Faith First

According to the fourth Article of Faith, faith, specifically faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, is the first principle of the gospel. Every other part of the gospel follows it, and with good reason. Without faith, the rest of the gospel is basically meaningless. If we don't have faith in Jesus Christ, the power of His Atonement, and the importance of His commandments, our repentance and baptism won't have the same meaning or effect. If we don't have faith in the Holy Ghost, having the gift of the Holy Ghost won't help us much, since we will constantly be doubting the impressions we receive. We need to have faith in order to gain the benefits of the rest of the gospel, which is why it makes sense for faith to be described as the first principle of the gospel in the fourth Article of Faith.