Mosiah 3:10 - how does Christ coming to the earth and performing the atonement lead to a “righteous judgment” of the whole earth?

I've studied a lot recently about what the atonement really means, and how through the atonement Christ is able to judge us righteously. What does that even mean??

In a recent discussion with family members, we tried to understand why Christ's suffering was necessary for us to be saved. I realized that any time I am struggling with something, I naturally turn to others who have gone through something similar, and that enables me to overcome that trial. Without suffering every specific pain, sickness, and sin, Christ would have no way of understanding us, and he could not judge our situations appropriately.


In a recent General Conference talk given by James R. Rasband, he said, "To ensure a righteous judgment, the Savior’s atoning sacrifice will clear away the underbrush of ignorance and the painful thorns of hurt caused by others." He explains that Christ's righteous judgment is a fair judgment. Christ promises that our mistakes will not doom others—others we hurt can be healed through Christ when we cannot heal them ourselves. Like Alma the younger who led so many astray—he was promised that not only would he be forgiven, but all those who were led astray would be led back to the truth. There is no way for us to completely fix the harm we have caused to others.

In the Book of Mormon, Alma the Younger went about seeking “to destroy the church" (see Mosiah 27:8-10). In fact, Alma told his son Helaman that he was “tormented with the pains of hell” because he had effectively “murdered many of [God’s] children” by leading “them away unto destruction.” (Alma 36:13-14)

Elder Rasband says that "Alma explained to Helaman that peace finally came to him when his 'mind caught hold' on his father’s teaching 'concerning the coming of … Jesus Christ … to atone for the sins of the world.' (Alma 36:17-18) A penitent Alma pleaded for Christ’s mercy and then felt joy and relief when he realized that Christ had atoned for his sins and paid all that justice required. Again, what would justice have required of Alma? As Alma himself later taught, 'No unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God.' (Alma 40:26) Thus, part of Alma’s relief must have been that unless mercy interceded, justice would have prevented him from returning to live with Heavenly Father."

Mosiah 3:15 says that "the law of Moses availeth nothing except it were through the atonement of his blood." We are given laws to follow, but our salvation is not based on us obeying the law perfectly, our salvation is based off of Christ's mercy that comes through his atonement. Our salvation comes through turning to him, accepting we are imperfect, and allowing him to judge our hearts.

Verse 17 goes on to say, “And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.“

I’ve always looked at this verse in the sense that we have to “do” certain things and only those things to be saved. But I’m realizing more now that this means that no matter what we do, Christ is the only one who provides an opportunity for salvation. It’s important for us to learn of him and obey what he asks us to do, but there is also room for grace and allowing us to figure it out, and not think we have to “save ourselves” all on our own!

Verse 18 emphasizes that “he judgeth” and “his judgment is just.” It’s HIS judgment, not ours!


Alma 7:11-13 states:
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

"And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

"Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me."


Because of all that Christ experienced, He does not judge with a condemning heart but with a tolerant heart. He lets us fail and try again and again. He performed the atonement that he might be able to judge us righteously.

What is the difference between blessings and grace?

I listened to a podcast that changed the way I now think about blessings. (Podcast can be found here: Podcast #15: Let's Talk About Blessings July 16, 2019)

Susan Hinckley speaks about a lesson she taught in Sunday School based on Elder Dale G. Renlund's talk, "Abound with Blessings," given in April 2019.

***It is important to first of all recognize the definition of what it means to be "blessed." To be blessed is to be "made holy; consecrated."***

This definition is much different than our cultural definition of being blessed! We typically think of physical blessings, or things that are easy to see from the outside. But a blessing is not an event. It is independent of circumstance - it is an internal state, not an external one. We hear so much about "blessings" and tie those with circumstances or events--but God's blessings come when we learn to surrender control and feel an internal change through God's grace. We are made holy.

When we do specific actions to follow God's will, we often expect that He will bless us with safety. But life is so unpredictable and trials will happen that don't make sense and that leave us feeling confused and unsure and unstable--we sense that God has abandoned us!

To truly understand blessings, we realize we have to let go of the control aspect of receiving our blessings. We realize we really are not in control, and we don't have to do everything perfectly to receive blessings. We simply have to allow room for vulnerability and growth and unsurety.

In Elder Renlund's talk, he gave two lines that Sis. Hinckley really struggled to understand as she prepared for her lesson:

"Restored truth reveals that blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired actions on our part, both initial and ongoing, are essential."

"God has revealed that “there is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” That being said, you do not earn a blessing—that notion is false—but you do have to qualify for it."

