The Everlasting Gospel

Welcome

I am so pleased that you have chosen to join me in this Gospel Bible Study. I pray you will find it informative. As you proceed, please take a moment to write your questions, comments, and objections. When you complete this study, you find a form where you may submit your thoughts. Me and my staff are anxious to serve you.

Background

The true gospel must define and ratify our relationship with God. When we get it right, essential principles fall into place. Then we will enjoy peace with God and eternal life. If we get it wrong, do we lean into a false gospel, pointing to a false gospel and a god who cannot save?

What does it look like when a person is accursed for going after a false gospel?

²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Matthew 7:21-23, KJV, emphasis added

Paul wrote of a people who know God and are known by Him. They die to self and rise again in newness of life. Christ, who lives in them, transforms these faithful few right down to their bones. They are those who understand and lean into the God and gospel that saves. Embracing the true gospel leads these faithful few to life.

¹⁷Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19, BSB, emphasis added

As a Mormon boy, I memorized the thirteen articles of faith. My best understanding of the gospel came from one of these articles.

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

Third Article of Faith, Joseph Smith

My first saving ordinance was baptism.

Then came my ordination into various offices in the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods.

In the temple, Mormon men washed, anointed and led me through the endowment. Finally, I took my bride to the temple where an ordinance worker sealed us for time and eternity.

These saving ordinances were easy to satisfy. They were but bridges to cross when I came of age. It was the laws that gave me trouble.

Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive. And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come.
Doctrine & Covenants 25:15, emphasis added

In my late teens, I sowed some wild oats and soon found myself at odds with my Mormon leaders. They disfellowshipped me and gave me, “The Miracle of Forgiveness”. They instructed me to read and follow it’s teachings. To be honest, a few passages gave me trouble.

To “try” is weak. To “do the best I can” is not strong. We must always do better than we can.
Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness. pp 164-65

The laws and demands of the Mormon religion I could not do. On a good day, I could come close. But not all days were good. I often joked, “I am 100% Mormon, 90% of the time.” Outwardly, I said this as a joke. Inwardly, I worried about the 10% when I failed to measure up.

This may not represent the experience of every Mormon man and woman, but it was mine. The harsh reality was, at times, devastating!

Biblical Unity

Please stop right here because this is the worst time to make a wrong turn. Before you continue, answer for yourself this one important question.

Where is the gospel defined in scripture?

I have asked countless numbers of LDS people where the gospel is defined. To a man and to a woman, each has understood and described the gospel as I did when I was a Mormon. Many suggested that all scripture describes the gospel. Others insisted the entirety of LDS teachings enshrine in gospel. To date, no Mormon pointed to this single passage.

1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4, KJV

Come along with me as we unpack this passage and clarify key elements of the everlasting gospel.

Paul wrote, “I declare unto you the gospel.” This is not Paul engaged in idle chitchat. This is an official and binding apostolic declaration. When an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ says, “I declare”, prudent men pay attention.

Paul continued by saying the gospel is the place “wherein ye stand”. Because the gospel is an apostolic declaration, believers stand resolutely in it. Christians plant their flag on this hill and, if necessary, die there. Followers of Jesus consider this gospel as a line in the sand from which they will not retreat.

The passage continues, “By which also ye are saved.” Believers defend this gospel because by it they are saved.

The first key element of the gospel is, “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures“. Jesus paid the debt we could never afford. He did for us what we could never accomplish alone. He, without our aid, canceled the record of debt that stood against us, carried it to the cross, and nailed it there. All this He did according to messianic prophecies found throughout the Old Testament.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5, KJV, emphasis added

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Psalm 22:1, KJV, emphasis added

The second key element of the gospel is “he was buried.” This is a simple confirmation that Jesus died. Those who loved Him removed His lifeless body from the cross. They prepared Him for burial and placed Him in a tomb.

The third and final key is, “He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” This illustrates God’s power over life and death, even to raise Himself from the dead. He has the power to erase the stain and corruption of death and renew life in perfection. Thus, He can erase the stains that infect and separate us from God. Jesus alone; through Him alone, we may live with the God of light for eternity. Once again, Jesus accomplished this to fulfill Old Testament prophecies.

For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Mark 9:31, KJV

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16, KJV

Please pause again to consider yet another important question.

Modern Bibles translate εὐαγγέλιον, pronounced, euaggelion as gospel. What does εὐαγγέλιον mean?

Strong’s Concordance and Thayer’s Greek Lexicon translate gospel as “good message” and “good tidings” respectively. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints understand that gospel means “good news”. This aligns nicely with Strong’s and Thayer’s.

The biblical definition of “gospel” specifically showcases it as good news, tidings, and a wonderful message of hope. Being dead in my sins, and an enemy to God, He still rescued me. Let’s face it: the shed blood of Jesus to save a sinner like me is the best news of all! He died for your sins and mine and the sins of the entire world. For us all, Jesus did what we can never accomplish for ourselves. I will never understand why He did such a thing for an enemy like me. In absolute awe and wonder, I will praise His name forever for this free gift of love and life.

10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Romans 5:10-11, KJV, emphasis added

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:2, KJV

As I close this section, I have two questions

The biblical gospel is so simple that even a small child can understand. Is that good news?

The biblical gospel is all about what Jesus did for us. Is that good news?

Collisions

Together we have established several points of unity with the biblical gospel. I assume you agree that this gospel is very good news. Are you aware that there is another gospel definition?

In its fulness, the gospel includes all the doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants necessary for us to be exalted in the celestial kingdom.
True to the Faith, p 76 and churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/gospel

The biblical gospel is all about what Jesus did for us. This new gospel mentions none of that and focuses on what the Mormon must do for the church. Paul addressed such an issue as this.

6I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:6-9, KJV, emphasis added

Once again, it is time to pause for a moment and think deeply.

When you contrast the biblical gospel with this new variant, is there unity or do they collide?

If I give you paper and pen, can you list all the doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants that make up the Mormon gospel?

Consider your answer to the last question with care. For it to be correct, you must itemize every law and commandment of God. That is a huge undertaking when most people struggle to name all Ten Commandments. Your answer must also include each additional commandment and principle issued by the Mormon church. Finally, a correct answer must itemize each Mormon ordinance and covenant, in and out of the temple.

In closing this section, I ask that you consider two final questions.

If the gospel is a list of doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants so long that you can’t list them, how can you know you are living the gospel?

If the gospel is a list of doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants so long that you can’t write them down or know you are living them, how is that good news?

Outtakes

As we opened this study I described the uncertainty that pressed me low when I was LDS. I wanted to live according to Mormon demands, but in moments of honest reflection, I knew I couldn’t measure up. I acknowledge my experience may not be reflective of every Mormons. Yet, none who can say how they satisfy the 3rd Article of Faith, Doctrine & Covenants 25:15, and the current Mormon gospel.

As for me, I have the hope of Abraham as described in Genesis and Romans 3 through 5. He believed and his belief was counted as righteousness for him. Having been covered with the blood of Christ and the righteousness of God, Abraham lived at peace with God as do I.

The Apostle John assures us, we may know we have eternal life. With boldness I declare, in this instant, in this hour, I have eternal life. I am covered with God’s best promise and that is good enough for me.

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