Caussé - It Is All about People - April 2018

Bishop Causee, the church presiding Bishop speaks about the importance of understanding that the church is a great institution but we should never lose focus that the church is here for help individuals return to our Heavenly Father.

• The key to understanding the Church is not to see it through the outward appearance of its buildings or even as a well-organized institution but through its millions of faithful members, who strive each day to follow the example of Jesus Christ.
  
• The Church is all about people. It is all about you, the Lord’s disciples—those who love and follow Him and who have taken His name upon them by covenant.
  

He tells us that the programs and structure of the church is built so that we have easier ways to invite others to come to Christ. The programs and structures are built to help people make and keep their covenants with God.

• We, as members of the Church, appreciate having beautiful places of worship that are clean and well maintained, and we also enjoy having well-functioning programs. But these are merely support systems. Our sole aim is to invite each son and daughter of God to come unto Christ and to guide him or her along the covenant path. Nothing is more important. Our work is all about people and covenants.

Bishop Causse asks us if we are active in the gospel. He wants us each to consider if we are following the example of the Savior in everything we do.

• Are we active in the gospel, or are we merely busy in the Church? The key is to follow the example of the Savior in all things. If we do that, we will naturally focus on saving individuals rather than performing tasks and implementing programs.

For you and me, the church is an active part of our lives. We schedule life around our church activities. We should help others see the need for the church in their lives and help them find holy places to build their lives around.

• We take the Church with us wherever we go: to work, to school, on vacation, and especially in our homes. Our very presence and influence can be enough to make wherever we find ourselves a holy place.

We are reminded that our church is not just a Sunday church. It is an active part of our lives and guides our everyday decisions. As we become better disciples of Jesus Christ, our home are changed into places where faith grows, the spirit is felt, and lives are committed to living the principles of the gospel. Bishop Causse says that our homes have the potential to be more sacred places than our meeting houses.

• Ours is not just a Sunday church. Our worship continues each day of the week, wherever we are and in whatever we do. Our homes in particular are “the primary sanctuaries of our faith.” It is most often in our homes that we pray, we bless, we study, we teach the word of God, and we serve with pure love. I can testify from personal experience that our homes are sacred places where the Spirit can abound—as much as, and sometimes even more than, in our formal places of worship.
  

Bishop Causse concludes with encouragement to look out for one another. He tells us that the greatness of the church is because of the people that are part of it striving to be the best disciples of Christ that we can be.

• I bear witness that this Church is the Church of Jesus Christ. Its strength and vitality come from the daily actions of millions of His disciples who strive each day to follow His supreme example by caring for others.

We would be wise to remember that people are the focus of the gospel. The ultimate purpose of the church is to invite all to come unto Christ. The structure of the church is built to encourage that mission. The programs of the church encourage strength and support in making and keeping covenants. The purpose of all we do is to help people become better disciples of Jesus Christ. As I think about this, I am reminded that Christ taught people one on one, encouraging them to learn about His Father. Although the structure of the church is great, we should always remember that one on one ministering is necessary because the individual is the focus the Savior wants us to have. Please consider who you could reach out to today and encourage to become a better disciple of Christ.