So what is the difference between "earning" and "qualifying"?
We initially think we must do everything exactly right to get blessings from God. But to live for God's blessings doesn't mean to be perfect, it means to live with constant hope. Trusting, moving forward, allowing His grace to work in our lives, despite our imperfections. We let go of control and we open ourselves up to His grace. We seek more and ask more, instead of living such a pre-made structured life. We let go of all the ways we set up our lives to be and we allow room for growth and change and development.

Asking is for us, not for God. We ask so we are constantly seeking, so we are never comfortable.

So why are blessings usually synonymous with a "good/righteous life"?
So often we tie things that happen in our lives to "because I said my morning prayers" or "because I read my scriptures." This is a faulty expectation of how blessings really come. This is not to say doing those things does lead to good consequences, but we cannot tie all our actions to specific results, because we don't always know what God intends to bless us with.

It is easy to look at people who have a lot physically as "very blessed." Typically, though, those physical blessings that are so easy to look at are "as the world giveth." To really understand real blessings, we have to see past blessings "as the world giveth," but see them "as God giveth." As we accept the trials and imperfections of our lives, we see how God is sanctifying us and making us holy through that process. Blessings are not what we see, they go much deeper.

We have to be careful how we talk about blessings because they are intensely personal. A "blessing" that one person might receive is one that another person will not! We have to stop talking about them as external events and bring them internal!

There will always be things in our lives that we just don't know what to do with. Was God there, was He not there, where was He, why did He help this person find their car keys and then let my husband die from cancer, when were blessings tied to my actions and when did He simply give me grace despite my actions? This is where the question of grace comes in.

Probably one of the best ways I’ve heard grace described was this: “We do not earn grace... Its fruits are expressed in our righteousness.” (From The Temple by Ed J. Pinegar p. 57). 

Ed J. Pinegar's book The Temple explains grace as a power that comes from God to enable us to do good works. Acts 10:38 explains "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Bro. Pinegar explains that “these scriptures surely demonstrate that our works follow our faith and conversion to Christ and that the good we do comes from God and the power He puts into us.” (p. 57) He continues, “Instead of being a checkoff list of things to do, the commandments become a joyful expression of the love of God, the empowerment of the atonement, and the grace of God in our lives. ... We not only obtain a hope in Christ, but Christ empowers us, perfects us, and becomes our strength, too, ‘for in his strength [we] can do all things’ (Alma 26:12).” (p. 58)

Sometimes we need a little extra push to even have a desire to do good. Philippians 2:13 says that “it is God which worketh in you both TO WILL and TO DO his good pleasure.” He works in us to give us even a desire to do good works--that is his grace! But we cannot recognize or be open to that grace if we never act in faith to draw ourselves closer to Him.

Bro. Pinegar discusses in his book how worshipping God endows us with His power to do good (see p. 55). We are enabled and empowered when we worship! Sometimes we need that power outside ourselves, even just to go out and serve. God's grace helps us WANT to do good.

Finally, an important reminder in the scriptures: "Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things." (Jacob 4:7)


As I've studied, this is how I have come to understand Grace versus Blessings:

• Grace is unconditional and applicable to existence and the world a whole. Blessings are typically much more personal and specific.
• When we're really struggling, we feel a need for more control and we feel like we need to "do" our way out of the situation. But the real answer is that we need to simply "OFFER IT UP." Sit still, be open, receive whatever it is we're supposed to be receiving, GIVE AWAY CONTROL, and allow grace. That is when the real blessings come.
• Things falling apart are really a form of testing and even healing. We think we are supposed to get through it and have more control, but we need to allow room for grief, misery, healing, joy, growth. That is the essence of blessings. ***That is when you are really living for your blessings--not doing more, but allowing more.***
• Allowing grace is not about DOING, it is about BEING. 

I often connect blessings with actions and think that I will only receive good things from God if I "do" all the right things. Dallin H. Oaks spoke in 2009 about "love versus law," and I think this quote beautifully captures the essence of the relationship between actions and obedience: "The love of God is so universal that His perfect plan bestows many gifts on all of His children, even those who disobey His laws. Mortality is one such gift, bestowed on all who qualified in the War in Heaven. Another unconditional gift is the universal resurrection: 'For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive' (1 Corinthians 15:22). Many other mortal gifts are not tied to our personal obedience to law. As Jesus taught, our Heavenly Father 'maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust' (Matthew 5:45).

"If only we will listen, we can know of God’s love and feel it, even when we are disobedient. A woman recently returned to Church activity gave this description in a sacrament meeting talk: 'He has always been there for me, even when I rejected Him. He has always guided me and comforted me with His tender mercies all around me, but I [was] too angry to see and accept incidents and feelings as such.'"

He continues to clarify:

"God’s choicest blessings are clearly contingent upon obedience to God’s laws and commandments. The key teaching is from modern revelation:

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (D&C 130:20–21).

