You can read or watch Elder Christofferson’s talk at The Doctrine of Belonging (churchofjesuschrist.org)

Elder Christofferson identified three parts to what he called the Doctrine of Belonging:

(1) the role of belonging in gathering the Lord’s covenant people,

(2) the importance of service and sacrifice in belonging, and

(3) the centrality of Jesus Christ to belonging.

(1) The role of belonging in gathering the Lord’s covenant people

As the long-prophesied latter-day gathering of the Lord’s covenant people gains momentum, the Church will truly be composed of members from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. This is not a calculated or forced diversity but a naturally occurring phenomenon that we would expect, recognizing that the gospel net gathers from every nation and every people.

We can truly see that the Gospel is spreading around the world and that the Church is becoming a more diverse organisation. Did you notice how many speakers at General Conference were not white, North Americans? What strengths can this naturally occurring diversity bring to the Church and to the lives of its members?

However, this global growth could also result in division and prejudice if we are not watchful.

Having been given this privilege, we cannot permit any racism, tribal prejudice, or other divisions to exist in the latter-day Church of Christ. The Lord commands us, “Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.” We should be diligent in rooting prejudice and discrimination out of the Church, out of our homes, and, most of all, out of our hearts. As our Church population grows ever more diverse, our welcome must grow ever more spontaneous and warm. We need one another.

In the October 2021 General Conference Elder Dale G Renlund taught:
 We can bring our heritage, culture, and experiences to the Church of Jesus Christ. Samuel did not shy away from his heritage as a Lamanite, nor did Mormon shy away from his as a Nephite. But each put his discipleship of the Savior first. If we are not one, we are not His.

Why does the Saviour say “If ye are not one ye are not mine?”

There are numerous reasons why people may feel that they do not belong or fit in at Church. Read Elder Christofferson’s story of Jodi King.

Why did Jodi and her husband feel that they had to keep attending Church despite their bad experience?

Elder Christofferson quotes Jodi:

“In the Church, there are widowed, divorced, and single members; those with family members who have fallen away from the gospel; people with chronic illnesses or financial struggles; members who experience same-sex attraction; members working to overcome addictions or doubts; recent converts; new move-ins; empty-nesters; and the list goes on and on. …

“The Savior invites us to come unto Him—no matter our circumstances. We come to church to renew our covenants, to increase our faith, to find peace, and to do as He did perfectly in His life—minister to others who feel like they don’t belong.”

Have you ever felt that you didn’t fit in? If you have been able to overcome that feeling, how did you do it?

Let us leave judgment in the Lord’s hands and those He has commissioned and be content to love and treat each other the best we can. Let us ask Him to show us the way, day by day, to “bring in … the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind”—that is, everyone—to the great feast of the Lord.

How can you better love and treat those who come into your Church community?

(2) the importance of service and sacrifice in belonging

A second facet of the doctrine of belonging has to do with our own contributions. Although we rarely think about it, much of our belonging comes from our service and the sacrifices we make for others and for the Lord. Excessive focus on our personal needs or our own comfort can frustrate that sense of belonging.

How can we make service and sacrifice a way of life?

…our pioneer forebears derived a deep sense of belonging, unity, and hope in Christ by the sacrifices they made to serve missions, build temples, abandon comfortable homes under duress and begin again, and in a multitude of other ways consecrate themselves and their means to the cause of Zion. They were willing to sacrifice even their lives if necessary. And we are all the beneficiaries of their endurance. The same is true for many today who may lose family and friends, forfeit employment opportunities, or otherwise suffer discrimination or intolerance as a consequence of being baptized. Their reward, however, is a powerful sense of belonging among the covenant people. Any sacrifice we make in the Lord’s cause helps to confirm our place with Him who gave His life a ransom for many.

How do you feel when you consider the legacy of faith and sacrifice that pioneers and other Saints have given us?

Who are the pioneers of the Church in your area? 

In what ways are you a pioneer?

How can we pass on this same kind of legacy to those who will follow us?

(3) the centrality of Jesus Christ to belonging

The final and most important element of the doctrine of belonging is the central role of Jesus Christ. We don’t join the Church for fellowship alone, important as that is. We join for redemption through the love and grace of Jesus Christ. We join to secure the ordinances of salvation and exaltation for ourselves and those we love on both sides of the veil. We join to participate in a great project to establish Zion in preparation for the Lord’s return.

How do you feel about the blessings that come to us through the love and grace of Jesus Christ?

How can we realise those blessings?

We can feel joy as we pursue, individually and communally, “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Despite disappointments and setbacks along the way, it is a grand quest. We lift and encourage each other in pursuing the upward path, knowing that no matter tribulation and no matter delays in promised blessings, we can “be of good cheer; [for Christ has] overcome the world,” and we are with Him. Being one with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is without doubt the ultimate in belonging.

In the October 2019 General Conference Elder Uchtdorf likened this ‘grand quest’ to JRR Tolkien’s story of the Hobbit. Elder Uchtdorf  taught:

‘The restored gospel is, in a sense, a renewal of the call to adventure we accepted so long ago. The Savior invites us, each day, to set aside our comforts and securities and join Him on the journey of discipleship.’

In what ways is the restored gospel a ‘grand quest’ or  a ‘call to adventure’?

Does your ‘journey of discipleship’ feel like a great adventure?

What comforts and securities have you set aside?

How can you lift and encourage others on their upward path?

NB: Passages in italics are direct quotes from Elder Christofferson’s talk.