Liahona
Was I Overcomplicating the Gospel?
February 2024

Digital Only: Young Adults

Was I Overcomplicating the Gospel?

By Ana Beatriz S. Pinto

I didn’t understand why I felt so weary.

Image
a series of lightbulbs becoming untangled

All my life I strived to be who I thought Heavenly Father expected me to be. But there was a problem: I never knew if I was good enough.

I fixated on my imperfections, especially after studying scriptures or listening to general conference talks. When reading these things that were supposed to encourage me, I would only focus on what I was doing wrong.

I lived this way for a long time—miserable and feeling weary in my discipleship.

But I didn’t realize that what I was actually failing to do was truly believe in the Savior and the pure, simple truths of His gospel.

Forgetting Why I Live the Gospel

My perspective changed while I was listening to a recent devotional with Sister Patricia T. Holland. She said, “What I regret most in my youth is that I didn’t see the simple beauty of the gospel; I made even the gospel too complex.”1

Her message struck me.

I realized that I complicate the gospel frequently! Many of us do. We expect ourselves to be perfect, believing there is no room for flaws and progress. And if things aren’t going the way we expect them to, we become anxious about the future, compare ourselves to others, lose connection with Heavenly Father, and even start wondering if living the gospel is worth it.

I realized my anxiety wasn’t caused by living the gospel. I was anxious because I had stopped focusing on the reason I live the gospel: Jesus Christ.

I forgot that He and Heavenly Father love me with perfect love (see John 15:9; 2 Nephi 1:15).

I forgot that I am meant to have joy in the journey (see 2 Nephi 2:25).

I forgot that mortality includes having imperfections and relying on the Savior to overcome them (see Ether 12:27).

I forgot that the Savior is here to help me learn and grow and progress and that He consecrates my efforts along the way (see 2 Nephi 2:1–2; 32:9).

Simplifying

We run into trouble when we turn the gospel into a checklist of rules and forget the pure truths of Jesus Christ. When we strive to keep our covenants and the commandments with the intention of becoming more like Him, then we are truly living the gospel.

As President Russell M. Nelson taught, this is when the gospel of Jesus Christ “changes the life of everyone who understands it and seeks to implement it in his or her life. The doctrine of Christ helps us find and stay on the covenant path.”2

Heavenly Father wants us to always remember that the Savior can help us reach our divine potential. But how do we not forget this important truth?

Here are a few practices that have helped me:

  • I pray for Heavenly Father to help me feel that He loves me and accepts my best efforts.

  • I take the sacrament, focusing on Jesus Christ’s Atonement. I remind myself that His grace can help me in the future and is already at work in my life as I strive to follow Him.

  • I turn to the scriptures for comfort. I read about those who also felt inadequate and were strengthened by the Lord.

  • I go to the temple often. Everything in the Lord’s house reminds me of His mercy and that I am capable of progress. There, I can feel peace amid so many anxieties.

These practices have made me appreciate what matters most in the gospel. They remind me to not complicate its simplicity.

The Gospel Works

If you struggle with feelings of perfectionism or inadequacy or feeling like the gospel is becoming a burden, remember the words of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“[The gospel] is beautifully simple, and it works beautifully.

“... If you ever think that the gospel isn’t working so well for you, I invite you to step back, look at your life from a higher plane, and simplify your approach to discipleship. Focus on the basic doctrines, principles, and applications of the gospel. I promise that God will guide and bless you on your path to a fulfilling life, and the gospel will definitely work better for you.”3

By focusing on the pure truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I have seen my life and faith miraculously simplify. I know yours will too.