"This great principle helps us understand the why of many things, like justice and mercy balanced by the Atonement. It also explains why God will not forestall the exercise of agency by His children. Agency—our power to choose—is fundamental to the gospel plan that brings us to earth. God does not intervene to forestall the consequences of some persons’ choices in order to protect the well-being of other persons—even when they kill, injure, or oppress one another—for this would destroy His plan for our eternal progress. He will bless us to endure the consequences of others’ choices, but He will not prevent those choices."


I am sometimes internally guilted into doing good things because I feel like I will be "punished" otherwise, but my good works should simply be a reflection of my gratitude for God. He is really in charge, and without His grace we could do or be nothing. As I start focusing on ALLOWING more rather than DOING more I will naturally surrender my will to God's and recognize His hand more in my life. What a beautiful lesson!

What is the difference between wickedness vs righteousness? What does it mean to be "damned"?

The main goal of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to help people find Christ so He can "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). There is no lower standard taught. Lately I've been thinking a lot about how there are so many levels of "righteousness," and not everybody will choose to make it to the highest degree of celestial glory after this life. But I have met so many good people of different faiths who live better lives than some people of my own Christian faith, so how does that all play out in the end? If there are so many "levels," why do the scriptures sound so black and white when it comes to wickedness verses righteousness? What does this look like in the Final Judgment?

I do want to begin with a disclaimer that I do not in any way feel any right or ability to "judge" anyone else's place in the kingdom of God. All of my study has been purely for my own understanding, without making assumptions about the judgment of anybody's life. I am purely curious and wanting to gain more understanding in order to improve my own life. I love the counsel given in Romans 14:10-14 that says:

"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

"Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way." 

It is with these scriptures in mind that I approach this study.



In the "Guide to the Scriptures," damnation is defined this way:

• The state of being stopped in one’s progress and denied access to the presence of God and His glory. Damnation exists in varying degrees. All who do not obtain the fulness of celestial exaltation will to some degree be limited in their progress and privileges, and they will be damned to that extent. (See Mark 16:16; John 5:29; 2 Ne. 9:24; Morm. 9:4, Ether 4:18; 3 Ne. 26:5; D&C 68:9, 84:74.

Elder David A. Bednar taught in a recent General Conference talk the following about "damnation":

"Satan does not have a body, and his eternal progress has been halted. Just as water flowing in a riverbed is stopped by a dam, so the adversary’s eternal progress is thwarted because he does not have a physical body. Because of his rebellion, Lucifer has denied himself all of the mortal blessings and experiences made possible through a tabernacle of flesh and bones. One of the potent scriptural meanings of the word damned is illustrated in his inability to continue progressing and becoming like our Heavenly Father.

"Because a physical body is so central to the Father’s plan of happiness and our spiritual development, Lucifer seeks to frustrate our progression by tempting us to use our bodies improperly. President Russell M. Nelson has taught that spiritual safety ultimately lies in “‘never taking the first enticing step toward going where you should not go and doing what you should not do.’ … As human beings we all have [physical] appetites necessary for our survival. ‘These appetites are absolutely essential for the perpetuation of life. So, what does the adversary do? … He attacks us through our appetites. He tempts us to eat things we should not eat, to drink things we should not drink, and to love as we should not love!’”

"One of the ultimate ironies of eternity is that the adversary, who is miserable precisely because he has no physical body, invites and entices us to share in his misery through the improper use of our bodies. The very tool he does not have and cannot use is thus the primary target of his attempts to lure us to physical and spiritual destruction."


The scriptures teach that there are many tools given to us that are meant to keep our eternal progress moving forward so our progress is not stopped by the devil and his followers:

“And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day” (2 Nephi 33:14).

In 2 Nephi 9, we are told that those who do not have the law of the gospel taught to them are immune to the "demands of justice" (vs. 26). But "wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!" (vs. 27).

We are warned not to trust in our own knowledge without also relying on the counsel of God (see 2 Nephi 9:28-29). If our hearts our closed and unwilling, God will not open up to us (see 2 Nephi 9:40, 42).

2 Nephi 28 discusses how easy it can be to be "lulled away" by Satan if we fail to receive God's guidance and direction and commit our lives to Him:

19 For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;

20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!

25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!

27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!

28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.

29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.
2 Nephi 33:14 says, "And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day."


