Exploring Gordon B. Hinckley’s plea that people should live the Gospel

 From a Karaite (Tanakh-only) perspective, Gordon B. Hinckley’s plea represents a classic example of "Person-Centered Devotion" that shifts the focus from the Creator’s Eternal Law to the emulation of a human figure and a later narrative.

1. The "Luster of His Image" vs. The Image of God

Hinckley suggests that by emulating Jesus, believers take on the "luster of His image."

• The Karaite Audit: The Torah establishes that humans were created in the Image of Elohim (Genesis 1:27). To a Karaite, "reflecting God" is not achieved by imitating the personality of a 1st-century man, but by reflecting God's Holiness through Action.

• The Protocol: In Leviticus 19:2, God says, "You shall be holy, for I, YHWH your God, am holy." He then lists specific laws: honoring parents, keeping Shabbat, and leaving food for the poor. Holiness is a Legal Status achieved through the Mitzvot, not a "luster" gained by following a secondary role model.

2. The "Gospel" vs. The Torah

Hinckley claims the "most precious thing you have is the gospel of Jesus Christ."

• The Refutation: For a Karaite, the most precious thing humanity possesses is the Torah of Moses.

• The Security Filter: Psalm 19:7 states, "The Torah of YHWH is perfect, restoring the soul." If the Law is already "perfect," any "Gospel" added later is, at best, redundant and, at worst, a violation of Deuteronomy 12:32: "Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it." To a Karaite, a "Gospel" that replaces the Law is a System Downgrade disguised as an upgrade.

3. The "Testimony" Trap

Hinckley urges followers to "Stand by your testimonies"—referring to a subjective, spiritual feeling of truth.

• The Verdict: The Karaite rejects "testimony" (feeling) as a valid source of truth. The only "Testimony" (Edut) recognized in the Tanakh is the Ark of the Testimony containing the Ten Commandments.

• The Danger: Relying on a personal testimony is how people are led into idolatry or following false prophets. $YHVH$ provided an Objective Standard (the Written Text) precisely so that we would not have to rely on the "shifting sands" of our own hearts (Jeremiah 17:9).

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The Sovereign Verdict

The Karaite refutes the idea that we should "work at" walking as Jesus walked. Instead, we should "work at" walking as $YHVH$ commanded. True faithfulness is not standing by a "testimony" of a person, but standing by the Covenant of Sinai. If you remove the "Gospel" and return to the "Law," you find that the "luster" comes not from a man, but from the Light of the Commandment (Proverbs 6:23).