I had the chance to attend a "Best of EFY" meeting a year or so ago, and one of the speakers was Brad Wilcox. He talked about how the church is different from other churches. He help us remember by spelling the word GOSPEL, like so:
Godhead
Only True Church
Spirit
Priesthood
Everyone
Living Prophets
Godhead: We know that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are separate beings. (examples of this in the Bible can be found in Acts 7:55-56, and Jesus' Baptism) We also know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have physical bodies.
This was revealed in the latterdays through Joseph Smith's 1st Vision.
Some people argue that Joseph Smith just lied about the first vision. Well, let me quote The Trickster's Queen "If I was going to lie to you, I'd want to to believe me." Back then, the idea that the godhead was made up of 3 SEPARATE beings was unheard of! So why would Joseph try to get people to believe him with something as outrageous as that?
Others say that he wasn't lying, he was just crazy, and having a hallucination. Bro. Wilcox shared that when people have hallucinations they are things that they know about. ie, If you've never seen an elephant you can't imagine you see one/have a hallucination about one, because you don't know what it looks like.
Only True Church: There can only be one true church. Because all of the churches say different things. Like it says in "Fiddler on the Roof": "You are also right"(-Tevye) "He's right? and he's right? They can't both be right." "You are also right" :)
How can you tell which church is true? That is what Joseph Smith wanted to know. That is why he went to the Sacred Grove and prayed to Heavenly Father to know. I'm sure he didn't expect to actually SEE God and Jesus Christ, but he did, and they told him that none of the churches on earth were true. Later, others appeared to Joseph Smith, and helped him organize Christ's church on the earth.
The way that YOU can find out is the same way: pray. I suggest that you read the Book of Mormon. It is really an amazing book. It has comforting words, it has battles, and people dying for the truth. If you read it and pray about it, I'm sure that you will feel the Spirit telling you that it is true.
Spirit: Soon after you are baptized a member of the church, you are Confirmed-- given the gift of the Holy Ghost (or the Holy Spirit, whatever you want to call it), who will guide you and comfort you through life. You can still feel it, even if you aren't a member. But this is how Brad Wilcox described the difference: When you feel the spirit, it's like blowing up a balloon, you feel full and happy. If you haven't been confirmed, the air just wooshes right back out. But if you HAVE been confirmed, then it's like tying th knot on the balloon.
Priesthood: The LDS church has the Priesthood authority. Think about this situation Bro Wilcox gave: Suppose you were driving down the road, and you saw a kid on a bike. The kid 'pulled you over' and said "You were speeding, here's a ticket." Would you think the kid was serious? (say "no") Why not? Because the kid doesn't have the authority to pull you over and give you a ticket! That's what it's like with the priesthood. The priesthood is the right for all worthy men on earth to act for Heavenly Father. In the church we have the Aaronic Priesthood, which is given to male members at 12 yrs. and the Melchezidek Priesthood, which is given when boys turn 18.
Here are a couple videos that have to do with the priesthood:
"The Power of God:
African-Americans/Africans are able to get the priesthood.
Everyone: Once there were a couple of missionaries. They were spreading the truth of the gospel. They met a woman one day, and started to talk to her. She asked them "So you claim that your church is for everyone?" "Yes" the missionaries said. "Well, what about the people who have died? How do you bring your gospel to them?" the woman asked "I've asked this question of many religious leaders, and not one has answered me. But when someone DOES answer it, I'll know their church is true." The missionaries were overjoyed "We do take our gospel to the dead!" and they explained how in our temples, we do saving ordinances (like baptism) for those who have died, and then the spirits of those people can choose whether or not to accept the gospel. This woman was sooooo happy to finally find the true gospel, and was baptized, and one day, she probably went herself into a temple to do some saving ordinances.
Living Prophets: Here is a story that demonstrates the importance of having living prophets.
"Suddenly a loaded bus headed toward Murray, ignoring his waving arms. In desperation, risking his very life, he 'ran alongside the driver's window. "There's a span missing," he yelled' (p. 129). The bus swerved just in time and came to a halt against the railing. Dozens of lives had been saved.
"I am grateful for these Brethren whom we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators who forewarn us of bridges not to be crossed" (Spencer J. Condie)
The scriptures tell us that God is unchangeable. To finish up with prophets, this is a poem Sophie wrote expressing appreciation to the prophets of today:
What have the prophets done for me?
They have spoken for God.
All of my questions they're answering
'Bout how to hold on the rod.
I wonder "What's truth? And how do I know?
When I find it what's it like?"
Why look, here's a talk that perfectly shows
Everything. Now I can hike.
But, I think I'm worthless. I'm not important.
Why should anybody like me.
But then I read stories, and words of a chant.
And now I know who I'm to be!
If you should ask what the prophets have done,
I will just smile and say.
They've spoken for God, and, with the sun
Have helped me to start a new day.
-Sophie
Godhead
Only True Church
Spirit
Priesthood
Everyone
Living Prophets
Godhead: We know that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are separate beings. (examples of this in the Bible can be found in Acts 7:55-56, and Jesus' Baptism) We also know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have physical bodies.
This was revealed in the latterdays through Joseph Smith's 1st Vision.