The words in the scriptures to me sound very depressing and harsh and they make me worry about anyone who might choose anything other than God's path for them. I found some comfort in these words taught by some well known Church leaders:

D&C 19:4–12. Great Additional Truths Concerning God’s Punishments

"These verses provide one of the most important insights into the Judgment found anywhere in scripture. Elder James E. Talmage stated: “During this hundred years [of Church history] many other great truths not known before, have been declared to the people, and one of the greatest is that to hell there is an exit as well as an entrance. Hell is no place to which a vindictive judge sends prisoners to suffer and to be punished principally for his glory; but it is a place prepared for the teaching, the disciplining of those who failed to learn here upon the earth what they should have learned. True, we read of everlasting punishment, unending suffering, eternal damnation. That is a direful expression; but in his mercy the Lord has made plain what those words mean. ‘Eternal punishment,’ he says, is God’s punishment, for he is eternal; and that condition or state or possibility will ever exist for the sinner who deserves and really needs such condemnation; but this does not mean that the individual sufferer or sinner is to be eternally and everlastingly made to endure and suffer. No man will be kept in hell longer than is necessary to bring him to a fitness for something better. When he reaches that stage the prison doors will open and there will be rejoicing among the hosts who welcome him into a better state. The Lord has not abated in the least what he has said in earlier dispensations concerning the operation of his law and his gospel, but he has made clear unto us his goodness and mercy through it all, for it is his glory and his work to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1930, p. 97.)

D&C 19:7. Is There a Difference between Eternal Punishment and Eternal Damnation? 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained the difference between these two terms:

“Eternal damnation is the opposite of eternal life, and all those who do not gain eternal life, or exaltation in the highest heaven within the celestial kingdom, are partakers of eternal damnation. Their eternal condemnation is to have limitations imposed upon them so that they cannot progress to the state of godhood and gain a fulness of all things.

“They ‘remain separately and singly, without exaltation, … to all eternity; and from henceforth are not gods, but are angels of God forever and ever.’ (D. & C. 132:17.) Their kingdom or progress has an ‘end,’ and they ‘cannot have an increase.’ (D. & C. 131:4.) Spirit children are denied to them to all eternity, and they inherit ‘the deaths,’ meaning an absence of posterity in the resurrection. (D. & C. 132:16–25.)

“They are never redeemed from their spiritual fall and taken back into the full presence and glory of God. Only the obedient are ‘raised in immortality unto eternal life.’ The disobedient, ‘they that believe not,’ are raised in immortality ‘unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not.’ (D. & C. 29:42–44.)” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 234.)



When I wonder about the fairness of the afterlife, if one "sin" is worse than another "sin," and how judgment will work out in the end, I remember these words:

"My promise to you is one that a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles once made to me. I had said to him that because of choices some in our extended family had made, I doubted that we could be together in the world to come. He said, as well as I can remember, 'You are worrying about the wrong problem. You just live worthy of the celestial kingdom, and the family arrangements will be more wonderful than you can imagine.'” (Pres. Eyring, GC April 2019)


Sometimes people will look at the Church and see it as restrictive, narrow-minded, and limiting, because it claims to provide the "one way" to receive eternal life. Because there are so many beliefs and ideas of truth in the world, God has provided a pathway in his mercy to offer a consistent and reliable way for all people to return to Him. It is not to restrict, it is to free and enable and clarify. I found this passage in Richard Millet's The Doctrine of Merit that discusses Christ's role in our salvation because of the Fall:

"The Fall and the Atonement are a package deal; one brings the other into existence, and I am not aware of any discussion of the Atonement in the Book of Mormon that is not accompanied, either directly or by implication, with a discussion of the Fall. We do not appreciate and treasure the medicine until we appreciate the seriousness of the malady. One cannot look earnestly and longingly to the Redeemer if he or she does not sense the need for redemption. Jesus came to earth to do more than offer sage advice. He is not merely a benevolent consultant, a spiritual adviser. He came to save us."

"Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer" (1 Nephi 10:4-6; compare Alma 42:6). I am fascinated with the two words so descriptive of mortals—lost and fallen. Truly, as Isaiah declared (and as Abinadi quoted), "All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way" (Mosiah 14:6; compare Isaiah 53:6). The Good Shepherd thus comes on a search and rescue mission for all of His lost sheep. He who never took a moral detour or a backward step thus reaches out and reaches down to lift us up. We are lost in the sense that we do not know our way home without a guide, in the sense that we are alienated from God and separated from things of righteousness. We are fallen in the sense that we have chosen, like our Exemplar, to condescend and enter a telestial tenement; in the sense that our eternal spirit has taken up its temporary abode in a tabernacle of clay; in the sense that we must be lifted up, quickened, and resuscitated spiritually if we are to return to the divine presence."
(pgs. 112-113.)

