Being blessed on condition of obedience is different than earning and deserving all we recieve

The scriptures plainly teach that when any man receives a blessing from God it is by obedience to that law upon which the blessing was predicated.

And if you try to teach that, someone is going to object. 

The will mock you saying we don’t earn our spiritual blessings. The will say that we can’t do works that make it so that we deserve to be saved. They will say we can’t earn our salvation through our works.

But they are just knocking down a straw man. 

Gaining salvation by receiving blessings predicated on obedience to law is very different than earning our salvation or deserving our salvation. 

There is an enormous gap, a great distance, between what we actually earn and deserve for our works, and what God has, by his very merciful and generous laws, said he will bestow upon us.

When I bow on my knees and close my eyes and attempt to speak to God, what have I earned? Not much. What I have earned is the direct physical consequence of my actions – namely that some sound emanates from my mouth if I said the prayer out loud.

But what generous blessings has the Lord been willing to pour out in response to that action? Has he not granted great miracles in response to prayer?

We do not earn, nor deserve, our salvation. The blessings God grants are overly generous and full of mercy. 

At the same time, his blessings are all conditioned on our obedience.

Gaining blessings by obedience to law is different than earning and deserving those blessings, because the laws are set by a generous and merciful God.

I do an act of service for someone, and I feel light and truth in my soul. Everyone experiences that. But did they earn that light and truth, that feeling of edification? No. What they earned by their work was simply that the service itself was accomplished. The feeling of edification and joy was an overly merciful and generous gift given by a loving God. At the same time, did they gain that edification it by obedience to eternal law? Yes. They obeyed law and had the overly generous and merciful blessings predicated on that law poured out in response. 

We must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. But that doesn’t mean that we earned, or deserved salvation. We do not deserve, or earn, the overly merciful gifts that God bestows.

We have faith, repent, and get baptized for the remission of sins. Then we are given the gift of the Holy Ghost. Did we earn the gift of the Holy Ghost? Not even close. It is a merciful and generous gift. It is far above what we have earned or deserved. But did we gain it by obedience to eternal law? Yes we did.

What we can obtain as a generous blessing given mercifully for obeying eternal law is far and above what we actually earn and deserve. This is the generosity and mercy of a loving God: That his laws bestow divine gifts that are merciful and overly generous, and that are frankly outside of man’s power to obtain in response to works of obedience to his divine laws. What man can force the Holy Ghost to come? None can. The Holy Ghost is a God, and will go where he pleases. Yet the Holy Ghost will descend on a man in response to a man’s obedience. That is simply outside a man’s power. Man cannot force a God to let his presence fall on a man. It is a merciful and loving gift of something that is outside man’s power, in response to obedience to God’s law.

When we decide that, because there is a law set, and a blessing attached to obeying that law, then we must have earned and deserved whatever we obtain by obeying that law, we are simply giving way to false pride and denying the merciful nature of our God.

It seems that with us you could offer to pay a man a million dollars a day, and he would be grateful for the first month. But give him six months with such wages and he will decide he earned and deserved such a rich reward just because that was the price that was set. In his pride he forgets that the reward was far, far more than what he rightly earned or deserved. It was merciful and generous.

And when we think of receiving such marvelous manifestations as answers to our prayers, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and baptism, and the temple endowments, we may be tempted to give way to pride and think we deserved them and earned them. But no, we did not. We obeyed the law and obtained the prize, but the law was set by a merciful and generous God and its rewards for obedience are far better than millions of dollars, but far more unattainable by the power of mankind.

We are judged by our works in mortality as well as in eternity

The scriptures testify again and again that we will be judged according to our works. Interestingly, we don’t realize that that is no different in mortality than in eternity. That is exactly what the scripture means:

D&C 130:20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

We are judged by our works in mortality. We will be judged by them in eternity. This is the doctrine of the scriptures. And it is laid out for us as plain as day, that we cannot misunderstand. 

… must be judged of their works (1 Nephi 15:32)
… must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works; (1 Nephi 15:33)
… all men shall be judged of their works (2 Nephi 9:44)
… they shall be judged, every man according to his works (Mosiah 3:24)
… stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body (Alma 5:15)
… stand before God, and be judged according to their works. (Alma 11:41)
… to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil. (Alma 11:44)
… stand before God to be judged according to their works (Alma 12:8)
… all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works. (Alma 33:22)
… stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds. (Alma 36:15)
… stand before God, and be judged according to their works. (Alma 40:21)
… men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life,
 and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good. And if their works are evil they shall be restored  unto them for evil… (Alma 41:3-4)
 … they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works (Alma 42:23)
 … all people, all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil (3 Nephi 26:4)
 … be judged according to your works (Mormon 3:18)
 … to be judged according to your works (Mormon 6:21)

We will be judged by our works in eternity. And just so, we are judged by our works in mortality, for when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

Short note – Polygamy and the millenium

Every once in a while I hear someone speculating about polygamy and the millennium. But no one points out the very obvious answer, so I will just quickly note it.

In an article of faith we read that “Christ will reign personally upon the earth”. The resurrection will precede the millennium, and in the millennium resurrected beings will interact with mortal beings, for otherwise how can a resurrected Christ reign personally upon the earth? In fact, we read:

Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Thus resurrected beings will interact with mortals ones. The earth with have a resurrected being as its king.

And Joseph Smith will walk again upon the earth. And Brigham Young. And Wilford Woodruff. And many other prophets and apostles. Even Joseph Fielding Smith, who was never polygamous in mortality, will be resurrected with his three wives, and walk the earth as a polygamist in the millennium.

