 WHAT IS THE GOSPEL? When you seek truth you find it in The Gospel of Jesus Christ. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 His gospel has answers to questions that most people ask themselves. Is there a God? Where did I come from? Why am I here? Is there life after death? What is right and what is wrong? Can I be forgiven? What is really important in this life? Can I be truly happy? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do I need the Savior? What happens to my family after this life? But it is more than just answers to unknown... So what is The Gospel of Jesus Christ? There are may definitions you can find. I like the quotation below because it puts an answer to this question into perspective. THE GOSPEL IS THE WAY TO SALVATION “...the gospel is the way to salvation, and surely there is no other way. Mortals will get there through the gospel of Jesus Christ, or they will not receive salvation... The word gospel means literally “glad tidings” or “good news.” If you were to receive the news that a long-lost relative of whom you had never heard had died and left you a million dollars, that quite possibly could be considered good news, but it would not be the gospel. The gospel is, then, a particular kind of good news. It is the good news about Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice... Hartman Rector Jr., “The Gospel,” Ensign, Nov. 1985, 74 Christ is the one who brought salvation to those who would believe in Him, obey his commandments and follow Him till the end of their mortal lives. He did his part and we must do ours. In the plan that our Heavenly Father prepared for us, so we can return to him after this mortal probation, everyone has a part. Christ's part was to Atone for the sins, transgressions, mistakes even sickness and pain of all mankind. We all have a part in this plan, but we also have our agency to choose what we will. In the Book of Mormon prophet Alma explained “And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations.” Alma 24:14 So the very first thing one must understand is the fact that God has a plan for us to return to Him and we all have our part in it. Is this knowledge enough? It is enough to start on the right path but it must lead to faith in Christ or you will never receive the salvation you desire. THE GOOD NEWS The good news is that there is a way for us to return to our Heavenly Father and that is through Christ who provided the way. He taught us that after we have faith in him, we will follow His example and do what he showed us and taught us that we needed to do. In The Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, article 3,4 and 5 describes into more detail what is needed at the beginning.
As you noticed in the 4th article the first two are the principles – Faith and Repentance – and the second two are the ordinances – Baptism by immersion and Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. The first two are personal and up to you the second needs to be performed by someone who has the authority to do so. And that is where the importance of actual church comes to place. | THE CHURCH When Jesus lived on this earth he “went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Matt 9:35. He established his church in a specific order and after He was resurrected he said to his apostles “ Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15 Because of the apostasy this original church was taken away from this earth for a long season until it was restored again in 1836. For more details please refer to The History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Ronald E. Poelman explained it well when he said: “The gospel of Jesus Christ is a divine and perfect plan. It is composed of eternal, unchanging principles, laws, and ordinances which are universally applicable to every individual regardless of time, place, or circumstance. Gospel principles never change. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on earth, administered by the priesthood of God. The Church has authority to teach correctly the principles and doctrines of the gospel and to administer its essential ordinances. Both the gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are true and divine, and there is an essential relationship between them that is significant and very important. Understanding the proper relationship between the gospel and the Church will prevent confusion, misplaced priorities, and failed expectations and will lead to the realization of gospel goals through happy, fulfilling participation in the Church..." Ronald E. Poelman, “The Gospel and the Church,” Ensign, Nov. 1984, 64 THE BASIC NEED No matter what people who do not believe in God say, there is a basic need instilled in every person and that is the need to belong. It is not always obvious, but whether you express it audibly or not, everyone longs to fulfill this need. In general it could be expressed in these words that James M. Paramore wrote “I feel that there is something, somewhere, that I need, that will give me peace, that will comfort me and let me know that my life has purpose and importance, that I belong. Everyone has a need to belong. The Gospel of Jesus Christ can answer this great need for every man, woman, and child upon this earth—for every family, every single person. Everyone who joins His church immediately belongs, no matter who he is or where he is...In reality, in His church we are always home—home in the things we believe, the standards we hold dear, the spirit we need, and the help, security, and belonging that are there." James M. Paramore, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ and Basic Needs of People,” Ensign, May 1983, 27 The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the single greatest influence to make you happier, healthier, and more successful. Why? Because you will understand who you are and what Christ did to pay for you, because you will have the companionship of the Holy Ghost that will fill your mind with intelligence and ideas to guide you through your life, because the same companionship of the Holy Ghost will comfort you and strengthen you whenever necessary, because your sins, mistakes, imperfections and transgressions will be forgiven every time you repent and they will not hinder you in your progress, because you will belong to God again and you will never be alone. WHAT OTHERS SAID AFTER HAVING A TOUR Here are some of the comments that visitors wrote after having a tour of Temple Square with sister missionaries: PHILIPPINES (Unlisted) I was so touched upon hearing and seeing all the sights. I love the song "You're Not Alone." It has a good message. NEW JERSEY (Christian Science) Your approach to enlightening other is excellent. It is nice to have someone share their ideals instead of push them. HOLLAND (Unlisted) The presentation was very interesting. I have never believed there was a God, but now I know that he is there, and that makes me feel really good. OHIO (Methodist) The missionary did a wonderful job in her presentation. Her dedication and faith are obvious to everyone. Temple Square is truly an inspiration to anyone of any faith. FRANCE (Catholic) Coming from a country where there are so few LDS, it is so wonderful to come to Temple Square and see the sister's tears when they speak of the eternal plan. Thank you. JAPAN (Unlisted) It was a nice tour. I'm a busy person. Today's tour let me know to have some time for myself and think of essential, important things of this life. The Gospel of Jesus Christ and His restored church will lead you to fulfillment and happiness in your life no matter who you are, where you are from or what you believe in at this time. As you read some of the stories of Temple Square missionaries and people that visited this wonderful place (either here on this website or in one of these books "Angels on Temple Square" and "Missionary Moments on Temple Square") you will realize that none of the things that happened there were a mere coincidence. There is a loving God who watches over us and is anxious to bless us. He wants us to be happy and successful while here on earth and He wants us to return to Him again after the end of our journey here. |