--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 1 number: 2 published: 1897-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Editor’s Table: By Grace Are Ye Saved," *Improvement Era* 1, no. 2 (December 1897): 128–130.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera12unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera12unse start_page: 128 end_page: 130 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1897-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera12unse publication_year: 1897 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1897, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editor’s Table: By Grace Are Ye Saved of this generation, and they must meet and settle them; and it is just possible that their solution will be found along lines quite distinct from those ordinarily followed by the fathers. So far is the distinction of municipal government from state and national politics recognized, that in a number of states, as in our own, municipal elections are separated from county, state and national elections by constitutional provision. A circumstance which bears powerful testimony to the fact that municipal governments are recognized as furnishing local problems quite apart from national party politics, so that there is already in such provisions alone a strong beginning made for the divorcement of municipal government from state and national politics. It only remains for the friends of nonpartisan government for cities to insist upon it as a permanent policy; to keep before the people the fact that the administration of a municipality's affairs is a plain, business proposition, as much so as any other corporation's affairs, and quite apart from the issues of party politics; to demand that the city government be conducted upon a high plane of disinterested and public-spirited devotion to the true welfare of the community, and they will succeed in uniting the best elements of all parties against the vicious, and succeed in relegating party bosses with their political machine methods, not only to the rear, but into oblivion, and secure good city government by good men at a minimum of cost to the people. "BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED." A traveling elder in the state of Tennessee, writing from Murfreesboro, under a recent date, asks us to explain how far the salvation of man is affected by the grace of God, and what the proper explanation of Ephesians, second chapter and fourth to ninth verse is. That passage is as follows: "God, who is rich in mercy * * * even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by faith ye are saved); and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Jesus Christ. 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. EDITOR'S TABLE. 129 This passage is the one chiefly relied upon by those Christians who hold to the doctrine that all that is necessary to salvation is merely to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and who insist that obedience to the ordinances of the gospel is not necessary to salvation. That salvation does come by and through the grace of God, and not by the works of man, is a true doctrine. Who instituted the plan of salvation which we know as the gospel? Man? No; God was its author. Did God establish it because the works of man had purchased it? No, but God out of his great love for man, that he might save him, founded the gospel. Hence it is by the grace of God that we have the gospel, and since it is through the gospel that we obtain salvation, it is consistent for the apostle to say "by grace are )'e saved * * * it is the gift of God/' If anyone were to ask whence we received our temporal blessings, such as food, raiment and habitations, a believer in God and his providence would say, "they come from God, they are blessings from him. He gives them to us by his grace. " Hence one could say, "by grace are ye fed and clothed — not of works lest any man should boast — it is the gift of God." And that would be true, because God created the earth. He implanted the spirit of life in the vegetable and animal kingdoms from which man obtains his food and clothing. But how do men make this grace of God available to themselves? The answer is, through their industry. Men plow the fields, plant the grain, keep down the weeds and give vegetables and grains a chance to grow. They gather the vegetables, they harvest the grain and put it into storehouses, and the amount they garner depends upon their industry — upon their works. Men delve into the very bowels of the earth and bring from their hiding places the treasures of silver and gold, and precious stones; the oils and coal and iron. Commerce spreads her white sails on every sea, and exchanges the fruits of one climate for the products of another, until every land partakes of the blessings of all. Cotton and wool, and the shining thread of the silk worm, man's ingenuity and industry converts into fabrics to clothe his body and adorn his horn e; and by industry "plenty leaps to laughing life, with her redundant horn. " But it is the grace of God that gave the earth, that put into it the principle of life; that in the seams of the rugged rocks stored gold and silver, filled earth's crust with oils and coal and iron; and gave wool and cotton and silk for fabrics. So that in the last analysis of it, the grace of God makes man's industry fruitful. Now, if one thinking only of the native richness of soil, the proper temperature and moistness of climate, the mysterious principle of life planted by the creator in the earth — were to say of men inhabitating some favored country: "These men prosper by the grace of God — not of themselves — their prosperity is the gift of God," would he be far from the truth? We think not. If another, regarding only the industry of the community were to say: "This community owes its prosperity to its intelligent industry," and should add — "by their works they are made prosperous," would he be far wrong? We think not. But the proper statement would be — the whole truth would be — by the grace of God these men are prosperous through their industry. So with the gospel. It is through the love and grace of God that the plan of salvation was wrought out, hence by grace men are saved; but it is only through faith which leads to obedience of God that men can avail themselves of that grace. In another way, too, men are helped to salvation by grace. To those who from the heart obey the gospel, the Hoi)7 Ghost is freely given. By which some of God's strength is imparted to man; by which, and only by which, he can hope to overcome the evil passions of his nature, and gain a victory over the world, the flesh and the devil. When the operation of this grace is taken into account, as well as that already considered, it will be thought, doubtless, that grace in comparison of works, in bringing to pass the salvation of man, preponderates. But however small the part of works may seem to be, it is a part, nevetheless, essental to man's salvation. Works cannot be omitted; and hence works, that is, man's obedience to the ordinances of the gospel, and thereafter righteousness of life, are essential to salvation. That obedience to the laws