizens of Nigeria with the capacity to contribute to their communities and the country.
Programmes for members and non-members
About half of the Church in Nigeria is represented by what we call the Relief Society, which is the women’s organisation that encompasses all women. We have an organisation for young women aged 12 to 18, and we have organisations for young adults aged 18 to 30 and we have an organisation for children at three till they are about 11 to 12. We of course also have the men’s organisation; we try to weave together to build families because we believe the family is the heart of any nation, any people, any faith. We regard all of these as scaffolding to support the family which is the real foundation of the society.
Quiet preaching as against crusades
Our children aged 18 to their mid-20s go out around the world, quietly we hope, go door to door or on the street and meet people where they are and share what we believe, and our children come back with deeper faith from that experience around the world. We hope they take the joy of the gospel to all the nations of the earth where it is legal for us to do so. We might not be noisy but we hope we are doing the Lord’s work.
Message to Nigeria
In a world where there is increasing conflict, in a world where there is the polarisation of people moving away to different points of view, there is an enduring source of peace, and that is our Lord Jesus Christ, He is not a fable, He is not a story; He lived and was resurrected, and He lives and He is the source of joy and peace, that is the best message.
Message on inter-religious peace and dialogue
Dialogue between faith and people brings understanding and we are willing to dialogue with other faiths; we host dialogue with other faiths. My experience is that dialogue brings understanding and friendship, and a lack of understanding leads to a lack of trust. Conversation and dialogue lead to understanding, which produces trust and we need greater trust in societies throughout the world. Institutions are mistrusted in many societies and you will find us eager to take part in other faiths here in Nigeria.
The uniqueness of The Church of Christ
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is neither Pentecostal nor Orthodox; it doesn’t fit into any category.
We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ as it existed on the earth anciently has been re-established, and restored, if you will, in the latter days. That’s the reason for the name of the church. You read in the New Testament about the Church of Jesus Christ. The members of that ancient church were called saints. If you read, for example, in Ephesians, the first chapter, Paul writes to the saints in Ephesus. So, in the church that you see or read about in the New Testament, you can call the Church of Jesus Christ of long time ago saints or the Church of Jesus Christ of ancient day saints. We believe that the same Church with the same doctrine, the same authority, and the same holy ordinances has been returned to the earth on this day. That’s why it’s called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So it doesn’t fit into a category. It stands alone, if you will, with the claim that this is the restored Church of Jesus Christ as he established it in ancient times.
The Role of The Church
We preach the gospel, we teach that we have a Father in heaven, and a Saviour who loves us, and we practise many things. But in terms of the community, we believe that we should love and help our neighbours in the way that our saviour did when he was upon the earth and we try to do that and you will see us in the coming years striving even harder to be kind and loving to our neighbours
Relationship with other faiths
We are active participants in many inter-faith councils and locations around the world. There are differences in doctrine that will not be resolved but we have much more in common than we have differences with all Christians all over the world, with Moslems and Jews, we are all brothers and sisters.
Gay marriages
We believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. Now, those who have same-sex attraction, we love them as brothers and sisters. We do not discriminate against them. We’re also not perfect. Some people have prejudices and biases. So, we counsel, we teach, and we encourage our members to be loving to all. But we firmly declare that marriage is between a man and a woman.
