Meaning
of "Gospel"
The term Gospel is derived from the Anglo-Saxon
"godspell"—meaning the "God Story." Jesus Christ is that
God; and the Gospel is the story of Jesus Christ. In its fullness it embraces
everything connected with Him, and His mission—past, present, and future. It
was in full effect when He said unto those who were with him: "We will go
down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we
will make an earth where on these may dwell." It is the plan under which
this earth was created. It was a signal and memorable day in the Eternal Gospel
Plan when the Beloved Son volunteered: "Father, thy will be done, and the
glory be thine forever." The Gospel is based and founded upon this free
agency. It embraces the Son's entire career, from the time he left his
celestial throne, came to earth and set a perfect example for men, and atoned
for their sins, put all enemies under His feet, and ascended up to that glory
which was His before the world was.
It is written: "And this is the Gospel, 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." These words of the voice from heaven crystalize the
God-Story. If men do not believe in the deity of Christ and the atonement, and
the redemption of men they have not the faintest glimmering of the saving power
of the Gospel. The very Gospel is that great story of the redemption, salvation
and exaltation of man. It was formulated in the heavens before the creation of
the earth, and has been revealed from God out of Eternity in a series of
dispensations, as those periods are called in which God dispenses or gives to
man the priesthood and the truths and powers that save. (Bruce R. McConkie,
"From Eden
to Cumorah," March 28, 1937, repr. Deseret News, Church News
Section [April 10, 1937)], 4)