Focus on the Mark

Too many times, we overlook the point of being active in church and even more specifically, the gospel. Unfortunately there are some who expend energy on certain gospel principles, whether to build them up or to use them against the church. In either case, it is not healthy for you testimony, and it is looking beyond the mark. The Lord has reveled to us about gospel doctrines, "whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me" (D&C10:58). We are given simple principles for a reason, not to add to them or make up our own doctrine, but so that we can understand and then follow them. Whenever we try to add on to a principle and elevate it so that it seems more important than other doctrines, or when we take a position contrary to the leaders of the church, we are looking beyond the mark. There are many other ways in which we can miss the point of the gospel such as consecrating our time and efforts upon a condition, instead of consecrating everything to the Lord unconditionally; and we look beyond the mark when we create rules that are not rooted in doctrine. So then the question comes up, what is the mark and what is the point?

The mark is Christ. He taught simple and plain truths so that we can understand His gospel and learn the way to eternal life. When we look beyond the mark and when we miss the point, we look beyond Christ. The Jews missed the point during Christ's ministry and they looked past the rock upon which they should build their foundation. The church, after Christ's death and resurrection, began to look beyond the mark and in effect, it crumbled and the world went into a long period of apostacy. There is a talk "Looking Beyond the Mark" by Elder Quinten L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and I want to finish by quoting him, "One of the great challenges of this life is to accept Christ for who He is: the resurrected Savior of the world, our Redeemer, our Lord and Master, our Advocate with the Father. When He is the foundation for all that we do and are, we avoid the theological blindness that results from looking beyond the mark, and we reap the glorious blessings He has promised us. “Come unto me, ye blessed,” He tells those who follow Him; “there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father” (Enos 1:27)." I know that if we focus on the mark, which is Christ, we will have a solid foundation, our testimonies will be strengthened, and we will be able to stand against Satan and his angels.

With love,
Elder Brennan Edwards