The symbiosis between church and member

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Afternoon Session of the April 1998 Conference.

I read this post recently which talks about "church culture" vs. "church doctrine" in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I really liked his take on how there is no single, uniform "church culture," but simply flawed members of the church all trying to interpret the doctrines the best they can (and often failing to do it perfectly). Having read so many people go on and on lately about how hurtful and harmful "church culture" can be, that post felt like an important reminder that the habits and behaviors formed by "church culture" are often positive, welcoming, charitable, and uplifting. In my own life, I know that the lifestyle surrounding membership in the Church has been an unmitigated good—supported, of course, by the pure doctrines that underlie that culture. In fact, it's astonishing to me how much just doing the basic "church" things—worshiping together every Sunday, accepting callings, ministering to my sisters in Relief Society, attending activities—takes me out of myself and makes me want to improve at the more personal things as well.

I was thinking about it again as I read Elder Dale E. Miller's talk "The Kingdom's Perfecting Pathway." He says,

The symbiosis between Church and member is strikingly efficient. As we invest our time, talents, and means to build Zion, our hearts are purified, our wisdom increases, celestial habits begin to form, and the Holy Spirit prepares us to receive the presence of the Father and the Son. By thrusting in our sickle, we reap a double portion—for ourselves and for the kingdom.

That describes perfectly what I've seen happening in my own life! And this is exactly what people miss when they complain about "the gospel vs the culture." Sure, the church (meaning other people) isn’t perfect. But serving in the church will perfect each one of us as we throw ourselves into the work. How else will we learn what we need than by bumping up against all the other imperfect saints? How else will we gain doctrinal knowledge than by immersing ourselves in everything we can in God's kingdom—including things that may turn out to be merely "cultural"—and by being "all in"? If we someday find that our understanding of how to live the gospel was misguided—as we surely will, in some way or another—we can recalibrate, but we won't learn that by standing back and criticizing. We will only learn by jumping in.

Elder Miller finishes by saying, 

Brothers and sisters, this kingdom is like no other organization on earth. To borrow a business term, it has a vastly superior competitive edge; it alone will lead us to eternal life. It alone is founded on solid rock, the rock of revelation. It alone has the fully restored gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. At the personal level, it instills a purging discipline within us. It pushes us out of our circles of comfort into growth. It fosters development of great spiritual gifts and enlightenment which we will take with us in the next life. It provides the baptism of fire. It personally empowers us in ways that can only come from God.

Again, I can attest to this, because I've seen it. I've seen that even in the life of someone who has very human tendencies towards selfishness, laziness, pride, self-consciousness, insecurity, and confusion—my membership in the church pulls me upward, it urges me forward, and it keeps me continually moving in the direction of someone who will hopefully, someday, overcome all those things and become a saint in more than just aspiration. This gospel (and the church that houses it!) truly does empower me in ways that can only come from God.