Latter-day Saint Life

Why "After All We Can Do" Doesn't Mean What You Think

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MR says: Even though you might be familiar with this scripture, you might be surprised at what you've been missing in these words the whole time.

“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.” (2 Nephi 25:23; emphasis added)

Many members of the Church think this scripture means that we must do everything that is possible to do to “earn our part of salvation and only after we have completely exhausted ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually will Jesus come in with His grace and “make up the difference”; and pay the “rest of the price” of our salvation. The part that we couldn’t pay ourselves.

This idea is false.

This is not how salvation is obtained.

Let’s use an analogy to illustrate the truth.

Let’s pretend that we must have a ticket to get into the celestial kingdom. The Ticket of Salvation, if you will. Let’s say, for the sake of the analogy, that this ticket costs $100 (obviously it would be an infinitely larger number).

Lead image from Two Mormon Guys.
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