In my research company’s national survey, 1053 fellow Christians were asked …,

As you view Christianity today …

A:  Things are the way Jesus Christ intended

Or

B:  Something went wrong along the way

Here’s where we get substantial agreement:  95 million are with us on this one.

We can expect, of course, that Protestants believe something went wrong, seven out of ten Lutherans and Presbyterians being highest among them.  But, get this, 54% of Catholics also believe it.

Consider the power:  Almost three out of five Christians already sense to some degree that there has been an apostasy or at least unauthorized changes, use whatever word or phrase you want.

Something went wrong.  You can build on it.

Then our survey asked …

Whatever changes may have happened …

A:  Christianity should continue as it is

Or

B:  We should go back to the way the church was originally

That means 71 million believe as we do.

The subgroups that are highest and lowest in agreement with us that we should go back to the way the church was originally are:

Seniors (52%), South, conservatives, Republicans,
post-grads, Evangelicals, Baptists, Mountain (47%)

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Average 43%

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Low education (39%), Asians, Democrats, Methodists,
Pacific, Presbyterians, liberals, Northeast,
Hispanics, 18-34s (26%)

The group patterns on this doctrine conform to common stereotypes:  old versus young, Republicans versus Democrats, conservatives versus liberals, South and Mountain states versus the Northeast, and Evangelicals and Baptists in contrast to Presbyterians and Methodists.

The only thing out of whack with popular pigeonholes is that post-grads line up with conservative Republicans while the less-well educated join ranks with liberal Democrats.

Those who think “we should go back to the way the church was originally” tend to be more conservative, more Republican and have above-average education – characteristics that already tend to describe our average American member.

But many are missing the logic.

While 58% feel something went wrong with Christianity along the way, only 43% believe Christianity should go back to the way the original church was organized.

Running a crosstab between the two questions, we find that of those who believe something went wrong with Christianity along the way, only 54% believe we should go back to the way the church was originally.

Something went wrong, but let’s not change things?  Really?

But that’s exactly what we should do.  And are doing.

When Christ’s New Testament church crumbled in what became obvious apostasy, opportunities abounded.

Priests sought power, churches were founded for gain, intellectuals sought to be worshipped, and clear doctrines were muddied.

A lot of people will agree with you if you drop such tidbits into a conversation.

What is amazing is that more churches don’t even try to duplicate what the Savior organized.

Where are churches with claimed apostles and prophets – not only in name, but in function – who really do receive revelations from God, or even claim to?  And write them down?

Churches today accept certain teachings, but modify, edit, expand, diminish others.  They establish organizations that bear little resemblance to Christ’s New Testament church.

Christianity is not the same as it was.

Now, if a friend you’re chatting with seems to agree, ask what he would do – remodel, repair, renovate, refashion, readapt, patch, fix, add, subtract or … reestablish?

As a parallel, if one wants to fix up an old home, there comes a time when one can no longer build an extra room, patch up a faulty wall, replace a clogged sink, paint over a stained wall, and so on.  The time must come to simply proceed with a complete reestablishment, a complete from-the-ground-up mansion.

But going back to the way the church was originally is not something the “we” of the earth could do on our own.  It would have to be done from above.

And tell him it was.

By the way, I love the word restoration and all it stands for, but those not of our faith may not initially understand our meaning of the word restore.

For many, the word suggests something you do to grandma’s old dining room table.  You sand it down, stain it and varnish it.  You have restored something, but that something never went away.

But when we use the word, we mean something (the Church, the priesthood) went away completely.  And it would take more than a re-varnishing to “restore” it.

Which is why I suggest we use the word reestablish when first talking with those who are less familiar with our history.

They will grasp our use and the beauty of the word Restoration as they progress.

Gary Lawrence is a public opinion researcher and author.  His new book – “Millions Believe As We Do But Haven’t Yet Found the Church; Conversation Ideas From a National Poll” – is now in Deseret Book stores and at deseretbook.com using this link.