So because someone choose to put a footnote to Jude 1:3 it is therefore obvious that this is what Lehi was referring to? I’m not buying it, but I’m glad to know your reasoning, thanks for responding.

after all we can do

Can be read “in spite of anything we can do” rather than “we must do everything.”

I’d agree with Robinson, obviously

Reading these chapters I see:

1. The need for ordinances (the church).

2. The need for real intent

3. Receive the Holy Ghost = born again

4. Receive Fire and the Holy = conversion & sanctification

5. When these things are done one has received the First Comforter and is moving towards receiving the Second Comforter by “relying wholly upon the merits of” Jesus Christ.

Notice there is no explicit mention of the church, callings, priesthood, education, service and other things that we in our day hold as important.

…the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there
2 Nephi 9:41

Receiving the First and Second Comforter is not a group activity, it would appear.

And I would guess that you could have two people who did exactly the same things, from the point of view of an observer, and yet one of them could have received both the First and Second Comforter, and the other received neither. This is what is taught in the parable of the 10 virgins.

Another way of saying this is that one can be active in the church and not the gospel.

I enjoyed the post and comments.

I hadn’t thought about those Alma verses in that way before. I think that notion of repentance preceding grace, and that really “all we could do” is repent prior to receiving grace, is very close to my preacher friend’s idea of grace. I’ll have to bring it up next time I see him.

I also think that interpretation goes a long way to reconciling 2 Ne 25:23 and 2 Ne 10:24. I think I’ll cross-reference the two. Next time I’m in a “be ye therefore perfect” class, an “if you work hard enough” class, I’ll be a bit better prepared.

See the footnote in 2 Ne 2:4.