What if you had never heard about the Scriptures, never met anyone who could tell you about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all you had to go on was one page that had somehow fallen out of a bound book and been blown by the wind as to wind up at your feet. Upon picking it up, out of curiosity, having observed that it had been highlighted by whomever had at one time thought it worth making such notations, you read the typed information.
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I like to go through the scriptures looking for short pieces, contained within the boundaries of a single page or even a single paragraph, looking for what I like to refer to as the “Gospel in a Nutshell”, a statement which would explain that Jesus Christ is the redeemer of mankind and that through His atonement we may return to our Father in Heaven. A single statement which would be sufficient, if that were the only surviving piece of the Gospel message left of all the other important messages that had been recorded, sufficient for you to understand what was important regarding your eternal soul.
This morning in our Bishopric meeting Ron Keller was called upon to pick a scripture to start our meeting. He opened his Book of Mormon and read from Helaman 5:12. While he read I opened my own book, well worn and marked from years of attempting to learn those lessons which will make me a better disciple of the Lord. I smiled as I recognized that on numerous occasions I had read and marked this same verse.
I also re-read the rest of that page, giving me a more rounded explanation as to why that particular verse was so important. This was a father’s heart felt prayer that his sons live a righteous life following the commandments of God in such a way as to be worthy of the names which they had been given.
Going back to my original “what if”, the supposition that this was the only available page for you to read, wondering where it might have come from; would it matter if this page had come from a history book, a novel or the Bible? The information contained in these few verses would be enough to understand the essential elements of the Gospel. I invite you to leave no stone unturned in your search to obtain the rest of this wonderful message, one that has been prepared for the salvation of all mankind.
( Click on image to enlarge )
I like to go through the scriptures looking for short pieces, contained within the boundaries of a single page or even a single paragraph, looking for what I like to refer to as the “Gospel in a Nutshell”, a statement which would explain that Jesus Christ is the redeemer of mankind and that through His atonement we may return to our Father in Heaven. A single statement which would be sufficient, if that were the only surviving piece of the Gospel message left of all the other important messages that had been recorded, sufficient for you to understand what was important regarding your eternal soul.
This morning in our Bishopric meeting Ron Keller was called upon to pick a scripture to start our meeting. He opened his Book of Mormon and read from Helaman 5:12. While he read I opened my own book, well worn and marked from years of attempting to learn those lessons which will make me a better disciple of the Lord. I smiled as I recognized that on numerous occasions I had read and marked this same verse.
I also re-read the rest of that page, giving me a more rounded explanation as to why that particular verse was so important. This was a father’s heart felt prayer that his sons live a righteous life following the commandments of God in such a way as to be worthy of the names which they had been given.
Going back to my original “what if”, the supposition that this was the only available page for you to read, wondering where it might have come from; would it matter if this page had come from a history book, a novel or the Bible? The information contained in these few verses would be enough to understand the essential elements of the Gospel. I invite you to leave no stone unturned in your search to obtain the rest of this wonderful message, one that has been prepared for the salvation of all mankind.
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