Dear Gramps,

What does “Living the Gospel to the fullest” mean?

Joan, from Frazier Park, CA

Dear Joan,

The commandment given in the Mormon scripture, The Doctrine and Covenants, section 84, verse 44 says,

For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.

.In other words, in our daily lives we would do, say or think nothing that would be contrary to God’s will.

The problem is that we live in the most wicked of all the worlds in the universe (see Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:36), and severe temptations to violate God’s word are all around us. So, in practice, we WILL do, say and think things that are contrary to the will of God. However, God is not a harsh taskmaster, but rather a Loving Father. He judges us not so much by our actions as by the intents of our hearts, as He told Samuel in 1 Sam. 16:7

But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Therefore, “if our hearts are right,” in other words if we continually try to be as obedient to God’s word as possible, and if when we succumb to any temptation we are truly remorseful, and make a firm resolve to be stronger in the future, God will forgive us of our improprieties, the Holy Spirit will strengthen our resolve and we will be better prepared to meet and overcome such temptations in the future.

Gramps