I learned so much about works and grace and what the doctrine (across the New Testament and the Book of Mormon) teaches from listening to the beginning of Follow Him Part 2 with Dr. Joseph Spencer this week. It was insightful and provided clarity regarding our efforts, grace, and God’s judgement.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says “My grace is sufficient for thee”. Salvation comes by grace alone. Perhaps we or others start to wonder “Are my works required? In Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” James 1:22 says, “be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourself.” James 2:22 says, “seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect.” John 14:15 says “if ye love me, keep my commandments.” 2nd Nephi 25:23 says “It is by grace we are saved after all we can do”. There are plenty of places in scripture that reference our efforts, our works, our obedience. So are they required? If they are required where do they factor in? How much is enough? Maybe what I do doesn’t matter, I’m saved by grace after all.”

In reference to 2nd Nephi 25:23 Dr. Spencer says:

[The verse] doesn’t say, “It’s by grace that we are saved after we do all we can.” It’s, “We’re saved by grace after all we can do.” Nephi doesn’t actually refer at all to us doing anything, he only refers to what we can do. And I think that’s an important distinction. King Benjamin says (Mosiah 2:21), “Imagine if you were to give [to God] all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess.” And then he says, “And in fact, let’s say you served him with all your whole soul. If you did it right, … you would yet be unprofitable servants.” And I think sometimes we can read that and be like, “Oh, I guess he just thinks we’re pathetic.” But no, he’s telling you, if you did it right, if you did everything the way you were supposed to, you would still be unprofitable servants. So, it’s not that we’re pathetic, it’s that it’s literally impossible for us to do this. Even if we could do all the things, it’s grace that saves. So, I think, just to clarify the verse let’s read it this way, ‘Look, after anything you even possibly could do, it’s not you, it’s grace. It’s grace that saves.’”

We have a temptation to think, “I’ve got to earn my salvation by my works, but of course I’m never quite good enough. And so grace kicks in and then makes up the difference. We often talk that way. I think if you could take that picture, that picture we sometimes have in our heads, and make a slogan out of it, it would be something like, “I’m saved by my works, but I’m judged in grace.” The irony about that, of course, is that’s literally the opposite of what scripture says over and over and over again. Every time it talks about salvation, literally every time scripture talks about salvation, it says, “We’re saved by grace.” And literally every time it talks about judgment, it says, “We’re judged by our works.”

I think as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we often get stuck in this backwards way of thinking. I do my very best, I have weakness and am not good enough, the Savior steps in with grace and makes up the difference. We are taught to value self-reliance, independence, and being in a position of being able to give and not needing to receive. This same mentality has seeped into our thinking of the atonement. The atonement of Jesus Christ is not a matter of doing all you can and then asking for His grace. The atonement is the reality that salvation comes by grace first. It is the default. The atoning grace is not the back up to our efforts for salvation. You are not required to prove you have done everything you can, or anything at all, to qualify for grace unto salvation. It comes freely and first. Dr. Joseph Spencer taught there are several different responses to the gift of grace. He says:

Different types of response to grace may sound like, “I do what I want. I run in the opposite direction of God. So, God gives me grace and I just reject it.” But the other form of resistance is actually to try to prove that I am good enough in myself. So, another way of resisting God’s goodness toward me is to try to prove to Him that I am good. I don’t just reject all goodness and run in the other direction. I try to prove that I didn’t need him to be good toward me in the first place. And then, a third option, of course, is just to give in, (accept our weaknesses and His grace simultaneously.) ”To yield to the enticing of the Holy Spirit.” That’s King Benjamin again. To yield to what God gives in grace. 

We can reject it, accept it after we meet some kind of qualification we have made up for ourselves, or give in and accept it because it is offered and we realize we need it and can not qualify for it. So what about our efforts? Are we to value self-reliance, independence, and being ready to give. The atonement can not be looked at like having your years worth of food storage and when that runs out you ask for help. It’s not analogous to asking family to help you move and in the end seeing if the Relief Society can send some sisters to aid in the last bits of cleaning. The atonement does not look like white knuckling through your marriage, parenthood, a job, or a calling before you ask for a blessing. So what about our self-reliance, independence, and readiness to give? What about proving ourselves? Do we have to do anything? Dr. Spencer teaches:

I think a far better way to understand this [idea of works], and I think this is what Section 137 of the Doctrine and Covenants points to, would be to say, “It’s grace that saves us. What it means for him to judge our works is that our works show God what our relationship to grace looks like.” He can read our works, so to speak, and then say, “Oh, I see how much you’ve resisted grace,” so to speak, or, “I can see how much you’ve submitted and given in to the grace that is offered.” And that’s what I hear in Section 137, that we’ll be judged by our works and the desires of our hearts. Our works reveal the desires of our hearts. And I think we sometimes view that as we’ll be judged separately: in terms of our works (“Did you do enough?”), and our desires (“I wish I could have done more,”). But I think that the better way to hear it is, “Our very works show what the desires of our hearts actually look like.”

I think it’s important to recognize grace unto salvation and the enabling power of grace in our every day lives. Grace unto salvation is freely given to all, with no requirement from us. Because Adam and Eve’s choice in the garden of Eden affected all mankind grace unto salvation is freely given to all mankind. Grace is not limited to salvation. Grace is also strength from a loving Teacher and Healer given to add to our own strength (or lack there of). Grace also gives us the ability to do that which we could not do. Through our own humility and coming to Him, His grace will compensate for our weaknesses and give us the ability to do good beyond our own abilities. We are not required to white knuckle our way though our life, we can humble ourselves and ask for grace to enable, strengthen, and save us from our circumstances. Being able to learn to accept grace, having our hearts turned to Him and want to follow Him, and then living so our works show the desires of our hearts, is so much more about who we are striving to become and not what we are striving to accomplish. It’s the to-do list vs the to-become list. Our lives become focused on who we are becoming instead of what we are accomplishing. So at what point are my efforts enough? Never. We can never put in enough effort. The key is to accept His grace before we have even tried to “do enough.” Isn’t that extraordinary?