Grace without Works is Dead

Works play an important role in Mormonism. King Benjamin says redemption creates in you a desire and ability to serve well. But, he goes on, we can talk ourselves out of it - its a tenuous state this state of being changed. He spends quite some time warning us not to lose the zone, and concludes with the warning to watch our thoughts, words, deeds, ensure we're keeping the commandments -- all those works I'm familiar with. Alma, speaking about which seed to plant, finishes with the fact that we are judged by our works (which is to say not our beliefs). But first there is grace so we can do the works. The Rock of the Savior is a sure foundation, but we keep jumping off it, and must repent to get back on. This is a much more complicated interaction that I was raised to believe -- that is the Evangelical Christians gave God glory and got saved, and I kept the commandments and ... (its a long list). I still have the list! And now I get to give God glory and get saved. King Benjamin concluded with a plea that we remember to remember the things he taught of the Savior. That most of all. That first of all. And especially all the rest.

I notice that in the 10 years since I first noticed this and started to be seriously bothered that the Church has noticed too. In 2004 these things were hinted at. In the 2012 April Ensign Elder Bednar openly discusses grace, and how we can think about it without setting off our We're-Not-Cross-Bearing-Christians alarm. And then openly expounded on the power of the atonement in ways I've never thought and perhaps even goes beyond what we learn in the Book of Mormon (I think, though I haven't been paying close attention it turns out). The Sunday School lessons that drive me crazy will be re-written soon enough. The more we speak of these things the smaller our Cross-Bearing Alarm will sound. I believe the Church learns, in the way a person learns over time. The ability to say, "We don't know" to things we once thought we knew shows maturity. The simplifying of the gospel message from the central powers reveals a refining process as The Church has more experiences, met more people, traveled to new and exciting places, and been challenged in its beliefs. As we all continue to read the Book of Mormon we learn more and more of the Savior, teach each other more and more of the atonement, and pretty soon that is what the Church teaches. Indeed what does Moroni (or is it Mormon) say on the front plate what the Book of Mormon is for - to teach the Gentiles of the Savior. Mormon saw our day (or was it Moroni?) and maybe he saw that the Latter-day Saints wouldn't get it at first. So he gave us this book to teach us. The Lord is merciful in our weakness.