A Different Spin on Grace
Walking the Line of LDS Perfection
I have come to realize that zealots raised me in the LDS Church
My parents were converts and all in.
Mom’s road to redemption was a little wider than Dad’s and groomed with broad, safe shoulders in case any of her distracted chicks wandered off the pavement for a bit.
On the other hand, Dad didn’t see far to the right or left of the center line.
His disciplined approach meant attending every service, meeting, council, and activity.
Pedal to the celestial metal, baby!
Sick? Go to church.
People talk behind your back and pass judgment on you?
Ignore obnoxious behavior.
Have you been emotionally abused by another member or even a leader?
Go to Church. That’s where you belong. Sit there and hide the tears of hurt burning in your soul.
Despite the difficulty of abiding by such high activity standards, I have come to appreciate the gospel and church activity methods employed while raising four active boys.
It was the right approach for our family at that time. I appreciate and respect my parents’ devoted discipline.
Together, they raised four good sons, resulting in a posterity that has positively impacted the children of men worldwide.
And regarding Dad, he did mellow with age. However, his standard of church discipline was very challenging to abide by, especially when experienced as a teenager!
The Awkward Concept of Grace
I remember my convert parents and most other members of the Church being outwardly critical of different Christian sects who preached we are all saved by grace.
The adults around me criticized the Christian “saved by grace” doctrine as a cop-out—an excuse to be intentionally sensuous and dishonest without consequence.
That atoning grace is not something to be simply given but must be earned.
I have since come to believe the core element of the “Being saved by grace” doctrine is more accurate than false.
The common LDS belief that grace is received after all we can do is a misconception.
We hear the phrase, “After all you can do.”
But there is not some Phariseesetical secret sauce requiring self-loathing and emotional self-abuse.
We can only strive to do our best in this probationary mortal state.
“Faith without works is dead” is another common phrase borrowed from the Apostle Paul and is used to support the idea that grace is earned.
The fact is, Christ paid the price.
He taught his basic doctrine, which is built on four pillars: Faith, repentance, baptism, and sanctification through the Holy Ghost.
So, we strive to be faithful, enter into covenants, be obedient, and endure to the end.
But almost every one of us will still come up short in some way.
Each of us must run a personal race with integrity and the best effort we can muster to remain actively engaged within the abilities of our mortal limitations that are unique to each of us.
That doesn’t mean we can sluff off trusting Christ’s grace will compensate for our laziness or lack of fortitude.
It is a very bad idea to intentionally break commandments with the plan to repent later!
For example, consider the group of college-age kids who hatch the plan to go to Las Vegas and get married, have sex, and then get the marriage annulled prior to returning to campus and their student wards.
Or young couples who give into temptation and intentionally wander beyond prudent sexual behavior with the intent to go to their bishop and “repent” so they can be married in the temple a year later.
Getting caught up in the “heat of the moment” and crossing a line better left uncrossed is one thing. It’s part and parcel of the human experience. The atonement can repair those indiscretions.
But in my opinion, intentionally breaking commandments with the idea of bathing in the Savior’s atoning sacrifice later is open rebellion and mocks every aspect of Christ’s mercy and atonement.
On the other hand, when properly understood and embraced, I think the general culture in the LDS faith is missing out on the great peace and comfort of the full “Joy of Jesus” and the grace his atonement provides.
You may think I am talking to you for your benefit.
And I hope you do find something positive in what I am writing here.
But here is the truth.
I am sharing these thoughts not for you but primarily as a personal reminder for myself.
You see, I am constantly forgetting the grace that is already mine and end up at war with the demons of self-loathing.
So, I am letting you into my headspace.
What follows is my mantra, an attempt to keep the Savior’s grace and joy at the forefront of my consciousness.
Lucifer is not your friend or my friend!
He wants us to think we cannot reach the celestial kingdom.
He wants us to have poor spiritual self-esteem. To feel as miserable as he does.
Christ is the polar opposite.
He is our big brother and best friend.
He promised, no, covenanted, to fulfill the Father’s plan and will.
We watched intently from our pre-mortal perch as our elder brother took every step on his journey here on earth to complete his mission.
From his humble birth in Bethlehem to the Garden of Gethsemane and to Golgotha.
We paid close attention to His life’s journey of eternal redemption,
Every
Single
Step along the way.
I am sure we worried for Him.
We prayed for him.
We probably held our collective cosmic breath when, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he pleaded,
“O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:”
Then, we let out a sigh of relief when he relinquished his ultimate will to the Father and uttered,
“Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39)
I am sure we all surrounded him with as much light and support as we could muster as an angel was dispatched from heaven to strengthen Him. (Luke 22:43)
He wants us to always remember, in our spiritual hearts, the faith we had in Him in the pre-existence as He presented how He would implement the Father’s plan and everything we thought and felt as He completed His mortal mission and journey.
Christ yearns for each of us to have high personal and spiritual self-esteem.
We should continue to feel good about ourselves even when we do our best but still fall short of the standard we have set.
To always keep the light of hope and salvation his atonement provides in the forefront of our minds.
That light of hope and Salvation is the essence of our Savior’s Grace.
He has already paid the price necessary to bring us back to our heavenly home and into the presence of our eternal parents.
Of course, we can and should help each other along our life paths with sincere encouragement and compliments.
But we will never experience the fulfilling contentment we crave in the empty words and praise of men.
The Savior’s grace is sufficient. Grace that has already been given without cost if we will only embrace it.
We will find genuine, lasting peace when we strive to do our best and immerse ourselves in the Grace our Savior has already provided.
We must strive to abide by the simple “Doctrine of Christ” that he has given us to have faith in Him, repent, be baptized, and be sanctified by the Holy Ghost while doing our individual best to be obedient and serve each other.
Even when we still fall short, we can reach out to the Savior and trust that he will carry us the rest of the way home.
Christ’s grace is the starting point in our personal relationship with Him, not something to be earned in the end.
A glorious gift that will carry us across the finish line when we fall short due to our mortal imperfections.
Thanks for reading and pondering with me!
Russell Anderson
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P.S. I appreciate and respect your investment of precious time in reading my work! I strive to provide thought-worthy content that generates a worthwhile return on your investment.
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Love this perspective, Russ. The Lord loves effort, especially when it's being applied by imperfect people who are striving to draw closer to him daily.