Millet discusses the "natural man" that is within all of us that we are meant to overcome in order to align our will with God's:

"The natural man is an enemy to God in that he (or she) is operating on another agenda than God's, is doing everything in his or her power to bring to pass their own whims and wishes, and in general has placed his or her will above that of the Captain of our souls. President Brigham Young taught that "the natural man is at enmity with God. That fallen nature in every one is naturally opposed, inherently, through the fall, to God and to His Kingdom, and wants nothing to do with them." Such persons are thereby operating at cross-purposes to the Father's plan for the salvation and redemption of His children and thus prove to be their own worst enemy. "All men that are in a state of nature," Alma observed, "or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness" (Alma 42:11)." (pg. 115)
...
"By means of the Atonement, the finite is reconciled to the Infinite, the incomplete to the Complete, the unfinished to the Finished, the imperfect to the Perfect. . . . The plan of salvation is not just a program bent on making bad men good and good men better, though it certainly does that; rather, it is a system of salvation that seeks to renovate society and transform the whole of humankind." (pg. 116)

So how do we access the Atonement in order to overcome the natural man? How are we "transformed" by God's plan of salvation and Christ's atonement?

"The Book of Mormon teaches that we are saved by merit, but not by our own merit. "Since man had fallen," Aaron explained to the father of Lamoni, "he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth" (Alma 22:14; emphasis added). This requires a bit of explanation. Of course, we are expected to receive the ordinances of salvation, work faithfully in the kingdom, perform acts of Christian service, and endure faithfully to the end. Of course, we are required to do the works of righteousness. These things are necessary—they evidence our covenant with Christ to follow Him and keep His commandments. They are necessary, but they are not sufficient.

"Through the Church, we receive the ordinances of salvation. Through the Church, we sing and preach and rejoice. Through the Church, we learn to love and serve one another, to contribute to the edification and growth of the "body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12), to officiate in a system of organized sacrifice. But our hope for salvation is not in a system, not in an organization, not in a program, inspired and God-ordained though it may be. Our hope is in Christ, the Person. In a world that offers flimsy and fleeting remedies for mortal despair, Jesus comes to us in our moments of need with a "more excellent hope" (Ether 12:32). What Jesus Christ has done speaks volumes concerning what He can do and what He will do for us." (pgs. 116-17)
..,
"It is only through exercising faith in the name of Jesus Christ—meaning His power or authority, His atoning mission and work—that salvation comes to the children of men (see Acts 4:12; 2 Nephi 9:24; Mosiah 3:17; 26:22; Alma 22:13; Helaman 14:13)." (pg. 118)
...
"This strength, this enlivening influence, this spiritual change about which we have been speaking, does not come to us just because we work harder or longer hours. It comes as a result of working smarter, working in conjunction with the Lord God Omnipotent. Elder Gene R. Cook pointed out that "if we can obtain the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that divine enabling power to assist us, we will triumph in this life and be exalted in the life to come. . . . I bear witness that if we will seek the grace of God, He will come to our aid and the aid of our loved ones in times of need." President Brigham Young likewise testified: "My faith is, when we have done all we can, then the Lord is under obligation, and will not disappoint the faithful; He will perform the rest." (pg. 124-125)
...
So on the one hand, Latter-day Saint scripture and prophetic teachings establish the essential truth that salvation is free and that it comes by grace, through God's unmerited favor. On the other hand, ancient and modern prophets set forth the equally vital point that works are a necessary though insufficient condition for salvation. We will be judged according to our works, not according to the merits of our works, but to the extent that our works manifest to God who and what we have become. (pg. 127)
...
C. S. Lewis explained: "Christians have often disputed as to whether what leads the Christian home is good actions, or Faith in Christ. . . . You see, we are now trying to understand, and to separate into water-tight compartments, what exactly God does and what man does when God and man are working together." (pg. 128)
..,
What does it mean, therefore, to "work out our own salvation"? (Philippians 2:12). Certainly not to attempt to do it by ourselves, for the divine word is sure and clear—such is impossible. Certainly not to accept Christ and His gospel and then live however we choose, utterly disregarding the standards of Christian discipleship—such is an offense to God, and we will answer for the same on the day of judgment. No, it means to pray and trust in the Lord God as though everything depended upon Him, and also to work and labor as though everything depended upon Him! If I rely wholly upon the merits of Christ (see 2 Nephi 31:19), how much do I rely upon myself to be saved? If I rely alone upon the merits of Christ (see Moroni 6:4), how much do I rely upon myself to be saved? The answer to both questions is a resounding "NONE." This is not a matter of self-confidence; it is a matter of confidence in Christ. I have a role in my own salvation, but peace and assurance and hope come because of what Jesus the Redeemer has done and will do to qualify me for life with Him one day. Thus, the grace of God, provided through the intercession of the Savior, is free yet expensive; it is costly grace, "costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. . . . Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son, . . . and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us." (pgs. 128-129)
...
"Because we are human—because we are weak and mortal and tired—we will probably never reach the point in this life when we have done "all we can do." Too many of us misread 2 Nephi 25:23 and conclude that the Lord can assist us only after, meaning following the time that, we have done "all we can do." In fact, the Lord can and does help us all along the way. I think Nephi is trying to emphasize that no matter how much we do, it simply will not be enough to guarantee salvation without Christ's intervention. Restating Nephi, "Above and beyond all we can do, notwithstanding all we can do, it is by the grace of Christ that we are saved." And what is true of our ultimate salvation is true of our daily walk and talk, of our personality and our passions. Above and beyond all efforts at self-control, behavior modification, or reducing our sins to manageable categories, "everything which really needs to be done in our souls can only be done by God." (pg. 130)

...

