After all we can do

2 Nephi 25 was my reading today. This is a very direct and plain chapter. Which Nephi did on purpose because he knew Isaiah would be hard for some to understand but Nephi didn't want to take the chance that some might misunderstand the prophecies.

The phrase that stood out to me was in verse 23 where it says we are saved by grace, after all we can do. I remember as a missionary being confronted many times with people who wanted to prove me wrong and that I was wasting my time. And one of the ways they would try is by telling me that we are saved by grace. Being the sadist that I am I always took great delight in looking them right in the eye and saying, you are absolutely right.

The reactions I would get are quite varied, some would call me a liar, some would just stare in disbelief, and believe it or not, once I got tears of happiness that I was not "damned to hell". LOL. Latter-day Saints most definitely believe that we are saved by grace. Nothing we can do of ourselves in the end is going to save us. However, the reason people confuse this point is because we also believe that there are certain things we HAVE to do to qualify for that grace and that we should be anxiously engaged in a good cause.

Again on my mission I remember having a certain man wanting to argue this point with me and in a moment of weakness I did. I remember I put it to him this way, would he be content with Mother Theresa and a convicted serial killer who had a death bed confession getting the same reward in the next life. To my shock he emphatically declared he would in deed be happy if such a thing happened. I shared that I would not be ok with it and that I believe we are expected to live our religion and do the things God has asked of us. I believe just like the book of Matthew declares that we are supposed to live a life of service to others and to God.

That is what I think it means by after all we can do. Again, I firmly believe that nothing we do of ourselves will save us. Only through the grace of Jesus Christ and His eternal sacrifice can we be saved. Things like baptism though still have to be done, just as He taught us during his earthly ministry. For there is much good to be done in this world, and it's up to all of us, regardless of our faith or lack thereof, to do it! Until tomorrow.