Getting Eternal Life

[danielwoods]

I have no idea what you'll get in the afterlife. Your simple declarative that if you continue in the path you have been pursuing you should be able to get eternal life is nothing more than a declarative and wholly irrelevant in my eyes. I don't know if what you've been doing is sufficient. No one knows. We Mormons speak as though there are some "non-negotiables" that must be done during this temporality though IMO we are evolving away from this litmus commentary. It is not helpful. Each is an individual in God's eyes and each will be judged according to his capacity given him and whether he stretched often and enough toward that capacity. Nothing more nothing less. So when you say Mormons believe there must be works included I say absolutely. It's just that I don't know what those works "look like" nor does any other Mormon. When measured against how well a man streched toward this capacity, the ordinancces that must be performed are reduced to mere formalities to be taken care of in this or the next life. Formal recognition of the Savior's role is also reduced to this. The belief must be that if said man has indeed stretched toward his capacity sufficiently he will most surely praise the Savior's role when he is made aware of the larger picture thereby accepting Him and being justified by Him.

I thought your post was an interesting way to describe the situation. Thought I might dissect it a little and ad my own point of view.

What is sufficient to receive eternal life?

Mormons hold to some "non-negotiables" - such as? (Baptism, Enduring to the end...)

Evangelicals hold to one non-negotiable - Complete surrender to God (Christ).

"Each is an individual in God's eyes and each will be judged according to his capacity given him and whether he stretched often and enough toward that capacity. Nothing more nothing less."

This of course is a LDS view, not an evangelical one. For the evangelical, it's not whether we stretched often and enough, but rather are we connected in relationship to God via the Holy Spirit. If there is work that results, that is great, if not, eternal life isn't in the balance, because it isn't based on our works. Eternal life is based solely on the connection we have to God. For some, the works (or fruits) of that faith or connection is a changed heart and that's it. For others the works that result are easier to see. But, in no case, not having the "right" type of works, will keep one from the highest heavens and fellowship with God.

In God's economy, the greatest among you are the least, who are able to do the least amount of works.

"the ordinancces that must be performed are reduced to mere formalities to be taken care of in this or the next life. Formal recognition of the Savior's role is also reduced to this."

Formalities are simply mindless activities. Things that are done without thought. Which is a description of what the Pharisees did that Jesus railed against.

Rather, than "necessary ordinances" and formalities. It seems to me that the whole of the gospel comes down relationship, and the restoration of the relationship that God desired to have with us.