President Spencer W. Kimball said,
“Celestial life may be had by every soul who will fill the requirements. To know ] is a way of life, the plan of personal salvation, and is based upon personal responsibility. It is developed for man.” (Teachings of the Presidents, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2006 1)
In the New Testament, in the Epistle of James 2:17-24,26 we read,
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
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26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
James lays it out very clearly. In order to be saved, in other words redeemed by the price our Savior so handsomely paid, faith is not enough and neither are works.
The two must work hand in glove, as must man and woman, in order for redemption to be attained.
Moroni, the last prophet to write upon the ancient plates of the Book of Mormon, deemed his life was quickly coming to an end. To this end, he wrote of the most important precepts and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Of faith he wrote:
40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?
41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.
42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.
43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.
44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen (Moroni 7:40-48.)
There is no question what this ancient prophet is saying:
Faith ? Hope ? Meekness ? Charity — all these things are required if we hope to gain the Celestial Kingdom, the highest kingdom in the order of heaven.
And so we see, if we wish to be redeemed as the Savior wishes us to be, we must live our lives in a matter befitting disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. ” . . . by their fruits ye shall know them,” should be the motto we live by.
