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MY GOSPEL ALPHABET!

Thought this might be a nice way to tell you a little about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a quick reference form.. It ain't official, just my thoughts and beliefs concerning things Eternal..

"A" is for the Atonement..

The atonement finds itself first in the list because it is of particular import in the lives of each of us.. Were it not for the suffering in Gethsemane, the death and resurrection of the Savior of the world, we would each be forever lost to the clutches of Satan. The atonement is a great "bargain", as we bring virtually nothing to the table, and the Lord brings everything!!

"B" is for Baptism..

The ordinance of baptism is the way and the means provided by the Lord to signify our willingness to live lives which would return us to him. In return, He promises to take upon himself all of our sins for which we truely repent. The ordinance of baptism in the Church of Jesus Christ is done by emmersion, and must be performed by one holding the Priesthood authority as did John the Baptist of old..

"C" is for Christ..

If ones life is not centered in Christ, then the remainder of the alphabet is useless. His is the name whereby all mankind may be saved, and without our acknowledgement of that fact, and without our accepting Him into our lives and trying with all of our hearts to live the commandments, Eternal Life with Christ and the Father is not possible. I have increasingly come to realize that only in Christ do I have any hope of salvation. Only His mercy can cover my sins and make me clean!!

"D" is for Death..

The word has struck fear through the hearts of mankind since the beginning, and yet is is as much a part of Eternal Life as is life itself. Just as birth is the door which opens itself to us as we enter this life, so is death the door, sometimes welcome, and sometimes not, which opens itself to the Eternal realms..

"E" is for Eternal..

Although little understood by the finite mind of mankind, the word simply signifies something which has no end. When used in the context of "Eternal Life", it is a simple statement signifying a life without end with God and Christ. Just as our minds cannot contemplate a pancake with only one side, neither are we able in this mortal probation to contemplate the true meaning of the word "ETERNAL"..

"F" is for Family..(for Father also..)

Here is one letter on which the human family itself can unite. We each care for and love our families. Only in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, however, is taught the true principle of the eternal nature of the family unit. When one comes to understand the pre-earth life, and the great love the Father has for each of us, it brings to us a realization that a loving Father would not urge us to cultivate loving relationships with wives and children, only to have that unit dissolved after this life. I challenge anyone to study, ponder, and pray about this principle, and you will come to know of it's verity..
F should also remind us of the absolute importance of a father in each home. A great church leader has said of fathers.. "there are too many men who are merely "remote" fathers, who live and sleep in the home, but who do little of those things required of a real father".
Let's shape up men, and be the fathers we should be!!

"G"is for GOD, (and His goodness)

We quite properly call Him Father, we refer to him as the Great Elohim, as the Eternal One, and a myriad of other names. He is, plainly and simply, our GOD!! He is the Father of our Spirits, He is the Father of Jesus Christ, and He is the Supreme God. His name brings to mind the goodness and mercy He has for us his children.. It is Him to whom we pray, and Him to whom Jesus Christ gives all glory..

"H" is for Home..

A home is much more than bricks and mortar, more than wood and nails. A home is that place where families grow together, love together, and build eternal ties.."TOGETHER".
If every child in the world could have a real home, where honorable mothers and fathers nuture and provide the things of life, and the love which is so much a part of mortality, there would be little of the sorrows, pains and suffering which has become so common place in the world today. Mothers and Fathers----make a happy home for your children and God will bless you and your families..

"I" is for Idolatry..

Surprised ain't you?? I chose this because of the increasing desire of the human race to find something or someone to worship which will support them in their sinful ways. Are we, as Christians and Latter Day Saints in particular falling into that trap as we seek the things of the world. An idol need not be a statue, or a golden calf, but can be your bank account, your nice possessions, or your appearance. Let us guard against allowing "things" to become too important in our lives..

"J" is for JOY!!

"Man is that he might have joy". A scripture which has been used to justify some odd and strange behaviours. God is simply telling us that if we follow the gospel principles, and strive to live the commandments, that we will find true joy. The joy spoken of in the scriptures is far more than the tittilation and "fun" which can be found in the recreational activities of the world, but is the deep joy we have each felt on those occasions when we have lost ourselves in the service to others.

"K" is for Kingdom..

So often we see in the present day churches of Christiandom, the practice of voting to determine the doctrine and practices of the church. Councils convene, leaders vote and the establishment of teachings is thereby decided. In the Church of Jesus Christ, which is the Kingdom of God on earth, the doctrine and practices are determined by only one being, "THE KING", who is God the Eternal Father who has given the direction to His only begotten Son. While we may vote to sustain, we cannot, and will not be called upon to vote whether or not any doctrine is acceptable. As I am often heard to say... "It ain't a democracy, it's a Kingdom!!

"L" is for Living..

The context in which I use this letter of the alphabet is as it pertains to the Church. We testify that this is the True and Living Church of Christ. This most important description speaks to the fact that there is continuous revelation flowing from the Lord through His prophet for the direction of the Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ..

"M" is for Mother..

