Week 73-  Doctrine, Principles and Applications 

Scriptures:

Jacob 1:19

Jacob 4:14

Helman 3:35

D&C 42:12

D&C 88:78

General Conference Address:  

“The Principles of My Gospel” Elder David A Bednar CR 4/2021

Thought:

The gospel is better understood and more properly practiced when we discover the “why” behind what we do.  Far too often the gospel is boiled down into checklists. The doing is critical– it’s how we exercise faith, but if we don’t know why we do it, we can easily look “beyond the mark” (Jacob 4:14). To help avoid this eventuality, try this exercise from Elder Bednar.  Take a blank sheet of paper and break it into three equal columns. Label the first column “Doctrine/Why”, the middle column “Principle/What” and the last “Application/How”. Now, take any gospel teaching and try to populate each column.  For example, in the “Application/How” column, summarize the ministering program. How do we deliver “ministering”?. Next, in the middle column, find the principle(s) that informed the creation of that program. You might identify ideas found in D&C 20:53, for example. Finally, populate the first column with an eternal truth behind the “what” and “how” columns. In this example, you might use a truth found in Matt 22: 36-41 or another like it. 

As we better identify the doctrine and teach correct principles, people will, with proper invitation, live accordingly.

Misc:

‘I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.’” (ibid)

Invitation: 

Pick a common principle, like tithing, fasting, prayer, etc. and run it through the exercise. Why do we do it? How do we do it? Then do it with 5-10 other principles or practices and write in your journal what you discover in the process.