“People tell me it’s arrogant to say we’re the only true Church. What should I tell them?” For the Strength of Youth, Jan. 2021, 31.
To the Point
People tell me it’s arrogant to say we’re the only true Church. What should I tell them?
The Lord Himself said to Joseph Smith that this Church is “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:30).
This statement certainly does not mean that we’re better than anyone else. But it does mean that this is Jesus Christ’s Church. He leads it, He restored it, and He gave it His authority. Because of this, there are certain things that only this Church can offer, such as prophets and apostles, temple ordinances and covenants, and the Book of Mormon. We’re grateful for these things, and we want to share them with others out of genuine love—not because we want to “be right” or “grow the Church.”
While we can boldly and confidently testify of the Church, we should never be arrogant toward others or disrespect their beliefs. The Prophet Joseph Smith once said, “We don’t ask any people to throw away any good they have got; we only ask them to come and get more” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 155).