The gospel that Jesus taught was very different from the law of Moses. Some people believed in the Savior initially but fell away as His teachings got more difficult.
“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:66).
When this happened, Jesus asked His Apostles a heart-wrenching question: “Will ye also go away?”
Peter’s response was logical and practical: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:67–68).
In other words, Peter seemed to say, “You, Lord, teach the truth and have authority from God. What good would it do to follow someone else?”
His words can be helpful for us to think about today. Because let’s be honest—living the gospel can be hard at times! But where else would we go? Imperfect though the Church and its members may be, this is where the words and covenants of eternal life are.
And living the gospel comes with a lot of joy, too. Let’s not forget all of the fun and connection that comes from membership in the Church and the peace that comes from knowing gospel truth.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is where the priesthood authority and temple ordinances are found. To use President M. Russell Ballard’s metaphor, that’s why we need to “stay in the boat.”1 Don’t abandon ship when the going gets rough! It’s the only ship that will carry us on to eternal life with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
What the Gospel Offers
1. From “Stay in the Boat and Hold On!,” general conference, Oct. 2014.