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Learn about the relationship between doctrine, principles and applications and how understanding doctrine will help you change anything in your life.
There's more than one way to be a spiritually minded woman who wants to make and keep covenants, know her Savior and make it back home. Yes, there are essential CHECKPOINTS on the covenant path, but there are NO CHECKLISTS with a million checkboxes you must check off.
Each week on the Spiritually Minded Women podcast I’ll be sharing insights about how to embrace YOUR journey on the covenant path with CHECKPOINTS instead of CHECKLISTS.
Welcome to the Spiritually Minded Women Podcast. I'm your host, Darla Trendler. You're listening to an introductory episode to the series on the Doctrine of Christ: doctrine, principles, applications. Let's dive in.
Welcome. I have one thing I wanna share with you before we get into this week's episode, and it's gonna be a little different than what I originally thought we were gonna do, so I'll explain that in just a minute. But I, first, I wanna tell you about Seek, which is a collective of online video courses that were created by Deseret Book to respond to the real challenges, needs and circumstances of Latter-day Saints.
I am so thrilled to be part of this collective with a video course that I created that is being offered by Deseret Book through Seek. My course is called How to Prepare Your Teen for a Lifetime of Spiritual Growth. And within Seek, you're gonna find so many other courses, including mine, and several are from guests that I've had here on the podcast, including Taylor Ricks teaching about reaching out to members with disabilities, Kristen Walker Smith, sharing about unlocking the power of the scriptures in one minute a day, and Brooke Snow discussing meditation, a path to more meaningful prayer.
And there are many other amazing teachers on seek, like Emily Belle Freeman, Ben Schilaty, Taylor Halverson, Maria Eckersley, and so many more. Each course is gonna give you concrete takeaways, inspiring insights, and spiritual momentum to help you live the gospel with more joy, hope, and peace. I know that you're gonna love Seek. I will put a link to purchase my course or any of the other courses in the show notes, and I hope that you will go and check it out.
Last week I shared that I'll be doing a five part series on the Doctrine of Christ, and one reason I wanted to share about the Doctrine of Christ is because I want to understand it better myself. As I've contemplated doing this series, the words of President Nelson have just kept coming back to me in his October, 2015 talk, A Plea to my Sisters, President Nelson said this, "Attacks against the church, its doctrine and our way of life are going to increase. Because of this, we need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and who will use that understanding to teach and help raise a sin resistant generation." So last week's episode was part one on the first element of the Doctrine of Christ: Faith in Jesus Christ.
And my plan for this episode was to continue the series and share the next element, which is repentance. But the episode on repentance was not coming together, and I kept feeling like there was something else I needed to share this week, but I wasn't sure what it was. I prayed that I would know what I should be sharing, and then I talked to my missionary on his p-day.
And I love talking to him about spiritual things that he's thinking about. And then I talk to him about the things I've been thinking about in my own personal study. I run by him ideas I have for the podcast, like this series I'm doing about the doctrine of Christ. We've talked about that. He's a really deep thinker and.
He's also a missionary, so he's thinking about spiritual things all the time. But really, he's been sharing his spiritual insights with me since he was a young teenager. He's just, like I said, a deep thinker, and now that he's a missionary, it is a highlight of my week to have these spiritual conversations with my son.
During my most recent phone call, my son shared what he had learned from an MTC devotional his mission president asked him to read. And this particular devotional was given in 2010 by the Apostle, David A. Bednar, and in the devotional Elder Bednar teaches about the difference between doctrine, principles and applications and how understanding doctrine is the answer to the questions that we have and the challenges that we face.
My son and I had a great conversation about doctrine, principles, applications, and I searched, but I could not find a link to the exact talk that my son told me about. If you've been around the podcast long enough, you might remember when I shared about another MTC devotional also from Elder Bednar about personal revelation.
And basically I have learned that MTC devotionals are hard to find. But I knew I had read these teachings that my son shared with me from Elder Bednar in other places. So what I did is I spent some time researching and I found many places that I will link up in the show notes where Elder Bednar shares similar thoughts and ideas to what he shared in the MTC devotional talk that my son read and shared with me.
So the show notes are gonna be really important. I'm gonna use a lot of quotes and things that Elder Bednar has shared. And all those sources are gonna be in the show notes with links to the talks and books where I found this information. So just know that you can always go there and click on those links and find that, and I'll also share any other resources that I mention.
