Mediators of Christ's Grace

Elder Holland made this amazing point in General Conference.  When Jesus Christ healed the blind man, He could have just spoken it and made it so. Instead, Jesus anointed him with a mixture of spit and dirt. And then commsnded that the man wash in the pool of Siloam. 

John 9:6 "When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, ... He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing."

When Christ told the story of Good Samaritan, The Good Samaritan (representing Christ) could have stayed with the man and done everything himself.  Interesting that the story makes the point that the Samaritan employed the assistance of the innkeeper to continue caring for the man who fell among thieves. 

Luke 10: 33-35 "But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have."

Interesting also that the holy scriptural books of St. Luke and Acts (God breathed) was written by someone who confesses that he was not an Apostle nor an eyewitness to the things he's writing about but interviewed people who were.   

Luke 1:1-4  "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed."

So, yes we come to God through Jesus Christ.  But Christ seems to still be working through various people and means (gifts of grace) that we are also expected to both receive and make use of. So, I think we should be careful in over-interpretting when scripture teaches that Christ is our only mediator with God the Father to the exclusion of thinking we no longer need to accept the many gifts of grace Christ has sent us and expects we receive and make use of. (ie prayer, fasting, scripture, gift of the Holy Ghost, baptism, Lords Supper, priesthood, Apostles and Prophets, His Church, The House of the Lord). These gifts bring us to Christ and Christ brings us to the Father. 

Alma 60:21 "Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?"

Yes, there is one mediator between God the Father and man.  That mediator is the only begotten Son of God, who is Jesus Christ.  But we come unto Christ by faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, being born again and entering into the discipleship and employment of Jesus Christ and being willing to recieve, make use of,  and become all that God wills for use to recieve, maje use of, and become. 

1 Tim2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"

Receive and Make Use of the Gift of Grace

Eph 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Modern mainstream Christianity has evolved in the last 100 years. It used to be that Christianity was divided by denominations.  Christians were Catholics, Orthodox, Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, or Methodist. In more recent times, non-denominational churches have arisen as part of a more modern Evangelical movement.  My understanding of Evangelicalism is the belief that regardless of denomination or non-denomination, if an individual believes that Jesus Christ is their personal Savior, they are saved.  That's it. Evangelicallism crosses denominationsl boundaries.  A person can attend a Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist or even Catholic congregation but still be Evangelical believing that their belief in Christ is the foundation of their faith over the denomination or non-denomination they might happen ro attend.  We see this with Charlie Kirk who was a more Evangelical Christian but was drawn to attending the more traditional Catholic Church services over the more contemporary service. 

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Many Evangelical Christians believe in the the doctrine of the 5 solae: While not specifically put forth in the Bible, the 5 Solae are: Sola Fe (faith alone), Sola Gracia (grace alone), Sola Scrptura (scripture alone), Sola Christus (Christ alone) and Soli Deo Gloria (God's glory alone).  This belief is that the Bible is the ultimate, final, and only authority.  And that salvation comes only through belief in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. So, while the the Bible may talk about the need for repentance and confession, or the Bible may talk about the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, or the establishment of a Church with Apostles, Bishops and Deacons; none of these other aspects of Christian practice impact salvation.  Salvation is in Christ alone.  These other aspects of faith and practice support the believer, but do not impact their salvation. 

How do Evangelicals view members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)?  Generally speaking,  Evangelical along with Catholics and most mainstream denominations hold the view that in spite of the name of our Chrurch, and our confessed belief that Jesus of Nazareth is Jehovah of the Old Testament, the promised Messiah, and the Savior and Redeemer of the World; LDS are not true Christians, we believe in a different Christ, and we are going to hell. 

Why doesn't mainstream Christianity like the Church of Jesus Christ?  In addition to accusing us of believing in the wrong Jesus they generally don't like that we believe in modern prophets and Apostles,  in additional scripture like the Book of Mormon, and in our Temples were we offer saving ordinances like baptism for the dead.  And, they claim our doctrine is too works based.  They accuse us of believing we can save ourselves through our own efforts. I think some of this stems from a misunderstanding of LDS belief on grace.  Yes, LDS absolutely believe that Jesus Christ is the only way and source of salvation.  But Evangelicals may point to our Book of Mormon which says: 

2 Nephi 25:23 "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

Evangelicals say 'ha, after all we can do'.  That proves you think you can contribute to your own salvation. According to them,  we can't contribute anything.  However, The Book of Mormon explains what "after all we can do' means.  In one sense, because we have already been given the gift of agency, we therefore have the ability and can use our God-given agency to offer our whole souls back to God as an offering to God. 

Omni 1: 26 "And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."

