How do grace and agency complement each other?
Elder Quentin L. Cook taught that section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants can help us answer that question. He said, “The content of this revelation is truly remarkable. It teaches us the significance and role of the Savior and how to access His power and blessings through His atoning grace” (“Be One with Christ,” General Conference, April 2024).
Near the beginning of the revelation, the Atonement of Jesus Christ is concisely summarized:
The Almighty God gave his Only Begotten Son, as it is written in those scriptures which have been given of him.
He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them.
He was crucified, died, and rose again the third day;
And ascended into heaven, to sit down on the right hand of the Father, to reign with almighty power according to the will of the Father;
That as many as would believe and be baptized in his holy name, and endure in faith to the end, should be saved.
Doctrine and Covenants 20:21-25
Notice the emphasis on the Savior’s agency, as He “suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them.” We know that He pleaded with His Father in the garden of Gethsemane to spare Him from the suffering He was about to endure, but that He willingly chose to endure that suffering, giving God the glory for that decision. (Luke 22:42; Doctrine and Covenants 19:18-19; 3 Nephi 11:11). Thus, even as He did for us what we could not do for ourselves, He set an example for us of overcoming our natural inclinations and disciplining ourselves to do difficult things.
Note also the actions we must take in order to accept His redemptive gift: believe, be baptized, and endure to the end. (See also 2 Nephi 9:24.) The gift is freely available, but we must take action to receive it, and we must take ongoing action to retain it.
Section 20 describes the initial reception of this gift and the ongoing effects of this gift using the terms justification and sanctification:
We know that justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true;
And we know also, that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength.
But there is a possibility that man may fall from grace and depart from the living God.
Doctrine and Covenants 20:30-32
Elder Cook explained, “Calvinist theology emphasized justification and sanctification of fallen souls through the grace of Jesus Christ. It taught that once God had predestined a soul for salvation, nothing could change the outcome. Doctrine and Covenants 20 makes a clean break with Calvinism” (“Be One with Christ,” General Conference, April 2024, footnote 28).
The gift is always available, but we must choose not only to receive it but also to retain it. (See Mosiah 4:11-12, 26.)
After establishing these doctrinal principles, the revelation specifies activities which enable us to access the Savior’s grace and maintain our connection to Him. It teaches us how to qualify for baptism and how to perform baptisms. (See Doctrine and Covenants 20:37, 73-74; see also Moroni 6:1-3, 3 Nephi 11:24-26.) It teaches us how to perform the ordinance of the sacrament and encourages us to “meet together often” for that purpose. (See Doctrine and Covenants 20:75-79; see also Moroni 4:3; Moroni 5:2; Moroni 6:5-6.)
Today, I will be grateful for the grace freely offered to me by Jesus Christ. I will exercise my agency, taking actions which enable me to receive and retain that grace.
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