So yes, it is blindingly obvious. There will be polygamists on the earth in the millennium. For the resurrection will precede the millennium.

The graces of God, the atonement, and obedience

As we learn to live righteously enough to more fully enjoy God’s merciful gifts, such as the light of Christ and the Holy Ghost, they transform our works and we gradually become more worthy and partake more fully of God’s spiritual blessings But we do so as the scripture dictates: “by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated”.

There is no such thing as grace that grants us blessings in violation of the scriptures. When we receive any blessing from God it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. The only grace that counts for anything in matters of salvation is grace that transforms our works. It is by our works, by obedience to laws upon which blessings are predicated, that we receive any spiritual blessing from God. That is true not only in mortality, but in eternity, for we will be judged in by our works. 

That is precisely the meaning of the scripture

D&C 130:20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

Those graces that change our works, that transform them, are plainly taught to us as part of our doctrine and clearly laid out in the scripture.

The light of Christ – where would we be without a conscience. It is a gift from God, we have no power to bestow it upon ourselves. The more we heed it, the more we can learn through it and be changed by it.

The Holy Ghost – this one is enormous – as it can vary from the beginning whisperings we hear all the way to the visions Joseph Smith received “while in the spirit”. It is the primary means by which we become one with God. The more we heed it, the more we can learn through it and be changed by it.

The gifts of the spirit – We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healings, interpretation of tongues, and so forth. The more we heed them, the more we can learn through them and be changed by them.

The ministering of angels (D&C 13). No personal experience, but I’m noticing a pattern here, so I’m going out on a limb and saying that the more we heed it, the more we can learn through it and be changed by it.

The privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom, to have the heavens opened to us, to commune with the general assembly and the church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. (D&C 107:19) Again, no claim to personal experience, but can we not realize that the more we heed these, the more we can learn from them and be changed by them.

These graces of God can transform our works, but they are also conditional upon our works. Truly, we are saved by grace after all we can do. We are saved by grace, but will be judged according to our works. And our works will only be judged to be good if they were transformed by God’s grace. These very graces are so much a part of our doctrine, but we think they have nothing to do with redemption or the atonement. 

But they are the very reason the atonement was brought to pass. That is why it is called a “preparatory redemption” in Alma 13.

Alma 13:3 … therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such. 

That is why Joseph Smith taught 

These, then, are all gifts; they come from God; they are of God; they are all the gifts of the Holy Ghost; they are what Christ ascended into heaven to impart (TPJS page 245)

These graces of God are the very reason the atonement was brought to pass. 

The law irrevocably decreed and the atonement of Christ

The idea that the atonement makes it so that we receive rewards above and beyond our actual righteousness is pure garbage. In reality the atonement transforms our righteousness so that we can receive promised rewards. Those are radically different ideas.

Consider the false idea that the atonement makes it so that we receive rewards above and beyond our actual righteousness. It tells us to put down our labors. It says to stop pulling on the yoke. It teaches that once we are good enough that Christ’s mercy will at least bring us into heaven, there is no longer any point to our efforts. 

But here, read the scriptures on the matter. 

First off, regarding receiving spiritual blessings above and beyond our actual righteousness.

D&C 130:20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

That is perfectly plain. It was given as revelation long after the atonement was performed. It is a truth that is not altered one iota by the atonement. 

Now, if you thought that is what the atonement was all about, and these days many people wrongly do, you may think that I just said there is no atonement. Not at all. I just quoted a scripture and said it was true. And now I will quote another one, which is equally true.

Mosiah 3:18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

20 And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

21 And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be found blameless before God, except it be little children, only through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent.

So we cannot be found blameless before God, only through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent. Salvation can come in and through the atoning blood of Christ. 

How are these two different scriptures both true? The answer is laid out plain as day in the verses I just quoted. It says that the reason no man can be saved except through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord is that the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be forever and ever, UNLESS.

And what is that “unless”? 

The scripture is perfectly plain. Mankind is an enemy to God and will be forever and ever unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, unless he putteth off the natural man, unless he becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ, unless he beomes as a child, unless he becomes submissive, unless he becomes meek, unless he becomes patient, unless he becomes full of love, unless he becomes willing to submit to all things which the Lord sees fit to inflict upon him.

Unless we BECOME something different than the natural man through the atonement, then the atonement is of no use to us, because we are left as if no atonement had been made.  

The atonement is the vehicle that makes change possible. 

The atonement is NOT a substitute for change. It never has been. It never will be. 

And that is the doctrine of the scriptures.

Small note – No jail in the law of Moses

Small unimportant note.

I think it is interesting that there doesn’t appear to be a prison or jail under the law of Moses. The law of Moses punishes some violations by death. Some people are punished by being given a certain number of lashes. It covers only various scenarios and leaves the Levites to serve as judges over difficult cases. It does have ways people can become servants for up to seven years, or, if they desire, for their lifetime.

But I don’t think it once mentions putting a man in prison or in jail.

Given that prison is the almost universal criminal punishment these days, I thought it was interesting that the law of Moses worked so differently. It tends to give punishments many would call harsh, but taken on the whole, it also tends to “get it over with” and let a man continue living his life as long he didn’t do anything worthy of death. I expect that, the “harsh” punishments of the law of Moses are far more merciful than our prison systems where a man is kept in a cage for years on end.

The Nephites had prisons, for Alma and Amulek were cast into prison, and Moroni cast the king men into prison at one point when there is not time to deal with them properly. But, taken on the whole, Moroni’s handling of the King men reflects the law of Moses. The king men have to decide what they are going to do, and then they are either punished (to death in that case, for it was sedition) or let free. Languishing in prison wasn’t one of the options.