Some people argue that Joseph Smith just lied about the first vision. Well, let me quote The Trickster's Queen "If I was going to lie to you, I'd want to to believe me." Back then, the idea that the godhead was made up of 3 SEPARATE beings was unheard of! So why would Joseph try to get people to believe him with something as outrageous as that?
Others say that he wasn't lying, he was just crazy, and having a hallucination. Bro. Wilcox shared that when people have hallucinations they are things that they know about. ie, If you've never seen an elephant you can't imagine you see one/have a hallucination about one, because you don't know what it looks like.
Only True Church: There can only be one true church. Because all of the churches say different things. Like it says in "Fiddler on the Roof": "You are also right"(-Tevye) "He's right? and he's right? They can't both be right." "You are also right" :)
How can you tell which church is true? That is what Joseph Smith wanted to know. That is why he went to the Sacred Grove and prayed to Heavenly Father to know. I'm sure he didn't expect to actually SEE God and Jesus Christ, but he did, and they told him that none of the churches on earth were true. Later, others appeared to Joseph Smith, and helped him organize Christ's church on the earth.
The way that YOU can find out is the same way: pray. I suggest that you read the Book of Mormon. It is really an amazing book. It has comforting words, it has battles, and people dying for the truth. If you read it and pray about it, I'm sure that you will feel the Spirit telling you that it is true.
Spirit: Soon after you are baptized a member of the church, you are Confirmed-- given the gift of the Holy Ghost (or the Holy Spirit, whatever you want to call it), who will guide you and comfort you through life. You can still feel it, even if you aren't a member. But this is how Brad Wilcox described the difference: When you feel the spirit, it's like blowing up a balloon, you feel full and happy. If you haven't been confirmed, the air just wooshes right back out. But if you HAVE been confirmed, then it's like tying th knot on the balloon.
Priesthood: The LDS church has the Priesthood authority. Think about this situation Bro Wilcox gave: Suppose you were driving down the road, and you saw a kid on a bike. The kid 'pulled you over' and said "You were speeding, here's a ticket." Would you think the kid was serious? (say "no") Why not? Because the kid doesn't have the authority to pull you over and give you a ticket! That's what it's like with the priesthood. The priesthood is the right for all worthy men on earth to act for Heavenly Father. In the church we have the Aaronic Priesthood, which is given to male members at 12 yrs. and the Melchezidek Priesthood, which is given when boys turn 18.
Here are a couple videos that have to do with the priesthood:
"The Power of God:
African-Americans/Africans are able to get the priesthood.
Everyone: Once there were a couple of missionaries. They were spreading the truth of the gospel. They met a woman one day, and started to talk to her. She asked them "So you claim that your church is for everyone?" "Yes" the missionaries said. "Well, what about the people who have died? How do you bring your gospel to them?" the woman asked "I've asked this question of many religious leaders, and not one has answered me. But when someone DOES answer it, I'll know their church is true." The missionaries were overjoyed "We do take our gospel to the dead!" and they explained how in our temples, we do saving ordinances (like baptism) for those who have died, and then the spirits of those people can choose whether or not to accept the gospel. This woman was sooooo happy to finally find the true gospel, and was baptized, and one day, she probably went herself into a temple to do some saving ordinances.
Living Prophets: Here is a story that demonstrates the importance of having living prophets.
"In January of 1975, on a dark,
rainy night in Tasmania, a 7,300–ton barge smashed into two piers of the
Tasman Bridge, which connects Hobart, Tasmania, with its eastern
suburbs across the bay. Three spans of the bridge collapsed. An
Australian family by the name of Ling were driving across the bridge
when suddenly the bridge lights went out. Just then a speeding car
passed them and disappeared before their very eyes. Murray Ling 'slammed
on his brakes and skidded to a stop, one yard from the edge of a black
void' (Stephen Johnson, "Over the Edge!" Reader's Digest, Nov. 1977, 128).
"Murray got his family out of the car and then began warning oncoming
traffic of the disaster ahead. As he frantically waved his arms, to his
horror, a car 'swerved around him and plummeted into the abyss' (p.
128). A second car barely stopped in time, but a third car showed no
sign of slowing down and crashed into the Lings' car at the edge of the
bridge."Suddenly a loaded bus headed toward Murray, ignoring his waving arms. In desperation, risking his very life, he 'ran alongside the driver's window. "There's a span missing," he yelled' (p. 129). The bus swerved just in time and came to a halt against the railing. Dozens of lives had been saved.
"I am grateful for these Brethren whom we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators who forewarn us of bridges not to be crossed" (Spencer J. Condie)
The scriptures tell us that God is unchangeable. To finish up with prophets, this is a poem Sophie wrote expressing appreciation to the prophets of today:
What have the prophets done for me?
They have spoken for God.
All of my questions they're answering
'Bout how to hold on the rod.
I wonder "What's truth? And how do I know?
When I find it what's it like?"
Why look, here's a talk that perfectly shows
Everything. Now I can hike.
But, I think I'm worthless. I'm not important.
Why should anybody like me.
But then I read stories, and words of a chant.
And now I know who I'm to be!
If you should ask what the prophets have done,
I will just smile and say.
They've spoken for God, and, with the sun
Have helped me to start a new day.
-Sophie
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