Christian leaders have sometimes quoted this verse in worship services to emphasize how the Spirit of Jesus is present whenever two or three Christians are gathered together. To determine if this is true, the context of the passage must be considered. In Matthew 18, church discipline is the topic. Jesus promised in verse 17 that He would be present whenever the church leaders met together to resolve a conflict (also see 1 Cor 5:4). Jesus told His disciples that He would be with them always, even to the end of the age (Matt 28:19-20). The alternative must be considered as well, for if this passage did say that two or three believers are needed to have Christ present, then it would appear that we should never read our Bibles or pray by ourselves. Yet this can’t be because Jesus emphasized the importance of privately taking care of business with God (Matt 6:6).

For other passages discussing common passages used by Latter-day Saints, click here.