When it comes to untangling the complicated issue of finding unity in Christ within the diversity of Church congregations today, it is imperative that teachers point students to the teachings of prophets and apostles. Courtesy of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Abstract

This article explores Latter-day Saint Apostles’ teachings in general conferences from April 2020 through October 2023 about how to achieve unity within the increasing diversity of the global Church. It asserts that diverse disciples can experience the joy of unity by focusing on (1) Jesus Christ, (2) their shared identity as children of God, (3) the two great commandments, and (4) becoming one in spiritual purpose.

Keywords

unity, diversity, prophet, apostle, general conference, mosiah

Unity in an increasingly diverse world is a challenging and timely principle for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Alma’s plea for members of “the church of Christ” (Mosiah 18:17) to avoid contention and have “hearts knit together in unity and in love” (Mosiah 18:21) offers relevant and urgent counsel to a generation engulfed in complicated wars, heartrending social woes, sensitive issues related to gender and sexual orientation, worldwide pandemics, economic stresses, battles over environmental stewardship, and polarizing political rhetoric, especially during presidential election years. Competing perspectives may cause students to wrestle with unsettling differences of opinion. As Elder D. Todd Christofferson explains, these students live in an “extremely contentious world” in which the body of Christ is “too diverse and at times too discordant to be able to come together as one on any other basis or under any other name” other than Jesus Christ.[1]

Religious educators have precious opportunities to help students learn how to experience unity in Christ by going to the recent words of prophets, seers, and revelators. Though classes and congregations consist of members who prefer different political leaders, support different solutions to social problems, practice different applications of gospel principles, and cheer for different sports teams, they can still achieve harmony. In general conferences from April 2020 through October 2023, Apostles taught that diverse Latter-day Saints can feel united by focusing on (1) Jesus Christ, (2) their shared identity as children of God, (3) the two great commandments, and (4) becoming one in spiritual purpose.

This article amplifies the recent teachings of prophets and apostles for several doctrinal reasons. As the Answering My Gospel Questions Teacher Material explains, “Those the Lord calls as prophets and apostles, both ancient and modern, have a special calling and gift to ‘declare the mind and will of God to his people,’ [and] their words should receive priority over all other sources.”[2] In the June 2023 teaching youth and young adults broadcast for religious educators, Elder Neil L. Andersen echoes this clarification about the doctrinal preeminence of the teachings of prophets and apostles above “all other sources” by teaching, “There is an important principle that governs the doctrine of the Church. The doctrine is taught by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve.”[3] He further shares,

Can you see the importance of constantly bringing the teachings of the prophets and the apostles into your classroom discussions? The Lord’s directions for questions and concerns in our modern world come from those who have been ordained with apostolic authority. If confidence in the prophets and apostles is waning, the distractions, the misdirections, and the sophistries of the world can detach one from his or her spiritual moorings. Eagerly anticipate general conference and discuss the important teachings that follow. Clearly identify the sacred role of the Lord’s anointed. As the world moves further away from the commandments of God, the Apostles’ role will be increasingly important.[4]

When it comes to untangling complicated issues like how to find unity in Christ within the diversity of Church congregations today, it is imperative that teachers point students to the authoritative doctrinal teachings of prophets and apostles, whose “responsibility it is to communicate the will of the Lord.”[5] This article helps teachers to find and share these authoritative teachings.

Unity

The word unity appears only once in the English Book of Mormon.[6] Mosiah 18:21 records that Alma, the runaway and reformed priest of King Noah, preached near a fountain of pure water that members of Christ’s church should have “their hearts knit together in unity and in love” (emphasis added). Nevertheless, Mosiah 18:21 has been cited in general conferences 22 times through 2023,[7] while the word unity has been used 1,483 times during the general conferences between 1851 and 2023.[8] To put those frequencies in the contexts of other verses and keywords, the following data may be helpful: During the same years Jacob 2:21, Alma 5:33, 3 Nephi 11:10–11, Mosiah 2:17, and Helaman 5:12 have been cited in general conference 3, 17, 22, 64, and 86 times, respectively,[9] while humanitarian, Brigham Young University, Nauvoo, tithing, and faith have been cited in general conference 173, 615, 1,374, 4,094, and 30,966 times, respectively.[10] Thus, in Latter-day Saint general conferences, Mosiah 18:21’s message about “hearts knit together in unity” has been cited exactly as often (22 times) as 3 Nephi 11:10–11’s description of the resurrected Savior’s personal introduction to “people in the Western Hemisphere,”[11] and unity has been mentioned almost as frequently as Nauvoo (1,483 times to 1,491 times).

Whatever one makes of these data, it is important to note that unity is a significant gospel principle. Jesus Christ prayed that his disciples would “be one” even as he and the Father are one (John 17:11, 21–22). The Redeemer did not mince words when he commanded his followers to “be one,” adding that if they are “not one [they] are not [his]” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:27). “Unity is essential to the divine work we are privileged and called to do,” President Jean B. Bingham testifies. “But it doesn’t just happen. It takes effort and time to really counsel together—to listen to one another, understand others’ viewpoints, and share experiences.”[12] Sister Sharon Eubank adds a second witness to the work unity demands by stating, “Unity doesn’t magically happen; it takes work. It’s messy, sometimes uncomfortable, and happens gradually when we clear away the bad as fast as the good can grow.”[13] With all our differences, weaknesses, and mistakes,[14] counseling together to achieve inspired unity is complicated and challenging, but God intended it to be that way.