"There is a very real sense in which "all we can do" is come before the Lord in reverent humility, confess our weakness, and plead for His forgiveness, for His mercy and grace. It occurred to me recently that life is repentance, that progression and improvement and growth and maturity and refinement are all forms of repentance, and that the God-fearing live in a constant state of repentance." (pg. 131)


In a 1995 Conference Address, Pres. Ballard discussed the importance of agency in this life:

Critical to our knowledge of the plan of happiness is an understanding of the great governing principle of agency. A person does not have to spend much time in the schoolroom of mortality to realize that Heavenly Father’s plan does not provide for blissful happiness at every step along our mortal journey. Life is filled with harsh realities that tug at the heart and tear away at the soul.

We tend to think of agency as a personal matter. If we ask someone to define “moral agency,” the answer will probably be something like this: “Moral agency means I am free to make choices for myself.” Often overlooked is the fact that choices have consequences; we forget also that agency offers the same privilege of choice to others. At times we will be affected adversely by the way other people choose to exercise their agency. Our Heavenly Father feels so strongly about protecting our agency that he allows his children to exercise it, either for good or for evil.

We mortals have a limited view of life from the eternal perspective. But if we know and understand Heavenly Father’s plan, we realize that dealing with adversity is one of the chief ways we are tested. Our faith in our Heavenly Father and his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, is the source of inner strength. Through faith we can find peace, comfort, and the courage to endure. As we trust in God and his plan for our happiness with all our hearts and lean not unto our own understanding (see Prov. 3:5), hope is born. Hope grows out of faith and gives meaning and purpose to all we do. It can give us comfort in the face of adversity, strength in times of trial, and peace when we have reason for doubt or anguish.

By focusing on and living the principles of Heavenly Father’s plan for our eternal happiness, we can separate ourselves from the wickedness of the world. If we are anchored to the correct understanding of who we are, why we are here on this earth, and where we can go after this mortal life, Satan cannot threaten our happiness through any form of temptation. If we are determined to live by Heavenly Father’s plan, we will use our God-given moral agency to make decisions based on revealed truth, not on the opinions of others or on the current thinking of the world.

Those who live according to Heavenly Father’s eternal plan will not want to absorb any information that is illicit or untoward, nor will they destroy their spiritual sensitivity through immoral acts or the consumption of any harmful substances. Neither will they search for doctrinal loopholes to find reasons to challenge the ordained leadership of the Church nor tamper with the simple truths of the gospel. They will not attempt to justify any lifestyle that is contrary to the plan of happiness. If they do any of these things, they will never find the inner peace and joy that living the gospel brings. All of our Father’s children can seek prayerfully to know who they are and can find real happiness if they obey God’s commandments and endure to the end. President Howard W. Hunter said:

"There is nothing sad or gloomy about a person who accepts the truths of the gospel and incorporates these principles in his daily living. God wants all of his children to be joyous and glad, and we can have this blessing if we are willing to keep his commandments and live by his word in all that we do” (in Conference Report, Sept./Oct. 1961, p. 108).

When I find myself worrying about another person's happiness or where they might end up in the afterlife according to the poor choices they are making in this life, I try to remember these words from Pres. Eyring's conference talk in 2019:

“You are worried about the wrong things. You should be worried about whether you will get to those places. Concentrate on that. If you get there, all of it will be more wonderful than you can imagine.”

“When we ask ourselves what we know about the spirit world from the standard works, the answer is ‘not as much as we often think.’”

Of course, we know from the scriptures that after our bodies die we continue to live as spirits in the spirit world. The scriptures also teach that this spirit world is divided between those who have been “righteous” or “just” during life and those who have been wicked. They also describe how some faithful spirits teach the gospel to those who have been wicked or rebellious (see 1 Peter 3:19; Doctrine and Covenants 138:19–20, 29, 32, 37). Most important, modern revelation reveals that the work of salvation goes forward in the spirit world (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:30–34, 58), and although we are urged not to procrastinate our repentance during mortality (see Alma 13:27), we are taught that some repentance is possible there (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:58).

