The Gospel

Taken from www.mormon.org –

“The Official Website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”
*unless otherwise noted

The Gospel: “The ‘good news’ of God’s plan for the salvation1of mankind. At the center
of His plan is the Atoning sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ, in whom alone salvation is
possible. In its fulness, the gospel includes all of the commandments2, principles3,
ordinances4, and covenants5 whereby human beings can be forgiven of sin, overcome
the world, and attain immortality6 and eternal life in the kingdom of God7.”
1
Salvation: “Deliverance from sin and death.” (“… everyone will be given the gift of
resurrection, the righteous and the wicked alike.”)
6
Immortality: “A state of endless life… all mortal souls will eventually become
immortal”
7
Eternal life in the kingdom of God = Eternal life in the Celestial Kingdom
2
The Commandments:

1- “Obedience to God’s Commandments” -- (Obey the Ten Commandments)

2- “Pray Often”
3- “Study the Scriptures” -- (Study the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine &
Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price).
4- “Keep the Sabbath Day Holy”-- (Attend church and take the sacrament to renew your
covenants and show “that you are willing to repent of your sins and mistakes”).
5- “Baptism and Confirmation” -- (Repent of your sins, be baptized into and confirmed a
member of the LDS church).
6- “Follow the Prophet” -- (“…have faith in God’s chosen prophet, gain conviction of his
divine calling, and follow his teachings. You must prepare yourself so that when the
prophets and apostles speak, the Holy Ghost can confirm the truths they teach and you
can then determine to follow the counsel they give you.” Sustaining new church leaders
is also part of following the prophet).
7- “Live the Law of Chastity” -- (“You are to keep your thoughts clean and be modest in
your dress, speech, and actions. You must avoid pornography… and treat the God-given
procreative power and your body as sacred gifts. You are not to participate in abortions
or homosexual or lesbian relations… those who are married to more than one person at a
time may not be baptized.”)
8- “Obey the Word of Wisdom” -- (“In addition to emphasizing the benefits of proper
eating and physical and spiritual health, God has spoken against the use of tobacco,
alcohol, coffee and tea, harmful, habit-forming drugs.”)
9- “Live the Law of Tithing” -- (“A commandment from the Lord to pay one tenth of
one’s annual increase or income for the building of His Church on the earth.” “Tithes and
offerings are paid voluntarily and privately”, *however, one must be a full-tithe-payer to
obtain a temple recommend).
10- “Observe the Law of the Fast” -- (Skip two meals once per month and make a “fast
offering”).
11- “Obey and Honor the Law” -- (Obey “the laws of the country… to be good citizens,
to participate in civil government and the political process, and to render community
service as concerned citizens.”)
12- “Endure to the End” -- (“If you endure to the end of your life and stay true to
your covenants, you will receive eternal life.”)

3
The Principles:
“… include faith in Jesus Christ, prayer, repentance (“The process of experiencing
sincere regret or sorrow for wrongdoing, confessing one’s sin and asking for forgiveness,
making restitution for any damage done, and committing not to repeat the sin),
forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities”,
Word of Wisdom, tithing, etc.
4
The Ordinances:
An ordinance is “a sacred rite or ceremony” such as baptism, confirmation, administering
to the sick, baptism for the dead, marriage in the temple, endowments, sealings. “Some
ordinances, such as baptism, are essential for salvation”.
5
The Covenants:
A covenant is “a binding and solemn agreement, contract, or promise between God and a
person or group of persons upon which eternal blessings are based.”

In Baptism and Confirmation, you “covenant with God to accept Jesus Christ as your
Savior, to follow Him, and to keep His commandments. In return, He promises to
forgive your sins and let you return to live with Him, provided you keep your
covenants”.

*During the endowment ceremony, you “solemnly covenant and promise before God,
angels, and [the] witnesses at the altar that you will…”
1 - “…observe and keep the Law of the Lord and to hearken to the counsel of your
husband as he hearkens unto the counsel of the Father.” (if female) or “…obey the Law
of God and keep his commandments.” (if male). (This is the “Law of Obedience”).
2 - “…sacrifice all that you possess, even your own life if necessary, in sustaining and
defending the Kingdom of God.” (This is “The Law of Sacrifice”).
3 - “…avoid all lightmindedness, loud laughter, evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed, the
taking of the name of God in vain, and every other unholy and impure practice.” (This is
“The Law of the Gospel”).
4 - “…have no sexual relations except with your husband to whom you are legally and
lawfully wedded.” (This is “The Law of Chastity”).
5 - “…consecrate yourselves, your time, talents and everything which the Lord has
blessed you, or with which he may bless you, to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, for the building up of the Kingdom of God on the earth and for the establishment
of Zion.” (This is “The Law of Consecration”). *(For more information, see
http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/temple_ritual.htm)
Author’s Note: This paper is not all-inclusive of the information on the website. It was
compiled to bring out a few key points in the website’s text that are relevant to the
subject “the LDS gospel”. Because this information can be found on the current official
website of the LDS church, I have assumed that it IS the current “doctrine” of the church,
and therefore the “standard” against which the LDS membership can compare themselves
and their ability to achieve eternal life with God.