Why We Need the Church and Prophets—Even with a Personal Relationship with Christ

Many people today feel they don’t need an organized church to have a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. After all, doesn’t God want a personal relationship with each of us? Isn’t He capable of guiding us individually? The answer is yes—our Heavenly Father deeply desires a personal connection with us. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need His Church or His prophets. In fact, the Church and its leaders are essential in helping us fully experience that relationship and stay firmly on the path to eternal life.

God’s Pattern: A Church and Prophets

Throughout history, whenever the Lord has reached out to His children, He has done so through prophets and an organized church. From Adam to Moses to Peter and Paul, God has called leaders to teach, guide, and administer sacred ordinances. When Christ Himself ministered on earth, He didn’t just preach to individuals—He established a Church with apostles, ordinances, and priesthood authority (see Matthew 16:15–19; Ephesians 2:19–22).

This pattern didn’t change when He restored the gospel through Joseph Smith. In Doctrine and Covenants 20–22, we learn that Christ not only restored lost truths and priesthood power but also re-established His Church. He did this not to replace personal revelation, but to support and strengthen our personal relationship with Him.

Why We Need the Church, Even with a Strong Personal Faith

It’s true that we can pray, study the scriptures, and receive personal revelation. But Christ’s Church provides blessings we cannot access on our own:

1. Sacred Ordinances Bring Us Closer to Christ

Baptism, the sacrament, and other ordinances aren’t just symbolic; they are covenants that bind us to Jesus Christ. Through baptism, we receive a remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost (D&C 20:37). Through the sacrament, we renew that covenant and receive the promise that His Spirit will always be with us (D&C 20:77, 79). These sacred blessings require priesthood authority, which is only found in Christ’s Church.

2. Prophets Provide Safety and Direction

Christ could have chosen to guide each of us individually without a prophet. Instead, He commands us to receive His prophet’s words “in all patience and faith” because He knows we need that guidance (D&C 21:4–6).

Personal revelation is essential, but it doesn’t replace prophetic revelation. The prophet helps us avoid deception, stay unified as disciples of Christ, and prepare for what lies ahead. He sees dangers we cannot see and gives us direction that keeps us spiritually safe.

3. The Church Strengthens Us Through Fellowship

We are not meant to walk the path of discipleship alone. The Church provides a community of believers who uplift, support, and serve each other. When we struggle, we need others to strengthen our faith. When others struggle, they need us.

In many of my most important decisions in life, I have sought personal revelation to understand the Lord’s will. Yet, even after receiving an answer, I have always felt the need for a second witness—to confirm that I am truly understanding His guidance. Almost without fail, that confirmation has come, often unsolicited, through priesthood leaders. Whether it was a bishop’s counsel, a message in general conference, or a quiet reassurance from a priesthood blessing, these second witnesses have strengthened my confidence in the Lord’s direction. These experiences have taught me that while personal revelation is essential, the Lord has also provided His Church and His ordained leaders to help us recognize and act on His will with greater certainty.

A Personal Relationship with Christ and His Church Go Hand in Hand

Having a deep, personal connection with Jesus Christ is essential. But the very reason He restored His Church was to help us grow in that relationship. The Church, its ordinances, and its prophets are not obstacles to knowing Christ personally—they are His gifts to help us know Him more deeply.

Rather than asking, “Do I need the Church if I have a strong faith?” perhaps we should ask:

• Am I fully embracing the gifts Christ has given to bring me closer to Him?
• Do I see the Church and prophets as barriers, or as bridges, to a deeper relationship with the Savior?
• How has my membership in Christ’s Church strengthened my personal faith?

The Lord’s Church and His prophets don’t take away from our personal relationship with Him. They enhance and protect it. As we follow the pattern Christ Himself established, we will not only grow in our personal faith but also find greater joy, safety, and purpose in His restored gospel.

Redeemed Through Christ

 

Redeemed Through Christ: Martin Harris, the Atonement, and Overcoming Our Mistakes

Martin Harris is often remembered for one of the greatest missteps in early Church history—losing the 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript. His mistake led to sorrow, regret, and even a temporary loss of his role in the unfolding Restoration. But Martin’s story does not end there.

Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, he found redemption, moved forward in faith, and played a crucial role in bringing forth the Book of Mormon. His story is a powerful testament that no mistake is too great to be overcome through Christ.

The Weight of Mistakes

In 1828, Martin Harris, a respected and prosperous man in Palmyra, acted as a scribe for Joseph Smith. Anxious to prove the truth of the Book of Mormon to his skeptical wife and friends, he repeatedly asked the prophet for permission to take the manuscript home. After multiple denials, the Lord allowed Martin to take the pages under strict conditions. Tragically, they were lost.

This mistake weighed heavily on Martin. The Lord chastened him, and for a time, he lost the privilege of helping with the translation. However, Martin did not let his mistake define him. He repented, regained his standing before the Lord, and later made an enormous sacrifice to ensure the Book of Mormon was published—mortgaging his farm to pay for the printing.

If Martin had let his failure consume him, the story could have ended differently. Instead, because of his faith in Christ’s redeeming power, he pressed forward, ultimately becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon.

The Atonement: Overcoming Our Own Mistakes

Martin’s journey mirrors our own. We all make mistakes. At times, we may feel like we have lost something precious—our peace, our testimony, or our closeness with God. But Christ’s Atonement makes it possible for us to move forward.

In Doctrine and Covenants 19:15–20, the Savior speaks of His suffering in Gethsemane:

"For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent."

Jesus Christ willingly bore our burdens so that we don’t have to remain trapped by our past. When we truly repent, we are not just forgiven—we are changed. Like Martin Harris, we can turn our greatest mistakes into stepping stones for growth.

What Is the Gospel Worth to Us?

Even after his mistake, Martin was willing to sacrifice his wealth, reputation, and comfort for the Book of Mormon’s publication. He put his faith in something greater than himself. This raises an important question for each of us: What is the gospel of Jesus Christ worth to me?

Sometimes we let our past mistakes convince us that we are unworthy to serve or sacrifice for God’s kingdom. But Christ’s Atonement is proof that we are never beyond redemption. If Martin Harris, once chastened by the Lord, could go on to do great things, so can we.

Finding Peace in Christ

The Lord’s invitation in Doctrine and Covenants 19:23 is clear:

"Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me."

The peace Christ offers is not dependent on a perfect past—it is available to all who come unto Him. No matter our missteps, we can find peace in knowing that the Savior sees our potential, not just our past.

Moving Forward in Faith

Martin Harris’s story does not end with his mistake. He went on to be a witness of the gold plates, testified of the Book of Mormon until his dying day, and eventually gathered to Utah to be rebaptized. His life teaches us that failure is not final when faith is present.

If we have fallen short, we can take comfort in knowing that Christ’s Atonement allows us to get back up. Like Martin, we can repent, refocus, and move forward. Our past does not have to define us—through Christ, our future is always bright.