As a child, on my way to school, I often saw a sickly elder sister shuffle to an aunt’s house near our school. I heard from the adults that she and that aunt were both believers of the Lord in the True Jesus Church. I thought then, “My mother is also a believer in the Lord, but she goes to the Three-Self church. How come that elder sister belongs to a different church from my mother?” One day, an aunt in our village came to visit my mother. She said that her whole family believed in the Lord Jesus in the Shouters, and that the parents of her son’s girlfriend, who believed in the Lord in the Way of Life Church, insisted that her family join the Way of Life Church, or else they wouldn’t consent to their daughter’s marriage. She was in a dilemma, because the two families believed in the Lord in different churches and she wouldn’t like to join their church, but her son was fond of that girl. I was listening there. As I was young, I couldn’t fully understand what she said. I thought to myself, “Her family believe in the Lord in the Shouters, the family of her son’s girlfriend believe in the Lord in the Way of Life Church, my mother in the Three-Self church, and that elder sister whom I met on the way to school believe in the Lord in the True Jesus Church. How come they believe in different churches? Why are there so many different denominations among the believers in the Lord?” Afterward, I asked my mother this question, but she didn’t know the answer.

After I got married, I went with my husband to do business outside of our town to earn our living. One day, I went to visit a sister who came from my hometown and was doing business there. She asked me whether I had ever heard of the Lord Jesus, and I told her that my mother was a believer in the Lord Jesus. She said, “The Lord Jesus has come back and is doing new work. His name is no longer Jesus this time, but Almighty God. Now I believe in Almighty God.” Hearing that, I thought, “How come you also believe differently from my mother? Why are there so many denominations?” I felt quite confused and didn’t want to listen to her anymore, so I made an excuse and left.

One day, the sister came to my house and preached the gospel to me again. I said to her, “Before I came here, I knew that in our hometown some people believed in the Lord in the Way of Life Church, some in the True Jesus Church, and some in the Shouters. My mother believes in the Lord in the Three-Self church. Now you believe in Almighty God. I wonder why there are so many denominations in belief in God.” She said that she didn’t understand that either before, but after she accepted the work of Almighty God and read His words, she became clear about it. Then she read me a few passages of the words of Almighty God: “Look at the leaders of each denomination—they are all arrogant and self-righteous, and their interpretations of the Bible lack context and are guided by their own imaginings. They all rely on gifts and erudition to do their work. … People are arrogant and conceited, and they do not hold God in their hearts. With a little doctrinal understanding, they strike out on their own, which leads to the formation of many denominations.” “This nature of betrayal within man unconsciously makes you turn God into a mere figurehead, and you yourself then form some sort of denomination. How do various denominations arise? They arise in this way” (“Only to Pursue the Truth Is Truly to Believe in God” in Records of Christ’s Talks). “People have studied the Bible for all these years, they have come up with so many explanations, and put in so much work; they also have many differences of opinion about the Bible, which they debate endlessly, such that over two thousand different denominations have been formed today” (“Concerning the Bible (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). After reading these words, she fellowshiped about them, and I realized: As people are all arrogant and conceited after being corrupted by Satan, while working and serving the Lord, they rely on their brains, gifts, and erudition to interpret the Bible out of context and one-sidedly hold on to some words in the Bible. Some advocate holding to the teaching of justification by faith, some lay stress on preaching on repentance and rebirth, some hold high the verses concerning praise and worship, some focus on seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit…. In the entire religious world, because of people’s arrogance, conceit, and self-rightness, there arise many different interpretations of the Bible. Moreover, people all think that their own will is God’s will and their understanding of the Bible is most correct, so they can’t agree with others’ opinions or views. Therefore, the believers in God in the religious world, while stubbornly holding that the way they believe in is the true way, strongly deny and reject others’ understandings of the Bible. Because they persist in their own opinions and no one will concede, they begin to set up for themselves, forming their own denominations and establishing their so-called real churches, such that more than two thousand different denominations have been formed today. Oh! No wonder that there are so many denominations in belief in the Lord Jesus. That’s how it is.