Aiming for unity within the rich diversity of perspectives, priorities, and practices of twenty-first-century Latter-day Saints is messy business. However, it provides an opportunity to place following Jesus Christ together above differing political affiliations, solutions to social problems, cultural backgrounds, philosophical paradigms, and behavioral preferences. As Elder Dale G. Renlund teaches, “We value the kaleidoscope of others’ characteristics, perspectives, and talents. If we are unable to place our discipleship to Jesus Christ above personal interests and viewpoints, we should reexamine our priorities and change.”[15] Despite the challenges of understanding, empathizing with, and lovingly negotiating differences that come with sharing spiritual space in diverse covenant communities, living with and learning from each other is worth it. “We need one another,” Elder Christofferson states, echoing President Russell M. Nelson, who also taught, “We need each other.”[16] Though the complementarity of diversity does not diminish the need to follow Christ’s commandments or keep his covenants to receive “all that [the] Father hath” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:38),[17] it does encourage the authenticity[18] of being one’s unique, best self and sharing irreplaceable, individual gifts. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland summarizes,

Diversity is not cacophony, and choirs do require discipline—for our purpose today, Elder Hales, I would say discipleship—but once we have accepted divinely revealed lyrics and harmonious orchestration composed before the world was, then our Heavenly Father delights to have us sing in our own voice, not someone else’s. Believe in yourself, and believe in Him. Don’t demean your worth or denigrate your contribution. Above all, don’t abandon your role in the chorus. Why? Because you are unique; you are irreplaceable. The loss of even one voice diminishes every other singer in this great mortal choir of ours, including the loss of those who feel they are on the margins of society or the margins of the Church.[19]

Striving for unity, then, requires striving for harmony, and harmony is produced by a combination of different sounds that create an intended musical effect only when following the laws that govern that effect. Sameness cannot produce harmony, and different sounds cannot achieve harmony when contradicting the laws that govern harmony. A diverse membership that keeps commandments and covenants is essential for the harmony that unity requires. Indeed, as Elder Christofferson concludes, “Unity does not require sameness, but it does require harmony.”[20]

The Church is made of diverse people, each with unique perspectives and life experiences. In that sense, the Church is like a kaleidoscope image, where diverse elements interact to create a beautiful pattern. Image by Ahmad Sharif, Pixabay.

Recent Prophetic Teachings about Unity

Mosiah 18:21 states that there “should be no contention one with another, but that [members of Christ’s Church] should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.” How can the global body of Christ achieve such unity when members think and act so differently, even in their applications of the same gospel? Clearly, striving for unity is messy work, with no easy answers. But are there answers? And where are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encouraged to find them?

Prophets and apostles provide uniquely significant answers as witnesses of Jesus Christ. In the restored Church of Jesus Christ,[21] they are special witnesses of his living reality[22] and of his doctrine.[23] When they are ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood office of apostle, they are given all priesthood keys necessary to direct God’s work of salvation and exaltation on the earth, though the prophet-president of the Church is the “only person on earth authorized to exercise all of those priesthood keys.”[24] Their witnesses are special because they are authorized and authoritative. Thus, these witnesses hold distinctive importance for doctrinal promulgation and interpretation in the Church. As Elder Andersen explains, “The Lord’s directions for questions and concerns in our modern world come from those who have been ordained with apostolic authority. . . . Clearly identify the sacred role of the Lord’s anointed. As the world moves further away from the commandments of God, the Apostles’ role will be increasingly important.”[25]

With Elder Andersen’s teaching in mind, what have prophets and apostles taught in the 2020s about navigating the messiness of unity within the diversity of today’s global Church membership? Many things. In the eight Latter-day Saint general conferences of 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, conference speakers mentioned unity 62 times.[26] In those conferences, nine of the fifteen Apostles (Presidents Nelson, Oaks, and Eyring, along with Elders Cook, Christofferson, Stevenson, Renlund, Gong, and Soares) used the word unity 42 times in thirteen talks.[27] Elder Soares mentioned unity in three talks (in October 2022, April 2023, and October 2023), while Elders Gong (in April 2021 and October 2023) and Christofferson (in October 2022 and April 2023) spoke about unity in two talks each. During this period, eight talks given by these Apostles cited Mosiah 18:21’s reference to “hearts knit together in unity.”[28] Clearly, between 2020 and 2023, apostolic teachings about the doctrine of unity were “not difficult to find.”[29] Furthermore, these apostolic teachings assert that diverse Latter-day Saints are more likely to achieve unity when they focus on (1) Jesus Christ, (2) a shared identity as God’s children, (3) the two great commandments, and (4) becoming one in spiritual purpose. The following paragraphs will examine each focus in order, beginning with the first.

Focus on Jesus Christ

First, between 2020 and 2023, Apostles in general conference taught that diverse Latter-day Saints are more likely to achieve unity when they focus on Jesus Christ.[30] As Elder Renlund explains, “Do you think that the people [in the Western Hemisphere after the resurrected Savior’s visit] were unified because they were all the same, or because they had no differences of opinion? I doubt it. Instead, contention and enmity disappeared because they placed their discipleship of the Savior above all else.”[31] Though Latter-day Saints who vote for adversarial candidates or cheer for rival teams may not agree on politics or sports, they can agree that Jesus Christ offers forgiveness, resurrection, succor, salvation, and exaltation to all and can choose to follow him together. They can choose to worship together in ways that “gather together in one all things [and all members] in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10). Moreover, the differences that they bring to the table of discipleship may provide a more balanced feast for all, and, as Elder Renlund summarizes, “we value the kaleidoscope of others’ characteristics, perspectives, and talents.”[32]

