Guilt is a fact of life. Everyone feels it, and there are a variety of means to deal with it. Some blame others, while others seek self-justification. Many try to ignore it, or explain it away, but it is always there. Since I am a sinner, and feel guilty, I have looked for salvation mostly by trying to justify myself. There are four primary ways I have done this, not always explicitly, but always assuming I could be justified by:
1. Heritage, or ancestry, family ties, the faithfulness of my forefathers -- because they were faithful, and I was born into a faithful family, I am saved with them. I'm standing on their shoulders; I carry the torch they started so I'm going the same way. I know the traditions, and keep them well.
2. Good works -- if I do a lot of good works, then weighed in the balance, I'm basically good, and saved! I try to help people, and not injure anyone. I have done a lot of good in the world, I think.
3. Knowledge -- If I know stuff, I am more worthy. I'm smart, smarter than others. Knowledge is power, I believe it even has the power to save me, or justify me.
4. Ordinances -- baptism, and other ordinances have been performed that bring salvation. I have done all of the outward rituals to put me in the right way, and therefore should be justified by this obedience.
However, in reality, none of these can save me.
1. The works of my ancestors don't apply to me. The Pharisees thought they were saved because they were children of Abraham, but Jesus told them,
"And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." (Matthew 3:9)
2. A million good works cannot erase one single infraction of the law. Every infraction must be paid-for independent of all other acts, good or bad.
"And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever." (2 Nephi 2:5)
3. Knowledge cannot save me, it only condemns because of doing things I know better.
"For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation." (D&C 82:3)
4. Ordinances must be fulfilled in order for them to bring salvation. For example, baptism is only getting wet if we don't repent, and we remain guilty and not washed clean just because we went into the water. If we don't do our part, if we don't take upon ourselves the name of Christ, we are performing the ordinance in vain, and are not forgiven.
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." (Exodus 20:7)
The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is just eating and drinking unless we are repentant, remembering the gift of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Moreover, we are not saved by doing it, leading to damnation.
"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." (1 Corinthians 11:29)
All ordinances bring damnation if we don't fulfill our part of the covenant.
"...the law of Moses availeth nothing except it were through the atonement of his blood." (Mosiah 3:15)
Only Christ can save. There is no other salvation. All of the other ways are either just false, or worse.
Other Myths of Justification
Besides the justifications I have used, there are others that people commonly use. For example, a nurse I work with was listening to a conversation I was having about immortality and exclaimed, "I don't want life to go on! I just want to live my life, doing what I want to do, and be done, disappearing forever when I die!" Many believe existence ends at death in spite of all the evidence to the contrary. Salvation for them is erasure of their lives and all they have done. They never have to account for their choices in life. This is false. Every person who ever lived will stand before God and judge their lives. There is no way out of this reality; nobody is going to disappear.
Another common theme in salvation is that everyone is saved, that there is nothing we have to do. Life is like children playing in a sandbox, we play, we fight, we destroy each other's sand castles, and build them up again, then mom calls us in for dinner, and everything is forgotten and we're all friends again in Heaven. Children are not accountable for their actions, and we are children to God. But, this is a lie! We come here for the purpose of being tested, to find our place in our Father's house so we will account for every word spoken, every deed, and every thought.
Many believe they are saved by their gifts and talents. By comparing themselves to others they feel justified because they are really good at something. If they are smarter than others, more spiritual, have more children, or are able to run businesses, then they can be justified. Andrew Carnegie isn't justified for giving millions of dollars for universities and libraries. Mother Theresa doesn't get a pass because of her gifts of working with orphans, she must repent like everyone else, "relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save." (2 Nephi 31:19) There is no justification outside of that given by Christ.
Real Justification
The only real way out is through the Lord, Jesus Christ. He has paid the price, and if we are willing to rely on Him, instead of justifying ourselves, He can deliver us from all we have done. He can justify us. He can wash us clean. He can make us whole. He can heal all wounds and remove all guilt. It's not that we never did the evil, but rather we are forgiven so we don't have to pay the price for what we have done. This is why we must repent in order to be forgiven. If we are still filled with evil thoughts, words, and deeds, then we're just going to do it again. However, once our nature is changed so "that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually," (Mosiah 5:2) we can be forgiven through His Atonement -- there is no other way.
"And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." (Mosiah 3:17)
The end of justification
So, I was baptized on October 2, 1971 at the age of eight. I hardly remember the day that I was symbolically born again, washed clean from my former life, and born into the life of Christ. But it wasn't until August 29, 2016 that I was actually "born again." As noted above, baptism is just a metaphor until it is actually fulfilled through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Until I actually have faith in Him and repent of my sins, weaknesses, and rebellion, and turn to Him I have not fulfilled the covenant. As soon as I do my part by turning away from my weaknesses, His part is already done -- just waiting for me to fulfill my part of repentance. All those years I put off repenting because I was too busy justifying myself has kept me from Him. It took me over 44 years to see my folly, and finally take the plunge.
Now, I am born again, of the water and of the Spirit. I have finally found what I was looking for all my life. I have no need for self-justification because He has given me a remission of sins. Like Enos, "...my guilt was swept away." (Enos 1:6) He is quick to forgive. Salvation is free, instant, and retroactive. I don't have to pay the price, or even try to justify myself. It's already done by Him! It is amazing and wonderful to be forgiven! I'm free! I have peace of conscience! I have hope! I am in awe and wonder that He could take away my sins, in spite of my years of neglect and rebellion, and that He would be willing to justify me.
I hope I always remember His gift of justification.
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