The argument has been made countless times and is especially loud in our day that all that is required of us in this life is to be a good person and this will suffice. No belief beyond that is really important. Whether there is a God or not, just living our lives the best way that we know how is all that matters.
Intellectually and logically, I can see where they are coming from and can see why those who espouse this belief would outright reject any religious dogma or association.
I would go so far as to say that religion has imposed more misery, heartache and suffering upon humankind than anything else and this is especially true when one adds the state “religions” (where institutions or individual leaders become the God of the people) like socialism, communism and fascism to the umbrella of religious belief systems.
So whats wrong with just living our lives being as good as we can and leaving it at that?
I would posit that if someone who believes this were to be taken to that fiery realm where God dwells, they would think it a hell and would immediately wish to depart. Why? Because just being a good person did not and cannot equip them with what is necessary to abide the presence of God and is wholly inadequate to prepare us to abide a future in glory.
Here are 3 reasons that why the “being a good person” belief system alone does not provide one with the necessary tools to be able to live with God.
Denial of Satan as a Real Entity
The Book of Mormon teaches (and I agree and add an independent witness) that one tool of Satan is to create an environment where it seems silly and ignorant to believe in such a being or to create an environment that we believe that all is well with our current trajectory in life.
Nephi teaches some important things about the strategic plan so to speak of this enemy to our souls, an enemy insidious and cunning and one that poses such a danger that to not believe in his existence is akin to spiritual bondage and an arrest in our potential progression:
19 For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;
20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.
23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. (1 Nephi 11:19-23)
Peter teaches correctly that:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
Paul also taught about this and testified of some tools that have been made available to all in order to come off triumphant against evil:
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6)
Joseph Smith recorded the revelation giving us the relationship between truth, error and evil in the following way:
24 And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;
25 And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning.
26 The Spirit of truth is of God . . . (D&C 93)
Anything that is not true is either a direct or indirect influence of evil or of the spirit of that wicked one who is always setting out to lie and deceive the human family. Just being a good person is not enough to contend with the evil and deception of this world especially if the evil isn’t even acknowledged or believed to exist.
In order to confront evil we really do need some better tools than just being a good person or else an evil spirit might one day say to us “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?”
Limitation of our own Righteousness
Any righteousness that we think we possess as mortal fallen mankind is as a filthy rag before God. Even the most righteous among us being exposed to the heavenly realms would exclaim as Isaiah did “wo is me, I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips. . .”
The Apostle Paul taught that:
9 . . . for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3 selected)
King Benjamin, a righteous king who loved somewhere on the americas approximately 124 years before the birth of Jesus gave a discourse which was prompted by an angelic visitation. In addition to testifying of the impending birth of a world wide Savior, he also taught the people about our own unworthiness before God:
21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants. (Mosiah 2:21)
No matter how good we are or how righteously we attempt to live our lives, we all fall short. We all offend the universal laws of light and truth that are upheld by God. We are all sinners and are unworthy to dwell in the same condition and estate as those who have overcome such weakness and can endure God’s presence. With man, receiving salvation on our own terms i.e. by just being a good person is impossible but with God, all things are possible.
The Need for Grace
To take us lowly creatures and transform us into people who would be comfortable in God’s presence takes exactly the pathway that each of us are on in this life and nothing less. There is the gift of grace that is available to each of us through our God and his condescending to come down and bring it to us and sadly most people will reject what is being offered.
As Isaiah testifies who will believe the report? Who will understand what the condescension of God really means? While conversing with an angelic emissary many hundreds of years before Christ was born, Nephi was taught:
12 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look! And I looked as if to look upon him, and I saw him not; for he had gone from before my presence.
13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!
20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! (1 Nephi 11:12-21)
This word condescension although not used very much in our day really is the best way to describe the Messianic role of Jesus. From Websters 1828 dictionary we get this definition:
Condescend: To descend from the privileges of superior rank or dignity, to do some act to an inferior, which strict justice or the ordinary rules of civility do not require. Hence, to submit or yield, as to an inferior, implying an occasional relinquishment of distinction.
Could there be a better definition and foreshadowing of Israel’s Messiah and God?
Isaiah was another witness for the future role of the Savior of the people:
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (Isaiah 53)
So when the word grace is used; by it I mean receiving that from God which we neither earned nor deserve despite our best efforts and intentions; the merciful arm of grace represents the potential for the justice of God to be satisfied in his own condescending sacrifice so we don’t have to bear our own due. His stripes can heal us; no degree of our own goodness or righteousness or good works will suffice. We either suffer for the penalty of a broken law or we learn how God provided in the gift of his Son “a more excellent way”. Christ himself taught the more excellent way in the example of his own life and by teaching the specifics of his doctrine as recorded by ancient prophets (see 2 Nephi 31-32 and 3 Nephi 11-21).
The witness of this grace is testified of throughout the Bible and the Book of Mormon and I leave you a few selected examples from Mormon’s sacred compilation for your examination:
6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.
7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.
8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.
9 Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.
10 And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. (2 Nephi 2:6-9; Book of Mormon, written approx. 570 BC)
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.
24 And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled.
25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.
26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. (2 Nephi 25:23-26; Book of Mormon, written approx. 570 BC)
48 I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.
49 And now I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again. (Alma 5:48-49; Book of Mormon, written approx. 83 BC)
14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.
15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.
16 I came unto my own, and my own received me not. And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled.
17 And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled.
18 I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. (Words of Christ to the ancients of America 3 Nephi 9; Book of Mormon, approx 33 AD)
And lastly here are the final few verses in the 1000 year old prophetic record known to us as the Book of Mormon. They are penned by Moroni who was the last of the prophets to leave us a witness of the grace of God and of Jesus Christ.
30 And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.
31 And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.
32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
34 And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen. (Moroni 10:30-34; Book of Mormon, approx 420 AD)
So in conclusion, yes being a good person is a great start – but is not enough to get us to the ultimate goal of eternal life. Living our lives by that inner voice and light that helps us to recognize right from wrong is so very important however there are more tools made available that can help us ascend higher and to receive all that our God wishes for his children to have.
Recognizing evil for what it is; acknowledging that our own efforts will never be sufficient and learning to lay hold upon the grace of God are gifts and tools given to us by a loving Father to help us achieve our ultimate potential; to become one with Him and like Jesus, become a king and a priest and even a son (or daughter) of the Most High God.