On the basis of the Holy Scriptures we believe the sublime article of the Holy Trinity; that is, we believe that the one true God is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

We believe that God has created everything that exists.

We believe that God created man in His own image, pure and holy with free will, and that sin came into the world by the fall of the first man. Therefore, all men are born in sin and subject to the wrath of God.

We believe that men are unable, through any efforts of their own, to reconcile themselves to God and thus conquer death and damnation.

We believe that in the fullness of time the eternal Son of God was made man by assuming, from the Virgin Mary through the operation of the Holy Spirit, a human nature like ours, yet without sin. Jesus Christ is therefore "true God and also true man." The purpose of this miracle's incarnation of the Son of God was that He might become the Mediator between God and men, both fulfilling the divine Law and suffering and dying in the place of mankind. Christ has reconciled the whole sinful world to Himself.

We believe that because of Jesus' death on the cross, God declares a person just or righteous and forgiven. This happens not because of human effort, but because the justification won by Jesus is applied to the one who believes in Jesus as Savior.

We believe that faith in Jesus is a gift of God, given by the power of the Holy Spirit. So all glory belongs to God.

We believe that God comes to us by means of grace. These are the Word, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion.

We believe there is one holy Christian Church on earth, the Head of which is Christ and which is gathered, preserved and governed by Christ through the Gospel.

We believe that Jesus will come again to take all believers to Himself. On the final day, the dead will be raised, and with the living, will be bodily transformed. The final judgment will take place and unbelievers will go into eternal damnation and believers into eternal life.

We believe that Christians are called to tell others that the only way of salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ, and to show their faith by their deeds of love towards others.

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The official seal of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is a unique blend of symbols and words.

In the center is

• a blue shield, representing the Christian's faith;
• a prominent gold cross proclaiming that we preach Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead;
• Latin words under the cross reading "Jesus Christ is Lord";
• three equilateral gold crosses symbolizing the Holy Trinity;
• three gold stars on the shield standing for the three Christian creeds: the Apostolic, the Nicene and the Athanasian.
• Beneath the shield is Luther's seal (see description).
• Three gold stars on each side of the shield stand for the six Lutheran Confessions that were published in one book, titled "Concordia," in 1580.
• Grape vines fill the bottom white spaces, symbolizing Christ's words in John 15:5.
• Around the inner circle are the words on which Lutheranism is founded: Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide (by Scripture alone, by grace alone, by faith alone).
• The exterior circle contains the proper name of the church and the year it was founded--1847.