The Lectures on Faith are great. So is the Book of Mormon.
The past week I've been sick and decided to listen to the Book of Mormon instead of reading. I listened to 1 Ne. 12 and made a connection I haven't made before. We read (or, I heard):
"And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men." (1 Ne. 12:18)
This together with these sobering words from the Lectures on Faith gives me a new take on what groups of people are in the large and spacious building.
"It is in vain for persons to fancy to themselves that they are heirs with those, or can be heirs with them, who have offered their all in sacrifice, and by this means obtained faith in God and favor with him so as to obtain eternal life, unless they in like manner offer unto him the same sacrifice, and through that offering obtain the knowledge that they are accepted of him." (Lectures on Faith 6:8)According to this, most of Christianity (the Church included) is caught up in the vain imagination that salvation is achieved by just "being good" (as that is taught in the different denominations). Whereas it's a great start to be a good person, according to the Lectures on Faith, it cannot be the end goal for someone who is desirous to "obtain eternal life".