I just love Elder Bedner, right? The way that he presents ideas and teaches. So after reading more about what he taught regarding doctrine, principles and applications, I decided that I needed to back up a little in this series on the Doctrine of Christ. And so before I move on to talk about the other elements of repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end, I wanna share a little more context about what doctrine, principles and applications are and how understanding their relationship will help you and me as we gain a quote, bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and quote, as President Nelson has admonished us and also help you understand how to change your life through understanding doctrine, especially Jesus Christ's atonement.
So knowing more about what doctrine, principles and applications are is not only gonna give you more understanding, but also help you to teach what you learn, which is also something that President Nelson asked us to do.
I'm creating discussion guides for each of the episodes in this series because I want to help you gather with other women or your own family to talk about the doctrine of Christ with other people. And I will also create a guide for this episode, and I'll recommend in those guides that you listen to this one before the one I shared last week on faith in Jesus Christ. I wish that I had all of this figured out. If you thought I had it together, I usually don't. I wish I'd had it all figured out before I started the series, but I've noticed a pattern in my life that sometimes I have to act.
And I have to do something before I receive the next step. And that was the case here. Last week I acted and I shared part one of this series, and that act helped me to know that I needed to share a little more context before moving on in the series with the second element. So I. I am just here on this podcast seeking to share truth with you, and sometimes the inspiration of what to share doesn't come tied up neatly with the bow. And I hope you'll still find this really helpful. And thanks so much for hanging in there with me.
So this episode will be about the relationship between doctrine, principles and applications. And then in the next episode, I'll pick back up with the five part series and talk about repentance. So let's dive in.
We're gonna start with some definitions. So Elder Bednar defines doctrine as "eternal, unchanging, and simple truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ." End. Other words Elder Bednar has used to describe doctrine are "foundational" and "fundamental." He says that doctrine provides us with answers to "why" questions.
Okay. Then he defines principles as quote, "doctrinally based guidelines for what we ought to do." Another way Elder Bednar has said, this is quote, "A principle is a guideline that comes from doctrine." End quote. So he asserts that principals answer the "what" questions they are not a behavior or an action because that is an application, which is the next definition.
So application according to Elder Bednar is what we do. It is the behavior and the action that result from knowing and understanding doctrine and principles and applications answer the question of "how."
So to summarize, doctrine equals why principle equals what application equals how. So doctrines are things like the nature of the Godhead, the plan of happiness, and the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Principles could be things like prayer and paying tithing. The Articles of Faith are a great place to look for doctrines and principles, and you can find doctrine and principles all over in the scriptures and conference talks. One thing I wanna point out about doctrine and principles is that Elder Bedner said quote, "Many principles can grow out of and be associated with a single doctrine."
So don't think that you find one doctrine and it has one principle that goes with it. There's all kinds of things. And then sometimes something looks like an application and it might be a principle. So as I've been doing this podcast series on the Doctrine of Christ, I wanted to make sure that we talk about how this episode that I'm doing on doctrine. Principles and applications applies to the doctrine of Christ.
The doctrine of Christ is one part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The other part is the Atonement of Christ. And Brian K. Ashton explained the Gospel of Christ this way in October 2016 general conference talk I've shared this quote before, but I think he just explains it so well, so I wanna share it again.
He said, quote, "The atonement of Christ creates the conditions upon which we may rely upon the merits and mercy and grace of the Holy Messiah, be perfected in Christ, obtain every good thing, and gain eternal life. The doctrine of Christ, on the other hand is the means-- the only means by which we can obtain all the blessings made available to us through Jesus's atonement. It is the doctrine of Christ that allows us to access the spiritual power that will lift us from our current spiritual state to a state where we can become perfected like the Savior." End quote
So the doctrine of Christ is the way to get the blessings Christ offers through his atonement. The doctrine is the atonement of Jesus Christ, and the principles are faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.
In studying Elder Bednar's words, I found that he does not share a lot of specific examples. Like he doesn't say, Okay, this is the doctrine and this is the principle, this is the application. But in true Elder Bednar fashion, he invites us to learn for ourselves as we study scriptures and conference talks or official declarations and proclamations to look for doctrine, principle and application.
But here's one, one example that he did share. The doctrine that he shared was the plan of happiness. That is a doctrine. We have a plan from our Heavenly Father. The principle that goes along with that, one of many, is obedience and then an application to obedience might be that we, you're gonna pay your tithing.
So doctrine, plan of happiness principle, obedience application, you're gonna pay your tithing. So one of the things I felt as I read and studied Elder Bednar's words about doctrine, principle and application in various places is that we don't just need to know doctrines and principles, we need to understand them and we need to help others understand them. Just knowing is not enough.