The gospel is preached to the ignorant, the unrepentant, and the rebellious so they can be freed from their bondage and go forward to the blessings a loving Heavenly Father has in store for them.
(I appreciate Eyring's specification here of who the gospel is preached to in the spirit world, because it helps define for me what "wickedness" really means. All people will sin and make mistakes at some point in this life, but it is those who refuse to change or repent who will not receive the ultimate blessings of the gospel.)

The spirit-world bondage that applies to righteous converted souls is their need to await—and perhaps even be allowed to prompt—the performance of their proxy ordinances on earth so they can be baptized and enjoy the blessings of the Holy Ghost (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:30–37, 57–58).2 These mortal proxy ordinances also empower them to go forward under priesthood authority to enlarge the hosts of the righteous who can preach the gospel to the spirits in prison.

Beyond these basics, our canon of scripture contains very little about the spirit world that follows death and precedes the Final Judgment. So what else do we know about the spirit world?

... For all questions about the spirit world, I suggest two answers. First, remember that God loves His children and will surely do what is best for each of us. Second, remember this familiar Bible teaching, which has been most helpful to me on a multitude of unanswered questions:

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6).

How many times will the Savior forgive?

I am the type of person who loves perfection. I love being in control of my life and doing things right. But I have one weakness that I have never seemed to overcome completely. I have always been an emotional eater, and at times it has gotten completely out of hand. There have been moments when all I could do was pray and give myself completely to God, knowing that I couldn't overcome this struggle on my own. Sometimes I have felt hopeless because I messed up again and again and didn't think I could ever overcome this weakness. I have wondered if the Savior really would help me again and again. And again. (To see a post I wrote about this, click on this link: "Food, Self Worth, and the Real Me" ... and here is the follow-up post.)

The following is a friend's recent post on Facebook. It was very timely, and something I needed to hear. She shares a beautiful testimony about families and the hope of eternal life, and then she illustrates the Savior's ability to forgive.

This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of Christ.



These past few months I've been challenging myself to recognize the blessings in my life and become more grateful for them. I am so so thankful for the atonement. Knowing that it is not the end when we have made mistakes is such a powerful thing to know. We have second chances. Third chances, fourth chances, and fifth chances even. However many chances it takes for us to get things right, The Lord is waiting and wanting to forgive. That knowledge to me is priceless. As long as we are striving, struggling, and desiring, the Lord is waiting with a forgiving heart and open arms. At times when I have made wrong choices and felt that I could not carry on, I have felt overwhelming peace and reassurance that the Lord has mercy and enough love to carry me through tough times. I'm thankful for trials big and small so that we are able to come closer to our Savior and have him help us through. I love knowing that we all have the same end goal in mind, just how we get there is different. I love love love the gospel with all of my heart, and my great family who would do anything for me. I'm thankful for a forgiving Savior and brother who has paid for my mistakes. I'm thankful for the knowledge that none of us are perfect, yet are capable of a perfect love, and lastly I'm thankful for our Father in Heaven who wants the best for us and is waiting until we are with him again.

Each of us struggles with something. And each of us messes up, sometimes once, sometimes twice, sometimes over and over and over again. How can the Savior love us enough to continue to forgive us?

Although we may feel otherwise, Jesus Christ wants to forgive us. In an April 2013 conference talk, Elder Craig A. Cardon said that Christ "does not excuse us in our sins. He does not condone our return to past sins. But when we repent and obey His gospel, He forgives us. . . . If we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the enabling power of His Atonement strengthens us in our moment of need, and His redeeming power sanctifies us as we '[put] off the natural man.' This brings hope to all, especially to those who feel that recurring human weakness is beyond the Savior's willingness to help and to save." This last sentence is crucial in our repentance process, and it is a principle I am still trying to understand. For me, the most important thing to remember is that no matter how many times I sin, I can always come to my Savior and ask Him for strength to overcome my sins. It doesn't seem fair to me that I can mess up so many times and He will continue to give me chances, but because of that I am eternally grateful. He will never give up on me. Or anyone. The beauty of this principle is that "He allows for improvement over time rather than demanding immediate perfection." We have a lifetime to become like Him.

Why does God give us weakness?

One definition of "weakness" as stated in Merriam-Webster is "a quality or feature that prevents someone or something from being effective or useful; a fault or defect."

As human beings, we are subject to the "natural man" which limits us from being completely "effective or useful." We have faults, simply because we don't understand everything perfectly and we cannot be perfect by ourselves. Part of God's plan is to allow us to go through trials so that we can learn and grow from them.

One of the most turned-to verses of scripture regarding weakness is Ether 12:27: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

In this scripture we are told that we are given weakness (singular) so that we might be humble and turn to Christ. This "weakness" is a general term that every human being born on the earth faces. Every person is limited in their abilities independently of Christ. But when we acknowledge our weakness and humble ourselves, Christ makes "weak things become strong" unto us.

