While eternal life exists on a continuum, salvation is a binary condition—you are either saved or you are not. You either perfectly follow the example of Jesus Christ to the degree you are aware of it, or you do not.
Salvation is not a static state. In order to maintain your salvation, you have to remain “obedient unto the end of your lives.” (Mosiah 5:8) Life does not remain the same from the point you decide to reconcile to Jesus, but continues to ebb and flow, bringing new challenges and learning opportunities day by day. In order to remain saved, you have to remain fully aligned with Jesus until you die,1 no matter what God may reveal about himself, what commandments he gives you,2 what challenges he may expose you to, or what opposition arises.3
The moment you deviate in any way from how you believe Jesus would live in your place,4 you lose salvation,5 and will remain in this state6 until and unless you repent by changing whatever is out of alignment.7
Footnotes
- 1. ...But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation. (2 Nephi 33:9) ↩
- 2. For example: “And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:17-22) ↩
- 3. And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (D&C 14:7) But blessed are they who are faithful and endure, whether in life or in death, for they shall inherit eternal life. (D&C 50:5) Continue in these things even unto the end, and you shall have a crown of eternal life at the right hand of my Father, who is full of grace and truth. (D&C 66:12) ↩
- 4. 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. (Alma 11:37) ↩
- 5. Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. (Proverbs 28:18) ↩
- 6. But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Mosiah 3:12) ↩
- 7. But remember that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the devil hath all power over him. Therefore he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God. (Mosiah 16:5) ↩