Thirteen Articles of Faith

Out of all the things I studied this week for Come, Follow Me, my favorite resource was a talk given by Elder L. Tom Perry in October 2013 (The Doctrines and Principles Contained in the Articles of Faith). This talk clearly outlined how the Thirteen Articles of Faith can help us better understand the doctrine and principles of the gospel. Elder Perry broke them down like this…

#1-4 Explain the Godhead and the basic doctrine of Christ

        "True doctrine comes from God, the source and foundation of all truths. The teachings and                      concepts of true doctrine are found in the gospel of our Lord and Savior."

#5-6 Explain the organization and order of the priesthood 

        "It was necessary for the priesthood to be restored before the true Church of Jesus Christ could be          organized"

#7-9 Explain eternal resources in our mortal journey 

        "We are given spiritual gifts to guide us as we follow the Lord's teachings...the scriptures are                   another guide; if we read carefully the word of God, He will reveal our path back to eternal life."

#10-12 Explain sharing the gospel 

        "We learn about the gathering of Israel in preparation for the Second Coming of the Savior. We are instructed that men and women are agents unto themselves, and they can either accept or reject              the word of God...Finally, we learn as we spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the four corners of the earth that we must respect the governments of each nation we enter."

#13 Explains aspirational attributes 

        "All of us should aspire to embody these attributes and lead lives that exemplify them."

I like seeing the Articles of Faith grouped in a way that gives them added doctrinal depth. I also like that they are listed in an order that builds on the one before it (i.e. there is no fall without God creating Adam and because of the fall we need the atonement of Christ…)

I'm grateful that as a primary child I was asked to memorize the Articles of Faith. I've never forgotten them, but I could do a better job at understanding the importance of the doctrine and principles of the gospel that are contained in these thirteen brilliant and concise statements.