In another sense, the Lord Jesus Christ has given us the gift of His grace.  He has given the gifts of faith, prayer, repentance, scriptures, the Holy Ghost, priesthood, prophets, apostles, and temple ordinances.  What does Christ expect of us?  He expects us to receive these gifts and to make use of them.  

D&C 88:33 "For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift."

Alma 60:21 "Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?"

LDS Doctrine is not about thinking we can save ourselves by our own efforts.  Instead, we simply believe that we are to demonstrate our faith by our works by receiving the many gifts of grace that the Lord Jesus Christ has given us and to make the best use of them we can. 

James 2:18 "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."

Matt 7:21 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

We need to avoid making the mistake of interpreting Eph 2:8-9 while excluding all other scriptures on the matter; especially the direct words of Jesus Christ during His ministry. Yes, if we truly accept Christ as our personal Savior, we will be born again, and born of the Holy Spirit and embark on a life-long path of discipleship, spiritual growth, and sanctification.   The many gifts of Christ grace (scripture, prayer, fasting, baptism, Holy Ghost, Lords Supper, temple) are given to us to aid in our progression in Christ unto eternal life. If we are truly born again, we should not have any aversion to receiving these many gifts with thanksgiving and diligent utilization.

President Russell M. Nelson's Prophetic Priorities and Invitations

President Russell M. Nelson, a former world-renowned heart surgeon, was called and sustained  as the 17th prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 14, 2018. President Nelson passed away on September 27, 2025 at the age of 101.  The following is a summary of President Nelson's prophetic priorities and invitations. 

2018 

“Stay on the covenant path.”

“Now, to each member of the Church I say: Keep on the covenant path.”

Talk: April 2018 – “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives.”

Theme: Covenant keeping opens the door to personal revelation and divine guidance.

“Hasten the work of salvation.”

“The Lord is hastening His work and needs you.”

Context: Emphasized missionary and temple efforts as unified gathering work.

“Home-centered, Church-supported gospel learning.” 

“We are moving forward into a new era… of home-centered, Church-supported gospel learning.”

Talk: October 2018 – “Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints.” (and in the announcement introducing Come, Follow Me)

Theme: The home is the primary center of gospel instruction, with Church meetings providing support and structure.

Significance: This prophetic shift—announced before the 2020 pandemic—prepared Saints worldwide for spiritual self-reliance and family-based discipleship.

2019

"Time is Running Out"

"Now, as President of His Church, I plead with you who have distanced yourselves from the Church and with you who have not yet really sought to know that the Savior's Church has been restored. Do the spiritual work to find out for yourselves, and please do it now. Time is running out.".  

“The purposes of God shall be accomplished.”

“…until the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”

Talk: October 2019 – Closing Remarks.

Theme: Assurance that the Restoration will continue until the Lord declares it complete.

2020

“Hear Him.”

“Our Father loves us and wants us to hear Him.”

Talk: April 2020 – Bicentennial Proclamation / ‘Go Forward with Faith’.

Theme: Personal revelation and direct connection with the Savior.

“Let God prevail.”

“When your greatest desire is to let God prevail in your life, many decisions become easier.”

Talk: October 2020 – “Let God Prevail.”

Theme: Yielding one’s will to God’s direction in every choice.

“The glory of the Lord will be revealed at the Lord’s Second Coming.”

“When He returns, the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”

Talk: April 2020 – “The Future of the Church: Preparing the World for the Savior’s Second Coming.”

Theme: The Lord’s return will be literal, visible, and glorious.

2021

“The gathering of Israel is the most important work on earth.”

“Anytime you do anything that helps anyone… you are helping to gather Israel.”

Theme: Missionary and temple work are one unified labor of gathering. Gathering Israel includes anything that brings others to Christ on both sides of the veil.

2022

“Be peacemakers / Contention is evil.”

“Contention is a choice. Christ is the Peacemaker.”

Talk: April 2022 – “Preaching the Gospel of Peace.”

Theme: Replace contention with Christlike calm and reconciliation.

2023

“Think Celestial!”

“When you are confronted with a choice… think celestial!”

Talk: October 2023 – “Think Celestial!”

Theme: Make decisions guided by eternal, celestial perspective.

2024

“Rejoice in the gift of priesthood keys.”

“Rejoice that priesthood keys are again on the earth and exercised in righteousness.”

Talk: April 2024 – “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys.”

Theme: Gratitude for restored authority and preparation for the Savior’s return.

2025

“Let thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.”

“Your confidence can truly wax strong in the presence of God.”

Talk: April 2025 – “Confidence in the Presence of God.”

Theme: Temple worship, charity, and personal holiness (virtue) create divine assurance. Temple worship increases spiritual capacity.

2016 Bonus Quote:

"The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”