The Gospel of Jesus Christ"

My thoughts on Elder Perry's talk "The Gospel of Jesus Christ"

Elder Perry speaks to my heart. I collect cookbooks because of the pictures. When my mom was sane she use to give me a cookbook for my birthday every year. They were always themed. My favorite was the chocolate one. I gained 10 pounds just going through the cake section. But these aren’t just any ordinary cookbook, no they have a picture on every page! I love those cookbooks—never use them, but occasionally I crack them out to drool over the pictures. I don’t know how to cook or bake so I just drool. Elder Perry’s statement I can testify is truthful. “..there are pictures of the prefect dishes that recipes make—the fullness of the joy of cooking.” That is what those cookbooks are for me. My problem is that I know the agony of defeat in the kitchen all too well to know not to even start the process. But that could change. I could go to cooking or baking school. I could hire a private tutor. I could watch lots of cooking shows (which I do). And here is the one that gets me all the time: practice. I could do a lot of things to increase my chances of success.

I believe that is the same for the gospel. We know how it will end. Nephi has shown us that. We could be standing by the tree cheering on our loved ones who are walking the straight and narrow while holding to the rod of iron and/or weeping for those we love who are letting go or worse who are in the great and spacious building. Now how we get to that picture is through classes (church), hire a private tutor (home/visiting teachers & bishop), watch lots of cooking shows (conference and other church videos—and articles) and then practice (just live the gospel). I think I too can achieve this as well.

“It is important to begin with the end in mind, but the end represented by pictures in cookbooks is an end that is only possible if everything is done right.” That is usually my problem in cooking. I substitute and find out I don’t have something and then it doesn’t end up like the picture. “If directions are not followed or an ingredient is left out or miscalculated, the desired taste and appearance are seldom attained.” Oh, that’s my problem ~smile~. “The picture of a perfect dish, however, can serve as motivation to try again to create something that ids both delicious and beautiful.” I love how he didn’t say nutritious—because I love my chocolate cookbook.

Seriously though, he speaks wisdom. I make pancakes almost every morning and have the recipe memorized now. I can make them perfectly when not distracted. When I kid starts speaking to me I’m not sure how many eggs I cracked or how many teaspoons of baking powder I’ve put in. Worse yet, is I forget to flip them and one side is not the shade of brown I’m striving for. When I follow those instructions—memorized or not—I get the perfect back of buttermilk pancakes every time. The same goes for our life. When we follow the direction—memorized or not—we get the prefect life, or at least the life that leads us to perfection.

But unlike my pancakes, there is more to The Gospel of Jesus Christ than just buttermilk, eggs, flour and a few other things. The Gospel starts out with faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost but there is that last ingredient—enduring to the end that is so hard and difficult. And just like my pancakes which I make every morning, we too must start over constantly, weekly, even daily with faith, repentance, sacrament, Holy Ghost and that enduring to make that perfect being.

A few quote that I love:
“…we must humble ourselves before Him—off our sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit and accept His will.” I’ve heard it said that since EVERYTHING is his the only thing we can give him is our will and yet it is the hardest to give.

“Baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost are the prescribed ways to enter the strait and narrow path to eternal life.” Kind of like trying to cheat on your diet. You know exactly how to lose weight, but you cheat and the weight doesn’t come off. There is only one way to the path—no cheating is allowed.

Enduring—oh how I hate that word. Reminds me of the end of my pregnancies. “First, it requires the Savior’s redemptive power.” WOW! ”second, enduring to the end requires the Holy Ghost.” Good thing we get it just before we have to start enduring. “Third…serving and receiving service from our brothers and sisters in the gospel.” I got the serving, but receiving? Now that’s hard. But be careful the Lord has a way of humbling you into receiving. “Fourth, we must share the gospel with others.” As moms we do it daily with our children, extending that is hard. It is tough seeing someone trample on things you hold in the center of your heart. Hopefully being an example will qualify. “finally… are praying, fasting and reading the scriptures.” I want to add, with a sincere heart.

I’m sure I can create the prefect dish if I follow the recipe. I have all the ingredients and I even have many helpers, but it is up to ME to put then in my life and create it.