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My name is Isaac and I am a proud and practicing member of the Latter-Day Saint faith. Flabbergasted by all of the misconceptions floating about in the media these days, I decided to add my voice to (hopefully) clear things up! Also a note, please keep things positive, I would appreciate it.

An issue that has been heavy on my mind that many issues have been raised lately is that of basic principles that distinguish members of many different faiths: Grace vs. Good Works. A nice pastor in New Zealand was interviewing some missionaries and of course brought up the issue with the verse of Ephesians 2:8-9:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Good place to start. For additional reference the Church provides an excellent brief of Grace.

The Pastor of course was trying to tangle the Missionaries in the magnificent web of the relationship of Works and Grace. It is true that there is an emphasis on works as the Pastor had heard about the LDS faith, but there is a necessity for grace as well. Which is it? Is it possible to achieve exaltation by mere works alone as is the conception about the LDS faith? Lets examine:

In that brief the church actually uses this passage after which it references Ephesians:

"Through the Atonement, we all can be forgiven of our sins; we can become clean before God. To receive this enabling power, we must obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and trying to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ for the rest of our lives."

Lets step back and look at an Article of Faith (basically 13 brief paragraphs that are embodiments of very simplified points of doctrine):

"We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel."

Yes, you read right. "Atonement of Christ" (synonymous of grace), "laws", and "ordinances" (synonymous of works) all in the same sentence. C. S. Lewis compared Works and Grace to two blades of a pair of scissors. How do you decide which one you used when you cut a square of cloth? You can't, both are needed.

Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles couldn't put it better:

"After all our obedience and good works, we cannot be saved from the effect of our sins without the grace extended by the Atonement of Jesus Christ."

He continued on in an article in the New Era, a Church Periodical:

"We receive God’s grace because of the Atonement. We can’t raise ourselves from the dead, so the Resurrection is an example of His grace. We can’t purify ourselves from sin, so the Lord’s forgiveness is another example of grace. But before He will forgive us, we must repent—that’s our part, our works.

"Besides repentance, our works also include receiving ordinances, keeping covenants, and serving others. While these works are necessary for salvation, they aren’t sufficient. They are not enough because we can’t live perfect lives, but we can do our best to live righteously. By doing so, we invite the Lord’s grace into our lives and qualify for the gift of salvation."

As it says in Romans 6:14-15:

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

"What then? shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."

Simply put, grace alone diminishes the law. Works alone diminishes mercy. Both must play a part in the Judgement of the Lord.

Doctrine and Covenants 11:20:

"Behold, this is your work, to keep my commandments, yea, with all your might, mind and strength."

We are bound to uphold the commandments of God, but as mortal children of our Heavenly Father we are not perfect and inevitably make mistakes. Man cannot be redeemed from these mistakes, save it be through the glorious and eternal Atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Mercy and Justice must both be satisfied. They both are through both of these principles.

The biggest error people make with James 2 is they only recite the first familiar clause in 17:

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead..."

Without stating the most important part:

"...being alone."

"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.

And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses,

and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled."

2 Nephi, Chapter 25, Verse 23

 

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