Then I asked her, “Can all these denominations be united as one?” “Yes, of course they can!” she said, “In Isaiah 2:2, it says, ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.’ And Ephesians 1:10 says, ‘That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.’ These verses show us that in the last days, all nations shall stream to God’s mountain and be gathered together in one in Christ, which is a fact that God is determined to accomplish. But this work can only be carried out by God Himself, and apart from Him, no one can do it. Now let us read a passage of Almighty God’s words. God says: ‘Regardless of what religion you belong to, ultimately you will all submit under the dominion of God. Only God Himself can carry out this work; it cannot be done by any religious head. There are several major religions in the world, and each has its own head, or leader, and the followers are spread across different countries and regions all over the world; every country, be it large or small, has different religions within it. However, regardless of how many religions there are across the world, all people within the universe ultimately exist under the guidance of one God, and their existence is not guided by religious heads or leaders. This is to say that mankind is not guided by a particular religious head or leader; rather, the whole of mankind is led by the Creator, who created the heavens and earth and all things, and who also created mankind—this is a fact. Although the world has several major religions, regardless of how great they are, they all exist under the dominion of the Creator, and none of them can exceed the scope of this dominion. The development of mankind, social progress, the development of natural sciences—each is inseparable from the arrangements of the Creator, and this work is not something that can be done by any given religious head. Religious heads are merely the leaders of a particular religion, and cannot represent God, nor can they represent the One who created the heavens and earth and all things. Religious heads can lead all those within the entire religion, but they cannot command all creatures beneath the heavens—this is a universally acknowledged fact. Religious heads are merely leaders, and cannot stand equal to God (the Creator). All things are in the hands of the Creator, and in the end they will all return to the hands of the Creator. Mankind was originally made by God, and regardless of the religion, every person will return under the dominion of God—this is inevitable’ (“Knowing the Three Stages of God’s Work Is the Path to Knowing God” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).”

After reading these words, she fellowshiped, “There are many different religions in the world, and each has its own head or leader. Even though they are of prominent standing and possessed of abundant knowledge, they are but creatures corrupted by Satan, who are filled with satanic dispositions and devoid of the truth. None of them can lead all the religions in the entire religious world to progress forward, and of course, none can conquer and save the people in all denominations and bring them under the dominion of God. God is the Creator who created the world and mankind, and He has the truth, the way, and the life. The development of mankind and the passing of the ages are all controlled by God’s hands, and all denominations exist under the leadership of God. So, only God has authority and power and can express the words of truth and life to correct man’s deviant, erroneous views and all kinds of conceptions and imaginations within them, judge and purify them of their satanic disposition, settle the differences among people and the disputes among the denominations, and ultimately conquer all the denominations across the world and bring them under the dominion of God with His words, so that they can be united as one in the end. Therefore, in the final age, God will surely unite all denominations as one and bring them under His name. But such work cannot be done by anyone except God, which is determined by God’s substance.”