Rather than contending about differences of opinion to push for unanimity through sameness, Latter-day Saints can choose to see their differences as complementary pieces in the mosaic of discipleship. This mosaic—an image of the body of Christ—cannot be complete without everyone’s contributions and attributes, which implies strength through diversity. Elder Christofferson explains this kind of additive unity by stating that “people can bring different gifts and perspectives. And the wide range of experience and backgrounds and challenges that people face will show us what really is essential in the gospel of Christ. And much of the rest that’s been, perhaps, acquired over time and is more cultural than doctrinal can slip away, and we can really learn to be disciples.”[33] For this reason, among others, Latter-day Saints should not only tolerate diversity but welcome it. As Elder Renlund exhorts, “If we are unable to place our discipleship to Jesus Christ above personal interests and viewpoints, we should reexamine our priorities and change.”[34] The Apostle Paul provides a compelling analogy about the additive blessings of unity in diversity when he states, “If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? . . . And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you” (1 Corinthians 12:17, 21). Similarly, the body of Christ today is more complete when a bishop hears the viewpoints of the member who emphasizes Christlike justice and the member who emphasizes Christlike mercy. It is a better representation of the breadth of Christ’s character when one ministering sister couples her focus on calculated administering with her companion’s focus on spontaneous ministering. It is more aligned with the totality of Christ’s doctrine when a stake council has members who emphasize quantitative accountability and members who emphasize qualitative relationships. The complementarity of righteous differences brings groups of diverse Latter-day Saints closer to “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). These differences make them stronger together if they use them to focus on the Savior, who has a fullness of every righteous characteristic and attribute. Together they are more like him than when any one of them acts independently. Seeing differences as assets—rather than liabilities—may go a long way toward “mutual respect and even friendship despite differences” among Latter-day Saints who strive to “become united in their discipleship of the Savior.”[35]

Yet there are periods when emotional reactions to diverse choices are so strong that members need to spend more time focusing on Jesus Christ than on their differences—no matter how complementary they may be. For example, during a heated, high-stakes presidential election, there may be times when the best members can do is to remember that Jesus Christ offers salvation and exaltation to all their neighbors, even those who vote differently than they do. Paul reminds Latter-day Saints that “as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27–28). Though members of a diverse congregation may not be united in political affiliation, they can be united in Christ. As Elder Christofferson teaches, “We are too diverse and at times too discordant to be able to come together as one on any other basis or under any other name. Only in Jesus Christ can we truly become one.”[36] What does becoming one in Christ entail? It certainly includes remembering that “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.”[37] Though not ideal, there may be days when choosing to be unified in the body of Christ means simply choosing to remember that Christ’s love and grace extend even to political, educational, or social adversaries. Though Latter-day Saints should work to appreciate each other’s differences, remembering that all people are invited to deepen redemptive relationships with their Savior could be the beginning of progress. “When we ‘put on Christ,’” Elder Christofferson testifies, “it becomes possible either to resolve or to lay aside differences, disagreements, and disputes.”[38] Thus, when it comes to achieving unity in a diverse congregation, “put[ting] on Christ” is more important than like-mindedness; agreeing on Jesus is more important than agreeing on whom to elect or how to approach environmental issues.

Focus on a Shared Identity as God’s Children

Second, Apostles in general conference taught that diverse Latter-day Saints are more likely to achieve unity when they focus on their shared identity as God’s children.[39] In this way, these Apostles’ talks support President Nelson’s prophetic counsel in “Choices for Eternity,” his landmark 2022 address to young adults. In it, he teaches, “If I were to rank in order of importance the designations that could be applied to me, I would say: First, I am a child of God—a son of God. . . . Who are you? First and foremost, you are a child of God.”[40] Rather than perpetuating divisive and limiting labels such as “conservatives,” “liberals,” “jocks,” “nerds,” “iron-rod Saints,” or “Liahona Saints,” which carry the logical and emotional baggage of false binaries, Latter-day Saints can choose to focus on what unites and ennobles them as beloved spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents, each with great worth and a divine nature and destiny.[41] As President Nelson explains, “The adversary rejoices in labels because they divide us and restrict the way we think about ourselves and each other. How sad it is when we honor labels more than we honor each other. Labels can lead to judging and animosity.”[42] Thus, instead of telling himself, “I can’t believe I’ve been assigned to minister with a liberal,” a ministering brother can remember that Brother Gonzalez is a treasured son of God, no more or less precious to the Father than he is.[43] Rather than telling herself, “Working in a presidency with a person from that part of town will be difficult,” a newly called counselor in a Relief Society presidency can remember that Sister Kim’s worth to Heavenly Father as his daughter—and her spirit sister—is so great that he sent Jesus Christ to die for her.[44]

