Good Works

 There are many things that are considered good works in the scriptures: do justly, love mercy, walk humbly, hunger and thirst after righteousness, doing unto others what you would have them do to you, hearing the word of God and then planting seeds from those words and then watering them(being doers, not just hearers), doing truth, learning to do well, seek judgement, relieve oppressed and fatherless and plead for widows, forsake all evil, cleave to all good, live by every word of God, bringing good fruit (anything good and profitable unto men, goodness, righteousness, truth), administering relief both physical and spiritual according to needs, living pure religion(visit fatherless and widows in affliction and keep yourself unspotted from world), abstaining from lusts(which war against the soul) leads to adding virtue to your faith which brings knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity, abounding and being fruitful in Christ which never fails, loving in deed and truth(not just word and tongue), keeping the commandments, clothing naked, feeding hungry, liberating captive, administering relief to sick and afflicted, being steadfast and immovable, repenting, praying without ceasing, bringing others to repentance, not judging boasting or gossiping, gathering, and doing good to ALL men. Remember that if you are doing all these things but not taking care of needy and sick, imparting of substance - then you are a hypocrite and prayer is in vain. Wow, what a list. *Things that are not good works: being contentious, disobeying truth, obeying unrighteousness, indignation, wrath. All of these things bring tribulation and anguish. 

Your chosen good works is your holy calling and you were prepared for it from the foundation of the world. By doing your holy calling, you are preparing the way of the God(through the work He has rendered you - agreed on before coming and you will return and report on your works - your way of making payment). Through your good works, you will obtain riches(only if you seek them to do good works through hope in Christ), conquer enemy of all righteousness, let your light shine so others can see and glorify God, and obtain true wisdom (knowing that when ye are serving fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God).

We must pass our time of sojourn doing good works because that is what life is all about: the time to do our labors(good works). We must do good works wherever we can, especially to those of the household of faith. Good works must always start with faith and a love of God, then it makes our faith perfect - for faith without works is dead. The symbol for faith is the body, the symbol for spirit is works. You cannot have the body without the spirit. Use your faith to do the works of who you want to belong to(all Satan's works will be destroyed in the end), for what you sow, you reap - you alone are responsible for what you reap.  "And see that ye have faith, hope and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works." It is through these things (faith, hope, charity, and good works) that we will be judged, BUT ONLY AFTER REPENTANCE - because it is the Atonement that makes us perfect through good works. So using the Atonement is perhaps one of the greatest good works we can do - it is our own labor that not only helps others, but saves ourselves. So we will be judged for every single work of our hands(and desires of our hearts) - both good and bad. God's judgement is a form of mercy for He searches the heart and reins and soul and understands all and gives accordingly. His judgement will lead to the resurrection of the just - those who have done good.

We must always remember that we are God's good works - we are His workmanship, created in Christ to do good works, ordained by God to walk in good works, and perfected through good works - all of this to bring much righteousness. Always remember that Christ is the ultimate example of good works, He came to do the works of His Father("this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man").

So, remember. Remember that out of small things(small consistent daily sometimes seemingly inconsequential good works) come great things - keep doing them, abound in them. Be anxiously engaged of your own will in doing them. Be patient in well doing, fear not to do good works, don't be weary. Use strong hands and do every work in the name of Christ and it will be well with you. You will get whatever you ask for, the rewards of Salvation, be sealed to Christ, receive honor, glory, peace, eternal life, right to the tree of Life, and rest to your soul in the kingdom.

*2 Chronicles 15:7 - "Be strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded."

*Psalm 28:4 - God gives according to deeds, according to works of your hands(good or wicked)

*Psalm 62: 12 - Giving according to works = mercy, Proverbs 24:12, 29 - because He searches the heart/keeps the soul to render according to works(glory, honor, peace, eternal life to every man that worketh(patience in well doing) good. Contentious, disobey truth, obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath will bring tribulation and anguish) Romans 2:5-11

*Ecclesiastes 12:14 - every work you do goes into your judgment

*Jeremiah 17:10 - "I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." Judgment 2 Cor 5:10, Revelations 2:23 - He searches hearts and tries reins to give everyone according to their works

*Jeremiah 32:19 - God is great in counsel, mighty in work because He understands what to give all according to their works

*Micah 6:8 - He's showed us the good we'll get if we but do justly, love mercy, walk humbly

*Matt 5:6 - Blessed are those who hunger/thirst after righteousness, they shall be filled

*Matt 5:16 - Let light shine before world so they can see good works and glorify God

*Matt 7:12 - Golden Rule

*Matt 7:16 - Know men by their fruits(they who hear word and plant good seeds and water it -Matt 13:23, 1 Cor 3:8

*Matt 16:27 - 2nd Coming - Christ rewards all according to works, after repentance (own labor) - 1 Cor 3:8, Alma 9:27-28, D&C 138:59

