The Biblical definition of grace is unmerited favor. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” This passage is contradictory to 2 Nephi 25:23, which states Mormons are saved by grace “after all we can do.” LDS doctrine states (True to the Faith: A Gosepel Reference) that grace “refers to divine help and strength received through the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Additionally, LDS states that “we need His grace to purify and perfect us ‘after all we can do’” It further adds that the phrase “‘after all we can do’ teaches that effort is required on our part to receive the fulness of the Lord’s grace and be made worthy to dwell with Him.” This clearly teaches that effort is required on the part of the Mormon in order to “earn” God’s grace. Do you refute this doctrine? Because it does not line up with what you have been telling me thus far. It seems either Mormon doctrine is self-contradictory, or someone has neglected to share this information with you.

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In the end, if I’m wrong in my attempts to point you toward the only Gospel of Jesus Christ, then Mormon Doctrine teaches that I’m still good enough to make it to the 3rd heaven. Yet if I’m right, and what I am saying is true, then Mormonism is a false religion, Joseph Smith is a false prophet, and subsequently you and Mormon followers will go to Hell. Not outer darkness or spiritual prison, but the lake of fire. Are you confident enough in the doctrine of Joseph Smith to risk your eternal soul?

I’m afraid you’re laboring under a misconception about what I believe. It’s not surprising because there’s a lot of bogus information out there and many people refuse to accept what we say believe. For example, one fellow wrote today on a Lutheran blog, “… they do “say” they believe the Bible. But they believe the Bible about as much as they believe the “Book of Mormon”, which is to say not at all.”

People will say that we believe lots of things that we don’t and won’t allow that we believe many things that we do. Your questions to me seem to be based on a false premise—that somehow our good works bring us salvation.

The Book of Mormon teaches (and I absolutely accept it 100%) that if we were to serve God with all our whole souls yet we would be “unprofitable servants.” (Mosiah 2:21). That and other passages reinforce the concept that it is Christ’s righteousness that saves us. One of the Book of Mormon prophets tells his own son, “Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer;

People don’t like the fact that Joseph Smith made his own revised version of the Bible—but they fail to consider the nature of his changes such as his version of Romans 3:28: Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith alone without the deeds of the law. Why do you think he added the word alone in that passage? If you’re going be saddened about my theology, I hope you can be so from a perspective that I would believe is consistent with my actual theology.

If any of my students were to claim that their good works were somehow building them a credit for heaven, I would tell them they don’t understand Mormon theology. If that’s your perception, I say the same to you. Consider this passage of our canon of the prophet Nephi speaking to his people:

And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. 2 Nephi 31:20

Do you see that they were relying “wholly” upon the merits of Christ for salvation? That’s what I believe is foundational to Mormonism. Joseph Smith claimed that the fundamental principles of our religion are: “the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”

So, don’t mourn for me or my attempts to be obedient to Christ. They’re not the least bit onerous or wearisome. Neither are they my hope for salvation or exaltation. I am relying wholly on Christ who is mighty to save.

Alma