Remembering their shared identity as children of God allows diverse Latter-day Saints to build unifying bridges rather than segregating walls. As President Dallin H. Oaks teaches, “Knowing that we are all children of God gives us a divine vision of the worth of all others and the will and ability to rise above prejudice and racism.”[45] Perhaps this is the vision that comes with the “eyes to see” (Deuteronomy 29:4) “things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:24): the vision to imagine people who hold competing views, freed from the limitations of mortality, in the loving embrace of their shared Father, worshipping together. As Elder Quentin L. Cook asserts, “Our faith teaches that we are all children of our Father in Heaven, and we worship Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, who is our Savior.”[46] If diverse Latter-day Saints can remember that their “Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever”[47]—as his eternal children, not merely as members of one ephemeral political party or another—they may be more likely to embrace “everyone as brothers and sisters.”[48] Elder Cook explains that “the Savior's ministry and message have consistently declared all races and colors are children of God. We are all brothers and sisters.”[49] Though members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints enrich one another through their extensive diversity, we “are united,” Elder Renlund teaches, “by our common, primary identity as children of God.”[50] Focusing on that primary, shared identity—rather than secondary, potentially divisive secondary identities—allows members to worship and serve with “hearts knit together” (Mosiah 18:21). As Elder Ulisses Soares summarizes, “As disciples of Christ, we are invited to increase our faith in, and love for, our spiritual brother- and sisterhood by genuinely knitting our hearts together in unity and love, regardless of our differences, thereby increasing our ability to promote respect for the dignity of all the sons and daughters of God.”[51] Remembering what they share as children of God helps disciples who hold competing political, educational, or social views to find common ground, instead of battlegrounds, in their councils, classes, and companionships.

Focus on the Two Great Commandments

Third, Apostles in general conference taught that diverse Latter-day Saints are more likely to achieve unity when they focus on the two great commandments.[52] These Apostles mention this focus in conjunction with unity 18 times, more than any other focus in this article.[53] Their addresses remind members that, regardless of whether they like a fellow congregant’s perspective on masks and vaccines, political candidates, or matters related to sexual orientation and gender, the two great commandments in Matthew 22:36–40 require them to love God and one another. Elder Gary E. Stevenson even calls the Savior’s injunction in these verses “a heavenly duty.”[54] These teachings support Elder Holland’s assertion that if Latter-day Saints truly keep the first great commandment to love God, they will love their neighbors who think, speak, act, or desire differently from them.[55] In the words of Elder Christofferson, the second commandment (to love others) “is inextricably connected to the first [to love God].”[56] As Elder Holland comments, despite the significant differences in perspectives and practices that divide Latter-day Saints, when we keep the first great commandment “it is then, and really only then, that we can effectively keep the second great commandment in ways that are not superficial or trivial. If we love God enough to try to be fully faithful to Him, He will give us the ability, the capacity, the will, and the way to love our neighbor and ourselves.”[57] President Henry B. Eyring, Elder Cook, and Elder Renlund concur, each sharing that 4 Nephi (which Elder Holland also shares) teaches that “the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people” (4 Nephi 1:15)—not merely having “all things common among them” (4 Nephi 1:3) nor retiring the language of “-ites” (4 Nephi 1:17)—banished contention in Nephite society.[58]

Moreover, Elder Cook goes even further in emphasizing the importance of the two great commandments to unity by asserting that living these commandments is the essence or definition of that often-elusive state. As he posits, “Unity is . . . a broad, comprehensive term but most certainly exemplifies the first and second great commandments to love God and love our fellowmen.”[59] Thus, loving God and neighbor may not simply be a way to achieve unity; it may be the way to achieve the unity the Lord intends for his people. This type of unity, founded on the two great commandments, allows unity and diversity to be friends instead of enemies, coexisting and complementary companions instead of alienating and antithetical adversaries. Elder Cook explains that “with our all-inclusive doctrine, we can be an oasis of unity and celebrate diversity. Unity and diversity are not opposites. We can achieve greater unity as we foster an atmosphere of inclusion and respect for diversity.”[60] Furthermore, Elder Stevenson quotes President M. Russell Ballard to emphasize the love that allows unity and diversity to enjoy each other’s company in Latter-day Saint meetinghouses: “‘I have never heard the members of this Church urged to be anything but loving, kind, tolerant, and benevolent.’”[61] Elder Stevenson then clarifies that “the Lord expects us to teach that inclusion is a positive means toward unity and that exclusion leads to division.”[62] These teachings help members to see that loving one another, in the words of Elder Renlund, allows them to “disagree without being rude or angry,” which makes possible “mutual respect and even friendship despite differences.”[63] Loving God more fully may inspire Latter-day Saints to love his diverse creations, including his diverse children, more fully. Loving his children more fully may allow members to negotiate differences with greater perspective, patience, wisdom, empathy, mercy, humility, meekness, and grace. Striving to live the two great commandments may be God’s way for his children to gain greater access to “the way” [Jesus Christ] (John 14:6), who set the perfect example of loving his Father and every one of his children.[64]

Focus on Becoming One in Spiritual Purpose

Fourth, Apostles in general conference taught that diverse Latter-day Saints are more likely to achieve unity when they focus on becoming one in spiritual purpose.[65] Becoming one in spiritual purpose is different than becoming one in other purposes. For example, members of the restored Church of Jesus Christ are not commanded to be one in political purpose, party, or practice. The General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints explains that “political choices and affiliations should not be the subject of any teachings or advocating in Church settings. Leaders ensure that Church meetings and activities focus on the Savior and His gospel. Members should not judge one another in political matters. Faithful Latter-day Saints can belong to a variety of political parties and vote for a variety of candidates. All should feel welcome in Church settings.”[66] Thus, though all members should focus on Jesus Christ and his gospel, the Savior’s command to “be one” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:27) does not mean that he mandates the squashing of all heterogeneity. As Elder Gerrit W. Gong teaches, our Savior “entreats us to make His Inn a place of grace and space, where each can gather, with room for all. As disciples of Jesus Christ, all are equal, with no second-class groups. All are welcome to attend sacrament meetings, other Sunday meetings, and social events.”[67] This “Inn of grace and space” has room for differences even as it has a special focus on worshipping together. As the handbook also explains, even as it welcomes all people and maintains a “sacred space for everyone present,” Jesus Christ’s restored Church invites all attendees to unify around placing “a special emphasis on worshipping Heavenly Father and the Savior.”[68] Therefore, focusing on becoming one in spiritual purpose includes focusing on worshipping Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ together despite differences.