In his second epistle to the Corinthians, Paul tells us that he glories in his infirmities because [Christ's] strength is made perfect in weakness." Paul states, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). (The footnote to "weak" in this verse takes the reader to "Humility" in the topical guide.)


The scriptures also tell us that the weak ones of the world will confound the wise and spread the kingdom of God. God restored the fulness of the gospel to the earth "to prepare the weak for those things which are coming on the earth, and for the Lord's errand in the day when the weak shall confound the wise. . . . And by the weak things of the earth the Lord shall thrash the nations by the power of his Spirit." (D&C 133:58-59)

D&C 1:19-28 states, "The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh." We are given weakness so that we will not trust in the counsel of the world but in God. The verse goes on to list other reasons God relies on the weak ones of the world: "That every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; That faith also might increase in the earth; That mine everlasting covenant might be established; That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers." God even gave His commandments to His servants in their weakness, "after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding. And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known; And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed; And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent; And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time." All of these principles are a result of individuals exercising "weakness" or "humility."

It is the weak and the simple who spread the kingdom of God, because they are those who will be the must humble and rely on God in all things. "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are." God chooses the weak things of the world to confound the wise "that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:27). We are given weakness to remind us that it is through God that we receive all wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. We are given weakness so that we don't glory in ourselves but in God! He gives us limitations to remind us that He is in charge. It is only through Him that we are made strong.


In summary, here are several reasons we are given weakness:
- To humble ourselves enough to have the Spirit so we can spread the kingdom of God.
- To allow Christ's grace to make us stronger.
- That the power of Christ may rest upon us.
- To remember who we should trust in (Christ, not men).
- That we might speak in the name of God.
- That faith might increase.
- That God's everlasting covenant might be established.
- That the fulness of the gospel might be proclaimed.
- That we might understand God's commandments.
- That we might gain knowledge and blessings.
- To remember that God is in charge and we must glory in Him and not ourselves.
- To cause us to search for answers and rely on the Lord because we admit that we don't know everything.

Moroni 10:32-33 - How do we become perfect in Christ through the Atonement? How does grace fit in?

Moroni says, "If ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ. . . . And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot."

It almost sounds like we have to become perfect before we can receive God's grace and remission of sins through the power of the atonement. But that is fortunately not the case. God doesn't wait for us to become perfect before He blesses us, because that would be impossible. Instead of waiting at the top of the hill of life, Christ is walking right beside us. We are not alone. The atonement isn't just about making it to the end, it's a process of human development.

In 2 Nephi 25:23, Nephi says "that it is by grace we are saved, after all we can do." Again, it seems that we cannot be saved until after we have done everything that we can. But the word after is referring to a form of separation rather than a form of time. God's grace is sufficient for us despite all we can do. We receive grace before, during, and after we do all that we can.
It is quite exhausting to think of all that we need to do to qualify for God's grace. We go, go, go because we love God and we know that nothing we can do is sufficient to pay Him back for the atonement. That's where we're wrong. God accepts any sacrifice we can give, even when we both know it's not our all. We love God, but He loves us too. We need to accept His sacrifice, not try to impress Him with all the sacrifices we're trying to make. When we find ourselves only halfway there, rather than getting discouraged we just need to turn to God. Every step of ours is noticed and appreciated by God. (See Brad Wilcox, The Continuous Atonement.)

It looks like it isn't God's grace that is insufficient, it is our own actions. God's grace is always there. But it is not sufficient for us until we become "perfect in Christ," which means we are always striving to follow His example. It is up to us to be worthy enough to receive of God's grace. A great example from the scriptures that illustrates this point is found in Mosiah 18 where Alma organizes the Church of Christ and ordains priests. Verse 26 says, "And the priests were not to depend on the people for their support; but for their labor they were to receive the grace of God, that they might wax strong in the Spirit, having the knowledge of God, that they might teach with power and authority from God." We are not to depend on other people but our own labor in order to receive the grace of God. That is how we will gain spiritual knowledge and grace.

Verse 33 says the Father is under covenant to remit our sins when we become perfect in Christ. It is part of a spiritual and everlasting covenant for God to forgive us of our sins when we truly repent and come unto Christ. That means we have the power to become perfect through Christ! D&C 82:10 reads, "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." He is bound by covenant to bless us when we follow His commandments. I don't think we realize how powerful our agency actually is. When we choose the right, we are guaranteed to receive of God's blessings. How cool!!

Something else interesting I found comes from Alma 32. In this chapter, Alma compares God's word to a seed that cannot grow unless it is planted and nourished. Verses 38-39 read, "If ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out. Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof." So we have a choice whether or not we will nourish the seed. God's word is always good, but it is up to us to plant it in our hearts and nourish it. God's grace is always present, but we must do our part in order for it to take effect in our lives.