Have you ever thought about why John 3:16 shows up so often at sporting events? It is because that one verse contains the ENTIRETY of the gospel. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That is IT, the entire gospel in one verse. The gospel is beautiful in its simplicity, believe in and accept Jesus as your Savior and you will naturally desire to live your life in accordance with His teachings.
Any organization, whether it be a church or otherwise, that tries to add to or take away from the gospel is either attempting to mislead people or is itself mislead in its understanding. I saw many red flags during my time as a member of the LDS church, the biggest of all being the temple and the activities that go on there. The pinnacle of the LDS experience is the temple…all roads in the church lead to the temple.
The rituals that take place in the LDS temple can be found NOWHERE in scripture, not even in Mormon scripture. Temple ordinances are very secretive, based on Freemasonry, and the first time I went to the temple the phrase “secret combination” kept coming to mind. Anyone who has read the Book of Mormon will know how much the LDS church teaches against secret combinations. In fact, secret combinations are mentioned negatively in the Book of Mormon 36 times. I wondered when I attended why the church would be promoting secretive rituals. I won’t speculate as to the real motivation but I do know that it is wrong to add steps to salvation that Jesus Christ Himself never mentioned. The fact is, in order to be “saved” you simply need to believe in Jesus, accept Him as your Savior, and build a personal relationship with Him. Any other requirements are man made and not of God, to include temple work and wearing garments. Jesus Christ died and lives for EVERYONE, He did not exclude a single living soul. Temple ordinances by their very nature are exclusionary and are promoted by the church as the ONLY way to receive eternal life with God. I use the temple as an example but there are many examples in many churches of man made practices being offered as keys to salvation.
The most wonderful “good news” about the gospel is that it is for everyone, that it is easily attainable and that you can have peace in your life by following Christ. The gospel is simple, let’s be aware of what it really is and not try to make it what it isn’t. Jesus is all we need, its as easy as that. We need to be praising and worshipping Jesus and remembering His life and sacrifice for us every day. The gospel as taught by Christ Himself lives on forever, no additives or preservatives necessary.
God Is Within Reach 