We are Saved by Grace

Today I read Romans 3 which is a chapter that has caused the Latter-day Saints no amount of grief. What I mean by that is Paul explicitly says in this chapter that we are only saved by grace, and not by any works. Because of that one statement, whole religions have sprung up that firmly believe that all you have to do is accept Christ into your life and you are saved, forever. It doesn't matter what you do after that. Now, I am not here to trash another person's faith. But I am here to talk about the scriptures and the Latter-Saint faith.

Latter-day Saints believe that nothing we will ever do will save us. Period. We are saved because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and only through the Atonement. As Paul states in this chapter, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Latter-day Saints firmly believe this. Where Latter-day Saints differ with some other religions and this is where the confusion comes from about whether or not we think we can save ourselves through our work, is that we believe certain ordinances must be performed or it doesn't matter that you have lived a good life or accepted Christ into your life, His Atonement has no affect on you. This is why I think some other religions think that Latter-day Saints feel we can save ourselves, which is just not true.

I have put it to most people this way. We are saved by Jesus Christ and what He did for us. However, let us say that we have a man who did every kind of sin you could think of. He murdered people, he raped women, he stole, he committed arson, everything wrong and offensive to man and God. On his deathbed, he starts to think about his life and realizes that he needs to accept God if he is going to go to heaven. So he confesses his sins and accepts Christ's Atonement. Now, are you really comfortable with this type of a person receiving the same reward as Mother Theresa? Now, I'm not saying he won't because that is in God's hands not mine, but I have a real; concern with someone who lived a wonderful life and everyone who has even heard of her agrees she is about as close to God as a person can get in this life getting the same reward as a murderer with a deathbed confession. Not only that, but I don't think I would be very comfortable spending eternity in such a person's company and I don't think such a person would be comfortable in God's presence either.

Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus Christ took upon Himself all the pains, sufferings and sicknesses of the world. We believe that He saved all mankind, IF we do certain requirements that He has asked of us. There is no such thing as a free lunch. If we want to receive the rewards and blessings that God is offering us, we must pay the price and do as He asks. We must be baptized by one having authority for the remission of our sins. We must receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. We must perform the ordinances of the temple. And a few others that I will not go into now. But at the end of the day, even if we do all that, we still could not be saved if it weren't for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He saves us, we do not save ourselves. Latter-day Saints do in fact believe that we are saved by the grace of God and that is all there is to it. I am so grateful that Jesus Christ loved us enough to perform the Atonement so that we could be saved if we choose to be. I long for the day when I can thank Him in person. In the mean time, I will show my gratitude by living a good and righteous life, like He has asked me to. Until tomorrow.