Get Out of the Pool

Elder Walton (Elder Griffiths' companion who he
describes as "a hungry boy") post-meal and happy.

Something I've been studying about is the concept of faith and works being inseparable. A lot of people we talk to always seem to bring that up so I decided to look deeply into it. 

The basic conclusion I've come to is that sincere study of the scriptures shows how this view is narrow sighted. As I've looked into the blessings we receive from acting I've come to realize just how closely linked faith and works are. Faith is truly dead without works. Otherwise how can we show our faith except through works? 

Christ's gospel is not an idle one. He expects us to be perfect like our Heavenly Father. That means that we can't sit back, say we're a sinner, and just expect to be saved. 

I like to think of it like standing in a pool full of water. As you stand in this water you say, "I want to be dry. Pool boy! Hand me a towel." The pool boy then hands you a towel and you proceed to try and dry yourself off. However, remember that you are still in the pool, surrounded by water. You cannot dry yourself off while still standing in the pool. You must first get out of the pool, and only then can the towel do its job. 

I invite each of you to ponder this analogy. It may not be a perfect one, but it's something I came up with that helped me understand this concept.