Grace

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youth walking by temple

When you believe in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, you begin to see how much They have done for you, simply because They love you. We receive many blessings from God, whether or not we recognize the divine source. Other blessings are reserved for those who seek to keep Heavenly Father’s commandments, repent of sins, and humbly turn to Him in sincere prayer asking for what they need. Yet none of us can earn God’s assistance and guidance (see Romans 3:23–24; Mosiah 2:20–21). All divine blessings are given through God’s grace.

Understanding divine grace can give you confidence to seek God’s help daily because He is merciful and willing to exercise divine power in your behalf (see Hebrews 4:14–16; Moroni 8:3). Jesus Christ’s mortal life is an example of growing spiritually and receiving a fulness of blessings through the grace of Heavenly Father (see Doctrine and Covenants 93:12–13). Jesus Christ invites you to come unto Him and God the Father and receive Their grace so you can be fully blessed and glorified as They are (see Doctrine and Covenants 93:19–20).

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Christ kneeling next to woman

The prophet Lehi explained 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” (2 Nephi 2:8). The greatest demonstration of God’s love is the Atonement of Jesus Christ, including His Resurrection. Because of that sacrifice, offered through the grace of Jesus Christ, He saves us from the permanent grasp of death and opens the way for each of us to repent of our sins and find forgiveness.

God will not force anyone to receive His grace and return to His presence. Therefore, He asks us to “reconcile [ourselves] to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; … it is only in and through the grace of God that [we] are saved” (2 Nephi 10:24). As humble followers, we come unto Jesus Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and striving to keep His commandments. By doing so, we show our desire to do all we can while recognizing that His grace is what saves us (see 2 Nephi 25:23).

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The Bible Dictionary states, “It is … through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means” (“Grace”).

As a follower of Jesus Christ, you can receive divine help to serve God and others like the Apostle Paul, who observed, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). When we are called to serve in God’s kingdom, He qualifies us by providing grace to accomplish His work (see Alma 26:11–13). The gift of grace also provides individuals with extra strength to face life’s challenges (see Mosiah 24:14–15; Alma 31:30–35, 38).