As an aside, you should know that when I was 16 years old, I didn’t want to be a Latter-day Saint just because it was a traditional thing to do because several generations of my ancestors were. I decided I was not going to be hypocrite, and I needed to find out for myself. Over time, I have put this religion to the test. I have studied it carefully and in depth. Why I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not come in some casual, traditional way, but because of the deep and abiding testimony I have, after the careful, prayerful study and inspection I have done.

I haven’t answered your question, though, and I don’t think I can give it the proper response you were seeking. My problem is that I have done such extensive study and inspection, and I know the doctrine of Christ. The doctrine and ordinances of Christ’s original church were changed between the time the apostles were sent out to preach the gospel to the entire world, and 325 AD. In that year, the emperor of Rome, Constantine, called the Council at Nicea. This council, after one year of deliberation, ended up capitulating and changing many of the doctrines and ordinances of that church. As a consequence, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, and Roger Williams, the great reformers, broke away from the Catholic Church and started their own churches. I cannot agree with the doctrines held forth by other churches. By that, I do not feel critical, nor do I mean to be critical about those doctrines. I only mean to say that because of the great study I have made over my lifetime, those doctrines do not square with what Christ Himself taught. So, in answer to your question, if I could not be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I would not be a member of any church at all. I would be waiting for our Savior to restore to the earth His original church, which, as you know, is what happened through the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1830.

Sincerely,

Donny Osmond


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