Grace and Works

I wrote this to answer a friend's question in 2011.

I have been thinking about when members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints talk about grace and works, and I agree that it can be confusing. On one hand they stress the necessity of ordinances and good works, but when you ask whether they believe they can be saved on their own merits, they are shocked.

I think what is happening here is a lack of common background. Most Christians have centuries of shared struggle as great, good men have wrestled with interpreting the scriptures. There have been many councils and reformations. Though the resulting sects do not agree on all things, there is a shared awareness of difficult issues and defining terms.

How Can We Know There is a God?

Reading about others experiences with God helps to give us the faith to pray and keep His commandments, but it is like staking up a young tree. Relying on others is only a temporary measure until the tree becomes strong enough to stand on its own. How do we grow and develop that strength for ourselves? How can we really know there is a God? How do we come to know anything-- through our personal experiences, of course.