Mike and Lisa Buchanan were members of the RLDS Church for twenty-five years and Mike served as pastor of a small congregation in Colorado. The church was the center of their lives. In 1994 they decided to move their family to the “Center Place” with the sincere desire to teach their children the Restoration distinctives. After being challenged to look more closely at the beliefs of the church they began an in depth study of RLDS doctrine and discovered many significant contradictions between the church’s teachings and the Bible. Consequently, they decided to leave the church. They received Christ as their Savior and now rejoice in the understanding that God’s offer of salvation is a free gift paid for by Jesus death on the cross. This is their testimony.
Blessed Assurance
We were both members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ for over twenty-five years. The church had been at the center of our lives for our entire lives. The church members were our family and a source of love and acceptance. We were each baptized at the age of eight and I (Mike) ordained a priesthood member at the age of 18. We began dating after working at a youth camp together, and shortly after our marriage I was voted in as pastor of our small congregation. In 1994, in response to what we considered to be the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we sold our wheat farm and moved our little family to Jackson County, Missouri, “The Center Place.” Our conviction to teach our children the Restoration distinctives seemed to grow stronger with each passing year after our arrival.
In the year 2000 we had a “chance meeting” in a park with a woman who had been a member of the RLDS church for many years, but who had then left it. We visited with her about her reasons for doing this, and as she explained she also prompted us to consider more closely some of the beliefs we had accepted throughout the years.
After taking a good hard look at the facts, studying the history and comparing the scriptures, it became very obvious that there were some very significant problems in the teachings of the church. The problems we encountered in comparing the three standard books of “scripture” with each other and with the King James Version of the Bible were probably the most convincing, since we considered these the foundations of our belief.
We had held faithfully to the Restored Church mainly because we had been taught that it was God’s ‘one true church.’ We believed what we were taught about Joseph’s first vision in the grove, including that God had said that all the other churches’ creeds were an abomination in His sight and that those professors were all corrupt. Up until this time of searching and studying we had never wanted to dig in and search out any questions that would come up from time to time – instead we would quietly sweep them under the rug supposing that it was just beyond our understanding.
Later, to simply pray and ask God whether or not this was His one true church was an extremely frightening step to take. Previously we had been thanking Him for letting us be a part of His one true church. To ask Him whether or not the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants were His books of scripture, to ask if Joseph Smith, Jr., was His holy prophet of the latter days, to dare to ask – these were very frightening steps to take. Who would want to anger God by offending Him?
We are so thankful to our Heavenly Father for upholding us throughout this vital time in our lives. We are thankful for the woman who shared information about church history with us which encouraged us to begin asking ourselves and the Lord questions. And we are thankful to our friends in our Restoration branch who gave us the encouragement to seek answers to our questions instead of turning away from them. They told us that Christ’s church can stand up to careful examination. It is true that Christ’s church can withstand it…it was Joseph Smith’s Restored Church that couldn’t.
Now we know that Christ’s church is not one denomination. The body of Christ is made up of all true believers, everywhere and down through time. We’ve heard this when visiting at different churches, too. True Christians have welcomed us to worship with them, but they don’t think that we have to attend where they do. Their desire is only that we attend one of the many churches that hold fast to and preach the message of salvation that’s found in the Bible. What a surprise! Our perspective came from Joseph’s vision in the grove story and we’d believed that all of these other churches were constantly at odds with one another. We’ve been blessed to have met a number of other Christians even in places of business. It’s such a blessing to meet and recognize one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Matthew 7:22, 23 is well worth considering: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And, in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” If those individuals were so certain that they would be accepted by Jesus, hadn’t we better seriously consider where we stand with Him? God will not punish you for asking for His truth at this time. The time after this life is too late to find out. Ask Him now to show you where you really stand with Him. Get to know Him and His plan of salvation. In all sincerity ask Him to reveal His true written word.
You may wonder why we would want to talk to others about the problems that we’ve found within the Book of Mormon. The reason is that by believing in the Bible only we have been able to understand so much more clearly who Jesus is and what His plan of salvation really is. The heavy burdens of the Book of Mormon’s works salvation have been removed from our lives. The Book of Mormon states, “For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do: (2 Nephi 11:44), “And may God grant, in his great fullness, that men might be brought unto repentance and good works, that they might be restored unto grace for grace, according to their works” (Helaman 4:71), “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourself of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in no wise deny the power of God” (Moroni 10:29). Also, “But now Abinadi said unto them: I know if ye keep the commandments of God ye shall be saved; yea, if ye keep the commandments which the Lord delivered unto Moses in the mount of Sinai…” (Mosiah 7:94). .
We now understand what God’s Grace is. God offers salvation as a free gift. Romans 5:18-20 tells us, “Therefore, as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s (Adam’s) disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Jesus) shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Praise the Lord! And this gift is absolutely FREE, we do nothing to earn it, we only reach out and accept it.
Jesus paid the price in full. Hebrews 7:25 says, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him (Jesus) seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them” Because of what Jesus did on the cross and because we have accepted Jesus as our Savior we know that we will go to Heaven to live with the Father and Jesus the Son for eternity. Jesus tells, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3). We’re standing on that promise.
Our measly works don’t have any part in getting us to Heaven. Isaiah 64:6 explains it clearly, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” And Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” What a relief: it’s not of our works! Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.”
What great love the Father has for us. And to think that Jesus chose to leave His home above and come to this earth to take upon Him our filthy sins even though He was without blemish, absolutely perfect and righteous. We know what result those sins would have on us if we had to keep them. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Praise to the Father and the Son is in our hearts every time we stop to consider this precious trade that was made for us.
The plan of salvation is so beautifully simple, Acts 17:30 says, “God…now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” We must confess our sins and the fact that we are sinners. In Acts 16:30, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “…Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” Romans 10:13 gives us the same message, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Grab your Strong’s Concordance and look under “believe” and “believeth” and “faith” …you’ll find plenty more of those life-giving verses that explain how to come unto Christ.
If you are fearful of questioning these things for reasons of losing friends or family we would encourage you to look at the eternal scope of things. 1 Peter 3:14 says, “But if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.” Be encouraged that God does provide for our needs…and beyond. Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
When we were finally able to see that the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants were not God’s word, that the Inspired Version changes were not inspired of God, that Joseph Smith Jr., never was a prophet, seer, apostle, or president of Christ’s church, that God never told Joseph to restore Christ’s church, etc., etc., we were able to understand the Bible and God’s plan of salvation. We’ve come to know who Jesus is and what He has done for us personally. We used to feel that we weren’t quite ready for Jesus to return to this earth. Now we look forward with joy. We’re not fearful of that time when we go to stand before the Lord: we have peace knowing that Jesus paid that price in full. We’ve accepted Him as our Savior. We belong to Him. Blessed assurance!