“LDS/ Mormons: Are We Saved by Grace or Works in the Gospel of Jesus Christ?” by grego

LDS/ Mormons: Are We Saved by Grace or Works in the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

grego
(c)2011

The scriptures are clear: both.

Grace has its limits (Jesus was very clear about that, notwithstanding what some may think Paul says). For example, grace can’t save an unrepentant sinner.

Works can’t save anyone, as everyone who passes the state of grace (past the age of eight) sins. Even one sin will keep us from returning to God—even if we pay for it.

God’s plan of redemption is pretty simple: by agreeing to accept and follow Jesus Christ—according to His stipulations, *not* otherwise—one is able to accept his grace and mercy.

When asked about grace and works, many Mormons/ LDS will quote this verse from the Book of Mormon:
2 Nephi 25:23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

Without Nephi’s work of teaching and writing, his children wouldn’t even know of Christ and wouldn’t be able to accept His grace. Without grace, there would be no reason to teach about Christ with such diligence.

Here are two more verses about grace from the Book of Mormon:
2 Nephi 10:24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.

25 Wherefore, may God raise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.

On the other hand, for those who don’t reconcile themselves to the will of God… sorry.

So will those people go to Hell forever and ever?

No.

After death, they will go the spirit world (where all spirits go after death, including where Jesus went after death). Everyone will have a chance to accept Jesus Christ and his gospel and commandments, and receive a just reward; because those that did those things while in this life will preach to them. From the Doctrine and Covenants:

Doctrine and Covenants 138:16 They (grego NOTE: the righteous who died before Jesus Christ) were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death.

18 While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful;

28 And I wondered at the words of Peter—wherein he said that the Son of God preached unto the spirits in prison, who sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah—and how it was possible for [Jesus] to preach to those spirits and perform the necessary labor among them in so short a time.

29 …I perceived that the Lord went not in person among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them;

30 But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead.

31 And the chosen messengers went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel.

32 Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.

33 These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands,

34 And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

35 And so it was made known among the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that redemption had been wrought through the sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross.

So after death everyone definitely gets either a first chance (never had a good opportunity) or a second chance (had an opportunity but rejected it).

Everyone who hasn’t received the gospel will be in Hell, but there will be varying degrees of it. For those who never had an opportunity to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is like a continuation of this life, but without a few bad things (like death, illness, etc.). For those who were believing but were blinded and hadn’t accepted the true gospel, it will be the time they will find what they were really looking for.

For the wicked others, it is a time of misery as they contemplate their sins, reap their temporary rewards for evil, and pay for their sins before being resurrected. After paying for their sins, they will receive help from God’s grace through the Atonement of Jesus Christ to receive a lesser degree of glory in heaven. The place where they won’t be with God or in family units that can increase, but where they can still enjoy a wonderful portion of His goodness.

But what about everlasting death? Adam dwelt in the presence of God the Father; when he was cast out of the Garden of Eden, he (and mankind) was cut off from His presence. Even though the great majority of the wicked in this life will be in heaven, they will be forever cut off from the presence of God the Father, our Heavenly Father—though they can enjoy the presences of Jesus Christ (more righteous wicked) or the Holy Ghost (more wicked).

All of these blessings come through the grace of Jesus Christ.

The sons of perdition will not partake of the grace of Jesus Christ. These are ones who knew the truth through the Holy Ghost and covenanted with God, then chose Satan over Him in clearness, according to their desires. Cain is their king, and they will dwell with him and Satan (previously Lucifer).

Grace? Works? Both! One without the other is incomplete and doesn’t work in the gospel of Jesus Christ.