Recently, the LDS Perspectives podcast posted
their interview with Daniel
McClellan about the phrase in 2 Nephi 25:23, "after all we can
do." It can be found at:
McClellan
once shared the following examples of “after” meaning “despite”:
"She replied, 'Could not me help it. My
heart, he would wicked for all. Could not me make him good, (meaning, she saw
it was right she should go to hell, because her heart was wicked, and would be
so after all she could do to mend it.)"
- Sereno Edwards Dwight, Memoirs of the Rev.
David Brainerd, 1822, p. 261
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"But your own wisdom and greatness must
be laid in the grave—it is after all you can do, the free and unmerited gift of
God."
- John Hersey, The Importance of Small
Things, 1831, p. 20
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". . . the Son of man, who came not to
be ministered unto, but to minister: yet, after all we can do or bear for him,
let our trust still be in the merits of his righteousness and blood who gave
his life a ransom for many."
- Edward Greswell, A Harmony of the Four
Gospels, 1833, pp. 278–79
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"The reason is, they have no desire for
that in which holiness consists; the fountain still remains corrupt. And after
all they can do, without this Divine influence on the heart, they remain
utterly unprepared for the kingdom of heaven."
- The Evangelical Magazine, vol. II, 1834,
pp. 493–94
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"True, you cannot merit heaven by this.
Most true, that your salvation must be at last ‘by grace through faith;’ and
that the only righteousness of your Lord and Saviour. But then though this be
true,—though after all you can do, you will still find reason to mourn over the
hardness of your heart and the coldness of your affections, and be forced to
acknowledge yourselves unprofitable servants . . ."
- John H. Hopkins, The Importance of
Providing Religious Education for the Poor, 1835, p. 29
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"Here there is an evident misstatement;
there is no merit in the performance of the conditions; after all we can do we
are unprofitable servants, the performance of any condition can no more obtain
for us eternal life than our own natural strength can move the universe; eternal
life is the free gift of God."
- William Brudenell Barter, Observations on a
Work by Mr. Bickersteth, 1836, p. 17
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"This satisfaction is to be made by
means of fasts, alms, penances, and other meritorious deeds, performed in
obedience to priestly injunction. But after all that the poor papist can do,
though he be ever so obedient and dutiful, there is a heavy balance against
him; for this, however, holy church has not forgotten to provide."
- Joseph Frederick Berg, Lectures on
Romanism, 1840, p. 207
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While going
through my notes, I found an article by Ronnie Bray responding to Aaron
Shafovaloff and MRM on 2 Nephi 25:23, where Ronnie shows that Aaron, who
is not known for his exegetical abilities (unless making faces and shouting
counts as a meaningful substitute) fails in his critique of LDS soteriology:
For a
refutation of Aaron’s Reformed soteriology, see, for e.g.:
and
In the
article, Ronnie makes reference to Bill McKeever’s comments about Acts 2:38 and
baptismal regeneration. On this, be sure to see:
Refuting
Douglas Wilson on Water Baptism and Salvation (contains a lengthy
discussion of 1 Cor 1:17; Acts 2:38 and 1 Pet 3:19-21)
