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If we were to strip away the things that irk us about the church organization and culture, and practice “pure gospel”…how would we define it? What is the Savior’s gospel…the whole thing as we understand it?
I know it’s simple, but I want to break it down and list exactly what we need to know.
Thanks in advance.
Charity and the Golden Rule. mormonheretic wrote:Charity and the Golden Rule.
i like that definition, but i hardly think it needed to be restored… i think the good hearted throughout history practiced charity and the golden rule, and much of the practice of the church cannot be characterized as charity and reciprocity.QuestionAbound wrote:If we were to strip away the things that irk us about the church organization and culture, and practice “pure gospel”…how would we define it?
What is the Savior’s gospel…the whole thing as we understand it?
I know it’s simple, but I want to break it down and list exactly what we need to know.
Thanks in advance.
Don Bradley argued Joseph broke it down to the grand fundamentals of truth, friendship, and relief. See
https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/141-32-41.pdf I really like what Ray has on his signature line: Quote:“Even if people view many things differently, the core Gospel principles (LOVE; belief in the unseen but hoped; self-reflective change; symbolic cleansing; striving to recognize the will of the divine; never giving up) are universal. Living by those simple principles, according to the dictates of our own individual consciences, is the key to internal peace and joy.”
I understand that the church believes in a distinction between the church and the gospel. If the church is not the same as the gospel and the gospel is both bigger and more encompassing than the church – Can multiple churches fit under the umbrella of the gospel? Or are churches irrelevant or possibly tangential to the Gospel?
Adding the qualifier “restored” before gospel really does muddle the issue. The easiest claim of restoration would be priesthood keys – but what does that necessarily have to do with the gospel? I believe many individuals use the term “restored gospel” to mean the nebulous collective teachings of the COJCLDS. Remember the root of Gospel is “Good News” and the good news is that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son….”
The basic explanation on the church website
Quote:The gospel is our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. The central doctrine of the gospel is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “The first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
What follows can cause confusion:
Quote:In its fulness, the gospel includes all the doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants necessary for us to be exalted in the celestial kingdom. The Savior has promised that if we endure to the end, faithfully living the gospel, He will hold us guiltless before the Father at the Final Judgment.
I am okay with that as long as “doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants necessary for us to be exalted in the celestial kingdom” really are those things, rather than being incorrectly presented or perceived as such. A lot of teachings, counsel, culture, tradition, practices, policies, etc. are not necessary for exaltation. Many of those things are good and support us, though.I believe the “restored” aspect of the Gospel is the core, full meaning of “I am a child of God” and everything it encompasses, including the temple theology that extends that meaning to every person who has lived on this earth – and the belief that God is powerful, loving and patient (charitable) enough to make that theology mean something in the most practical terms. That simple concept is mind-boggling and incredibly deep – and it is absent in nearly all organizational religions on this earth. I certainly don’t live up to it fully, which means I really don’t understand and accept it fully. If I did, I would serve others more and myself less.
Shawn wrote:The basic explanation on the
church website
Quote:The gospel is our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. The central doctrine of the gospel is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “The first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
What follows can cause confusion:
Quote:In its fulness, the gospel includes all the doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants necessary for us to be exalted in the celestial kingdom. The Savior has promised that if we endure to the end, faithfully living the gospel, He will hold us guiltless before the Father at the Final Judgment.
I am okay with that as long as “doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants necessary for us to be exalted in the celestial kingdom” really are those things, rather than being incorrectly presented or perceived as such. A lot of teachings, counsel, culture, tradition, practices, policies, etc. are not necessary for exaltation. Many of those things are good and support us, though.I don’t know how to select the parts I want to “quote”…sorry…still new here…
But I did want to comment on the part of “A lot of teachings, counsel, culture, tradition, practices, policies, etc. are not necessary for exaltation. Many of those things are good and support us, though.”
I desperately want a list of the things that ARE required…
and a list of those things that support us…like VTing…or potato salad.
Might you have such a list?
There are only two things on my list. They can apply to any religion, sect, organization. It is all you need to know or do 1. Do not cause harm to others.
2. Do not cause harm to yourself.
Everything else is just layers added by men.
I think hundreds of millions of people in every religion would agree with you, Cadence – but they would disagree vehemently (and even kill each other) over the definition of doing harm to self and others. :thumbdown: Just saying.
🙂 QuestionAbound wrote:
But I did want to comment on the part of “A lot of teachings, counsel, culture, tradition, practices, policies, etc. are not necessary for exaltation. Many of those things are good and support us, though.”I desperately want a list of the things that ARE required…
and a list of those things that support us…like VTing…or potato salad.
Might you have such a list?
Haha. Well, I’m not qualified to make a list for you, but it’s good to keep the focus on our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, faith, repentance, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. TAKE A DEEP BREATH, and then work it out. Don’t run faster than you are able. Sometimes that can mean sitting at the side of the road for a rest.
Quote:25 But behold, I have been commanded that I should turn again and prophesy unto this people, yea, and to testify against them concerning their iniquities.
