President Dieter F. Uchtdorf on the simplicity of the Gospel

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (born November 6, 1940) served as a Seventy from 1994-2004, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve.  He served as second counselor in the First Presidency from 2008 to 2018.

"Are we making our discipleship too complicated?

"This beautiful gospel is so simple a child can grasp it, yet so profound and complex that it will take a lifetime—even an eternity—of study and discovery to fully understand it.

"But sometimes we take the beautiful lily of God’s truth and gild it with layer upon layer of man-made good ideas, programs, and expectations. Each one, by itself, might be helpful and appropriate for a certain time and circumstance, but when they are laid on top of each other, they can create a mountain of sediment that becomes so thick and heavy that we risk losing sight of that precious flower we once loved so dearly.

"Therefore, as leaders we must strictly protect the Church and the gospel in its purity and plainness and avoid putting unnecessary burdens on our members.

"And all of us, as members of the Church, we need to make a conscientious effort to devote our energy and time to the things that truly matter, while uplifting our fellowmen and building the kingdom of God."

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "It Works Wonderfully!", General Conference, October 2015, Saturday morning session
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This is a message that we need to hear over and over. The gospel is beautiful and simple. When life gets frustrating or overwhelming, it's always valuable to go "back to the basics" and remember what the things are that really matter.

While programs and activities can be helpful, they must not distract us from the purity and simplicity of the true Gospel message: "uplifting our fellowmen and building the kingdom of God."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
October 11, 2015