A Gospel Trilogy

A Gospel Trilogy
*The Building Blocks of the Universe*The Pathway to Godhood
*The Secret Mission of Jesus Christ

This talk was first presented, at the invitation of L.D.S. Mission President Mike Glauser, to approximately 180 missionaries at the Georgia Atlanta Mission on November 2-3, 2000.

We learn the gospel on two levels. The first level is the MILK level of the gospel - learning WHAT the actual requirements of the gospel are to lead us back to the presence of the Father. The second level is the MEAT level which explains WHY each principle is essential and HOW it works. Isaiah says the meat belongs to those "who understand doctrine and are weaned from the milk ... For precept must be upon precept, line upon line." (Isaiah 28:9-10) It must be prayerfully pondered, not digested by swallowing it in gulps.

In this booklet, W. Cleon Skousen reveals some of the meat of the gospel and the steps he had to take to get it, through the teaching and training he received from Elder John A. Widtsoe. What is intelligence or the source of God's power? How can we attain perfection? Why did Jesus have to be crucified?

Excerpt from "A Gospel Trilogy":

The Blessing of Having a Great Teacher

I got into the meat of the gospel shortly after I arrived in the British Mission. I was only 17 when I was called on a mission and upon arriving in England I found out that Elder John A. Widtsoe was presiding over all the missions in Europe and he had his headquarters in England. That meant that once in awhile I would get to see him.

President Widtsoe was an apostle and a member of the Council of the Twelve. He had been the president of two universities, was a famous scientist, and a member of the Royal Society of England. By reputation he was considered to be one of the foremost scholars of the gospel in the entire church and had written books on the teachings of both Joseph Smith and the Discourses of Brigham Young.

One day when we were on the train together, I was bold enough to ask Elder Widtsoe a gospel question. I didn't realize it at the time, but my question turned out to be the most profound question in the entire gospel.

I said, "Elder Widtsoe, Why did Jesus have to be crucified?"

He paused and then said, "Who told you to ask me that question?"

I said, "Well, nobody. It's my question. When I was a small boy in Canada they would tell us at Easter time how Jesus was lacerated with a whip, how he had a crown of thorns put on his head, with blood running down his face, and how he was nailed to the cross and suffered the most terrible agony. I wondered who in the world wanted all that suffering? If it had a purpose, what was it? Furthermore, how did the crucifixion of Jesus have anything to do with my salvation?"

Elder Widtsoe thought for a moment and then he said: "I could answer your questions, but you wouldn't understand the answers. You don't know enough about your Heavenly Father."

So I said, "Would you teach me?"

It was an audacious thing to ask a heavily burdened General Authority, but after a moment he said, "Since it is your question, maybe you would have enough curiosity and tenacity to pursue the rather tedious task of learning about it - line upon line and precept upon precept - that is the only way you can get the whole picture."

So that's how I stumbled into one of the greatest blessings of my entire life. I became a student of the meat of the gospel under the guidance of Apostle John A. Widtsoe.