Let's try to nail this one down.

I hear this from TBMs all the time.

They love "The Gospel."

They are blessed to have "The Gospel" in their lives.

And, furthermore, they KNOW "They Gospel" is true.

Then you ask them to define "The Gospel" and they stare at you blankly about 95% of the time.

Ask a Christian and they tell you something along the lines of: "It's the good news that Christ died for us even though we were sinners and that by having faith in him we can be reconciled to God and find eternal joy."

In LDS? Well, The Euangelion, the Good News, seems to be something like: "Christ was the first born of Elohim in Spirit world. We were all there before we were born here and that is really relevant because it explains how some people are born black or gay and how Joseph Smith could marry other men's wives but I digress and Satan wanted to stop us from agency but Jehovah the premortal version of Jesus wanted us to keep it and that is good news and then the things with Eve taking the fruit was actually good news also because we are here and couldn't have been without it...on and on and on INTERMINABLY."

The Good News is faith, it is the temple, it is home teaching, it is that porno is an addiction, it is that garments are sacred, it is that....(insert unnecessary micromanagement item).

If LDS is the Good News, The Gospel, who needs bad news??

The gospel is faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end.

Source: I was a missionary less than 3 years ago. It's hard to forget some of that shit.

No, that is absolutely not the LDS definition of the gospel. Those are "principles" and "ordinances" of the gospel, not "The Gospel"

Perfect illustration of the confusion around the topic, even among missionaries supposed to teach it.

Be that as it may, it's the canned answer that the current up and coming generation of mormons is being taught to define as "the gospel". The gospel as young seminarians and mishies is the good news that by following the four easy steps of gospel(TM) plus enduring to the end, you get your ticket into heaven. Sure it's erroneous, but it's an easy to remember gimmick to fire off at any pesky know-it-all who thinks he can trip you up by asking questions.

That worked for you, for the moment, in the past.

Unfortunately, the regular worshiping Mormons and other missionaries are ruining all your lovely work. They told me it was The Restoration and Heavenly Father's Plan of Salvation, when they tried to get me to convert. Then went on to say that without a sincere belief that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, I was not living the gospel and would not meet Heavenly Father.

So, I don't know who teaches what to whom over there, but...if missionaries are saying one thing, one time, to some people and others are saying other things to other people sometimes, too-- then maybe correlation didn't work so well? Or Mormons can't hear too well?

And if you are not paying a full tithe you are not "living" the Gospel. Same goes for not obeying the Word of Wisdom, keeping the sabbath day holy, etc.

Yamirider is correct.

3 Nephi: 13-21



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/2014 09:52PM by builderbob.

Yamirider is correct. Look up 3 Nephi:13-21



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/2014 09:51PM by builderbob.

I like to try and get one to explain the atonement.

It simply makes zero sense.

The grand scheme of the universe is to have each god get his favorite kid all fucked up on a cross? It would appear that our deadbeat father in heaven was forced to do it thusly. Seriously?

And another thing - I fail to see what the big sacrifice was that Jesus did at all. Let's face facts. He had a very bad weekend. Pain and suffering to be sure (put it to yakkity sax and it's kinda a giggle) but he KNEW before hand that it would be over in 3 days. 3 days worth of "work" for an eternity of praise, adoration and 10%. Sounds good. Sign me up. I look pretty good in a beard and can rock hurachies like nobody's business.

It was even better for Elohim. "For god so loved the world,that he gave his only begotten son for 36 hours..."

Gospel = Good News

Good News of What?

Give up 10% for your whole life = good news for leaders of church
Absolute obedience = good news for leaders of church
travel around the world at member expense = good news
have all the members think you are the shit = good news
not accountable for anything they say wrong = good news
when they get something right they are awesome = good news
guaranteed audience and publishers for stupid books = good news
get jobs for your nephews and kids doing the same thing = good news
get rich from honorary board memberships = good news


There is a LOT of good news in TSCC. I would believe in the Gospel too.

Even better is when someone states "Good news of the Gospel." Redundant much?

In Mormonese, "The Gospel" means the church and culture of Mormonism.

I asked this once when my sister kept on about it: I love the gospel and I believe the gospel etc. etc.

I said what is that? The gospel?

She said it was the Restoration. Joseph Smith. She actually said the gospel was the restoration of Joseph Smith and nothing to do with Jesus.

I don't care either way but its funny that she thinks it's that.

Here's my favorite:

"Live the gospel better."

A whole Elder Bednar topic. "Live the gospel" makes no damned sense.

Of course it doesn't thought. What do I expect?

Here's the best explanation I've seen so far.

"The belief that some cosmic Jewish zombie will grant you immortality, if you ‘symbolically’ eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can rid an evil imbedded in mans soul because some rib woman was tricked into eating a magic apple by a talking snake."

If you're out of Mormonism, even an atheist (I was never Mormon), what One Thing would you now consider to be the greatest existential Good News that you could be told or you could realize?

Given that life in "consensus reality" is filled with degrees of suffering and often frustrated pursuits of happiness, and it always ends with debilitation and death, I'd say for me that such Good News would be: 'This life-as-you-know-it is only your dream, with you stringing yourself along, and you can waken from it...even NOW!' Something like that.

mormonism means always putting on a good front, and giving the church money, and going to your interviews. That's basic gospel doctrine 101.