Cover image via Gospel Media Library.
Early on in our courtship, Jeff referred to us as “New Testament” Mormons (before President Nelson asked that we become more deliberate about using the official name of the church). Cathy had never come up with that name for her approach to membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but it seemed to fit.
We do not bring up this history or terminology because we believed in hyphenated discipleship or factions in the church—nor because we prefer the New Testament to other books of scripture. The word “testament” can also be translated to “covenant.” Those sacred books written in and shortly after the time of Jesus Christ the New Testament because they explain the new covenant between God and His children, made effective by the atonement of Jesus Christ. The gospel of repentance and forgiveness replaces strict adherence to complex rules and carnal commandments. A legal code encompassing a large number of stringent regulations is replaced by the inner commitment to love God with everything we have and everything we are—and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
For us, being New Testament Latter-day Saints simply means that: (1) we focus more on the atonement of Jesus Christ, love, forgiveness, and mercy toward others than on trying to attain technical perfection in a wide array of duties and outward performances; and (2) we embrace the expansive view of truth set forth by the prophet Joseph Smith when he said, “One of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may.”
As we have studied the New Testament individually and as a couple this year, we have been inspired with repeated reminders that we will receive the mercy we extend to others (Matt 5:7, 6:12-14, 7:1-5, 12; James 2:13-18). We all need God’s mercy, so Christ’s gospel is a gospel of good news! (In fact, the literal meaning of the word gospel is “good news.”)
Many of us who have been divorced have felt the condemnation of those around us, much like the sinners and tax collectors of Jesus’ time who he was condemned for dining with (Matt 9:10-17). We, in turn, must be ever vigilant not to be judgmental or harsh toward others who suffer, even if our human wisdom tells us they have brought it on themselves. (We are often wrong when we think this.)
As we have entered this coming year and focus more intensely on the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, let us remember a faith founded on the gospel of repentance through the atonement of Jesus Christ, a moral code based on a mighty change of heart toward loving God and our fellow beings, and embracing truth wherever we find it. We have a gospel of redemption and, as long as we do, we have a future filled with endless promise—regardless of where we have been.
LINK TO LISTEN: New Testament Latter-day Saints
About the Author
Jeff Teichert, and his wife Cathy Butler Teichert, are the founders of “Love in Later Years,” which ministers to Latter-day Saint single adults seeking peace, healing, and more joyful relationships. They are co-authors of the Amazon bestseller Intentional Courtship: A Mid-Singles Guide to Peace, Progress and Pairing Up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jeff and Cathy each spent nearly a decade in the mid-singles community and they use that experience to provide counsel and hope to mid-singles and later married couples through written articles, podcasts, and videos. Jeff and Cathy are both Advanced Certified Life Coaches and have university degrees in Family & Human Development. They are the parents of a blended family that includes four handsome sons, one lovely daughter-in-law, and a sweet baby granddaughter.
Purchase Jeff & Cathy’s book Intentional Courtship:
Connect with Jeff & Cathy:
Website: http://www.loveinlateryears.com/
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/loveinlateryears
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/loveinlateryears
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoveInLaterYears
Instagram: http://instagram.com/loveinlateryears/
Email:
lo**************@gm***.com
