Gospel

The word Gospel comes from the greek word euangelion meaning good news.

[edit] The Mormon Gospel

[edit] A Definition please?

A solid definition of the word gospel is not an easy find through a cursory glance of LDS literature. The word itself does not even receive an entry in the dictionary in the back of LDS published Bibles. The entry "gospels" (refering to the four books themselves) says this:

"The word gospel means good news. The good news is that Jesus Christ has made a perfect atonement for mankind that will redeem all mankind from the grave and reward each individual according to his/her works."

Bruce R. McConkie in Mormon Doctrine defines the word as "good tidings".

"Literally, gospel means good tidings from God or God-story. Thus it is the glad tidings or good news concerning Christ, his atonement, the establishment of his earthly kingdom, and a possible future inheritance in his celestial presence. "And this is the gospel," the Prophet recorded by way of revelation, "the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us — That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him." (D. & C. 76:40-42.)"

McConkie continues:

"In the broadest sense, all truth is part of the gospel; for all truth is known to, is ordained by, and comes from Deity; and all truth is aidful to progression and advancement. But in the high spiritual sense in which the term is used in the revelations, the gospel is concerned with those particular religious truths by conformity to which men can sanctify and cleanse their own souls, thus gaining for themselves salvation in the eternal worlds."

[edit] Fullness of the Gospel

According to McConkie in Mormon Doctrine under the article "Gospel":

"The fulness of the gospel consists in those laws, doctrines, ordinances, powers, and authorities needed to enable men to gain the fulness of salvation. Those who have the gospel fulness do not necessarily enjoy the fulness of gospel knowledge or understand all of the doctrines of the plan of salvation. But they do have the fulness of the priesthood and sealing power by which men can be sealed up unto eternal life. The fulness of the gospel grows out of the fulness of the sealing power and not out of the fulness of gospel knowledge."