Scripture of the Day: “And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in which is the fulness of the gospel.” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:12)
This verse—from the Doctrine and Covenants, about the Book of Mormon—might be confusing. How can the Book of Mormon have “the fulness of the gospel” when it doesn’t talk about tithing, temple work, the three degrees of glory, and some other important topics?
President Russell M. Nelson once spoke about this. He said:
“This unique mortal mission of the Lord—the gospel as He defined it—we know as [His] Atonement. The fulness of the gospel, therefore, connotes a fuller comprehension of [His] Atonement. This we do not obtain from the Bible alone.”1
The other parts of Christ’s doctrine are important too, of course. But the most important thing is His Atonement. His Atonement is “the gospel”—and it is fully discussed in the Book of Mormon!
Why Does It Matter?
Notes
1. From “A Testimony of the Book of Mormon,” Oct. 1999 general conference.