*Matt 25:40 - "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

*John 3:21 - Do truth - come to the light, deeds manifested before God

*John 8:39 - Do the works of the Father, you want to belong to

*John 9:4 - Christ came to do the works of His Father

*Acts 10:35 - Accepted by God = fear and work righteousness

*Romans 2:13 - You must be doers, and not just hearers of the law - James 1:22

*Galatians 6:4 - You alone are responsible for your works, and alone in your rejoicing, v.7 what you sow, you reap, v.9 Be not weary in well doing, v.10 where you have opportunity to do good

*Ephesians 2:10 - We are His workmanship, created in Christ to do good works - ordained by God to walk in good works

*Ephesians 5:9 - Fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth

*2 Tim 3:17 - Man is perfected through good works

*Titus 3:8 - If you believe in God, you do good works, which are good and profitable unto men

*Hebrews 13:20-21 - It's through the Atonement that we are made perfect through good works to do His will. Alma 33:22

*James 1:27 - Pure religion = visit fatherless and widows in affliction, and keep yourself unspotted from the world

*James 2:22 - Faith makes you do good works, and good works makes your faith perfect

*James 2:26 - As the body without the spirit is dead, so is faith without works is dead.

*James 4:17 - It's a sin if you know you're supposed to do good and you don't do it.

*1 Peter 1:17 - Fear the Lord, do good works(pass your time of sojourn doing these things), call on Him 

*Revelations 20:12 - Judged by works(and desires of your heart D&C 137:9) - 2 Cor 5:10, 1 Ne 15:32, Moses 3:24, Alma 33:22, D&C 19:3, 76:111

*D&C 19:3 - All Satan's works will be destroyed at the end

*1 Peter 2:12 - Abstaining from lusts(which war against the soul)is good works

*2 Peter 1:4-10 - Avoid lust so you can be diligent in adding virtue to your faith, then knowledge, then temperance, then patience then godliness then brotherly kindness then charity - abound and be fruitful in Christ, never fail

*1 John 3:18 - Love in deed and truth not in word and tongue

*1 John 3:22 - Keep the Commandments(good works) and whatever you ask for you'll receive

*Revelations 22:14 - Keep the Commandments(good works) = right to the tree of life, entrance into gates

*Jacob 2:19 - "And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ, ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good - to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

*Mosiah 2:17 - Wisdom = learning that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God

*Mosiah 5:15 - Be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ may seal you his, you may be brought to heaven - salvation and eternal life.

*Alma 7:24 - "And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works."

*Alma 5:41 - If you bring forth good works, you hearken to voice of good shepherd

*Alma 13:3 - Called and prepared from foundation of the world according to exceeding faith, good works, chosen good - holy calling

*Alma 26:22 - Repent, exercise faith, bring forth good works, pray without ceasing = given to know the mysteries of God - help bring thousands to repentance.

*Alma 34:28 - If you're doing everything but not taking care of needy, sick, imparting of your substance then you're a hypocrite, and prayer is in vain.

*Alma 34:32 - This life is the time for you to perform your labors(good works)

*Mormon 9:29 - Do all things in worthiness, in the name of Christ

*D&C 6:13 - Do good and be faithful to the end = receive gift of salvation, no greater gift

*D&C 6:33 - Fear not to do good - for what you sow you shall reap

*D&C 18:38 - Know people by their desires and their works

*D&C 58:27 - Be anxiously engaged in a good cause(of own free will)bring to pass much righteousness.

*D&C 64:33 - Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying a foundation of great work out of small things proceedeth that which is great

*D&C 76:17 - Resurrection of Just = they who have done good

*D&C 81:1-4 - Greatest good/promoting glory of Lord = faith, prayer, proclaim the gospel

*D&C 105:24 - Don't judge/gossip, don't boast of faith/works, gather

*D&C 112:34 - Be faithful, He's coming quickly to recompense everyone for their work, to measure to him what he measured to fellowman, D&C 1:10

*D&C 121:24-25 - He sees and knows all their works - swift judgment, time appointed for everyone

*AofF 13 - We believe in doing good to all men

*2 Ne 25:23 - Labor diligently to persuade children/brethren to believe in Christ/be reconciled to God

*Alma 9:28 - Prepare the way of the Lord, Job 34:11 - The work God's rendered to you

***Isaiah 1:17 - "Learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."

*John 14:15 - "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

*Phil 2:12 - work out your own salvation

***Moses 4:26 - Impart substance to the poor, every man according to that which he has, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and afflicted, administer relief - both spiritually and temporally according to their wants

******Moroni 9:6 - Labor diligently, don't cease to labor or you'll be brought under condemnation - we have a labor to do in this tabernacle of clay and conquer the enemy of all righteousness and rest your soul in the kingdom of God

*D&C 98:11 - forsake all evil, cleave unto all good - live by every word from God