2.22.2009

pgs. 98 and 99...we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

10 Wherefore, it hath been told them concerning the destruction which should come upon them, immediately after my father left aJerusalem; nevertheless, they bhardened their hearts; and according to my prophecy they have been destroyed, save it be those which are ccarried away dcaptive into Babylon.
11 And now this I speak because of the aspirit which is in me. And notwithstanding they have been carried away they shall return again, and possess the land of Jerusalem; wherefore, they shall be brestored again to the cland of their inheritance.
12 But, behold, they shall have awars, and rumors of wars; and when the day cometh that the bOnly Begotten of the Father, yea, even the Father of heaven and of earth, shall cmanifest himself unto them in the flesh, behold, they will reject him, because of their iniquities, and the hardness of their hearts, and the stiffness of their necks.
13 Behold, they will acrucify him; and after he is laid in a bsepulchre for the space of cthree days he shall drise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have eseen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name.
14 And behold it shall come to pass that after the aMessiah hath risen from the dead, and hath manifested himself unto his people, unto as many as will believe on his name, behold, Jerusalem shall be bdestroyed again; for cwo unto them that fight against God and the people of his dchurch.
15 Wherefore, the aJews shall be bscattered among all nations; yea, and also cBabylon shall be destroyed; wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other nations.
16 And after they have been ascattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to bbelieve in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind—and when that day shall come that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts and cclean hands, and look not forward any more for danother Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things.
17 And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to arestore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a bmarvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.
18 Wherefore, he shall bring forth ahis bwords unto them, which words shall cjudge them at the last day, for they shall be given them for the purpose of dconvincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them; and unto the convincing of them that they need not look forward any more for a Messiah to come, for there should not any come, save it should be a efalse Messiah which should deceive the people; for there is save one fMessiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews.
19 For according to the words of the prophets, the aMessiah cometh in bsix hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the cangel of God, his dname shall be Jesus Christ, the eSon of God.
20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that abrought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should bheal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the cserpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the drock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are etrue, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other fname given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.
21 Wherefore, for this cause hath the Lord God promised unto me that these things which I awrite shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation, that the promise may be fulfilled unto Joseph, that his seed should never bperish as long as the earth should stand.
22 Wherefore, these things shall go from generation to generation as long as the earth shall stand; and they shall go according to the will and pleasure of God; and the nations who shall possess them shall be ajudged of them according to the words which are written.
23 For we labor diligently to write, to apersuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by bgrace that we are saved, after all we can cdo.

Don't you just love the word "grace?" I love the whole concept and idea of it. As wonderful as it is, I think it is one of the most misunderstood words in all of theology. I found this quote that explains it more fully:

“One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation. . . . One passage in the Book of Mormon, written perhaps . . . to stress and induce appreciation for the gracious gift of salvation offered on condition of obedience . . . is particularly enlightening: ‘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; italics added.) . . .

“. . . However good a person’s works, he could not be saved had Jesus not died for his and everyone else’s sins. And however powerful the saving grace of Christ, it brings exaltation to no man who does not comply with the works of the gospel." Spencer W. Kimball, Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 70-71




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