Belonging to the Church Is Like …

To help commemorate the 200th anniversary of the First Vision, in this issue we celebrate the blessings of belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here are three ways Church leaders have described belonging to the Church.

Being a Monarch Butterfly

“Like the monarch butterflies, we are on a journey back to our heavenly home, where we will reunite with our Heavenly Parents. Like the butterflies, we have been given divine attributes that allow us to navigate through life. … Like them, if we knit our hearts together, the Lord will protect us … and will make us into a beautiful kaleidoscope.”

Sister Reyna I. Aburto, Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, “With One Accord,” Ensign, May 2018, 78.

Being a Lifeline to Others

“When we keep our covenants, it may make us different from others in our culture and society, but it gives us access to inspiration so we can think of different solutions, different approaches, different applications. We aren’t always going to fit in with the world, but being different in positive ways can be a lifeline to others who are struggling.”

Sister Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, “Turn On Your Light,” Ensign, Nov. 2017, 8.

Being in a Choir

“It is by divine design that not all the voices in God’s choir are the same. It takes variety—sopranos and altos, baritones and basses—to make rich music. …

“… Don’t abandon your role in the chorus. Why? Because you are unique; you are irreplaceable. The loss of even one voice diminishes every other singer in this great mortal choir of ours, including the loss of those who feel they are on the margins of society or the margins of the Church.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Songs Sung and Unsung,” Ensign, May 2017, 49, 50.