2 Nephi 25:23

[AnthonyB]

'It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do' (2 Ne. 25:23)

What do LDS mean when they quote this BoM verse?

I could take it to mean, that despite my best efforts, (and they are expected of me) that it still requires grace for me to be saved. Even after all I can do, I still need God’s grace. That I am not perfect and it is not my works but God’s grace by which I stand in relationship with Him. He is my Father and He loves me even through my struggles. I am His child and should seek always to be like Him.

Or do you mean that if I don’t do all I can that God won’t save me. If I fail even in a trivial matter than God will write me off and I’m doomed eternally.

I have put my thoughts on Faith and Works under Personal Beliefs -Faith and Works in the Testimony section of my personal page. I got quite long (over a page in MS Word) and I didn't want to force people to read a long monlogue unless they choose to.

[Jenamarie]

I take it as your first deffinition, but that we do also need to try and live up to His commandments as best we can. He won't damn us if we fail (unless by "failing" you mean you've turned your back completely on the Lord and denied Him), but He wants us to try our best, because it will bring us happiness.

[Listener]

As an outsider, all I can say is that this verse is beautiful. For me, it emphasises that we need to give ourselves to acting on our faith in a visible way,with all our heart and soul and mind and strength... but that above it all God remains the source of salvation, freely given. Wonderful.

[Teancum18]

'It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do' (2 Ne. 25:23)

What do LDS mean when they quote this BoM verse?

I could take it to mean, that despite my best efforts, (and they are expected of me) that it still requires grace for me to be saved. Even after all I can do, I still need God’s grace. That I am not perfect and it is not my works but God’s grace by which I stand in relationship with Him. He is my Father and He loves me even through my struggles. I am His child and should seek always to be like Him.

Or do you mean that if I don’t do all I can that God won’t save me. If I fail even in a trivial matter than God will write me off and I’m doomed eternally.

I have put my thoughts on Faith and Works under Personal Beliefs -Faith and Works in the Testimony section of my personal page. I got quite long (over a page in MS Word) and I didn't want to force people to read a long monlogue unless they choose to.

Dude, you're totally on the right track. Another way to look at this is your personal relationship with Heavenly Father. If you have a good, strong one, He will help guide you to do everything He would ask of you. If you don't, He will help guide you through all the necessary steps of repentance so that you can be forgiven. So when pondering what "after all we can do" means, maybe ask the Lord to help you know "all you can do."

Let us know if you have any other questions. :D:D

[WillowTheWhisp]

I could take it to mean, that despite my best efforts, (and they are expected of me) that it still requires grace for me to be saved. Even after all I can do, I still need God’s grace.

That's what it sounds like to me. We can try our very best to do our very best but even after all the possible effort we could possibly muster we would never be able to make it on our own.

That doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to do our best and shouldn't be obedient and shouldn't do the things which are asked of us, just that doing those things alone is not sufficient for us to obtain salvation. We need the atonement. We need the Saviour. We can't do it on our own.

[skalenfehl]

Per my reply in the other thread "Is grace enough?" here is my reply:

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.—Article of Faith 1:3 (Emphasis added)

Heavenly Father wants all of His children to return to Him. The help or strength He gives us through the love of Jesus Christ is called grace. The things we must do are called works.

To gain eternal life, we need both grace and works. A Christian author, C. S. Lewis, compared grace and works to the blades of a pair of scissors. Both are necessary. To ask “Are you saved by grace or works?” is like asking “Do you cut with this blade or that one?”

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.

We believe that we are saved by grace after all we can do (see 2 Ne. 25:23). We don’t earn salvation. Heavenly Father and the Savior will bless us with eternal life, through Their grace, if we do our part. They have asked us to have faith in Jesus Christ, repent throughout our lives, be baptized and receive other ordinances, and faithfully endure to the end. If we do that, we are promised eternal life through the grace of God.

This is our doctrine.

[Guest tomk]

'It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do' (2 Ne. 25:23)

What do LDS mean when they quote this BoM verse?

I could take it to mean, that despite my best efforts, (and they are expected of me) that it still requires grace for me to be saved. Even after all I can do, I still need God’s grace. That I am not perfect and it is not my works but God’s grace by which I stand in relationship with Him. He is my Father and He loves me even through my struggles. I am His child and should seek always to be like Him.

Or do you mean that if I don’t do all I can that God won’t save me. If I fail even in a trivial matter than God will write me off and I’m doomed eternally.

I have put my thoughts on Faith and Works under Personal Beliefs -Faith and Works in the Testimony section of my personal page. I got quite long (over a page in MS Word) and I didn't want to force people to read a long monlogue unless they choose to.

I think this verse explains it best:

Alma 42: 23-24

23 But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice.

24 For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.

[Guest tomk]

24 For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.

We will all enter the the presence of God with some shortfalls. Our performance will fall short of the mark.

But, based upon what we have become, and how we have acted upon the light and truth we've received, and our relationship with Christ -- HE WILL COVER OUR SINS.

A finite, imperfect you or me PLUS a perfect, infinite Savior -- will be enough.

3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—

4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;

5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.