It has been properly said that vested in Mothers and in the institution of Motherhood is the true love of our Heavenly Father. None other are permitted to have the sacred role of Pro-Creator with God. When all of the world is against a man or woman, there is one who will be with them....their Mother.. May I be so bold to assert that I was blessed with a great Mother, as have my children..

"N" is for Neighbor..

Perhaps one of the most mis-understood words in scripture. In the vernacuar of the day, a neighbor is one who lives next door. To the Lord, the word neighbor refers to all of mankind. If we are told to love our neighbor, it is not an injunction to simply love the family over the fence from us, but to indeed love all persons, everywhere.

"O" is for Obedience..

Upon this simple word, is built the marvelous structure which is the Gospel of Christ. Obedience is that principle which causes the world to be, and causes the elements to function. Were not the elements obedient to the Master, all would cease to be, and the world would return to it's basic dis-orginization. Even more, the principle of obedience is that which will allow you and I to finally return to live with our Father in Heaven. If we are obedient to the commandments of God, he will reward that obedience with salvation!!

"P" is for Patience..

Patience is simply the ability of one to wait.. So often when we seek a blessing from the Lord, we desire it to be immediate, and any delay is often taken as un-willingness of God to grant the desired blessing. If we fail to have patience in our day to day activities, we will find ourselves doubting heavenly things. As one who has a very difficult time with this virtue, I can well understand why the Lord would have us develop it in ourselves.

"Q" is for Questions..

It is my opinion that questioning is a good and proper function. As Latter Day Saints, we are often accused of blindly following the Prophet. May I suggest that we do come to a point where we may well "blindly" follow him.--- This time, however, has been preceeded by asking and receiving answers to those questions which give us the assurance to follow those who have been annointed of the Lord. There is a time for questioning, and a time for following obediently, I recommend both to each of us.

"R" is for Respect..

I believe that the word respect has been as mis-used as has any word in the dictionary.. We are urged by those in political leadership, to "respect" the filthy and degrading actions of others, ie.\ abortion, infanticide, etc. While I may respect the lawfulness of those actions, I must not respect those who engage in them.
We should never defer to others in determining what is respectful. God has innumerated those attributes which should demand our respect and which we should abhor..

"S" is for Sin..

The world of today has been very successful in blurring the line between those things which are good and decent, and those which are sinful.. As Latter Day Saints, and Christians, we have been given ample instruction to determine which things are good, and which are bad. I have done many sinful things in my life, but I did so with the knowledge that they were wrong, and was under no illusion that God sanctioned them simply because they were popular, or because "everyone is doing it".
In addition to scripture, we are each given as guidance, the Spirit of Christ, our conscience, to whisper to us when we are straying across the line between good and evil.

"T" is for Temptation..

We so often think of temptation as an evil thing which comes from satan. We ought to remember that the Spirit of the Lord will, if we are living properly, "tempt" us to do those things which are good.
Temptation from Satan, however, is real and forceful, and it is necessary that we exert all of the effort possible to resist that which comes from the evil one. We should remember, as well, that we cannot blame all of the evil we do on temptation from Satan, we are quite capable of committing sin all by ourselves!!

"U" is for United..

Whether we speak of doctrine, practices, principles, or assemblies, it is incumbent upon Latter Day Saints to be united in the Gospel. We must be united in the faith, united in our support of the Brethren, and united in our desires to see the Kingdom of God go forward.
The Lord has said, "If ye are not one, ye are not mine". As with most of the admonitions and sayings of the Master, there is little to be added to that proclamation.

"V" is for Victory..

When we think of the word "VICTORY", we usually do so in terms of the winner of a battle, or a war. I would suggest that in Gospel terms, the word may be used in the same context. Life in many senses, is a battle, a war if you will, between ourselves and Satan. We have as our leader, our General, Jesus Christ, who will lead us to Victory if we will but listen to his commands, and follow them. Victory as it relates to the Gospel, would denote our returning to live eternally with our Heavenly Father.

"W" is for Willing..

It is important that we follow the counsel of the Lord, and our Church leaders, but even more, it is necessary that we follow that counsel with a willing heart. If we do good things with a heart of resentment, then the Lord is unable to bless us for the effort. I believe, however, that we should persist in doing good, for whatever reason, as it is impossible to continue in good works without being affected for the better. Finally, I believe, whatever our motivation at first, we will untimately come to have a willing attitude.

"X" is for (I ain't got a clue!!)

When I think of something, I'll fill in this blank..

"Y" is for Yesterday.

If only we could remove this word from our thinking. It seems that we spend so much time and energy on yesterday, with regrets, with remorse, allowing our guilt for deeds committed in that "yesterday", to cloud our todays. We should put the past where it really is, and strive to do better tomorrow. The Savior has promised that He will forget our yesterdays, if we repent of them, so ought we to do likewise.

"Z" is for Zion.

The word invokes feelings of happiness in the hearts of all Latter Day Saints. It is Zion to which the saints fled from the persecutions of Missouri, it was Zion which they found in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, and we are told that we can make a Zion of our homes, our Wards, and our Stakes, if we will but live lives worthy of the blessings which are ZION.

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