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I heard this phrase used a lot in various talks over the years. I came to the conclusion a few minutes ago that I don’t get it. In signing up for the gospel, I ended up with a lot of hardship. Hardship which I can’t say has been totally rewarded with offsetting joy and happiness.
What are the “blessings of the gospel” to the person who, without the gospel, would have lived a good life anyway?
“The Gospel” is the good life they would have lived without the Church. The Gospel is the “practical theology” of Jesus, of Nazareth. The Gospel is not the Church. You signed up for the Church. Nobody signs up for the Gospel; they live it.
I’m dubious of blessings anyway. I do believe the gospel can change lives (and not just for Mormons), and if individuals are better for following Christ then I suppose that could be counted as a blessing. As such, I think many (and way more outside the church) are therefore blessed by the gospel. I’m not at all sure that’s what people inside the church are referring to, but it’s how I interpret it. To me this sounds like a very nebulous term that can mean different things to different people. I would say that it includes but is not limited to eternal families, holding the priesthood, avoiding addiction, having a years supply of food and thus peace of mind, community support, a support structure for raising children to lead good industrious lives, constant companionship of the holy ghost, exaltation/eternal progression/eternal increase, etc. I have trouble with believing in blessings after this life. In this life, I see the blessings as avoiding addiction, the shame and hardship of broken families due to infidelity, perhaps some character benefits from avoiding selfishness. But at the same time, I don’t see the church as the only vehicle for getting there. The gospel? The LDS church defines it as intertwined with membership — Faith. Repentence, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost. So, in a sense, you do sign up for the church in signing up for the gospel. Along with living a life that is akin to Christ’s.
However, is Christ’s life one you want? Homeless, traveling, misunderstood, sold out by friends, unjustly convicted and crucified in agonizing pain for what he believed? I am not trying to unconvert anyone, but simply reanalyzing all this from a different perspective.
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