The Doctrine of Belonging

This talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson was one of those talks, that as soon as I heard it, I knew it was going to be one of my favorites. I loved it. His words and counsel really resonated with me and I am so grateful for his thoughts on BELONGING. He spoke of diversity, he spoke of service and sacrifice, he spoke of gathering – he spoke of being one.

Elder Christofferson discussed how the doctrine of belonging has three parts. The first is the role of belonging in gathering the Lord’s covenant people. He spoke of the diversity the Church has and that we need one another.

The second part of the doctrine of belonging is focused on our service and sacrifice. This is something I have learned for myself. I have had various times in my life when I have had tunnel vision. When I have been so zeroed in on my or my family’s problems that I didn’t allow myself to look outside of my situation. And those times of my life were very isolating and lonely. I didn’t feel like I belonged. And I have developed a testimony that when we reach out of ourselves we find companionship and love as we serve one another.

The last beautiful layer of belonging is our relationship with the Savior. Everything goes back to our relationship with our Savior and to the covenants we make. When we believe and truly FEEL like we belong with our Savior – that we have yoked ourselves to Him – there is no better feeling of belonging. And this is the goal.

Elder Christofferson ends with some beautiful affirmations:

Jesus Christ died for me
He thought me worthy of His blood
He loves me and can make all the difference in my life
As I repent, His grace will transform me
I am one with Him in the gospel covenant
I belong in His Church and kingdom
I belong in His cause to bring redemption to all of God’s children

The personal application I took from Elder Christofferson’s messages was that I want to strengthen my relationship with my Savior. I want to trust Him in all aspects of my life. And if I can do that, I will develop a sense of belonging with Him that I can share with others in my life.

Highlights

“The doctrine of belonging in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints…has three parts: (1) the role of belonging in gathering the Lord’s covenant people, (2) the importance of service and sacrifice in belonging, and (3) the centrality of Jesus Christ to belonging.

As the long-prophesied latter-day gathering of the Lord’s covenant people gains momentum, the Church will truly be composed of members from ever nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

We cannot permit any racism, tribal prejudice, or other divisions to exist in the latter-day Church of Christ…We should be diligent in rooting prejudice and discrimination out of the Church, out of our homes, and, most of all, out of our hearts…We need one another.

A sense of belonging is important to our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Yet it is quite possible that at times each of us might feel that we don’t fit in. In discouraging moments, we may feel that we will never measure up to the Lord’s high standards or the expectations of others. We may unwittingly impose expectations on others – or even ourselves – that are not the Lord’s expectations. We may communicate in subtle ways that the worth of a soul is based on certain achievements or callings, but these are not the measure of our standing in the Lord’s eyes. “The Lord looketh on the heart.” He cares about our desires and longings and what we are becoming.

Let us leave judgment in the Lord’s hands and those He has commissioned and be content to love and treat each other the best we can. Let us ask Him to show us the way, day by day, to “bring in…the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind” – that is, everyone – to the great feast of the Lord.

A second facet of the doctrine of belonging has to do with our own contributions. Although we rarely think about it, much of our belonging comes from our service and sacrifices we make for others and for the Lord. Excessive focus on our personal needs or our own comfort can frustrate the sense of belonging.

Belonging comes not as we wait for it but as we reach out to help one another.

Any sacrifice we make in the Lord’s cause helps to confirm our place with Him who gave His life a ransom for many.

The final and most important element of the doctrine of belonging is the central role of Jesus Christ. We don’t join the Church for fellowship alone, important as that is. We join for redemption through the love and grace of Jesus Christ. We join to secure the ordinances of salvation and exaltation for ourselves and those we love on both sides of the veil. We join to participate in a great project to establish Zion in preparation for the Lord’s return.

The Church is the custodian of the covenants of salvation and exaltation that God offers us through the ordinances of the holy priesthood. It is by keeping these covenants that we obtain the highest and deepest sense of belonging.

We can feel joy as we pursue, individually and communally, “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Despite disappointments and setbacks along the way, it is a grand quest. We lift and encourage each other in pursuing the upward path, knowing that no matter tribulation and no matter delays in promised blessings, we can “be of good cheer, [for Christ has] overcome the world,” and we are with Him. Being one with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is without doubt the ultimate in belonging.

Thus, the doctrine of belonging comes down to this – each one of us can affirm: Jesus Christ died for me; He thought me worthy of His blood. He loves me and can make all the difference in my life. As I repent, His grace will transform me. I am one with Him in the gospel covenant; I belong in His Church and kingdom; and I belong in His cause to bring redemption to all of God’s children.

I testify you do belong.”

FULL text and video of Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk can be found HERE.

Other messages from the October 2022 General Conference that I have found particularly impactful: