The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(8/2/97)
As a Church, we are in accord with Nephi, who said, "it is by grace that
we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23). Grace consists of
God's gift to His children wherein He gave His Only Begotten Son that
whosoever would believe in Him and comply with His laws and ordinances
would have everlasting life.-Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p.353
(8/3/97)
We hear much from some persons of limited understanding about the
possibility of one's being saved by grace alone. But it requires the
explanation of another prophet to understand the true doctrine of grace
as he explained in these meaningful words: "For," said this prophet, "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." (2 Nephi
25:23.) Truly we are redeemed by the atoning blood of the Savior of the
world, but only after each has done all he can to work out his own
salvation.-Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye In Holy Places, p.236
(8/4/97)
But the great question for us to consider, on this occasion, is, in what
way the fallen sons and daughters of men can be made partakers of the
benefits of this atonement? Are they to be unconditionally redeemed by
the blood of Christ? Is it to be done by free grace alone, without any
works on the part of the creature? Or are there required on the part of
the man certain conditions by which the atoning blood of Christ can have
effect upon him. I will answer this question. The atonement of Jesus
Christ redeems mankind, so far as the fall is concerned,
unconditionally. Now, I want you all to understand this clearly. There
is no faith, repentance, baptism, or works of any kind required on the
part of man to be redeemed from the fall, or from the sins committed by
our first parents. Not one of you are guilty because Adam and Eve
sinned. Did you eat the forbidden fruit? Were you there, on that
occasion, to put forth your hand, and take of that fruit, and eat of it?
The united response of all the world in this and all generations of man
would be--"We were not there." You are not condemned for a sin you did
not commit. Can you repent of something you never have done? I defy the
whole world to repent of Adam's sin, for they never committed it. You
did not exercise your agency on that occasion: why, then, not be
redeemed from it without exercising your agency? Why not be redeemed by
free grace alone, without works? Why be required to believe, repent, and
be baptized for Adam's sin? It would be foolishness. The atonement of
Jesus Christ will redeem every son and daughter of Adam from his day
down to the end of the earth, so far as that sin is concerned. Hence,
all little children have been redeemed from the fall, and are perfectly
innocent and pure before God. The original sin is not imputed to them.
Why? Because of the atonement. The atonement is just as broad as the
original sin and the effects of it. If the original sin extends its
effects to the latest generations of Adam, so the atonement will extend
its effects to all his posterity, and redeem them from these
consequences.-Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol.7, p.257
(8/5/97)
Lehi taught that "no flesh can dwell in the presence of God, save it be
through the merits, and mercy and grace of the Holy Messiah" (2 Nephi
2:8). Even the most just and upright man cannot save himself solely on
his own merits, for, as the Apostle Paul tells us, "all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).-Teachings of Ezra Taft
Benson, p.71
(8/6/97)
Salvation of every sort, kind, type, and nature comes by the grace of
God; that is, it comes because of the mercy, love, and condescension of
God. If it were not for the grace of God there would be nothing -- no
creation, no fall, no mortal probation, no atonement, no redemption, no
immortality, no eternal life. It is God's grace that underlies all
things, that causes all things to be, that makes all things possible.
Without it there would be nothing; with it there is everything.-Elder
Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.149
(8/7/97)
Just as surely as our Savior became the author of our eternal salvation,
so must we through that same degree of obedience become the authors of
our own exaltation. We celebrate this Easter Sabbath with a knowledge
that we shall come forth in the morning of the resurrection. We likewise
know that we shall be judged according to that which we do in the flesh.
We shall not be saved by grace alone. And how grateful I am to my Father
in heaven for the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ that has
taught us the importance of obedience to his will and to his
command.-Henry D. Moyle, General Conference, April 1950
(8/8/97)
Righteous living, combined with the grace of the Atonement, will qualify
us to stand before Him with clean hearts and clear consciences.-Elder
Joseph B. Wirthlin, General Conference, April 1997
(1/23/04)
"The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
regarding grace is forthright. We understand that since we have all
become spiritually unclean because of sin (see 1
Jn. 1:8), and since 'there cannot any unclean thing enter into the
kingdom of God' (1 Ne.
