In ‘the first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi’, a man was brought before the chief judge, Alma, who had been going about among the people teaching that there was no need for repentance, that all would be saved, no matter what, so they could do as they wished without fear of the consequences. All would have eternal life: ‘for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men’.
Sounds like a nice message, doesn’t it? ‘Do what you want; God is good, and He has saved everyone already. Be happy and go on with life…. oh, and give me money for my troubles.’ That last bit matters, as it turns out. It was quite a popular message – many people believed this man, and gave him money. He established a church, and wore lots of nice clothes with his new-found wealth. (It’s always about the clothes…). Eventually, he came to blows with the heroic and well-loved Gideon, and ended up killing him. This is how he came to be brought before Alma for judgement.
Pretend Kindness
So what was the danger of teaching that no one had a need to do anything, but all are saved, automatically? Isn’t this a nice teaching? Isn’t it inclusive and kind and reassuring? Doesn’t it give freedom?
No. Why?
Because it has nothing to do with reality.
The reality is that we are desperately lost without the saving power of Jesus Christ. Sin is in the world, and must be overcome. To say that all are saved is to say that it doesn’t matter what we do – and what would be the purpose of this life, then? We might as well have stayed in the premortal world. It denies the atoning power of Jesus Christ and our Father’s plan.
The reality is that without Christ, we are all subject to the powers of darkness and Satan.
So, to teach that no one needs to do anything is a terrible lie that would lead people to a state of ‘misery and endless woe’. It’s the opposite of loving.
This is the grand lie that Satan has put forth from the beginning: “Believe it not” – don’t believe the message of the preachers of righteousness; do as you will – there is no sin & no need for repentance – and people believe it, because believing Christ is hard. It involves faith, repentance, sacrifice, and enduring in righteousness to the end. No matter that anything else is a lie and will end in suffering; the natural man would rather cover his eyes and pretend that the lie is real, than face the reality that he must change and cannot do just as he wants; that his potential is, really, infinite. It’s way too much responsibility. So Satan sends out the lie, and people believe it – by not believing in Christ.
Satan doesn’t care that rejecting this reality dooms a person to eternal darkness and the loss of all freedom. Or maybe he does, and very much wants this result. Who knows? He gives the lie, not out of kindness and compassion, but out of anger and the desire for revenge and power. He will be worshipped, no matter what it does to the person who believes his lies and not God.
The man who taught this, Nehor, died ‘an ignominious death’ on a hill, and the immediate threat was overcome. His teachings, though – teachings that Satan has put forth since the beginning – continued to spread, although secretly now.
They also exist today, in teachings that as long as you ‘confess’ Christ – say you’ll follow Him – you’re saved eternally. They exist in teachings that Jesus Christ was not the Son of God, but a good teacher who taught true things that men like Plato and other wise men taught before and after Him. Nice ideas that we should probably all follow, and quite remarkable, but no miracles. They exist in teachings that favours can get you to Heaven, and ordinances of salvation aren’t necessary; a belief in God, recited prayers, and expressing regret after sinning.
The message of the gospel of Christ – faith, repentance, covenants, and commandments not a few – is a message of hope. It acknowledges reality and gives the way through it. The message that you are not okay as you are, not free of sin or weakness, not enough alone, is the essence of love and compassion.
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Yes! We can be saved only in and through the Atoning power of Jesus Christ.
Most confuse salvation though, with the universal gift of resurrection. Sometimes it’s just a matter of word choice. Hence we are saved by grace, everyone will be resurrected unconditionally. Then, we are judged by our works, ie. did we obey the commandments, make and keep sacred covenants, repent of our sins, etc. It is by our works that we are assigned a kingdom of glory. The Atoning power of Jesus Christ is the payment for our sins as we repent of them.
It’s sad that there is so much confusion about these basic doctrines, but isn’t that what satan wants, confusion and over-simplification to the point of absurdity.
Thanks for commenting! Word choice is certainly an issue here – people understand different things by the same term. I like how you separated tht we are ‘saved by grace’ and ‘judged by our works’. Honestly, though, I think separating these two things is a problem itself. Works and grace, or faith and works, are all part of one thing, really. We are enabled to ‘do works’ by the grace of Jesus Christ – the hope and acting power that believing in Him gives us. It’s all mixed in together, and can’t really be separated, when it comes to it. Our work is always to trust God, and therefore keep His commandments. His work is to save us. Keeping God’s commandments won’t save us, though, if it were just about that. It saves us because it leads us into His power – His grace. It reminds us of Him and keeps us connected to truth, so that we don’t go so far astray. It keeps bringing us back. Hugh Nibley said there are really only two things any of us, as mortals, can do well – repent and forgive.
I’d say that, rather than being assigned a kingdom of glory by our works, it’s according to our hearts. Our works won’t really get us anywhere – we’re too weak and inconsistent. If it were possible to always do the right thing, or even to be forgiven of the mistakes we make, we still couldn’t live in the Celestial Kingdom. That would only achieve justification – making up for our mistakes and mortality. We must also be sanctified – our hearts changed to have only good desires, to be pure and true. To be people – beings – filled with light, which is the Light of Christ, and love. That is what our works, and God’s grace, lead to. It’s what determines in what form we are resurrected, and the glory we inherit.