The Gospel of Baseball Part 4- 3rd to Home through the Spirit and Enduring

D&C 18:22 says "And as many as repent and are baptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved. If we change that scripture around a little those who Endure to the End the same shall be "Safe". Currently we are standing on third base. By going from first to third base we've gained faith, had a change of heart, and have committed to getting to home plate. All we have left to do is make it the 90 feet home to score a run. We've got to step up our efforts and endure to the end! This is one of the last principles of the Gospel of Baseball.

   Because we've been so dedicated to making it home to score we need to know we aren't alone. We have a third base coach to help us along the base path home. 1 Nephi 2:22 says that by the Spirit, or third base coach, all things are made known. This is the other last principle of the Gospel of Baseball.  Our third base coach is here to lead, guide, warn, and coach us away from the defense. It's important though that we listen and know how his guidance is going to come to us. Sometimes it may be a loud shout of what to do and other times it may be a quite hand signal. Not matter how it comes to us if we will follow his counsel we will, as it says in Alma 40:11, make it home to that God who gave us life.

   The same thing happens in our lives. After we have gained faith, repented, and been baptized we will be given a third base coach of the Holy Ghost to help guide us home to our Father in Heaven. And though the defense of Satan will try to tag us out of returning home, if we will heed and follow that still small voice, or sometimes that load voice, of the spirit and continually strive to endure to the end by building that faith and repenting, we will make it home safely to that God who gave us life.
 

The Gospel of Baseball Part 3- Second to Third through Baptism

The second to Third principle of The Gospel of Baseball is Baptism. As a baseball player you have to progress from first base to second base before reaching third base. Once we pass second base we truly have a desire to make it safely home to score. But first we must make a covenant, promise, or commitment to making it to third base. When we were on first or second base we were just trying to work our way around the bases safely and figure out what we needed to know about the defense. But as we approach third we gain a stronger desire to make it there because it means we are one step closer. Third base is the gateway or door to home. We can't score without it. So we have to be fully immersed in our decision and progress to third, cross through that doorway, and score. 
    Baptism is also very key in our lives. Just as the baseball player can't skip first or second base and go straight to third base we need to have faith and repent before baptism. But by gaining those two key principles we gain a desire to make a covenant with our Heavenly Father. A covenant is a promise or commitment to following God. Just as the baseball player commits to getting to third base we commit to keeping God's commandments, taking the Lord's name upon us, and always remembering Him. Baptism is the gateway or doorway to heaven. Without it we cannot make it home to our Heavenly Father. Baptism is performed by being fully immersed in the water for a remission of our sins. It is truly a blessing in our lives to be baptized and receive the blessings that come from making a covenant with God.

The Gospel of Baseball Part 2: First to Second through Repentance

The first to Second principle of the Gospel of Baseball is Repentance. The Bible dictionary states that repentance is a change of mind, a fresh view about God, oneself, and the world. As a baseball player now that we've had sufficient faith to get on base through our faith and our works, hitting the ball, we need to refocus and have a change of mind. Our primary goal is no longer to just get to first base but to make it home and score. We now have a fresh view on the importance of getting to second base. Luke 12:3 says "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." In other words if we don't shift our focus to now getting to second base we will surly perish and get tagged out.
   Likewise in our lives once we've gained faith in our Heavenly Father it will cause us to have a desire to make a change in our lives. We will have the desire to repent of our wrong doings and, like the baseball player, get onto Gods base path to our heavenly home. And when we do this we feel freed from our mistakes and we are ready to rededicate ourselves to following our Heavenly Father.

  But this repentance, to make it to second base and eventually home,  can only be accomplished with the help of a team mate, Jesus Christ. In order for us to make it to second base he lays down a sacrifice bunt of himself to move us over as he gets thrown out at first base. Without our Savior, Jesus Christ, and this sacrifice bunt of the atonement we would have no way to overcome our mistakes and make move onto second base. I am so grateful for the sacrifice of my Savior, Jesus Christ, for me. It allows me to have a change of heart and mind, rededicate myself through repentance, and return home someday.

The Gospel of Baseball Part 1: Home to First through Faith

The first base principle of the Gospel of Baseball is Faith. The book of Alma, in the Book of Mormon, chapter 32 verse 21 states "faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." As a baseball player you stand at home plate you know nothing about what will happen next. The goal is to get a base hit but there are a lot of different scenarios that can play out before that happens. You could strike out, get walked, ground out, or even get hit by a pitch. But you have to have hope that you can get a base hit and make it to first. This hope is also faith. Alma 32:27 states "if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." So in order for us to experiment on the word, or in this case if we're going to get a base hit, we need to grab our bat, take a practice swing or two, and step up to the plate. And by doing so we are showing we have at least a desire to make it to first base. And over time that desire and faith builds, through diligence and patience, in us until we believe we are going to get a base hit every time.
   This same principle of faith is the first principle in Christ's Gospel too. Just like the baseball player can't see if they're going to get a hit or not, we can't see God, we don't know if He is there through sight. But if we will show a desire, have faith and experiment, through scripture study and prayer, we can come to know if He really is there. Through that faith we can come to know that He is our Father in Heaven, He hears and answers our prayers, and He loves us, just like the baseball player knows he'll get on base as the ball Cracks! off his bat and he reaches first base safely.

April Means Mormon Baseball

Hey Daily Bread followers, It's April, which means its time for baseball! So just like Davis' Daily Bread brought you Mormon March Madness, now its time to "Take You Out To The Ball Game" and Play Ball! This month will feature stories of baseball players who are Mormon, the gospel of baseball, stories from a baseball playing Prophet, and much, much more. So grab your ball, glove, cap, peanuts and crackerjacks and take me out to the ball game for some Mormon Baseball!

	Harry Carey - Take Me Out To The Ballgame .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine