Brad Wilcox

I went to a fireside by Brad Wilcox last night. He's a professor at BYU, and he's written some books--the most recent of which is The Continuous Atonement. I didn't have any paper with me at the time, but his talk impressed me so much that I was actually able to remember the important things he said. It was kind of funny, Bug was all impressed and jogged into thinking about what he'd said, and Mike was sitting there saying "that's the closest I've ever heard the gospel explained to how I believe it." Mike didn't articulate the thoughts as well, but he understands so very much! Anyways. Here is my brief paraphrase:

He started talking about the famous scripture in 2 Nephi, 25:23 "... for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." He said that a lot of people misunderstand this concept in the church: we remember the bike parable, where we pay what we can for the bike, and then Christ makes up the difference.

But the atonement is infinite! Christ already bought the whole bike. He has already paid the entire price for us: regardless of what we choose to do or not do in this life, we will be resurrected and be with God. God asks us to follow commandments and to do certain things not to pay justice, or to help pay for the bike. It's not to repay Christ for the atonement, which is His infinite sacrifice. The few coins He asks of us are to help us appreciate the bike. The reason why we must strive to be righteous is to become more like God, so that when we see Him again we are ready to be with him. If, when we see Him, we are unworthy, we will beg to leave His presence. But every one of us is already saved, and will be redeemed. The question is merely of who we will be when that happens.

However, God knows we cannot be perfect on this earth. Ether 12:27 says "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." Weakness is singular, not plural. God is aware of our individual struggles and faults, but our weakness lies in the fact that we are mortal. Being mortal means that we cannot be perfect, however hard we try. But God is a perfect and merciful being. He is more concerned with the offerer than the offering. And every offering made, no matter how small or faltering, is acceptable to God. He wants us to succeed, to become something better. He wants us to become like Him. So as long as we want to be different, He will give us another and another and another chance. There is always hope.