The Gospel Comes in One Package

My brethren, I pray that the Lord will bless me and will bless you in the very short time that I shall stand before you. The time is slipping. I know that President McKay has some very important matters to take up and likewise President Richards. ¶

I had thought when I came that I might read to you from I Corinthians 12:11 and following, in which Paul, after reciting the blessings which come from the Gospel, and the gifts, compared the body of the Church to a human body. In the course of his discussion he said something to the effect that the head is not without the feet, the eyes not without the ear. He spoke of the unity necessary in the Church, spoke of the members that were seemingly important and of those who were not so important, and yet bound them all together as essentials in one whole. ¶

I had thought that I might read that and then apply it a little differently, because in the latter part of his address on that point he noted that some were called to be apostles and some other members to the administration of the Church. ¶

But I had thought I might give just a little different turn to that great sermon on the unity of the Church in Christ. I thought I might point out that our Gospel comes in "one package." We may not choose the particular thing that we like and ignore everything else, nor submerge nor subdue it. Everything that the Lord has revealed, except those things which have been fulfilled by his own life and mission and those things which in his wisdom he has relieved or absolved us from doing, such as the carrying on of the United Order, the building of the temple in Missouri, and like things,—everything else is part and parcel of the Gospel. We may not, I repeat, say to ourselves, nor to one another, that this is the important thing or that is the important thing, the others being non-essential or unessential. We have no right to draw distinctions and differences among the commandments of the Lord. ¶

The Lord has given us nothing that is useless or unnecessary. He has filled the Scriptures with the things which we should do in order that we may gain salvation. When we partake of the Sacrament we covenant to obey and keep his commandments. There are no exceptions. There are no distinctions, no differences. ¶

And so I had thought that I would urge as a part of the unity concerning which I have taken the liberty always to speak in this meeting of the Priesthood, as a part of this unity we should try to be united in the matter of Gospel doctrines and practices, each and all of us trying so to serve the Lord that we might meet and satisfy the covenant which we make when we eat the bread and drink the water in remembrance of his body and of his blood. ¶

I do not think this is a slight matter. There are groups, not many but some, who take this road to the left and call it the most important, another takes the road to the right with the same plea, another emphasizes this point, another that point, belittling some other points, and declaring that certain things are of the essence, and other things may be ignored. I do not read anywhere that the Lord has given to us, individually, the right to say which is most important. We should seek to keep all of the commandments. I repeat, speaking in the language of today, the Gospel is "one package." ¶

I hope and pray that the Lord will give us that unity, along with all the other unities about which we know. I repeat what I have said so often here, that we being truly united, there is nothing that the Lord wants to be done that will fail of doing if we set our hands and our hearts thereto. And I pray again that we may see the necessity of accepting the Gospel and all of it, that we may be saved and exalted in his presence. ¶

I bear my testimony to the truthfulness of the Gospel, that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, the Atoning Sacrifice and all that that involves. I bear my testimony to the Restoration of the Gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith, to the reality of the First Vision. I bear my testimony to the powers and to the authorities which were first given and then exercised by the Prophet, and that have been bestowed upon and exercised by all those who have followed in his place from Brigham Young down to President McKay. And I bear you my testimony that if I did not believe these things and accept them I should not feel that I was worthy to be a member of this Church. We must accept it all, belittling nothing, shadowing nothing, but openly espousing, advocating, living the principles of the Gospel. God give us this power, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