You cannot be saved through mercy alone
Eternal life does not come about through mercy alone. Salvation comes only through the mercy and merits of God,2 but for some reason, people are much more apt to cling to his mercy than they are to adopt his merits! Mercy and justice are both components of salvation. Mercy makes a way for justice to result in reward rather than punishment,3 but it doesn’t replace justice.4
The Lord’s sacrifice provides for forgiveness of your past sins, but not your present or future sins.5 While mercy forgives you of past sins, you can be saved only through justly ascribing to the standard of Christ.6 You can be forgiven for deviating from your understanding of the Lord, but you can’t be saved without becoming the person God teaches you to be.
Mercy provides space for a person to choose better outcomes through obtaining and living the conditions that produce them.7
Mercy does not impute better outcomes than a person deserves.145 Mercy enables forgiveness of past sins and provides opportunity for you to learn what you didn’t know, but it can’t magically transform you into a better person without your choice to improve.146
Footnotes
- 1. Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me. (3 Nephi 9:14) ↩
- 2. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. (2 Nephi 2:8) ↩
- 3. But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come. (D&C 59:23) ↩
- 4. For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved. What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God. (Alma 42:24-25) ↩
- 5. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them. (D&C 58:43) And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins. (Alma 11:37) ↩
- 6. But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son; Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest. And whosoever will harden his heart and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest. (Alma 12:33-35) ↩
- 7. Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds. If he has desired to do evil, and has not repented in his days, behold, evil shall be done unto him, according to the restoration of God. (Alma 42:27-28) ↩