Fast forward to me being home from my mission. I still had not figured this subject out. One day I opened up the Ensign and read the article Words of the Early Apostles: Grace and found my answer, or at least an answer that appeased myself. Who knows if the article would have help this woman.
I forgot that I read this article until this past weekend when I was volunteering in the MTC. That day I played the role of an investigator and decided to be Baptist (since my grandma had converted from that). My major issue was that I believed that I was saved by grace alone and just had to accept the Savior. I didn't believe works were part of the deal. The sister missionaries struggled with trying to explain it to me, two of the three didn't have an answer, but one tried vigilantly to explain. I felt her desire to help me understand and then I remembered my experience on my mission. That renewed a desire in me to find this article and study up on the subject. By the way, I still think those Sister's really think I am Baptist;-)
I love these quotes from the article:
Some years ago, President David O. McKay (1873–1970) related a story which illustrates the relationship between works and grace. He told of a group of boys who were learning to swim when one fell into a treacherous hole in the stream. The boy would have drowned but for a quick-thinking companion who extended a branch to him and helped pull him to shore.
“There are those who claim that no one will sink and be lost if he will look to Jesus on the shore and say, ‘I believe.’ There are others who declare that every one must by his own efforts swim to the shore or be lost forever. The real truth is that both of these extreme views are incorrect. Christ redeemed all men from death which was brought upon them through no act of theirs, but He will not save men from their personal transgressions who will put forth no effort themselves, any more than the young rescuer on the river bank could have saved the drowning lad if the latter had not seized the means provided him. Neither can man save himself without accepting the means provided by Christ for man’s salvation.”
The fact that our faith must be accompanied by works is illustrated by a story from the Old Testament, the account of the battle between Israel and the people of Amalek. When confronted with Amalek’s army, Moses instructed Joshua to “choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek” (Ex. 17:9). Moses stood on a hill and held the rod of God aloft. As Moses maintained this position with his arms and his staff, Israel prevailed in battle. When he tired and dropped his hands, the tide changed against Israel. In order to assist him, as he sat on a stone, Aaron and Hur on either side held up his arms (see Ex. 17:8–16).
This passage of scripture is an excellent example of how the Lord expresses His power in grace when we express our faith. God could have defeated the Amalekites without the army of Israel if He so desired, but He required Israel to exercise faith in Him and His prophet and to do all that they could before He would intervene for them.It all came together for me while I was sitting in the temple this week too. I realized that without preforming (action) ordinances in the temple we are not fulfilling the mission of the church and therefore cannot be saved. The covenants we make with our Father in Heaven are very spiritual, but they are also physical!
To read the full text see the link below.
http://www.lds.org/ensign/2003/10/words-of-the-early-apostles-grace?lang=eng&query="faith+without+works"
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