When differences seem threatening to strong relationships, disciples of Jesus Christ can choose to focus on worshipping together. Worshipping together includes striving to become a Zion people.[69] It entails the consecrated living of covenant keeping.[70] It involves striving to become one with each other, the Father, and the Son as Jesus is one with Heavenly Father.[71] These practices allow Latter-day Saints to focus on becoming one in spiritual purpose even as they maintain differences. Thus, could it be that the “one heart and one mind” of Zion (Moses 7:18) have more to do with loving and knowing the Father and the Son than homogeneity in preferences and thoughts? President Eyring, Elder Cook, and Elder Christofferson teach that Zion’s unity stems from Latter-day Saints loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.[72] Elder Cook and Elder Soares share John 17, which begins with the doctrine that eternal life involves knowing the Father and the Son,[73] to exhort members to seek unity in spiritual purpose.[74] For example, Elder Soares quotes John 17:21–22 to explain that “the Savior set the perfect example of unity and harmony of purpose and doctrine with our Father in Heaven. He prayed in behalf of His disciples, saying, ‘That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: . . . that they may be one, even as we are one.’”[75] Elder Cook focuses on John 17:21 to teach the same lesson—that spiritual “oneness is what Christ prayed for prior to His betrayal and Crucifixion” and, implicitly, that spiritual oneness is what diverse Latter-day Saints can pray and sacrifice for as they strive to experience Zion.[76] As they pray and sacrifice in the consecrated lives of disciples, they can experience what Elder Christofferson calls “a powerful sense of belonging among the covenant people.”[77] As President Nelson teaches, “Once we make a covenant with God, we leave neutral ground forever. God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy.”[78] Thus, despite voting for different candidates, having different amounts of the world’s goods, or coming from different cultural heritages, covenant-keeping Latter-day Saints of all stripes can experience powerful blessings as they choose to unify around the spiritual purposes that characterize a Zion people who are one with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and, consequently, one with each other in ways that are eternally significant. In this way, what they share is more important than what divides them.

Conclusion and Applications

Helping students in seminaries, institutes, and Church-owned colleges and universities to understand how diverse Latter-day Saints can have “their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another” (Mosiah 18:21) is challenging but important work for religious educators. “In our extremely contentious world, how can unity be achieved, especially in the Church?” asks Elder Christofferson.[79] Religious educators have a responsibility to guide their students in answering this urgent and relevant question—especially because Latter-day Saints have never been more diverse.[80] As Elder Christofferson explains, “Now, [close to] the 200th anniversary of its founding, the Church has greatly increased in numbers and diversity in North America and even more so in the rest of the world. As the long-prophesied latter-day gathering of the Lord’s covenant people gains momentum, the Church will truly be composed of members from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.”[81] Thus, as he warns, “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. As our Church population grows ever more diverse, our welcome must grow ever more spontaneous and warm. We need one another.”[82] Because the book of Mormon invites members to “think about what you can do to help your ward or branch members be ‘knit together in unity and in love’ (Mosiah 18:21),”[83] religious educators would do well to consider how they can help their students to discover what the scriptures and prophets, especially current prophets, seers, and revelators, teach about this vital but demanding part of discipleship. As contentious elections, doctrinal differences, social justice issues, environmental concerns, educational debates, cultural divides, and complex international relations tempt Latter-day Saints to caricature, contend, discriminate, and denigrate, it is easy for severed ties to replace knitted hearts and enmity and exclusion to replace love and inclusion. In an increasingly polarized world, the unity that Mosiah 18:21 describes becomes harder and harder to find.

Nevertheless, authorized prophets and apostles who have the right and responsibility to teach doctrine exist in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have not left members “unguided to jangle over the interpretations of . . . revelations” or to be “ignorant of [God’s] will on current issues.”[84] As Elder Marion G. Romney shared, God “has given us living prophets to interpret those revelations and to declare to us his will on present problems.”[85] These living prophets provide help with the messiness of unity in a diverse global church. Their teachings in general conferences from April 2020 through October 2023, if lived, allow members to exclaim with the Psalmist, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren [and sisters] to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1)! For example, to Latter-day Saints who become discouraged when a reality of tricky differences causes the same members who often serve, love, and inspire to mock, exclude, or fight those they see as “other” or “unquestionably wrong,” Elder Gong offers this optimistic and pithy teaching: “We may disagree politically or on social issues but find harmony as we sing together in the ward choir.”[86] To Latter-day Saints who are frustrated that God even asks members of different political persuasions, cultural backgrounds, or socioeconomic statuses to be united when it would be so much easier to experience harmony in self-selected enclaves of sameness, Elder Renlund counsels, “We might be inclined to say, ‘Of course we can have unity—if only you would agree with me!’ A better approach is to ask, ‘What can I do to foster unity? How can I respond to help this person draw closer to Christ? What can I do to lessen contention and to build a compassionate and caring Church community?’”[87] The world is contentious and unity amid diversity does not come cheaply, but prophets and apostles are speaking, and religious educators can help their students to listen. By collecting, dividing, classifying, and analyzing recent apostolic teachings, this article makes it easier for religious educators to find and share them.

