What Does 2 Nephi 25:23 Mean (After All We Can Do)?

2 Nephi 25:23 says it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reads that line as grace and obedience together: grace is God’s enabling power, and a person receives it by living the gospel. Ephesians 2:8–9Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionOpen source (3) says you are saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works. Jesus is God. The phrase “after all we can do” is the dispute.

Key Points

• 2 Nephi 25:232 Nephi 25:23 · English, churchofjesuschrist.orgFor we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.2 Nephi 25:23 · English, churchofjesuschrist.orgOpen source (1) says, “for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”
• The same verse says they labor to persuade their children to believe in Christ and to be reconciled to God. The sentence names Christ and grace, and then “after all we can do.”
• Gospel Topics, GraceGospel Topics, Grace · English, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsTo receive this enabling power, we must obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and trying to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ for the rest of our lives.Gospel Topics, Grace · English, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsOpen source (2) says grace is divine help through the Atonement, and that everyone will be resurrected. To receive the enabling power of forgiveness, it says, we must obey the gospel for the rest of our lives.
• That page’s third note lists Ephesians 2:8–9Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionOpen source (3), James 2:17–22, 2 Nephi 25:23, and 2 Nephi 31:20 together.
• Ephesians 2:8–9Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionOpen source (3) says salvation is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Romans 11:6Romans 11:6 · King James VersionAnd if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.Romans 11:6 · King James VersionOpen source (4) says if it is by grace, then it is no more of works.
• James 2:17James 2:17 · King James VersionEven so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.James 2:17 · King James VersionOpen source (6) says faith without works is dead. That is living faith, not a ladder that finishes and then receives grace.

The Sentence in 2 Nephi 25:23

2 Nephi 25:232 Nephi 25:23 · English, churchofjesuschrist.orgFor we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.2 Nephi 25:23 · English, churchofjesuschrist.orgOpen source (1) is Nephi’s word in the Book of Mormon, as the church prints it:

For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

2 Nephi 25:23 · English, churchofjesuschrist.org

The line says “by grace.” It also says “after all we can do.” Readers who hold this book treat both halves as one sentence. The Book of Mormon is that book on this site. What Do Mormons Believe? sets this verse beside Ephesians 2. The verse is doing two things at once: it points to Christ, and it puts grace after the person’s effort.

2 Nephi 25:26, the next sentences on that chapter page, says they talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ, preach of Christ, and prophesy of Christ. The concession is in the verse itself. It is not a line that never mentions grace or Christ. The words that carry the argument are “after all we can do.”

Grace in the Church’s Manual

Gospel Topics, GraceGospel Topics, Grace · English, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsTo receive this enabling power, we must obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and trying to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ for the rest of our lives.Gospel Topics, Grace · English, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsOpen source (2) defines grace as the divine help or strength given through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through that grace, everyone who has lived will be resurrected. The Lord also enables those who live his gospel to repent and be forgiven. The page says the word refers primarily to enabling power and spiritual healing.

It then says no one can return to the presence of God without divine grace, and that through the Atonement we can be forgiven. The condition is the next sentence:

To receive this enabling power, we must obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and trying to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ for the rest of our lives.

Gospel Topics, Grace · English, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Note 3 under that sentence cites Ephesians 2:8–9, James 2:17–22, 2 Nephi 25:23, and 2 Nephi 31:20. The manual puts “not of works” and “after all we can do” on the same footnote. The sentence above tells a person to obey, and to keep trying, in order to receive the enabling power. That is grace as help for the person who is already doing the gospel. Ephesians 2:8–9Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionOpen source (3) calls salvation a gift, not a wage that arrives after the work is done.

Grace in Ephesians and Romans

Ephesians 2:8–9Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionOpen source (3) says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Romans 3:28Romans 3:28 · King James VersionTherefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.Romans 3:28 · King James VersionOpen source (4) says a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Romans 11:6Romans 11:6 · King James VersionAnd if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.Romans 11:6 · King James VersionOpen source (4) says, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.” Titus 3:5Titus 3:5 · King James VersionNot by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;Titus 3:5 · King James VersionOpen source (5) says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.”

“After all we can do” makes the gift wait on the work. Romans 11:6 says the two do not share the definition. If it is grace, it is not works. If it is works, it is not grace. The Christian confession is that Jesus, who is God, saves. The faith that receives him is not a completed list of deeds. What Does Grace Mean in the Bible? What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?

James 2:17James 2:17 · King James VersionEven so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.James 2:17 · King James VersionOpen source (6) says faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone. James is talking about a faith that does not act, which is not faith. He is not saying justification begins once a person has done everything possible. The church’s note lists James 2 beside 2 Nephi 25:23. The two lines are not the same sentence. One says a dead faith is no faith. The other says we are saved by grace after all we can do.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does “after all we can do” Mean?

In the verse, it is the clause after “saved.” Gospel Topics, GraceGospel Topics, Grace · English, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsTo receive this enabling power, we must obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and trying to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ for the rest of our lives.Gospel Topics, Grace · English, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsOpen source (2) reads the gift as enabling power that a person receives by obeying the gospel for the rest of life. The words put the person’s “all” before the saving.

Does the Verse Deny Grace?

The verse says “by grace” and names Christ. It also says “after all we can do.” Ephesians 2:8–9Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Ephesians 2:8 · King James VersionOpen source (3) says the gift is not of works. The dispute is that “after,” not whether the word grace appears.

How Does James 2 Fit?

James 2:17James 2:17 · King James VersionEven so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.James 2:17 · King James VersionOpen source (6) says faith without works is dead. That is a test of whether faith is alive. It is not a statement that grace starts when effort is finished. The church’s footnote cites James 2 and 2 Nephi 25:23 together. Paul, in Romans 11:6, keeps grace and works from defining each other.

Keep Reading

• The Book of Mormon
• What Do Mormons Believe?
• What Does Grace Mean in the Bible?
• What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?
• Do Mormons Believe They Will Become Gods?