After All We Can Do?
By Carol Harper
One morning I walked
into the kitchen and noticed a line of tiny black specks crawling along the
edge of the counter towards a loosely capped jar of honey. Drat, I
thought…ants. They had busily congregated around the jar lid, and then,
in an almost parallel line, were making their way back to wherever it was they
came from.
“Ant traps” went on the
grocery list, and I sprayed the parade with Windex (a pest control guy gave me
this tip). Then I placed the jar in the kitchen sink, ants and all, turned on
the water, and watched them swirl down the drain. They were working so
hard, I thought, as I realized that I had just played “God” to an entire
micro-colony of living organisms. How could I? They’re just ants, doing what
they were supposed to do. And I thought of what specks we are as human beings,
crawling all over this earth, working so hard, consuming our own honey
lids—unaware of the time of our own inevitable deaths. Yet I had not one bit of
saving grace for the ants that attacked my honey jar.
In my former life, I
didn’t know what grace was, as it is not the focus of your average Mormon. I
was taught the Book of Mormon quote in 2nd Nephi 25:23: "…for we know that it is by grace that
we are saved, after all we can do." (underline
added). This doctrine summarizes grace as thus: Do everything you
can first, then God will make up the difference. Problem is,
this diminishes everything Jesus did when He uttered the words upon the cross:
“It is finished.” It invalidates the miracle of the Word made flesh, nullifies
the purpose of Jesus’ life, and renders His sacrifice completely useless.
How much is enough,
“after all we can do”? Did the Jews do “all they could do” under their Law; was
it enough? Did Jesus require the blind, lame, lepers and the sick to do “all
they could do” before He miraculously healed them? Did the eunuch go on his way
rejoicing because he had a whole lot of work ahead of him? (Acts 8: 26-40) Did
Peter, Paul and the apostles preach the slavery of religious law? Did the
father of the returning prodigal son say: “Now, prove that you’re not
going to be an idiot again. Get to work, boy. Prove to me you’re worthy to live
under my roof. Then maybe, after all you can do, I’ll forgive you
and throw you a party.” I suppose the other son working in the
field would have loved that scenario!
Did Jesus “do all He
could do”? If the Book of Mormon claims that grace only kicks in “after all you
can do”, and the world is still under the burden of religious rule, then I
guess it really wasn’t “finished” after all. Jesus must have failed. So,
where’s the good news in that? Sounds to me like the love of the Mormon god is
pretty conditional: “Sorry, false alarm, everyone. You’re not saved by
grace after all; you’re still under the condemnation of the law. What, you
think just anyone can approach the throne of God? (Romans 8:15) Think again!
Temple veil torn in two? (Matt. 27:51) Not a chance! Who do you think you are?
Get back to work! Prove to me you’re worthy. Then maybe, after all you
can do, I’ll forgive you for your sins and give you eternal life.”
Almost by default,
Mormonism’s pseudo-grace puts self and religious fear first, rather than God
(Exodus 20: 1-3). And who determines when you’re done doing “all you can do”?
The Book of Mormon? Joseph Smith? Church leaders? A chart and graph showing all
your good deeds? If you’re working so hard to save yourself—then, besides a
little spare change, what use is a Savior, and therefore, God? It sounds like
Mormonism is a religion atheists could really get into.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves:
it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man
should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians
2: 8-9 (underline added)
It’s not “after all you
can do”…it’s after nothing you can do! The entire message of
the Bible is about Jesus Christ and His grace. Paul said these words long
before the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, or the LDS church ever existed. Old
Testament prophets preached it before He came; all the apostles, disciples and
believers have preached it ever since. So why does religion put such a damper
on this good news?
It’s too simple. God’s
gift of grace through His One and Only Son is too easy. What, so grace gets you
off the hook to do whatever you want?
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have
deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by
what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe
that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is
useless?
James
2: 18-20 (underline added)
James didn’t say “I will
show you my worthiness by what I do,” he said, “I’ll show you my faith by
what I do.” A Christian’s faith and belief is in God. The miracle of Jesus
Christ is that, instead ofreligious fear, or the human self put
first, the focus is finally put back where it should have been all along: on
God.
Remember the story of
Moses and the brazen serpent (Numbers 21)? All the people had to do was look at
it, and they were saved. Yet still, there were those who refused to look and
perished. What part of “look” did they not understand? See, too simple. Today,
the brazen serpent symbol is used by the American Medical Association. I think
about all the medicines, such as penicillin—an antibiotic derived from
something as simple as mold—that have saved millions of lives. Yet still, there
are those who refuse to be treated and perish. See, too simple. Refusal to
believe in something doesn’t take away the truth of its existence or purpose.
About being born again,
Jesus told a confused Nicodemus:
“I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe;
how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from
heaven—the Son of Man.
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so
the Son of Man must be lifted up
that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
John
3: 11-15 (underline added)
Faith and belief is all
it takes for Jesus to heal and save us. He didn’t ask the lame to first walk
as far as he could, didn’t ask the blind man to first take an
eye test, didn’t ask the leper how many skin treatments he tried first,
or tell the Roman centurion to first do a ritual or chant for
his dying servant. All Jesus asks is for us to believe in Him. His grace is sufficient;
He did not fail. The Bible tells the entire story of that victory. Who dares
take that victory away from the Son of God?
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name?
and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done
many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from
me, ye that work iniquity.”
Matthew 7: 22-23 (underline added)
Wonder why you don’t see
a cross on a Mormon church? The cross and its meaning is not the focus of those
who are perishing (1 Cor. 1: 18-19). Some people are afraid of it. Others scoff
at it. Still others prefer not to focus on the blood of the Lamb, but would
rather pick apart God’s amazing grace so it suits their own doctrines and
purposes until there is no meaning, there is no miracle, no grace, no cure…just
the focus upon “all you can do”.
Here we are, less than
specks in an infinite universe, busily crawling around, vulnerable to
destruction at a moment’s notice—yet perhaps the worst kind of destruction is
the kind we do to each other, to ourselves, to our souls. But why is God so
mindful of this solar system, this galaxy, this planet?
Apparently, we are worth
saving.
“Come
unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew
11: 28-30