“This Is My Gospel”—“This Is My Church”
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Topics
Understand the Power of the Gospel and the Church
Elder Renlund uses the analogy of dynamite to illustrate the power that comes from combining the gospel of Jesus Christ with His Church. The gospel is perfect, but the Church is necessary to preach it, maintain its purity, and administer its ordinances.
The combination of the gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides powerful and transformative benefits for us.
The gospel is perfect, but a divinely commissioned church is required to preach it, maintain its purity, and administer its sacred ordinances with the Savior’s power and authority.Key Points:
- The gospel is perfect, but it needs the Church to maintain its purity.
- The Church administers sacred ordinances with the Savior's authority.
- The combination of the gospel and the Church is transformative.
- Reflect on a time when the Church played a crucial role in your spiritual growth.
- Consider how participating in Church ordinances has impacted your life.
- Think about how the teachings of the Church have helped you understand the gospel better.
Recognize the Church as a Stabilizing Force
The Church acts as a stabilizing force for the gospel, similar to how kieselguhr stabilizes nitroglycerin to create dynamite. Without the Church, humanity's understanding of the gospel would be unstable and prone to doctrinal drift.
Without the stabilizing effect of kieselguhr, nitroglycerin had limited value as an explosive.
Without the Lord’s Church, humanity’s understanding of His gospel was likewise unstable—prone to doctrinal drift.Key Points:
- The Church prevents doctrinal drift and maintains the purity of the gospel.
- The Church is necessary for the stability and proper understanding of the gospel.
- Share an experience where the Church helped clarify your understanding of a gospel principle.
- Discuss how the teachings of the Church have provided stability in your life.
- Reflect on how the Church has helped you stay true to gospel teachings.
Access God's Power Through the Church
The Church enables access to God's power through the authorized teaching of the gospel and the administration of saving ordinances. This access allows individuals to be justified, sanctified, and transformed by the Savior.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints enables access to God’s power because it is authorized by Him both to teach the doctrine of Christ and to offer the gospel’s saving and exalting ordinances.
Jesus Christ wants nothing more than for us to repent and come unto Him so that He can justify and sanctify us.Key Points:
- The Church is authorized to teach the doctrine of Christ and administer ordinances.
- Access to God's power comes through the Church's ordinances and covenants.
- The Savior desires to justify and sanctify us through His Church.
- Think about a time when you felt the power of God in your life through a Church ordinance.
- Consider how participating in Church covenants has strengthened your faith.
- Reflect on how the Church has helped you access divine power in overcoming challenges.
Embrace the Transformative Power of Covenants
The Church provides the means to make and keep sacred covenants, which transform us and bring us closer to God. Through covenants, we access His power and become who He intends us to be.
Keeping those covenants draws us closer to God, gives us access to His power, and transforms us into who He intends us to become.
The combination of the Savior’s gospel and His Church transforms our lives.Key Points:
- Covenants are essential for accessing God's power and transformation.
- The Church provides the structure for making and keeping covenants.
- Share a personal story of how keeping a covenant has transformed your life.
- Discuss how making covenants has helped you draw closer to God.
- Reflect on the role of covenants in your spiritual journey.
Commit to the Savior's Church
Elder Renlund invites members to commit more fully to the Savior, His gospel, and His Church. This commitment will bring power into their lives, enabling them to overcome obstacles and find joy.
I invite you to commit yourself more fully to the Savior, His gospel, and His Church.
As you do so, you will find that the combination of the Savior’s gospel and His Church brings power into your life.Key Points:
- A full commitment to the Savior's Church brings divine power and joy.
- The Church helps us overcome obstacles and transform our lives.
- Reflect on a time when committing to the Church brought you joy.
- Consider how your life has been blessed by fully engaging in Church activities.
- Think about ways you can deepen your commitment to the Savior and His Church.
