Growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ and Other Religions | Growth

Growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Summary: Some ask, "If The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's 'only true and living church' (Doctrine and Covenants 1:30), why is it comprised of so few members compared to the world's population? Would not more people join if it were the true church?" The answer is that it has been prophesied that few people will find the truth in this life, and vicarious work for deceased individuals will bring many to the celestial kingdom in the future.

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Christ specifically mentioned to His followers that they were the "salt of the earth"

No matter how many members of the Church there may be at any time in history, it appears that being the smaller number among a larger population has long been the problem of the Gospel. This may be why Christ specifically mentioned to His followers that they were the "salt of the earth." To modern English speakers, that idiom is used to mean good, average people, but that wasn't what Christ meant. He was speaking about the very few who believed Him. Those who believed were to do for the earth what salt does to a pot of stew or soup. A little seasoning plays an important part.

Luke 13:20-21:

And again he said, Wherefore unto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Christ never answered the specific question of why there were so few believers, but he did tell those few believers that they played an important role and that few would find his true path to salvation (Matthew 7:14; 1 Nephi 8:20 (19-24); 3 Nephi 27: 33; Doctrine and Covenants 22:4 (1-4); 43:7)

An angel showed Nephi a vision of the last days, and the Church numbers were described as few in comparison to the rest of the world

In 1 Nephi 14:12, an angel shows Nephi a vision of the last days and the Church numbers were described as few in comparison to the rest of the world.There's no reason to believe that Latter-day Saints will ever outnumber the largest religions based on this vision. Remember that when the gospel is finally preached in all the world, the Second Coming will occur and the end of the current condition will follow. Latter-day Saints believe that all mankind will have an opportunity to hear the Gospel but that most of the population of the Earth will hear it in the Spirit World. Those who had no opportunity to hear it in mortality will have that opportunity then. When you consider the small minority of the earth's population throughout all of history that even knew about Jesus Christ, it should not surprise us that many in our day will not hear about Him either. Latter-day Saints believe that God is just and is concerned about all of His children. He will see to it that all mankind are taught and judged justly.

Many of the goals of the Plan of Salvation are achieved even without being a member of the Church

Among the most important "purposes of life" according to the Plan of Salvation are the following:

• Receiving a physical body.
• Experiencing trials, pain, and other challenges, and having the opportunity to try to overcome them.
• Experiencing joy and happiness.
• Developing Christlike attributes.

Developing Christ-like attributes is vital to our eternal happiness and development, and living a mortal life accelerates us along that path. All of these experiences are perfectly and regularly attainable without being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In fact, they are perfectly attainable without even being a Christian. For some, they are even attainable without believing in God.

That being said, there are tangible and extremely advantageous benefits to being a member of the Church, and more specifically of knowing and understanding why we are here. Those advantages, though, are not necessary for a successful experience in mortality. The saving ordinances and covenants we make through proper priesthood authority accelerate and magnify our purposes for being here, and eventually they will be available to all people whether in mortality or post-mortality. In the meantime, billions of people are here living out the plan of salvation with a bit of ignorance about it, but happily and successfully nonetheless.

Many will be saved by vicarious work

In the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, temple work is understood as a way to extend the blessings of the gospel to individuals who have died without the opportunity to receive it in mortality. Through vicarious ordinances performed in temples—such as baptism, confirmation, and other sealing covenants—living members act as proxies on behalf of the deceased, offering them the same covenants available to those who accept the gospel in this life. This practice is grounded in the belief that God is both just and merciful, ensuring that every person ultimately has a genuine opportunity to accept or reject Christ’s teachings, even beyond death. As a result, Latter-day Saints believe that many who did not encounter the restored gospel during mortality can still receive its saving ordinances in the spirit world, provided they choose to accept them there. In this way, temple work is seen as an expression of divine justice, continuity of salvation across mortality and post-mortal life, and a manifestation of God’s desire to save all of His children.

Notes (click to expand)

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