26 And now, Amulek, because thou hast fed me and taken me in, thou art blessed; for I was an hungered, for I had fasted many days.
27
And Alma tarried many dayswith Amulek before he began to preach unto the people. (Alma
I’m not sold on the idea that the restored gospel is a plan for happiness. For me, the gospel has not been an exercise in happiness. There were brief periods of euphoria on my mission and some intermittent periods of spiritual peace at different times in my church membership. But I have found the heartache, the limited choice in a spouse, the alienation of my non-member family, the hard-nosed approach of some of my local leaders, the pressure to stay married when it’s clearly not working, the constant moving others and drudgerous aspects of our service, and the financial burdens ouweigh those flashes of happiness. And then, there are the time wasters that I have dedicated my life to such as meetings that have no agenda, or visits to less active people that (hundreds, literally) which resulted in no real tangible results — as other initiatives that could bear fruit remain untackled. I also found that the church recipe for happiness — pray, read the scriptures, hold family home evening, pay tithing, service in the church — is shallow and fails to recognize that there is a lot more to being happy than that.
I find “the restored gospel” is something I’m happier with, when I water it down and pursue my righteous heart’s desires — and that often does not include service in the Church, but service in other ways.
One non LDS historian said the restored gospel was JS pushing the reset button so he could start anew and clear off all the historical debate.
For me, the core principles never changed after JS came — the basic Christian virtues of loving others, loving God, etcetera persisted through history and were alive and well in JS’s time. As the scriptures say, all the law and the prophets hang on those two principles, and I think you could hang JS’s teachings on those two principles of loving god and others. The organizational and doctrinal issues like temples, living prophets and apostles provide some differentiation, but I’m not sure any more if it represents a restored gospel or simply an attempt to build up an organization on earth that has committed members.
Roy wrote:I really like what Ray has on his signature line:
“Even if people view many things differently, the core Gospel principles (LOVE; belief in the unseen but hoped; self-reflective change; symbolic cleansing; striving to recognize the will of the divine; never giving up) are universal.
Living by those simple principles, according to the dictates of our own individual consciences, is the key to internal peace and joy.” SilentDawning wrote:I find “the restored gospel” is something I’m happier with, when I water it down and pursue my righteous heart’s desires — and that often does not include service in the Church, but service in other ways.
Quote:“…there are so many “shoulds” and “should nots” that merely keeping track of them can be a challenge. Sometimes, well-meaning amplifications of divine principles—many coming from uninspired sources—complicate matters further, diluting the purity of divine truth with man-made addenda. One person’s good idea—something that may work for him or her—takes root and becomes an expectation. And gradually, eternal principles can get lost within the labyrinth of “good ideas.
“This was one of the Savior’s criticisms of the religious “experts” of His day, whom He chastised for attending to the hundreds of minor details of the law while neglecting the weightier matters.
“My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most. Let us be mindful of the foundational precepts our Heavenly Father has given to His children that will establish the basis of a rich and fruitful mortal life with promises of eternal happiness.
“May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God’s creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally.” – Pres. Uchtdorf
I see these three quotes as saying very similar things. The “restored gospel” is fluid and ethereal – it means something slightly different to each person. It is not a list of rules, requirements, and rituals. We have been encouraged to “take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God’s creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally.”
I am fascinated by the suggestion to get to know ourselves and find out what the restored gospel means to us individually. Could it be that each of us have a unique heart, spirit, and soul and that for the restored gospel to “fit” me it must adhere itself to my unique contours and ridges? It is not “one size fits all,” it is “custom tailored” through individual adaptation and filtered through the dictates of my conscience. Children of God are not processed on a conveyer belt – they are nurtured, cultivated, and grown into their unique and individually glorious potential by the Master.
Quote:
Could it be that each of us have a unique heart, spirit, and soul and that for the restored gospel to “fit” me it must adhere itself to my unique contours and ridges? It is not “one size fits all,” it is “custom tailored” through individual adaptation and filtered through the dictates of my conscience. Children of God are not processed on a conveyer belt – they are nurtured, cultivated, and grown into their unique and individually glorious potential by the Master.Definitely, but I think you will hear that over the pulpit only to a point. My contours are a lot curvier than the church’s. But I have to confess, I feel MUCH happier adapting my level of service to what I feel in my heart.
The sudden lack of loyalty and the way I basically became irrelevant to our Ward when I stopped adjusting my own contours to theirs, confirms to me that I need to place my personal happiness high on the list of priorities. And that means putting the church in its proper place as far as I am concerned. If Happiness Is the object and design of our whole existence, than I’m pretty sure that not everyone will be happy with the narrow prescriptions we often hear at church — each person will have to make adjustments. Take what works and put what doesn’t aside.
I asked this question recently in a FB group but in a slightly different way. I asked what was the minimum I needed to believe in in order to be considered Mormon and believe in Mormonism?
There were loads of answers but it basically came down to two things
1. Love God
2. Love His children
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