Keywords

gospel of Jesus Christ, doctrine of Christ, the way, the word of God, Book of Mormon, plan of salvation, the two ways, the everlasting covenant, fullness of the gospel

Abstract

The limited objective of this paper is to clarify some of the key terminology used by Book of Mormon writers. In particular, I will show that they used such terms as gospel, doctrine, way, and word interchangeably, but that the plan of salvation should be distinguished from these. It is probably inevitable that Latter-day Saint scholars will bring assumptions from their academic studies of the Bible and Christian theology to their study of the Book of Mormon. While the Book of Mormon obviously has a great deal in common with the Bible, I am increasingly convinced that Book of Mormon writers shared a much richer and more detailed concept of the basic teachings of Christ’s gospel than has been noticed in studies of the New Testament. This is reflected in their systematic and consistent use of a well-developed terminology throughout the book. On the other hand, careful study of the Nephite understanding of the gospel may help us see similar teachings in the New Testament that have not been widely recognized by Bible scholars.

Original Publication Citation

“This is the Way,” The Religious Educator, Vol 14 (3, 2013): 79–91..