SECTION
164
President
Stephen M. Veazey released counsel to the church on January 17, 2010,
at the Temple in Independence, Missouri. Counsel also was printed in
the February 2010 Herald. The church had time to consider the counsel
and its implications before World Conference. President Veazey
formally submitted the following counsel to the World Conference on
Sunday, April 11, 2010. On Wednesday, April 14, 2010 the World
Conference voted to accept the inspired document as the mind and will
of God for the church and ordered its inclusion in the Doctrine and
Covenants. President Veazey prefaced paragraphs of the inspired
document with introductory statements.
While
sharing with the church in prayer, discussion, and discernment about
important issues, I received an increasingly strong sense of divine
direction about conditions of membership and other pressing
questions. A significant aspect of my experience was God’s Spirit
drawing me to consider various scripture passages. After I thoroughly
explored many passages, the Holy Spirit focused my attention on
Galatians 3:27–29:
As
many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or
free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in
Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s
offspring, heirs according to the promise.
While
I studied this passage, the Spirit helped me see much broader
dimensions of God’s grace working through Christ to transform human
relationships in a divided world. As a result, I have an even-greater
testimony than before of the power of the gospel of Christ to birth a
new creation among those who dare to live its message in sacred
community.
As
the significance of what was unfolding became more obvious, the
Spirit led me to consider a series of Doctrine and Covenants
sections. Each addressed spiritual and relational dynamics of being a
prophetic people. (For example, see Sections 10:6, 147:7, 149:4,
161:5, 162:2, and 163:7.) These include distinguishing between
more-universal spiritual principles and particular expressions of
them within the confines of human history and understanding. Being a
divinely-led prophetic people involves—as a necessity—reevaluating
at times some existing understandings and customs to allow added
insight and interpretation under the Spirit’s guidance.
With
that background in mind, I present the following counsel to the
church in response to the guidance of God’s Spirit. I offer this
counsel in humility, fully aware of my limitations and weaknesses,
which I always carry as a burden. I also present these words with
full conviction of their truthfulness as an expression of the spirit
of wisdom and revelation that flows from God’s eternal being.
To
the Councils, Quorums, and Orders, to the World Conference, and to
the church:
1. All
who actively engaged in prayer, discussion, and discernment about
important issues in the church’s life are commended for your
faithful response. Your disciplined effort to open your lives more
fully to God’s Spirit in response to the call to be a prophetic
people has become a blessing to the entire church. Your spiritual
yearning for light and truth has created a favorable environment for
the Spirit’s movement to provide inspired counsel as authoritative
guidance for the church.
2a.
Instruction given previously about baptism was proper to ensure the
rise and cohesiveness of the church during its early development and
in following years. However, as a growing number have come to
understand, the redemptive action of God in Christ—while uniquely
and authoritatively expressed through the church—is not confined
solely to the church.
2b.
God’s grace, revealed in Jesus Christ, freely moves throughout
creation, often beyond human perception, to achieve divine purposes
in people’s lives. In harmony with God’s will, the Holy Spirit
leads some people already committed to Jesus Christ through Christian
baptism to further focus their response through church membership.
2c.
Individuals previously baptized of water in an attitude of humility
and repentance and as an expression of faith in Jesus Christ may
become church members through the sacrament of confirmation of the
Holy Spirit.
2d.
Confirmation should follow a time of intentional preparation that
includes exploring the church’s mission, beliefs, and understanding
of discipleship expressed through covenant with God and others in
sacred community.
2e.
During the confirmation prayer include an acknowledgement of the
grace and authority of Jesus Christ through which baptism occurs.
Also, bear witness to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, which weaves
people’s giftedness into beautiful patterns of community to enrich
their discipleship and to strengthen the fabric of the church.
3a.
All church members are urged to examine the depth of your baptismal
commitment. Having been baptized and confirmed, become fully immersed
in the servant life of Christ.
3b.
Live the meaning of your baptism daily as you grow in the skills and
qualities of discipleship. Actively and generously support the
ministries of the church, which was divinely established to restore
Christ’s covenant of peace, even the Zion of your hopes.
3c.
The Eternal Christ invites those who have yet to experience the
blessings of baptism to “Follow me in the way of righteousness and
peace.” Be baptized of water and the Spirit and discover your
spiritual home as a fully functioning member of the body.
Some
have continued to express concerns about how the sacrament of the
Lord’s Supper should be conducted. In other places, the meaning and
potential power of this sacrament has been lessened by a lack of
understanding and preparation. Because of these circumstances, the
following counsel is given as confirmed by the Spirit:
4a.
Serve the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper to all committed followers
of Christ as a visible witness of loving Christian fellowship and
shared remembrance of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
Individuals may choose whether or not to receive the emblems
according to their faith and understanding in harmony with guidelines
provided by the First Presidency.
4b.
This pastoral provision does not lessen additional meanings
associated with this sacrament in the church’s life. When the
church gathers for Communion, highlight the opportunity for members
to reaffirm their baptismal covenant, to reconcile strained
relationships, and to commit together to the church’s mission of
promoting communities of generosity, justice, and peacefulness.
4c.
Explore all the ways the Lord’s Supper can spiritually form the
church community into a true and living expression of the life,
sacrifice, resurrection, and continuing presence of Christ. Inherent
in this sacrament is the divine call for the church to be a
sacramental offering for the blessing, healing, and peace of
creation.
