The Gospel of Baseball From Base to Base

The Gospel of Baseball- Here's a quick repost of the Gospel of Baseball. Click the Links to go from base to base. Enjoy!

Faith to get on Base

Repentance- A change of Mind or Focus through the Sacrifice Bunt of Christ

Baptism and Full Dedication

Following the Holy Ghost and Enduring to Home

Popcorn!, Peanuts!, Crackerjacks!!!

Popcorn!, Peanuts!, Crackerjacks!!!-As you sit and enjoy a baseball game you will notice vendors walking up and down the aisles selling all types of food and treats for you to enjoy during your baseball viewing experience. As they climb up the stairs and get closer to you, you hear them yell out their pitch of what they are selling. "POPCORN!!!, PEANUTS!!!, CRACKERJACKS!!!, HOT DOGS!!! Who wants a Hot Dog!!!" Their voices fill the stadium and the sight and smell of their food quickly tempts you into buying one of their treats.
   While living in Arizona I would attend many Arizona Diamondbacks professional baseball games. As I sat with my Dad or with friends these vendors would come by calling out what they were selling. The one vendor I remember the most was the one who sold lemonade. He would walk up and down the aisles of the upper decks yelling "Lemonade, Lemonade, Like Grandma Made!!! OOOOWEEEOO!!! You know You Want it!!! You could hear his humorous sales pitch from clear across the ball park! There were many times I bought a nice cold lemonade from him and enjoyed it very much. He and his lemonade surely added to my baseball viewing experience.

   Similarly there are, in a sense, vendors for God. They are His missionaries. His missionaries are called to serve Him by proclaiming, not selling, His Gospel to all of His children in the ball park, world. As a missionary I walk all over trying to get people to listen to what our Heavenly Father wants them to know. Though I don't walk around yelling about the Gospel I do ask others to invite us into their home and hear what our Heavenly Father has to offer them. Unlike the food that the vendors sell at a baseball game it isn't good smelling or good tasting physically, but it is spiritually. John 6: 35 states: And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. As a missionary through preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are able to help others to find that bread of life and that water. Those who are willing to listen and partake will truly never hunger or thirst again. It is my privilege to be a servant of my Heavenly Father and help others come unto Christ and I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Foul Line of Christ

A three inch straight white line runs from home plate to the outfield fence 355 feet away. Though this line may not seem overly important it controls a large aspect of the game of baseball. This line is known as the foul line. The foul line determines which hit baseballs are in play, fair, or out of play, foul. Every day before a baseball game a member of the grounds crew, who helps take care of the baseball field, re-chalks the foul line so that it's perfectly straight and bright white. Because this bright white, and straight chalked line runs over the brown dirt and green grass of the baseball field it really sticks out so everyone on the field or in the stands know what is fair and what is foul.

      Like the foul line our Savior, Jesus Christ, has set before us a straight path, or line, to follow his teachings and our Heavenly Fathers commandments. Alma 37:44 says "give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss." This straight course, or line, of the word and commandments determines what is good or bad, fair or foul, in this life. This line will determine a large aspect of our lives whether in this "game" or the "game" to come.

     Along with that just as the ground crew member keeps the foul line chalked straight and white our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have appointed a Prophet as his crew member to re-chalk and remind us of the teachings and commandments that our Father wants us to follow. Likewise as the white chalked line stands out on the field our Heavenly Father's commandments will stand out above what those of the world are doing. This helps everyone know, as Nephi said in 2 Nephi 33:9, to "walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation.", or game. As we continue to follow God's commands of what is fair and what is foul we will be able to get a "hit" of eternal life!
 

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.

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