Access to Atonement Through Good Works

23 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.

All of us have sinned and need to repent to fully pay our part of the debt. When we sincerely repent, the Savior's magnificent Atonement pays the rest of that debt [see 2 Ne. 25:23]. . . .

The Atonement cleanses us of sin on condition of our repentance. Repentance is the condition on which mercy is extended [see Alma 42:22-25]. After all we can do to pay to the uttermost farthing and make right our wrongs, the Savior's grace is activated in our lives through the Atonement, which purifies us and can perfect us [see 2 Ne. 25:23; Alma 34:15-16; Alma 42:22-24; Moro. 10:32-33]. ("The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope," Ensign, Nov. 2001, pp. 18ff; emphasis originial)

As we sift the ways of the world let us reject the commonly accepted attitude of expecting the government to supply us with the necessities of life. This practice, if fully adopted, will change any society from one of freedom to one of slavery. Let us contend for the gospel of work. Let us be self-reliant. Salvation is an individual matter. There will be no mass salvation. Some have mistakenly concluded from Paul's statement--"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works" (Eph. 2:8-9)--some have erroneously concluded from this statement that works are not necessary.

The truth was spoken by Nephi when he said, "We are saved [by grace], after all we can do" (2 Ne. 25:23).

It will require maximum effort for us to bring ourselves within the reach of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ so that we can be saved. There will be no government dole which can get us through the pearly gates. Nor will anyone go through those gates who wants to go through on the efforts of another. ("Fundamental Welfare Services," Ensign, May 1979, p. 94)

Some Christians accuse Latter-day Saints who give this answer of denying the grace of God through claiming they can earn their own salvation. We answer this accusation with the words of two Book of Mormon prophets. Nephi taught, "For we labor diligently … to persuade our children … 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" (2 Ne. 25:23). And what is "all we can do"? It surely includes repentance (see Alma 24:11) and baptism, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end. Moroni pleaded, "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and 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" (Moro. 10:32). ["Have You Been Saved?" Ensign, May 1998, p. 56]

However, for the full blessings of the Atonement to take effect in our lives and allow us to return to live with our Heavenly Father, we must repent of our sins and be faithful in obeying the commandments of God. Thus, the redemptive blessings of repentance and forgiveness are an important part of the Atonement, but they are conditional upon our faithfulness in obeying the commandments and the ordinances of God. ("If Thou Wilt Enter into Life, Keep the Commandments," Ensign, May 1996, p. 36)

We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may he saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

14 And since man had fallen 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;

19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.

25 That as many as would believe and be baptized in his holy name, and endure in faith to the end, should be saved-

29 And we know that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in his name, and endure in faith on his name to the end, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.

But I do not think that is what the Lord meant by "grace" when he said, "My grace shall attend you." I believe the definition of "grace" is implied in the fourth section of the Doctrine and Covenants where the Lord promised to those who would engage vigorously in missionary work: ". . . and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul." (Ibid., 4:4.) The saving "grace" of the Lord's atoning power would extend to the giver as well as to those who would receive the saving ordinances of the gospel. (Conference Report, April 1961, pp.34-35)

The Church also accepts the scriptural doctrine that following the resurrection each person--then an immortal soul--will be arraigned before the bar of God's justice and receive a final judgment based on his performance during his mortal probation, that the verdict will turn on obedience or disobedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. If these laws and ordinances have been complied with during mortal life, the candidate will be cleansed from the stain of sin by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and be saved in the celestial kingdom of God, there to enjoy with God eternal life. Those who have not complied with the laws and ordinances of the gospel will receive a lesser reward. ("How Men Are Saved," Ensign, Nov. 1974, p. 39)

To receive all of the blessings of His atoning sacrifice, we are only asked to be obedient to His commandments and to receive all of these essential ordinances. ("Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer," Ensign, May 1997, p. 54)

He came into this world and took upon him our individual sins on condition of our repentance. Christ does not redeem any man from his individual sins who will not repent and who will not accept him. All those who refuse to accept him as the Redeemer and refuse to turn from their sins will have to pay the price of their own sinning. [He then quotes D&C 19:16-19. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:129)

A mortal man could not have stood it -- that is, a man such as we are. I do not care what his fortitude what his power, there was no man ever born into this world that could have stood under the weight of the load that was upon the Son of God, when he was carrying my sins and yours and making it possible that we might escape from our sins. He carried that load for us if we will only accept him as our Redeemer and keep his commandments. Some of us find it so hard, so terribly hard, to do the little things that are asked of us, and yet he was willing to carry all that tremendous load and weight of sin-not his own, for he had no sin. He did it that we might escape. He paid the price, the penalty of our sinning.

So I say there never was a sin committed that was not atoned for. Christ paid the debt of my sins on one condition, and that is that I will believe in him and keep his commandments. He did that for you and for every other person in the world; but he never paid any debt on the cross, or before he went on the cross, for the sins of any of us, if we will be rebellious. If we are rebellious, we will have to pay the price ourselves. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:130-131; emphasis original)

Choose to Believe. Believe in God. Accept yourself as His child, created in His image. He loves you and wants you to be happy. He wants you to grow through life's choices and become more like Him. He pleads that you will "reconcile [yourself] to the will of God, and not to the will of the … flesh." (2 Ne. 10:24.)

Reconciliation requires faith, repentance, and baptism. Be "born of God, changed from [your] carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness." (Mosiah 27:25.) ["Addiction or Freedom," Ensign, Nov. 1988, pp. 7-8]

Paul says that Christ came "to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." (Heb. 2:17.) "He is the propitiation for our sins." (1 Jn. 2:2.) If we repent, are baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and keep the commandments, we are in fact reconciled to Deity. The great propitiation operates in our lives. We are then, as Paul expressed it, "in Christ." We have become new creatures. It is of such that the ancient apostle says: "God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation." That is, being reconciled we have also certain obligations. We have received not only the fact of reconciliation, and how glorious that is, but also "the ministry of reconciliation." (The Promised Messiah, p. 261)