Similarities Between Baptist Church and Church of Jesus Christ
The similarities between the Baptist Church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are extensive. My experience worshipping in a Baptist Church was a positive one. Next, it’s time to worship with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If willing, one finds within the walls of worship many relationship-building similarities.
This is PART 2 in a series of church-related articles. Read PART 1 here.
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Arrival at Church of Jesus Christ
Interestingly, there is no warm “welcoming committee” to greet me as I enter the warmly decorated church foyer of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Instead, a bashful young man standing by the open chapel doors greets me.
“Are you the official usher, or a greeter? I ask lightheartedly.
“Greeter,” he says with a timid smile.
“That’s wonderful!!” I reply before proceeding to the chapel.
Having someone present to greet visitors creates a welcoming environment, as it is often easy to sneak into church and leave unnoticed. This makes for an extremely lonely and isolating experience. Everyone, new and familiar faces alike, should feel welcome, seen, and accepted when attending church to worship Jesus Christ.
Worship and Partaking of the Sacrament
I make my way down an aisle and seat myself on a soft, padded bench. Soft organ music plays in the background as others enter the chapel and take their seats.
The worship service begins with a hymn and a beautiful, heartfelt prayer offered by a member of the congregation. The woman offering the prayer reminds us of the privilege it is to attend church and learn of the Savior. She expresses gratitude for the opportunity to renew our covenants each Sunday by partaking of the sacrament.
After a few brief announcements, we sing another hymn and prepare to partake of the sacrament bread and water. This is a sacred time during the worship service where we ponder on the Savior: First, on the sacrifice He made in our behalf; then, on how we might improve ourselves in the coming week.
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Baptist vs Church of Jesus Christ Fast Offerings
Fast and Testimony Meeting follows the Sacrament ordinance.
Once a month, members abstain from food and water for 24 hours. The money saved on food feeds the poor and needy. This contribution is called Fast Offerings. This offering is similar in nature to the Baptist’s Love and Benevolence Offering. These offerings are evidence of the good religious institutions contribute to society.
Testimony Meeting
Testimony Meeting is a time for members of the congregation to voluntarily stand at the pulpit and testify of truths they know to be true. Individuals testify of truths about Jesus Christ, the scriptures, and so forth.
Today’s testimony meeting is extra special, for it answers my question “Will my regular church be as welcoming and uplifting as the Baptist church? better than I anticipated, as described below:
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A Surprise Visitor
We have a surprise visitor in attendance by the name of Maria. Maria stands at the pulpit and shares her thoughts. She walked by the church building that morning, she said, and felt impressed to go inside.
Upon entering the building, she is warmly greeted by many in the congregation. Her purpose in standing is to explain the special feeling she has inside, a feeling she has never felt before. This is not the first time she has attended our church, she explains; she attended once several years ago at the invitation of a coworker. The coworker told her at that time that she would likely feel something she had never felt before.
During that initial visit, Maria felt curious but does not remember feeling anything unusual. This visit, however, is different. This time she feels deeply the feeling her coworker described to her. She cannot deny it. She is absolutely radiant with happiness as she says, “I have a strong feeling this won’t be my last time attending this church.”
Similarities
My ancestor, Mercy Truth, experienced similar feelings during one of her initial visits to the new church:
“There were two men that day, and the first only said a few words, then the other preached a nice long sermon… I will never forget that day. It sounded to me like it must be some Holy Being come to repeat the sweet words of Jesus, for they were the words of the Lord — just the way he talked to people when He was here on earth. I know that Elder preached and sang with the spirit of the Lord, for every word he spoke seemed to go through my whole being, and oh, when he sang, I cannot describe the feelings that pervaded my whole being.“
After hearing the Elder bear his testimony of Jesus Christ, Mercy Truth declared:
“Oh how I did wish I could say as he did! How happy I should be! If all my friends turned against me, I would not care if I had the Lord for my friend. I should never care what the world said. Oh how I would pray so earnestly every chance I had that the Lord would help me to do the right thing and not go and do wrong and get farther from Him, for He knew how I wanted to serve Him. But I did not know which way to serve Him, and if He would only put me in the best path, I would always try to please Him and serve Him while I lived.“
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Mercy Truth ultimately did join the new church in town, namely, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So, too, did her sister Mary, brother-in-law George, mother Elizabeth, and two brothers.
Because of their Bible-based upbringing in the Baptist church, my ancestors recognized what they believed to be the truth when it was presented to them.
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Conclusion
There are countless churches in our community teaching Biblical truths to good people who are honest in heart. Our church names and locations should not segregate us from one another. Truth is, there are many similarities between the Baptist Church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Leaving the Baptist worship service, I felt a deepening desire to be a better person
My family owes much to the Baptist Church, for it helped mold my ancestors into the Christ-centered individuals they became. The bond I feel with the Baptist congregation increases steadily, for we are each followers of Jesus Christ, striving to do our best to follow Him.
Attending a Baptist Church did not shake the foundational commitment that I have to my own faith, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. What it did was increase the connection and compassion I have for my ancestors, and for those of other faiths. And for this, I am grateful.
To experience for yourself the similarities between the Baptist Church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visit a worship service near you.
