“Built Upon My Gospel”

Jesus told His disciples that it was important to call His church in His name. He said, “if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel” (3 Nephi 27:8).

He went on to say:

If it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it.

But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return.

3 Nephi 27:10-11

The imagery is similar to the parable of the wise man and the foolish man at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.

Whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock—

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand—

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

3 Nephi 14:24-27, Matthew 7:24-27

In both cases, the decision to build on a firm foundation preceded the adversity which tested the strength of that foundation. As He observed in the first passage, those who build on an unsteady foundation “have joy in their works for a season.” Everything seems to be going fine for them, until the tough challenges arrive.

What does it mean to build upon the Savior’s gospel? I think it means to live according to His instructions. When the Savior first arrived, even before delivering the Sermon on the Mount, He taught the people about repentance and baptism, and then He said:

This is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.

3 Nephi 11:39-40

Elder Dale G. Renlund taught, “The phrase ‘the doctrine of Christ’ means the same as the phrase ‘the gospel of Jesus Christ'” (“The Powerful, Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ,” General Conference, April 2024). Therefore, building on the Savior’s doctrine is the same thing as building on His gospel. And what are the elements of that doctrine or that gospel?

1. Repentance – We must be willing to change. We must acknowledge when we do something wrong or can do something better, commit to improve, and follow through on that commitment.
2. Baptism (and other ordinances) – We must be willing to follow the Lord’s instructions instead of insisting on our own preferences.

Both of these actions require faith, which is why faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. Taken together, these actions lead to the reception of the Holy Ghost, which sanctifies and purifies us. (See 3 Nephi 27:19-20.)

So it’s really that simple: Be willing to change and to do things the Lord’s way. When you do that, you are built upon His gospel (His doctrine), and you are prepared to face the storms of life.

Today, I will strive to build my life upon the gospel of Jesus Christ. I will strive to recognize and act upon promptings to change. I will also strive to follow God’s instructions and to do things in His way.