President Nelson teaches, “Because of the increasing dangers we face, our need for divine guidance has never been greater, and our efforts to hear the voice of Jesus Christ—our Mediator, Savior, and Redeemer—have never been more urgent.”[88] Prophets, seers, and revelators receive revelation from Jesus Christ as he leads his Church. When they share that revelation, they help members to hear his voice.[89] As Elder Andersen exclaims, “We trust in His promise: ‘Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.’ In the commotion and confusion of our modern world, trusting and believing in the words of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve is vital to our spiritual growth and endurance.”[90] Therefore, religious educators would do well to teach that the spiritual growth and endurance of an increasingly global and diverse Church hinges upon Latter-day Saints choosing to trust and apply the words of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve related to loving others and living with differences.[91] Diverse disciples can experience the joy of “hearts knit together in unity and in love” by following recent prophetic teachings about focusing on (1) Jesus Christ, (2) their shared identity as children of God, (3) the two great commandments, and (4) becoming one in spiritual purpose. Latter-day Saints do not need to be the same to follow Jesus Christ together.

Notes

[1] D. Todd Christofferson, “One in Christ,” general conference talk, April 2023, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[2] Answering My Gospel Questions Teacher Material, www.churchofjesuschrist.org. The quote inside the quote is from D. Todd Christofferson, “The Doctrine of Christ,” general conference talk, April 2012, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[3] Neil L. Andersen, “Trial of Your Faith,” general conference talk, October 2012, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[4] Neil L. Andersen, “The Power of Jesus Christ and Pure Doctrine,” Church broadcast, June 11, 2023, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[5] Andersen, “Power of Jesus Christ and Pure Doctrine.”

[6] “The Book of Mormon—Simple Searches,” University of Michigan, November 15, 2023, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mormon/mormon-idx?type=simple&format=Long&q1=unity&restrict=All&size=First+100.

[7] Stephen W. Liddle and Richard C. Galbraith, “Scripture Citation Index,” November 15, 2023, https://scriptures.byu.edu/#::c0d41221.

[8] Mark Davies, LDS General Conference Corpus, www.lds-general-conference.org.

[9] Liddle and Galbraith, Scripture Citation Index, https://scriptures.byu.edu/#::c0d41221.

[10] Davies, LDS General Conference Corpus, www.lds-general-conference.org.

[11] “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World,” www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[12] Jean B. Bingham, “United in Accomplishing God’s Work,” general conference talk, April 2020, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[13] Sharon Eubank, “By Union of Feeling We Obtain Power with God,” general conference talk, October 2020, www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Though, overall, this article focuses on the teachings of prophets and apostles, who have a unique role in declaring doctrine (see notes 23, 29, and 89 in this article), this focus is not intended to diminish the important teachings of the Church’s women leaders. As Professor Barbara Morgan Gardner asserts, “Justifiably, we give great attention to what is said by those we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators. They hold the keys of the kingdom, and the Lord directs His work through them. In addition to their teachings, female leaders of the Church have been set apart and given priesthood authority to speak to both men and women of the Church. We want to listen to their teachings as well and hear what counsel God would give us through them.” See “Connecting Daughters of God with His Priesthood Power,” Liahona, March 2019, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[14] President Dieter F. Uchtdorf explains, “To be perfectly frank, there have been times when members or leaders in the Church have simply made mistakes. There may have been things said or done that were not in harmony with our values, principles, or doctrine. I suppose the Church would be perfect only if it were run by perfect beings. God is perfect, and His doctrine is pure. But He works through us—His imperfect children—and imperfect people make mistakes.” See “Come, Join with Us,” general conference talk, October 2013, www.churchofjesuschrist.org. These words echo remarks by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, who exclaims, “Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. And when you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not in the divinity of the work. As one gifted writer [Alfred Edersheim in The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (1883), 2:108] has suggested, when the infinite fulness is poured forth, it is not the oil’s fault if there is some loss because finite vessels can’t quite contain it all. Those finite vessels include you and me, so be patient and kind and forgiving.” See “‘Lord, I Believe,’” general conference talk, April 2013, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[15] Dale G. Renlund, “The Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity,” general conference talk, October 2021, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[16] D. Todd Christofferson, “The Doctrine of Belonging,” general conference talk, October 2022, www.churchofjesuschrist.org; Russell M. Nelson, “What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget,” general conference talk, April 2021, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[17] See the Church’s General Handbook: “All members, even if they have never married or are without family in the Church, should strive for the ideal of living in an eternal family. This means preparing to be sealed as a worthy husband or wife and to become a loving father or mother. For some, these blessings will not be fulfilled until the next life, but the ultimate goal is the same for all. Faithful members whose circumstances do not allow them to receive the blessings of eternal marriage and parenthood in this life will receive all promised blessings in the eternities, provided they keep the covenants they have made with God (see Mosiah 2:41).” General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (2024), 38.1.4, www.churchofjesuschrist.org. As President Dallin H. Oaks teaches, “God’s plan, founded on eternal truth, requires that exaltation can be attained only through faithfulness to the covenants of an eternal marriage between a man and a woman in the holy temple, which marriage will ultimately be available to all the faithful.” See “Kingdoms of Glory,” general conference talk, October 2023, www.churchofjesuschrist.org. In the same general conference, President Russell M. Nelson explains, “The Lord has clearly taught that only men and women who are sealed as husband and wife in the temple, and who keep their covenants, will be together throughout the eternities.” See “Think Celestial!” general conference talk, October 2023, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[18] As Elder D. Todd Christofferson explains, “Only repentance and obedience to truth can deliver the ‘authenticity’ many covet. Only repentance and obedience to truth can preserve and enlarge our happiness and freedom.” See “Truth Endures: An Evening with Elder D. Todd Christofferson,” address to CES religious educators, January 26, 2018, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[19] Jeffrey R. Holland, “Songs Sung and Unsung,” general conference talk, April 2017, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[20] Christofferson, “One in Christ.”

