From Epistles to Live Streams

By David A. Edwards

Church Magazines

Communication from Church leaders has come a long way, but the purposes remain the same.

Almost 2,000 Years Ago

While He was on the earth, Jesus Christ organized His Church. After the Savior was resurrected and ascended into heaven, His Apostles led the Church with the authority, revelation, and inspiration He gave them.

In those days, Church leaders often communicated with Church members in various locations through epistles (letters).

The New Testament contains epistles written by Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude. These letters were written by hand, delivered by hand, copied by hand, and read out loud.

These Church leaders often had the same purposes in writing these letters. They sought to:

Bear testimony and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Encourage, inspire, and uplift.
Remind of commandments and covenants.
Address current challenges.
Warn of dangers.
Correct any errors that may have crept into the Church.
Unify the Church.

Today

Fast-forward almost 2,000 years and you’ll see that a lot of things have changed, but some things are still the same.

Jesus Christ has restored His Church to the earth, and there are again prophets and apostles to lead it. But since the days of epistles, communication technology has advanced—from the printing press to radio to television to the internet.

Church leaders can now give messages at a general conference for the whole Church at once. It’s even sent over satellite and live streamed online in several languages at once. Within days, the text is posted online in several languages, and a printed version is shipped worldwide.

As you prepare for the upcoming general conference, you might think about those New Testament epistles. Those were different times, and the technologies were very different. But conference messages fulfill the same essential purposes. As you experience the conference messages, you might think about how they:

Bear testimony and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Encourage, inspire, and uplift.
Remind of commandments and covenants.
Address current challenges.
Warn of dangers.
Correct any errors that may have crept into the Church.
Unify the Church.