So applications are personal In the scriptures, in Doctrine & Covenants 8, you'll find a revelation given to Oliver Cowdery as he wanted to help translate the Book of Mormon. And in verse two, the Lord tells Oliver, "Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you, in which shall dwell in your heart." End quote.
Once you understand doctrine and principles in your mind and heart, as the Lord told Oliver, you'll be able to figure out your own personal application and that application will probably be tailor made just for you. So doctrine and principles, they're not gonna change, but the applications could change and you're gonna know through personal revelation what those look like for you.
I might receive personal revelation of an application for a doctrine or principle, but you'll receive a completely different application. And I love this because it just shows how personal the gospel of Jesus Christ is for each of us.
In a 1998 devotional at Rick's College, which is now BYU Idaho called Teach Them to Understand, Elder Bednar talked about teaching doctrine, which, remember, answers the why question, and this is what he said,
"If they know the why, they will quickly learn the how. Am I suggesting that we never discuss the how? Not at all. I am suggesting that perhaps we do not spend as much time with the why as we need to."
So sometimes in the church, I what he was saying and what I've gathered from all the reading that I've done is that we focus a lot on application. We tell people, Okay, this is how to apply this to your life. When really, we need to have a better balance, and we talk more about doctrine and about principles. It doesn't mean that we can't ever talk about application, but that we talk more about doctrine and principles. I love that and it's really been a complete mindset shift for me.
Let me give you an example. I have a free video that you can get about how to prayer journal. If you've joined my email list, you've probably seen it. And this video outlines my personal application to the doctrine that God is our Heavenly Father wants to commune with us through prayer. So prayer is the principle, but you may take this doctrine and principle and apply it in a completely different way, and that is so awesome.
I have a course I sell called Reimagine Prayer, where I share several women and they're different applications of the same doctrine and principle about prayer. I don't share these applications to tell you that this is exactly how you must pray too. I share to show how people have applied the principle of prayer in their lives with the hope that hearing others' ideas will spark ideas for you on applications of prayer that make sense to you.
Thinking about Elder Bedner teachings on doctrine, principles and applications, I wonder if I should go back and create a new course that helps you reimagine prayer by truly understanding the doctrine of principle and then coming up with your own applications.
Applications are how, and they can be very personal to you. Applications can come to you through your own personal revelation. I can look back over the past several years and see that there has been a shift in the church to help us understand doctrine and principles and find our own applications.
For example, in 2015, President Nelson gave a talk in general conference about the Sabbath, and I remember this time period like we were hearing a lot of things about the Sabbath Day, but in President Nelson's talk, he mentioned that he used to study other people's lists of do's and don'ts on the Sabbath.
But now he asks what sign he wants to give to the Lord through his Sabbath day observance. He was basically saying that once he understood the doctrine and principle behind keeping the Sabbath day holy, he could come up with his own application.
Another example is this shift from home and visiting teaching to ministering in 2018. We've moved beyond a checklist to a higher and holier way, and that's a term that we hear a lot in all of these shifts that we're making as we're moving to a higher and holier way, and ministering is one of them. So we're taught the principle of loving as the Savior did, and then we are asked to find our own application through personal revelation to know how to minister.
I'm sure you can think of other examples we have experienced where we are being asked to understand the principles and then apply our own applications in things like Come Follow Me or Youth leading out in their classes and quorums, and there's probably lots of other examples that you could think of.
Most recently I can see the importance of doctrine, principles and applications in the new for the Strength of Youth Guide. This was just introduced in the October 2022 general conference by Elder Uchtdorf. The list of do's and don'ts or in other words, applications are gone. Instead, we are left with three things to help youth.
And I would say this is not only for youth, but also for adults. It helps us to know what the standards are and how to live them. But those applications are gone and youth are left with three things to help them and to work alongside their parents to come up with their own applications. The new guide has three parts to each topic-- eternal truths or doctrine of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. So there's the doctrine, right? And then invitations to act on those truths and then promised blessings that the Lord offers those who live by His teachings. In For the Strength of Youth Guide, it says this "The purpose of For the Strength of Youth is not to give you a "yes" or "no" about every possible choice you might face. Instead, the Lord is inviting you to live in a higher and holier way, His way. This guide will teach you about His way. It explains truths He has revealed. Make these truths to your guide for making choices, big choices like making covenants in the temple and serving a mission as well as daily choices, like how to treat people or how to spend your time."