15:34), no individual can receive eternal life solely on the
merits of his or her own effort. We believe that only as we rely on the
Savior's grace and demonstrate our changed nature through obedience to
His laws and ordinances may we receive eternal life." - M. Russell
Ballard, "Building
Bridges
of Understanding," Ensign, June 1998, p. 65
(2/24/04)
"Our critics' belief, based on the Bible, holds that man is saved by
grace alone. Theirs is by far the easier way. Our position, also based
on the Bible but strengthened by other scriptures, holds that we are
saved by grace 'after all we can do,' (2
Ne. 25:23.) and we are responsible by conduct and by covenants to
live the standards of the gospel." - Boyd K. Packer, "The
Peaceable
Followers of Christ," Ensign, Apr. 1998, p. 65
(10/31/05)
"What do we mean by the grace of God?
"Jesus is gracious—that is, He is kind, merciful, compassionate. It is
out of His grace, His compassion and His love for us, His mercy, His
kindness, His desire for us to become like Him, that He provides for
us His glorious gospel.
"But to reject His truth is to reject His grace, His mercy, His
kindness, His compassion. It is to say that we want none of it. And of
one thing we may be sure: if such is our attitude, we most certainly
shall have none of it.
"Obedience is the thing. What did Samuel say to Saul when he tried to
serve two masters? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken
than the fat of rams. (1
Sam. 15:22.)" - Mark E. Petersen, "We
Believe in Being Honest," Ensign (CR), May 1982, p.14
12/30/05
"As we seek the things of God, we must humble ourselves before
Him, remembering that it is by His grace that we receive them, and focus
our thoughts and our prayers, our faith and our desires, even all of the
energy of our hearts that we might receive light and understanding
directly from a loving Heavenly Father." - Craig C. Christensen, "Seek,
and Ye Shall Find," Ensign (CR), May 2003, p.33
3/14/09
"We
should have great hope in knowing, however unworthy we may feel or
weak we may be, that if we will do all we can, He will come to our aid
and provide for us whatever we may lack. (See 2
Cor. 12:9.) That statement, to some degree, defines grace."
- Gene R. Cook, "Receiving Divine
Assistance through the Grace of the Lord," Ensign (CR), May 1993,
p.79
7/6/09
“When we give all that we have, the Lord will take it and bless it and
magnify it and pass it, and there will be enough and to spare. It is
only when we withhold what we have that we deprive ourselves of the
promised blessing of grace, which our Bible Dictionary defines as ‘an
enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life
and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.’ When
we do our best, it is enough, and the Lord will make up the
difference.” - Ardeth Greene Kapp, “My
Neighbor, My Sister, My Friend,” p. 62
5/24/12
We believe it is
by grace that we are saved after all that we can do, and that building
upon the foundation of the atonement of Christ, all men must work out
their salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord. - Joseph
Fielding Smith, "Out
of the Darkness," Ensign (CR) April 1971
8/11/13
The Lord’s response to
us is always filled with love. Should not our response to Him be
in kind, with real feelings of love? He gives grace (or
goodness) for grace, attribute for attribute. As our obedience
increases, we receive more grace (or goodness) for the grace we
return to Him. Offer Him the refinement of your attributes, so
that when He does appear you will be like Him. - Gene
R. Cook, "Charity:
Perfect and Everlasting Love," Ensign (CR) May 2002
5/1/15
Because of the sacrifice of our beloved Redeemer, death has no
sting, the grave has no victory, Satan has no lasting power, and we
are “begotten … again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ.” - Dieter F.
Uchtdorf, “The
Gift of Grace,” Ensign (CR) April 2015
8/17/15
The
Savior reminds us that He has "graven [us] upon the palms of [His]
hands." Considering the incomprehensible cost of the Crucifixion and
Atonement, I promise you He is not going to turn His back on us now.
When He says to the poor in spirit, "Come unto me," He means He
knows the way out and He knows the way up. He knows it because He
has walked it. He knows the way because He is the way. - Jeffrey
R. Holland, "Broken
Things to Mend,” Ensign (CR) April 2006
9/26/15
If
grace is a gift of God, why then is obedience to God’s commandments
so important? Why bother with God’s commandments—or repentance, for
that matter? Why not just admit we’re sinful and let God save us?
Or, to put the question in Paul’s words, “Shall we continue in sin,
that grace may abound?” Paul’s answer is simple and clear: “God
forbid.”
Brothers and sisters, we obey the commandments of God—out of love
for Him! - Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The
Gift of Grace,” Ensign (CR) April 2015
10/5/16
So if you feel small and weak, please simply come unto Christ, who
makes weak things strong. The weakest among us, through God’s grace,
can become spiritually strong, because God “is no respecter of
persons.” He is our “faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy
with them that love him and keep his commandments.” – Dieter
F. Uchtdorf, “On
Being Genuine,” Ensign (CR) May 2015