[21] The Restoration proclamation states that “the apostleship” was one of the vital things restored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which claims to be Christ’s New Testament Church restored. See “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World,” www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[22] See Doctrine and Covenants 107:23; Acts 1:22.

[23] Doctrine and Covenants 68:4; 1:14; 52:9, 36. President Boyd K. Packer quoted President J. Reuben Clark to explain, “‘Some of the General Authorities [the Apostles] have had assigned to them a special calling; they possess a special gift; they are sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators, which gives them a special spiritual endowment in connection with their teaching of this people. They have the right, the power, and the authority to declare the mind and will of God to his people, subject to the over-all power and authority of the President of the Church. Others of the General Authorities are not given this special spiritual endowment.’ The resulting limitation ‘applies to every other officer and member of the Church, for none of them is spiritually endowed as a prophet, seer, and revelator.’” See Packer, “The Twelve Apostles,” general conference talk, October 1996, www.churchofjesuschrist.org; J. Reuben Clark Jr., “When Are the Writings or Sermons of Church Leaders Entitled to the Claim of Being Scripture?” Church News, July 31, 1954, 9–10.

[24] See General Handbook, 3.4.1.1 and 3.4.1.2, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[25] Andersen, “Power of Jesus Christ and Pure Doctrine.”

[26] Davies, LDS General Conference Corpus, www.lds-general-conference.org.

[27] Davies, LDS General Conference Corpus, www.lds-general-conference.org.

[28] Liddle and Galbraith, Scripture Citation Index, https://scriptures.byu.edu/#::c0d41221.

[29] Regarding doctrine, Elder Andersen teaches, “There is an important principle that governs the doctrine of the Church. The doctrine is taught by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is not hidden in an obscure paragraph of one talk. True principles are taught frequently and by many. Our doctrine is not difficult to find.” See “Trial of Your Faith.” As the Church Newsroom clarifies for the public, “Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole Church. With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications.” See “Approaching Latter-day Saint Doctrine,” May 4, 2007, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[30] See Dale G. Renlund, “The Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity,” general conference talk, October 2021; D. Todd Christofferson, “The Doctrine of Belonging,” general conference talk, October 2022; Ulisses Soares, “In Partnership with the Lord,” general conference talk, October 2022; Ulisses Soares, “Followers of the Prince of Peace,” general conference talk, April 2023; D. Todd Christofferson, “One in Christ,” general conference talk, April 2023; Gerrit W. Gong, “Love Is Spoken Here,” general conference talk, October 2023; Ulisses Soares, “Brothers and Sisters in Christ,” general conference talk, October 2023, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[31] Renlund, “Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity.”

[32] Renlund, “Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity.”

[33] D. Todd Christofferson, Is There a Place for Me?, video, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[34] Renlund, “Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity.”

[35] Renlund, “Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity.”

[36] Christofferson, “One in Christ.”

[37] Christofferson, “Doctrine of Belonging.”

[38] Christofferson, “One in Christ.”

[39] See Dallin H. Oaks, “Love Your Enemies,” general conference talk, October 2020; Quentin L. Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity,” general conference talk, October 2022; Renlund, “Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity”; Ulisses Soares, “Brothers and Sisters in Christ,” general conference talk, October 2023, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[40] Russell M. Nelson, “Choices for Eternity,” worldwide devotional for young adults, May 15, 2022, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[41] “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” para. 2, www.churchofjesuschrist.org; Doctrine and Covenants 18:10.

[42] Nelson, “Choices for Eternity.”

[43] See Jacob 2:21, which states that “one being is as precious in [God’s] sight as the other.”

[44] Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–11. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest evidences of the great worth of God’s spirit children.

[45] Oaks, “Love Your Enemies.”

[46] Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity.”

[47] Joseph B. Wirthlin, “The Great Commandment,” general conference talk, October 2007, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[48] Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity.”

[49] Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity.”

[50] Renlund, “Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity.”

[51] Soares, “Brothers and Sisters in Christ,” general conference talk, October 2023, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[52] See Henry B. Eyring, “Sisters in Zion,” general conference talk, October 2020, www.churchofjesuschrist.org; Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity”; Gary E. Stevenson, “Hearts Knit Together,” general conference talk, April 2021, www.churchofjesuschrist.org; Renlund, “Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity”; Christofferson, “Doctrine of Belonging”; Soares, “In Partnership with the Lord”; Soares, “Followers of the Prince of Peace”; Christofferson, “One in Christ.”

[53] According to the author’s calculations, in these talks (and in conjunction with unity) Apostles mentioned focusing on Jesus Christ fourteen times, focusing on a shared identity as children of God six times, focusing on the two great commandments eighteen times, and focusing on becoming one in spiritual purpose fifteen times.

[54] Stevenson, “Hearts Knit Together.”

[55] Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Greatest Possession,” general conference talk, October2021, www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Elder Holland reminds his readers that today’s divides come in myriad ways: “In our present moment we find all manner of divisions and subdivisions, sets and subsets, digital tribes and political identities, with more than enough hostility to go around.”

