a mission of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS). The LCMS is made up of thousands of congregations throughout North America. The members of the synod commonly confess that the Holy Bible is the inerrant Word of God, written by the prophets and apostles who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is the only truth and norm by which all things are to be measured. We also confess that the Book of Concord, as assembled in 1580 AD, to be a faithful exposition of Holy Scripture. It is comprised of a series of writings that were written to defend the truth of Scripture against errors that had crept into the church. The Book of Concord is clear explanation of Lutheran teaching.