In “Miracles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ“, Elder Carlos G. Revillo Jr states “The gospel is truly the way to a happy, abundant life.” Let’s look at the gospel and how it provides a happy, abundant life. The gospel does this by providing each of us:

1. Identity
2. Purpose
3. A Sense of Belonging
4. The Confidence to Meet Challenges

Identity

The first way the gospel of Jesus Christ provides a happy, abundant life is by revealing our identity as children of God. This was revealed to Moses in the first chapter of Mose in The Pearl of Great Price. After meeting with God, Moses is approached by Satan who commands Moses to worship him. Moses replies to Satan with these words “Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee?” (Moses 1:13)

Understanding that I am a child of God helps me understand the nature and eternalness of my being. It allows me to have confidence that when all else fails, I have a Father and Mother in heaven that are there for me and cheering me on.

I remember growing up and receiving this same love from my earthly parents. I remember my mom cheering at baseball games, or loving me when things were tough. I remember my dad asking me if I was OK after slipping on ice and crashing my car into a telephone pole. He asked about me first and did not say anything about my driving or the condition of the car. I remember the smile on their faces when I graduated High School and College. These experiences have helped me picture God’s love for me as His child.

Purpose

Second, the gospel gives us purpose. It shows us the way to return and live with our Heavenly Parents. It provides the means for us to not only make our own way but to help others as well. At the end of the day, we are to receive immortality and eternal life.

I had the opportunity to serve in the Chile Santiago South Mission from 1989 to 1991. I was able to share the gospel with numerous Chileans who I grew to love. I also had the opportunity to learn from Emeritus Elder W. Craig Zwick. He had a way of relating the gospel to everyday objects like a hammer, scuba gear, etcetera. Throughout my mission, my sense of purpose was constantly strengthened and prepared me for my adult life.

A Sense of Belonging

One of the greatest blessings of the gospel is the feeling of belonging. You are part of God’s family. This family looks out for each other, strives to include everyone, and shows love to all. Each one of us also sees where we are helping in God’s work. As we receive and magnify our callings we increase the sense of belonging in ourselves and others.

When we moved to Arizona, we knew almost no one. However, we decided to build our home in a new subdivision that was just being developed. On our first Sunday, we were welcomed in by Ward members. We felt loved and immediately knew we’d made the right choice. That sense of belonging has been repeated over and over as new people have moved into the neighborhood.

The Confidence to Meet Challenges

Finally, when we know who we are, what our purpose is, and feel a sense of belonging, there isn’t a challenge we face without confidence. Regardless of how happy or abundant our lives are, challenges will come. We have a perspective on challenges that allows us to confidently tackle them and overcome them.

Early on in our marriage, we knew it might be a struggle to have children. We were confident, however, that God wanted us to be parents. As I’ve written before, we tried everything, but having biological children just wasn’t meant to be. We then turned to adoption.

Adoption is a challenge. There are a ton of administrative things to do. Then there is the waiting to see if you’re chosen. Finally, there are the doubts that everything will go according to plan and the child is placed in your family. We’ve seen a lot of challenges, including a failed adoption, to have the family we have. Through each challenge, we had confidence that God’s will would be done and we would accept what happened.

Conclusion

“The gospel is truly the way to a happy abundant life.” The gospel provides the answers to the most important questions in life. Who am I? What is my purpose? and Where can I turn for peace? are all answered. The gospel also gives us a sense of belonging and the confidence to meet whatever challenge comes our way. I can’t imagine what life would be like without the gospel of Jesus Christ.