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,1 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,2 but it doesn’t replace justice.3
The Lord’s sacrifice provides for forgiveness of your past sins, but not your present or future sins.4 While mercy forgives you of past sins, you can be saved only through justly ascribing to the standard of Christ.5 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.6
Mercy does not impute better outcomes than a person deserves.7 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.8
Footnotes
- 1. 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) ↩
- 2. 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) ↩
- 3. 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) ↩
- 4. 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) ↩
- 5. 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) ↩
- 6. 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) ↩
- 7. Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness....Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again. For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all. (Alma 41:10, 14-15) ↩
- 8. And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption. (Alma 34:15-16) ↩