Laura really wanted to go to the Festival of Trees today (last day) and so we went this afternoon. Unfortunately after we arrived there I realized I didn’t have my wallet and we weren’t able to find another way to pay so we just had to go home. The greatest part of that is that we had good a discussion while driving there and we didn’t get distraught at the setback. In the evening Laura told me that her favorite part of the day was going to the Festival of Trees even though we didn’t get to go in. That’s a good sign.
Thoughts from the temple
We natively think of “after” as implying something chronological in nature which is why the statement that “it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do” is often misleading to people. Despite might be the better word there. The Lord does things for us without regard to our choices although we may not benefit from some of those things depending on our choices. He completed the infinite arrangement but if we choose not to repent we forfeit most of the benefits available. If He hadn’t accomplished the atonement our repentance would be insufficient.
God had His apostles cast Satan away from Adam and Eve in the endowment without Adam and Eve doing anything or making any request in that regard. The Lord does not ask us to be or become perfect—despite what we often think—instead He make it possible for us to become perfect through the atonement of Jesus Christ. The atonement is not conditional even if its effect on us is conditional.
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