Gospel

Elder Hallstrom's talk from last conference about the difference between church and gospel was very informative for me.  The below quotes are all from that talk:

"The gospel is the glorious plan of God in which we, as His children, are given the opportunity to receive all that the Father has (see D&C 84:38). This is called eternal life and is described as “the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7). A vital part of the plan is our earthly experience—a time to develop faith (see Moroni 7:26), to repent (see Mosiah 3:12), and to reconcile ourselves with God (see Jacob 4:11). . .

"Activity in the Church is an outward indication of our spiritual desire. If we attend our meetings, hold and fulfill Church responsibilities, and serve others, it is publicly observed.

By contrast, the things of the gospel are usually less visible and more difficult to measure, but they are of greater eternal importance. For example, how much faith do we really have? How repentant are we? How meaningful are the ordinances in our lives? How focused are we on our covenants? . . .

"I suggest three fundamental ways to have the gospel be our foundation:

1)Deepen our understanding of Deity.

2)Focus on the ordinances and covenants.

3)Unite the gospel with the Church. . .

"The Lord wants the members of His Church to be fully converted to His gospel. This is the only sure way to have spiritual safety now and happiness forever. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." ( Converted to His Gospel through His Church, Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, Ensign May 2012)

See also: Church