For the Strength of Youth guide follows the pattern of using doctrine to answer the why and principles to answer the what, and then leaving the application question of how up to the individual.
I mentioned in the beginning my new course on Deseret Book's Seek platform about how to prepare your team for a lifetime of spiritual growth. In that course, I share a little bit about my own parenting journey and how my husband and I had to course correct when we realized our checklist approach and all the do's and don'ts we were giving our children was not working. We shifted to pointing our children to Christ and helping them understand His atonement instead of taking away their agency and forcing them to rely on us to know what to do spiritually.
I am here to tell you that focusing on doctrine and principles and then letting youth make decisions works. And not only will it work for them, it'll work for us. And while my husband and I we're far from perfect and we still sometimes find ourselves focusing on do's and don'ts, I've seen the positive effect of teaching doctrine in my own family.
The quote from President Boyd K. Packer, "True doctrine understood changes, attitudes, and behavior. The study of doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than the study of behavior will improve behavior." End quote. After studying Elder Bednar's teachings on doctrine, principle and application, I think I understand this quote a little more, especially after I found what President Packer said right after this that brings a little more understanding. So after sharing those initial words, the next thing that President Packer said is this quote, "Preoccupation with unworthy behavior can lead to unworthy behavior. That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel!" End quote, and he ends that with an exclamation point. Remember, I like to look for exclamation points like this is why we want you to study the doctrines of the gospel because they're gonna help you change.
Do you want to change your own behavior in your life? Do you want to move on for where you are now and become something more? Then look at the challenge or the problem you're facing and think about and pray about what doctrine and principles will help you with this challenge or problem. Then do everything you can following the Spirit to truly understand in your heart and mind what this doctrine and principle means.
Dive into the scriptures and look for words of modern day prophets and apostles on this doctrine or principle. Pray and ask for guidance and direction from the Holy Ghost. After you gain an understanding of the doctrine and principle related to your issue, and you've answered the why and what questions, then you can move on to how and look for applications.
You aren't gonna find a list of applications for your problem to choose from. You're probably gonna have to work for it, but through the spirit, you can know how to change. I don't know what that will look like for you, but you can find out for yourself.
When I started thinking about sharing the doctrine of Christ on the podcast, I don't think I fully understood how powerful learning these doctrines and principles could be.
A few things to keep in mind about using this framework. Elder Bednar said this is not a formula. But a quote, "flexible tool to aid in gospel learning." He also said, you can't just take one scripture or one quote. You have to view the gospel overall to find the answers you seek.
In his book Act on Doctrine, Elder Bednar said this quote, "Attempting to understand a doctrine or principle by relying unduly upon a single scripture or prophetic statement in isolation. From all else that has been revealed on the subject generally is misguided. True doctrines and principles are emphasized repeatedly in the standard works by prophets and apostles, and through illuminating and confirming power of the Holy Ghost." End quote.
It is gonna take some work. It's not gonna be like you're gonna open your scriptures and find one scripture to read, and that's going to help you solve all your problems. But if you put in the work and you do those things that I talked about just a minute ago, you can do this. You can change your life by understanding doctrine, principles and applications.
If you want some help figuring out how understanding doctrine will help you change anything in your life, I would encourage you to sign up for a free coaching session with me and we can explore together whether working with me will be a good fit. I am just here to help you discover for yourself which doctrines and principals to focus on.
I'm not gonna tell you what those are. I won't tell you what to do, but I'm gonna walk alongside you as you use your own agency to figure out the personal applications you need to help you become who your Heavenly Parents want you to be. So there is a link in the show notes to sign up for a free initial session, and I would just invite you to click on that and sign up, and I would love to talk to you more.
I am here whether you're just listening to the podcast or using the discussion guides or signing up for coaching, whatever you're doing, I am excited to cheer you on as you get from where you are to where you truly want to be in your life. And I hope that understanding the relationship between doctrine, principles and applications will help you to be able to do that.
I hope this podcast will be one way you can know what God wants you to know right now through the Holy Ghost. Join me in the next episode where I really will share more about the second component of the Doctrine of Christ: repentance. Until then, I'm cheering you on.
[00:22:52] Darla: If you enjoyed the podcast, please share it with a friend. I would love it if you would leave a review and rate it on Apple Podcasts. This actually helps more women find the podcast and learn how to use Christ's atonement and doctrine to co-create the life they want with God by their side. To find out more about discussion guides, coaching, and more ways to be part of the spiritually minded women community, head over to spiritually minded women.com.
Have an amazing day. I'm cheering you on.