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Do you follow the commandments 100% of the time ben? Are you perfectly sinless in your life? DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 58:43: “By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.” 1Jo 1:8 KJV - If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. JAMES 2:10: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” Spare us the platitudes ben - everyone knows that you don't live the commandments either. You haven't forsaken all your sins ben thus you haven't repented ben - because you continue to sin. DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 82:7: “And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.” So tell us of this so-called perfection you live ben - all your old sins are back on your account the very moment you sin again. ALMA 11:37: “And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins.” This isn't looking too good for you Ben - you're stuck with all that sin over and over again. And since you cannot keep the commandments continually you can't be with heavenly father (D&C 25:15).

And yet, Godzilla, if Ben doesn't keep the commandments, what hope has he of eternal life per Joseph Smith?...for Smith adds in Doctrine & Covenants 14:7: "And IF you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all gifts."

Well, ben, which is it: Is eternal life a "gift" which is to be rec'd as all gifts are -- something you don't work for...or is it a merit-badge earned by commandment-keeping?

Isn't perfection your goal, ben? Yet what do you do with that verse Godzilla quoted -- James 2:10 -- that if you've broken one part of the Law, you are guilty of breaking all of it? Doesn't 3 Nephi 12:48 say "that ye should BE perfect" -- not simply become perfect in some future afterlife?

Are ye perfect, ben?

If ye think ye are, have ye read Jesus in Matthew 19:21?

21Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Have ye sold all ye have, ben? No? Is that computer yours you're typing from? Do ye realize God doesn't grade on a curve -- Mormon superiority vs. Gentile "less than?"

He expects perfection. Have ye done ALL ye can do? Physically? Morally? Spiritually? Emotionally? Relationally?

No? Then how will God's grace ever kick in for ye per 2 Nephi 25:23 if ye haven't done all ye can do? Did ye see that word "after" ben in 2 Nephi 25:23?...saved by grace AFTER...

"AFTER" what, ben?

After ALL ye can do? Ye can sell all ye have, right? That's something ye can still do, right?

Jesus said unto ben: ...If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor...

2 NEPHI 25:23: “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.”

At what point have you done enough to be sure that you will be saved? Are you certain that you have done ALL.

The prophet Spencer W. Kimball wrote in the "The Miracle of Forgiveness" -

“There is one crucial test of repentance. This is abandonment of the sin. …The saving power does not extend to him who merely wants to change his life. …Nor is repentance complete when one merely tries to abandon sin. ...To ‘try’ is weak. To ‘do the best I can’ is not strong. We must always do better than we can.” —The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 163-165

According to the prophet kimball - there can be NO forgiveness WITHOUT repentance (repentance defined as the complete and total removal of sin from one's life D&C 58:43 - a complete cessation of sin)

Critical point most mormons do not want to face - their's is an impossible task. Mormon's cannot honestly say "I do my best and Jesus does the rest" because kimball and mormon doctrine make it clear - states that sinless perfection is an absolute necessity to be attained by the hopeful, worthy, eligible or meritorious Mormon and failure to do so such failure to do so disqualifies one for Mormon exaltation.

So ben - how is keeping ALL of the commandments and ordinances working out for you lately?