Christian Denominations Abound
With an estimated 2 billion Christians on earth (adherents.com) spread among 38,000 Christian denominations (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary—2006), one might wonder what the Apostle Paul envisioned when he told the Ephesians there is “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” and that we might “all come in the unity of the faith” (Eph. 4:5,13). Paul knew that even during his own time there were fractures taking place in the Lord’s Church when he pleaded with the Corinthians: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10).

2000 years later those divisions spoken of by Paul have become clearly evident, where the global Christian community is anything but perfectly joined together in the same mind. Having 38,000 worldwide denominations is challenging enough; however, having painfully deep disputes among Christian sects with regard to doctrine and theology is even worse. Such divisions leave many who are searching for the truth confused and despondent. Paul’s timeless words that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Cor. 14:33) is truly meant for our day and time. Every Christian has some belief system to guide them, even if their beliefs don’t necessarily align to the Christian denomination they profess to align themselves with. Like individual Christians, the FCS has a Christian doctrinal and theological belief system that it aligns itself to.

The Foundation Does Not Seek the World’s Approval
If the FCS aligned its theological beliefs with Catholicism, then Baptists and Lutherans would likely take exception in comparison to their own doctrines. If the FCS aligned its theological beliefs with that of mainstream Evangelicalism, then Pentecostals, Methodists, and Seventh Day Adventists would likely have their own issues with the doctrinal direction of the FCS . With so many Christian denominations in the world today there is no way for any Christian study organization to please everyone. It is therefore important to note that the FCS does not exist to please everyone, nor does the FCS strive to be politically correct. The FCS is in existence to “teach all nations the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ; to encourage ardent study of the scriptures for inspiration and instruction in righteousness; and to exemplify the ministry of our Savior and Redeemer by fulfilling his commission to love one another”—the combined scriptures of Matt 28:19, 2 Tim. 3:16, and John 13:34 respectively.

The Foundation Recognizes a Variety of Christian Orthodoxies
Among the thousands of Christian denominations in the world today exist a variety of doctrines, practices, and principles; many in sharp opposition from one denomination to another. With such a broad spectrum of spiritual beliefs there's no way for any foundation dedicated to Christian study to find favor and agreement among all Christian religions. The charter of the FCS does not include gaining agreement among all Christians on matters of doctrine, nor does it strive to achieve political correctness by normalizing the tenets of Christianity. The FCS is in existence to “teach all nations" the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ; to encourage ardent study of the scriptures for "inspiration and instruction in righteousness;" and to exemplify the ministry of our Savior and Redeemer by fulfilling his commission to "love one another”—the combined scriptures of Matt 28:19, 2 Tim. 3:16, and John 13:34 respectively. It is therefore expected that there will be disagreements among various individuals and institutions as to the content provided by the FCS, to which the FCS extends and open invitation for thoughtful and respectful discussion.
 

The Foundation’s Christian Orthodoxy The Christian world today insists on associating spiritual beliefs to religious denominations, making it nearly impossible to escape such correlations once testimony is given and evaluated. To that end the Foundation for Christian Studies freely acknowledges that the Christian orthodoxy embraced and published by its board most closely aligns with that of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with a great deal of the study program content also aligning itself with the beliefs of several other Christian denominations--mainstream and otherwise. Although some may take exception to this Christian theological alignment, one need only study and ponder the FCS study program content (preferably under the influence of the Holy Ghost) to better understand each doctrine and its deep-rooted Biblical foundation.

Church Membership The Catholic Church 67,820,833 Southern Baptist Convention 16,267,494 United Methodist Church 8,186,254 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 5,999,177 The Church of God in Christ 5,499,875 National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. 5,000,000 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 4,930,429 National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. 3,500,000 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 3,189,573 Assemblies of God 2,779,095 Total Membership in the Top 10 123,172,730

NOTE: The chart on the right provides membership statistics to the top ten Christian Churches in the United States as sourced from the 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.

From a theological point of view, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints professes to teach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and its doctrines are therefore not generally considered traditional Christian orthodoxy by many modern day theologians and mainstream Christendom. While this may make some Christians uncomfortable, it is prudent to consider if the mainstream Christian orthodoxy of today has evolved away from the original teachings of the Savior as recorded under divine inspiration by the authors of the Bible--thus requiring a restoration before the second coming of Jesus Christ.

The Origins of Confusion and “Saul’s Syndrome”
Christian truth can be found in all Christian Churches. Given the wide variations in Christian doctrines that exist today, it’s clear that not all Christian Churches are teaching the whole truth, despite many passionate pleas to the contrary. These differences in doctrine come as a result of a wide variety of scriptural interpretation, where two or more individuals reading the same scripture(s) are able to come up with different interpretations. This can happen for a number of reasons. Some individuals have dedicated their whole lives to studying the Bible and profess such dedication qualifies them to interpret correctly. Others claim to have been given a witness through the Holy Spirit and therefore profess such experiences qualify them to interpret correctly. Still others claim to have authority from God or advanced divinity degrees to back up their claims. The confusion is enough to make even the most passionate Christians pessimistic, let alone the tender Christian convert.

Since Paul confirmed that God is the author of “peace, as in all churches of the saints,” then Satan must be the author of confusion as it relates to Christian doctrine. Such confusion can often be brought about by Satan through man’s pride and/or greed. Sometimes Satan uses the rigidity of man to fulfill his purposes in keeping others from the truth. Consider the Pharisee Saul before his radical conversion to the Lord when he afterwards became Paul. Through his disciplined spiritual education among the finest teachers in Jerusalem, and an unrivaled passion to protect the ways of the Lord as he knew it, Saul persecuted and fought against the spread of Christianity—even unto death among those he victimized. Paul was so blinded by his passion for what he believed to be right that he never considered that his interpretation of the scriptures and his spiritual belief system may be wrong. It wasn’t until the Lord himself appeared to Saul that he relinquished his incorrect interpretation of God’s doctrine and embraced the true gospel. How many millions today suffer from the same syndrome as Saul where religious passion overcomes the promptings of the Holy Ghost?

The Lord’s Prescribed Method of Finding and Embracing Truth

Jesus Christ foresaw our present day and gave us two key pieces of counsel to help us come to the truth of his gospel:

1. Become Like a Child: Jesus boldly proclaimed “…Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). For any adult to become like a child they must be meek, humble, and open to being taught. This is not a simple thing, which is why Jesus added that “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:14). Courage and faith are required to become as a child in the Lord in order to find truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
    

2. Observe the Fruits of the Teachers: Jesus knew that scores of individuals and institutions would come and go in trying to teach and persuade the children of God, cautioning that many would be ravening wolves attempting to lead the faithful astray. Because it is much harder to walk the walk then to talk the talk, Christ simply counseled “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 17:20).

By becoming a child, and observing the fruits of the teachers, one can begin their Christian study in earnest in order to find the truth and receive a confirmation of that truth through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Then, and only then, can one be assured they have found the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and are ready to embrace that truth fully into their lives.