Through her fellowship, I knew that no man can do the work of uniting all denominations as one, and that only God Himself has authority and power to accomplish it. Then I asked, “Well, how will God carry out the work of uniting all denominations as one?” She fellowshiped, “The Lord Jesus said, ‘And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd’ (John 10:16). ‘And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold’ means that God’s sheep are scattered in different folds, that is, in the churches of every denomination; ‘them also I must bring’ means that God will call His sheep back to Him from the churches of the denominations; ‘they shall hear my voice’ means that God will utter His voice to call His sheep back. Those who can recognize His voice and follow Him after hearing His utterances will come out from their churches and return before Him, so that in the end ‘there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.’ This is how God will carry out His work of uniting all denominations as one.” Then we read these words of Almighty God together: “Throughout the universe I am doing My work, and in the East, thunderous crashes issue forth endlessly, shaking all nations and denominations. It is My voice that has led all men into the present. I shall cause all men to be conquered by My voice, to fall into this stream, and submit before Me, for I have long since reclaimed My glory from all the earth and issued it forth anew in the East. Who does not long to see My glory? Who does not anxiously await My return? Who does not thirst for My reappearance? Who does not pine for My loveliness? Who would not come to the light? Who would not look upon the richness of Canaan? Who does not long for the return of the Redeemer? Who does not adore Him who is great in power? My voice shall spread throughout the earth; I will face My chosen people and speak more words to them. Like the mighty thunders that shake the mountains and rivers, I speak My words to the whole universe and to mankind. Hence the words in My mouth have become man’s treasure, and all men cherish My words. The lightning flashes from the East all the way to the West. My words are such that man is loath to give them up and at the same time finds them unfathomable, but rejoices in them all the more. All men are glad and joyful, celebrating My coming, as if an infant had just been born. By means of My voice, I shall bring all men before Me. Thenceforth, I shall formally enter into the race of men so that they will come to worship Me. With the glory that I radiate and the words in My mouth, I shall make it such that all men come before Me and see that the lightning flashes from the East and that I have also descended unto the ‘Mount of Olives’ of the East. They will see that I have already long been on earth, no longer as the Son of the Jews but as the Lightning of the East. For I have long since been resurrected, and have departed from mankind’s midst, and then reappeared with glory among men. I am He who was worshiped countless ages before now, and I am also the infant forsaken by the Israelites countless ages before now. Moreover, I am the all-glorious Almighty God of the present age! Let all come before My throne and see My glorious countenance, hear My voice, and look upon My deeds. This is the entirety of My will; it is the end and the climax of My plan, as well as the purpose of My management. Let every nation worship Me, every tongue acknowledge Me, every man repose his faith in Me, and every people be subject unto Me!” (“The Seven Thunders Peal—Prophesying That the Gospel of the Kingdom Shall Spread Throughout the Universe” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “Why is the work of conquest the final stage? Is it not precisely to make manifest what kind of ending each class of man will meet? Is it not to allow everyone, in the course of the work of conquest of chastisement and judgment, to show their true colors and then afterward to be classified according to their kind? Rather than saying this is conquering mankind, it might be better to say that this is showing what kind of ending there will be for each class of person. This is about judging people’s sins and then revealing the various classes of person, thereby deciding whether they are evil or righteous. After the work of conquest, then comes the work of rewarding good and punishing evil. People who obey completely—meaning the thoroughly conquered—will be placed in the next step of spreading God’s work to the entire universe; the unconquered will be placed in darkness and will meet with calamity. Thus will man be classified according to kind, the evildoers grouped with evil, to be without the light of the sun ever again, and the righteous grouped with good, to receive light and live forever in the light” (“The Inside Truth of the Work of Conquest (1)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh).

After we read those words, the sister continued to fellowship, “God words tell us: The lightning has already flashed from the East, that is, God has long secretly descended in China, and He has begun a new age and is carrying out the work of judging, chastising, conquering, and revealing man with His words upon the foundation of the work He did in the Age of Grace. The utterance of Almighty God, like mighty thunders, has shaken all the denominations. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, all those who truly believe in God and pursue the truth will be able to recognize His voice. Now several millions of people have been conquered by Almighty God’s words and have returned before His throne from their original denominations. They are enjoying the watering, supply, and feeding of living water of life that flows out of the throne, and their corrupt dispositions are gradually purified and changed. Now in all places, it takes on a gratifying scene where all people are streaming to this mountain and all denominations are being united into one. Those who recklessly condemn and pass judgment on God’s words after hearing it are ones who have no love for the truth, are weary of the truth, and hate the truth, and they are revealed as unbelievers. Based on their attitudes toward God’s words, God separates the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares, so that all the creatures will be classified according to kind and His six-thousand-year management plan will be concluded.”

Later, the sister took me to the meetings, and I met the brothers and sisters from different denominations, such as the Catholic Church, the Shouters, the Way of Life Church, the True Jesus Church, the Three-Self church, and so on. They had previously been in different denominations, but today they gathered together, communicating their respective experiences. I have witnessed this fact that the brothers and sisters from different denominations, after hearing the words of Almighty God, have transcended their own conceptions and imaginations and their delimitation of God, and abandoned their deviant, erroneous, one-sided understandings of the Bible and the various doctrines they held to, there are no more denominational disputes among them, and they have truly submitted before Almighty God—Christ of the last days. All of these are the results achieved by the words and work of Almighty God.

Thank God for His guidance. Through His words and my brothers’ and sisters’ fellowships, the question that had baffled me since my childhood was settled, and what’s more, I was brought before Almighty God—Christ of the last days, and had the good fortune to hear His utterances. I see that more and more brothers and sisters of different colors and races from different countries across the world, because of hearing the voice of God, have left their original denominations and returned in succession to the big family—the family of Almighty God. They have been gathered together in one by God’s words. The work of uniting all denominations as one is being fully accomplished, as spoken of in God’s words “Let every nation worship Me, every tongue acknowledge Me, every man repose his faith in Me, and every people be subject unto Me.”