Everyone in the Church who is on the straight and narrow
path, who is striving and struggling and desiring to do what is right, though
is far from perfect in this life; if he passes out of this life while he's on
the straight and narrow, he's going to go on to eternal reward in his Father's
kingdom. We don't need to get a complex
or get a feeling that you have to be perfect to be saved. You don't. There's
only been one perfect person, and that's the Lord Jesus, but in order to be
saved in the Kingdom of God and in order to pass the test of mortality, what
you have to do is get on the straight and narrow path—thus charting a course
leading to eternal life—and then, being on that path, pass out of this life in
full fellowship. I'm not saying that you don't have to keep the commandments.
I'm saying you don't have to be perfect to be saved. If you did, no one would
be saved. The way it operates is this: You get on that path that's named the
"straight and narrow." You do it by entering at the gate of repentance
and baptism. The straight and narrow path leads from the gate of repentance and
baptism, a very great distance, to a reward that is called eternal life.
If you're on that path and pressing forward, and you die,
you'll never get off the path. There is no such thing as falling off the
straight and narrow path in the life to come, and the reason is that this life
is the time that is given to men to prepare for eternity. Now is the time and
the day of your salvation, so if you're working zealously in this life—though
you haven't fully overcome the world and you haven't done all you hoped you
might do—you're still going to be saved.… You don't have to live a life that's
truer than true.… What you have to do is stay in the mainstream of the Church
and live as upright and decent people live in the Church—keeping the
commandments, paying your tithing, serving in the organizations of the Church,
loving the Lord, staying on the straight and narrow path. If you’re on that path when death
comes—because this is the time and the day appointed, this the probationary
estate—you'll never fall from it, and for all practical purposes, your calling
and election is made sure. (“The
Probationary Test of Mortality,” address delivered at Institute of Religion,
SLC, Utah, 10 Jan. 1982)
