Matisyahu and Understanding the Gospel

As a recently returned missionary, I've had many thoughts, especially concerning the Gospel. One such thought hit me quite profoundly as I walked home listening to my iPod. I was listening to King Without a Crown by Matisyahu (one of my very favorites by the way). This is song is quite packed with lyrics that go very fast and the once blur of words was absolutely clear to me. I thought, most songs that I listen to for the very first time, although I like them, I don't understand every lyric that is being sung. I usually jump in somewhere in the chorus where they repeat stuff. (Admit it, you've all done this.)

I thought back to the first time I had heard the song in January. I could hardly understand it and I'm pretty sure I tried to sing some of the lyrics...with different words. But the more and more I listened to it, and the more I read the lyrics the clearer the fast jumble of words became! Everything was being clear, but it took a bit of time and effort. I still sometimes, to this day, mess up on the lyrics.

How is this like the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Well, it's like this. At first, we learn about the Gospel, and we like it, but we don't actually comprehend all that is being said or taught. Then as time goes by and we take efforts into learning about it, our understanding is expanded. This is the way God works, He doesn't give us everything all at once and expect us to understand it on the first go. It states in Doctrine and Covenants 50:24 - "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." (Emphasis added)

When we really get down to it, the Gospel is so alive that we are continually learning to understand it clearer every day of our lives. When we allow God to touch our understanding, He will reveal His doctrine and will so that we can understand it, but only "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little" (2 Nephi 28:30) until the whole picture becomes clear to us.

The Gospel is a beautiful thing that we can discover if we do our part and "learn the lyrics".

Here is the famous song itself, "King Without a Crown" by Matisyahu