True Church? 17 points

Hola Familia,

How is everything going this week? 

This week has been super interesting but super awesome.  I would like to tell you about one of the most humbling experiences that I have had on my mission up to this point.  So we went to this family home evening last Monday and we invited this less active member that we have been working with and she came over.  Background info, she does not have that much money at all and she is a single mom with two little kids.  We went over to the house and started talking and she was doing something on the table and I asked what is going on.  When we started the night, she came over and made these really cool little card things.  Because she was so grateful that we are doing this noche de hogar (Family Home Evening) with her and it has been so cool.  Literally I was so sad because I knew that she probably didn’t have much more for food. But she gave to us because she knew it was important.

I have had some amazing experiences this week.  I don’t even know where to start.  I would like to talk also a little about 17 very important points that I have been studying this week.

1. Christ organized the Church (Eph 4:11-14)
2. The true church must bear the name of Jesus Christ (Eph 5:23)
3. The true church must have a foundation of Apostles and Prophets (Eph 2:19-20)
4. The true church must have the same organization as Christ's Church (Eph 4:11-14)
5. The true church must claim divine authority (Heb 5:4-10)
6. The true church must have no paid ministry (1 Cor 9:16-18; Acts 20:33-34; John 10:11-13)
7. The true church must baptize by immersion (Matt 3:13-16)
8. The true church must bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:14-17)
9. The true church must practice divine healing (Mark 3:14-15)
10. The true church must teach that God and Jesus are separate and distinct individuals (John 17:11; 20:17)
11. The true church must teach that God and Jesus have bodies of flesh and bone (Luke 23:36-39; Acts 1:9-11; Heb 1:1-3)
12. The officers must be called by God (Heb 4:4; Ex 28:1; 40:13-16)
13. The true church must claim revelation from God (Amos 3:7)
14. The true church must be a missionary church (Matt 28:19-20)
15. The true church must be a restored church (Acts 3:19-20)
16. The true church must practice baptism for the dead (1Cor 15:16&29)
17. "By their fruits ye shall know them." (Matt 7:20)

These are 17 points that the true church needs to really be the true church of God.  After Jesus Christ died and then the 12 Apostles died the true church was scattered and taken from the earth.  But through these 17 points in the Bible we can see which church is true. 

Family I love you guys so much.  This mission has really brought me to understand my meaning in life and what really is important.  I can say for certain that I know that this church is true without a doubt in my mind.  I know it is true because God has manifested the truth to me.  I would love to invite everyone to think about this life and ask am I doing all that I can do to be saved in the last day?

I love you all so much,

Elder Cooley

Little grandma