A Deeper Look Into Faith, Works, and Judgment
Many of my thoughts and purposes of writing the messages I publish each week have their genesis in defending or explaining the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and rebutting the criticisms leveled at the church and its teachings. These treatises address the disapproval and condemnation voiced by non-believers and other Christians. I attempt to use their own words and ideas and point out where they lack logic in the case of atheists and the scriptural foundation in traditional Christian creeds. In short, I like to argue those things that form the basis of both the meaning and purpose of existence and how it relates to our eternal nature in the past, present, and future.
This verse prompted my thoughts today in 2 Nephi 25, “Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all those that shall receive hereafter these things which I write, that they may know the judgments of God, that they come upon all nations, according to the word which he hath spoken.”
The first thing I wanted to point out is that God’s judgments are not arbitrary, and the criteria do not change based on the mood of a vengeful God. Those who are not familiar with the dealings of God in different ages of the earth’s history point to the seemingly merciful one in some circumstances and the one who wipes out entire cities. The plan God has for his children reaches far beyond our time on this earth and maximizes our agency and our ability to choose to follow it. It is when this agency is misused or limited that he takes action in the form of judgments.
The second thing that must be addressed is that Christ is the judge. He is the God of the Old Testament and the final judge of both the quick and the dead. Jesus of the New Testament is portrayed as loving and full of mercy, not one to utterly destroy wickedness, wipe out ungodly nations, or cast souls off to hell. However, both of these kinds of judgments involve love and mercy.
Now, I will attempt to explain how faith and works apply to salvation and judgment. It is explicitly stated that we are saved by faith and the grace of Christ, not by our works. That is true. Faith is also unearned but is a gift extended to everyone. It is up to us to accept and act upon the gift of faith. It is also explicitly stated that we are judged by our works, which is also true. Since judgment determines who will live in Heaven with the Father, which is equated with salvation, how, then, is salvation not dependent on our works?
In mainstream Christianity, the concept of salvation means that those who receive eternal life are promised a quality of existence marked by intimacy with God, living in a perfect place prepared by Christ, and experiencing the fullness of joy in His presence. Again Christians believe salvation is an unearned gift, but rewards are earned. To me, the lines between salvation and rewards are blurred to the point of nonexistence, as are those between faith and works.
So, what are these earned rewards in heaven? They include eternal relationships, joy, enduring work, responsibilities, treasures, and inheritance. It is interesting to note that Christian doctrines do not include eternal marriage or familial relationships but do include them with other believers. Odd! This list answers the question of what can be earned from our work. That sounds a lot like what Latter-day Saints call exaltation, with the exception of becoming like God. It reminds me of a covenantal relationship between us and The Father as well.
Latter-day Saints doctrine says this about the rewards of obedience to the covenants we enter into with God, “And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.” These, indeed, are the rewards of faith manifested by our works.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints enjoy an understanding of the promises implicitly and explicitly expressed in scripture and revelations that are not fully understood by most Christians. The previous quote from D&C section 138:19 shows whose names are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life and why. It also explains why we do temple work for those who did not have access to these covenants and priesthood blessings when they lived in mortality.
When I asked ChatGPT about what is recorded in the books in heaven, it responded, “Overall, while the specific contents of the books mentioned in Revelation are not explicitly outlined in the text, it is reasonable to infer that they would contain a comprehensive record of individuals’ lives, actions, and works on earth, including significant events, ordinances performed, and moral conduct. These records would serve as the basis for judgment according to works in the final judgment described in Revelation.”
To sum up, we must use the gift of faith, demonstrated by our works, to obtain the gift of salvation and the earned rewards reserved for the doers of the word, not hearers only. The judgments levied on us are based on our works, whether they be incremental ones in mortality or the final judgment when we stand before God with Christ as our advocate.