[56] Christofferson, “One in Christ.”

[57] Holland, “Greatest Possession.”

[58] See Eyring, “Sisters in Zion”; Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity”; Renlund, “Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity.”

[59] Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity.”

[60] Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity.”

[61] Stevenson, “Hearts Knit Together,” quoting M. Russell Ballard, “Doctrine of Inclusion,” general conference talk, November 2001, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[62] Stevenson, “Hearts Knit Together.”

[63] Renlund, “Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity.”

[64] Elder Soares asks us to “consider these principles in view of Christ's pure love for us that we, as His followers, seek to have for one another. The scriptures define this kind of love as charity. When we think of charity, our minds usually turn to generous acts and donations to relieve the suffering of those who are experiencing physical, material, or emotional difficulties. Still, charity is not only related to something we donate to someone, but it's an attribute of the Savior and can become part of our character.” See Soares, “Followers of the Prince of Peace.” Elder Christofferson bears a second witness of this concept when he explains, “And I suppose an even more perfect unity would obtain among us if we followed the Savior's higher and holier expression of this second commandment—to love one another not only as we love ourselves but as He loved us.” See “One in Christ.”

[65] See Henry B. Eyring, “Sisters in Zion”; Quentin L. Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity,” general conference talk, October 2020; Gerrit W. Gong, “Room in the Inn,” general conference talk, April 2021; Russell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” general conference talk, April 2022; D. Todd Christofferson, “Doctrine of Belonging” ; Ulisses Soares, “In Partnership with the Lord” ; D. Todd Christofferson, “One in Christ,” general conference talk, April 2023; Gerrit W. Gong, “Love Is Spoken Here,” general conference talk, October 2023; Ulisses Soares, “Brothers and Sisters in Christ,” general conference talk, October 2023, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[66] General Handbook, 38.8.30, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[67] Gong, “Room in the Inn.”

[68] General Handbook, 38.1.1, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[69] Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness.”

[70] Christofferson, “Doctrine of Belonging.”

[71] Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness”; Soares, “In Partnership with the Lord.”

[72] Eyring, “Sisters in Zion”; Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness”; Christofferson, “Doctrine of Belonging.”

[73] See John 17:3.

[74] Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness”; Soares, “In Partnership with the Lord.”

[75] Soares, “In Partnership with the Lord.”

[76] Cook, “Hearts Knit in Righteousness.”

[77] Christofferson, “Doctrine of Belonging.”

[78] Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, October 2022, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[79] Christofferson, “One in Christ.”

[80] See “Diversity and Unity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Gospel Topic, January 5, 2024, www.churchofjesuschrist.org. This resource explains, “The composition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has changed over time and continues to change every day. Since the 1900s the Church has grown from congregations comprised mainly of northern European immigrants to the United States to a global Church whose members live in 190 countries and speak over 120 languages. In 1996, the number of members living outside the United States surpassed those residing within it, and by the year 2000 the majority of the membership was non-English speaking.”

[81] Christofferson, “Doctrine of Belonging.”

[82] Christofferson, “Doctrine of Belonging.”

[83] Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024, “May 20–26: We Have Entered into a Covenant with Him, Mosiah 18–24,” January 4, 2024, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[84] Marion G. Romney, in Conference Report, April 1945, 89. Elder (later President) Romney was an assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when he gave this address.

[85] Romney, in Conference Report, April 1945, 89.

[86] Gong, “Love Is Spoken Here.”

[87] Renlund, “Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity.”

[88] Russell M. Nelson, “Grow into the Principle of Revelation,” Liahona, January 2021, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[89] See Doctrine and Covenants 68:4, remembering the important implication provided in 3 Nephi 23:5 and 1 Nephi 10:5: The more prophets that testify about a concept, the stronger that concept is doctrinally. For example, compare the number of times prophets have taught about relying on Jesus Christ versus the number of times they have taught about the specific location of the Garden of Eden. What do those numbers imply about the differing doctrinal strengths of those concepts? Clearly, the former is core doctrine, while the latter is more peripheral. As a Church Newsroom article states, “Some doctrines are more important than others and might be considered core doctrines. For example, the precise location of the Garden of Eden is far less important than doctrine about Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.” “Approaching Latter-day Saint Doctrine,” May 4, 2007, https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. For a more nuanced discussion about differing levels of doctrine and how to evaluate them, see Anthony R. Sweat, Michael Hubbard MacKay, and Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, “Evaluating Latter-day Saint Doctrine,” in Foundations of the Restoration, ed. Craig James Ostler, Michael Hubbard MacKay, and Barbara Morgan Gardner (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Deseret Book, 2017), 23–44.

[90] Neil L. Andersen, “The Voice of the Lord,” general conference talk, October 2017, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.

[91] For example, consider this powerful teaching, which can help members to love others and live with differences, from President Dallin H. Oaks: “These descriptions of love and law are both true guides of what God has commanded us to do. I have previously referred to our ‘continually [trying] to balance the dual commandments of love and law,’ but I now believe that goal to be better expressed as trying to live both of these commandments in a more complete way. Anyone who does not treat individuals who face gender identity challenges with love and dignity is not aligned with the teachings of the first and second great commandments. Thus, on the subject of God’s law, we need to remember that God has revealed again and again that He created male and female. And on the subject of our duty to love our neighbor, we need to remember that God has commanded us to love even those who do not keep all of the commandments.” See “Stand for Truth,” worldwide devotional for young adults, May 21, 2023, www.churchofjesuschrist.org.