During the
audience Q&A session in a recent debate, Kwaku
El was asked he following at the 2:14:16 mark:
Would you say that a person deserves to go to
heaven and be with God because they are nice on the outside?
In
Latter-day Saint theology, it is not simply the acts one engages in; God will judge the intentions thereof. Note the following from the Book of Mormon:
And it is requisite
with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and
if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good,
that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good.
(Alma 41:3)
For behold, God hath
said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift,
or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him
nothing. For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness. For behold,
if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is
counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is
counted evil before God. And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he
shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him
nothing, for God receiveth none such. (Moroni 7:6-9)
So, deeds merely are not
meritorious; they must be coupled
with good intentions. It is not a “good work checklist” style of soteriology.