works strengthen faith

Romans 2–5

Once again, the traditions of the fathers proved difficult to overcome, when, returning to the law of Moses, the early saints could not trust and have faith. The doctrine of justification was difficult for them to accept. They could not accept reconciliation to God, which is pardon from punishment for sin. Since all offend God and sin, and since no unclean thing can dwell with God, we must be justified in order to return to him. In other words, we must repent and through the grace of the atonement be made clean and whole. While we are commanded to live pure and righteous lives, this is for our benefit and will not buy our place in Heaven. Because we owe all we have and are to Him, we will always be in His debt. Unless we humble ourselves to accept His grace and His atonement, we cannot be justified.

Faith and works are twin laws, because our works develop in us a greater faith. It is not that we prove our worth through our works but the works strengthen our faith. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Romans 3:31



“To be justified before God we must love one another: we must overcome evil; we must visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, and we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world: for such virtues flow from the great fountain of pure religion, strengthening our faith by adding every good quality that adorns the children of the blessed Jesus. We can pray in the season of prayer; we can love our neighbor as ourselves, and be faithful in tribulation, knowing that the reward of such is greater in the kingdom of heaven. What a consolation! What a joy!” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 76).