Owen K. Peterson on "After All We Can Do"

The expression “after all we can do” is often misunderstood to mean that the grace by which we are saved kicks in only after we “have expanded our own best efforts” to save ourselves (see Grace, LDS Bible Dictionary, p. 697). However, the Bible Dictionary also states, “It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means . . . Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the fall of Adam and also because of man’s weaknesses and shortcomings . . . This principle is expressed in Jesus’ parable of the vine and the branches” (see John 15:1-11). What this parable teaches is that “the divine means of help or strength” or “the enabling power” of grace is required in order for us to do all we can do, or, says the Savior, “without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5), 2 Nephi 25:23 is really saying it is by Grace that we are saved above and beyond all we can do, for without his grace we can do nothing to save ourselves. (Owen K. Peterson, The Joy of our Redemption: An LDS Scriptural Journey [4^th rev.; 2017], 162 n. 9)