Serious
questions about moral behavior and relationships continue to arise in
many nations. These issues are complex and difficult to understand
outside their particular settings because of strikingly different
cultural histories, customs, and understandings of scripture. For
example, the issues include female submission, female genital
mutilation, child brides, forced marriages, and sexual
permissiveness. They include cleansing and exploitation of widows,
harsh conflicts over same-gender attraction and relationships, and
varying legal, religious, and social definitions of marriage, to name
just a few.
Over
the last several years the need to resolve various moral and justice
issues has intensified and become more complicated because of the
growing international diversity of the church. The church has been
told in previous counsel that we have been given the struggles and
joys of diversity for divine purposes. (Doctrine and Covenants 162:4)
In response to my prayerful pleas for light regarding God’s
purposes being worked out through our difficult struggles over
various issues, God graciously blessed me with the following counsel:
5. It
is imperative to understand that when you are truly baptized into
Christ you become part of a new creation. By taking on the life and
mind of Christ, you increasingly view yourselves and others from a
changed perspective. Former ways of defining people by economic
status, social class, sex, gender, or ethnicity no longer are
primary. Through the gospel of Christ a new community of tolerance,
reconciliation, unity in diversity, and love is being born as a
visible sign of the coming reign of God.
6a. As
revealed in Christ, God, the Creator of all, ultimately is concerned
about behaviors and relationships that uphold the worth and
giftedness of all people and that protect the most vulnerable. Such
relationships are to be rooted in the principles of Christ-like love,
mutual respect, responsibility, justice, covenant, and faithfulness,
against which there is no law.
6b. If
the church more fully will understand and consistently apply these
principles, questions arising about responsible human sexuality,
gender identities, roles, and relationships; marriage; and other
issues may be resolved according to God’s divine purposes. Be
assured, nothing within these principles condones selfish,
irresponsible, promiscuous, degrading, or abusive relationships.
6c.
Faced with difficult questions, many properly turn to scripture to
find insight and inspiration. Search the scriptures for the Living
Word that brings life, healing, and hope to all. Embrace and proclaim
these liberating truths.
7a. A
world-wide prophetic church must develop cultural awareness and
sensitivity to distinguish between issues that should be addressed by
the World Conference and those that are best resolved nationally or
in other ways.
7b.
Fundamental principles of ethical behavior and relationships should
be addressed by the World Conference. The Conference should not
decide specific policies for all nations when those decisions likely
will cause serious harm in some of them.
7c.
However, timely resolution of pressing issues in various nations is
necessary for the restoring work of the gospel to move forward with
all of its potential. Therefore, let the proper World Church officers
act in their callings—as already provided in church law—to create
and interpret church policies to meet the needs of the church in
different nations in harmony with the principles contained in this
counsel.
7d.
Where possible and appropriate, convene national or field conferences
to provide opportunities for broader dialogue, understanding, and
consent. In those gatherings, let the spirit of love, justice, and
truth prevail.
The
Council of Twelve and the Council of Presidents of Seventy have given
ample attention to the previous instruction calling for the greatest
collaboration possible among the leading missionary quorums. Because
of their diligent efforts to create even-closer relationships to
strengthen the church evangelistic and community-building mission, I
now am free to offer the following counsel:
8a.
The importance of evaluating and aligning ministerial roles and
relationships to reach individuals and nations most effectively with
the liberating truths of the gospel is always incumbent on the
church.
8b.
For this purpose, the number of quorums of seventy and presidents of
seventy may be adjusted at times to respond to evangelistic
strategies in apostolic fields. The First Presidency, in concert with
the Council of Twelve and the Council of Presidents of Seventy, will
provide procedures for determining the number, makeup, and roles of
quorums of seventy and presidents of seventy.
8c.
Let the evangelistic ministries of the church accelerate.
While
finishing this counsel, I paused for a time to rest with God in
prayer and meditation, seeking added confirmation and clarity. From
that devoted time with God, these closing words of challenge and
promise unexpectedly sprang forth and found their place in this
document:
9a.
Beloved children of the Restoration, your continuing faith adventure
with God has been divinely-led, eventful, challenging, and sometimes
surprising to you. By the grace of God, you are poised to fulfill
God’s ultimate vision for the church.
9b.
When your willingness to live in sacred community as Christ’s new
creation exceeds your natural fear of spiritual and relational
transformation, you will become who you are called to be. The rise of
Zion the beautiful, the peaceful reign of Christ, awaits your
wholehearted response to the call to make and steadfastly hold to
God’s covenant of peace in Jesus Christ.
9c.
This covenant entails sacramental living that respects and reveals
God’s presence and reconciling activity in creation. It requires
whole-life stewardship dedicated to expanding the church’s
restoring ministries, especially those devoted to asserting the worth
of persons, protecting the sacredness of creation, and relieving
physical and spiritual suffering.
9d. If
you truly would be Community of Christ, then embody and live the
concerns and passion of Christ.
9e.
The challenges and opportunities are momentous. Will you remain
hesitant in the shadows of your fears, insecurities, and competing
loyalties? Or will you move forward in the light of your divinely
instilled call and vision?
9f.
The mission of Jesus Christ is what matters most for the journey
ahead.
The
burdens of the prophetic office have increased dramatically since the
last World Conference. However, my dedication to the church, my love
for our people, and my conviction regarding the church’s divine
calling have not waned, but have grown stronger.
With
deep trust in the spiritual competency and maturity of the church, I
turn the words of this counsel over to you for prayerful
consideration and continued discernment. As we continue our journey
together, may the gracious Spirit that blessed me similarly bless
those who seek divine affirmation of this counsel.
Stephen
M. Veazey
President
of the Church
Independence,
Missouri
April
11, 2010
