Justification and Sanctification

Over the years in mostly classroom settings, an apparent lack of clarity in the minds of some members on the concepts of justification and sanctification moves me to this writing. While the subject matter of both is very much related, they are to be clearly distinguished from each other in their particulars.

The Prophet Enoch taught his people concerning the plan of salvation using the revealed message Adam had received from the Lord on this subject. “That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so become of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory; For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified” (Moses 6:59-60).

While it is well understood that one purpose of the Holy Spirit of Promise or the Holy Ghost is to testify of the truth and reality of God the Father and of His Son, Jesus Christ, and of their purposes namely, “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39), He is also the great justifier. It is He who places His stamp of approval on the performance of all gospel related actions and ordinances necessary for the salvation of mankind. Without His ratification, all actions taken in this world are of no effect beyond this mortal realm (Doctrine and Covenants 132:7).

This brings us to a discussion of possibly the most misunderstood verse of scripture in our standard works. As a temple sealer, I have the opportunity almost every week to seal living couples for time and eternity, but it is clear that far too many couples so sealed in the Lord’s temples each week throughout the world misunderstand the consequences of the sealing ordinance performed in their behalf. I have thus come to discuss the matter briefly with those whom I seal in an effort that they may more fully understand the real consequences of the ordinance in which they are about to participate. The key to a proper understanding of a temple sealing is to be found in verse nineteen of Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants. What we sealers do in the Lord’s temples is not binding for the eternities until the Holy Spirit of Promise places His seal of approval upon the lives and actions of the couple so sealed thus making their “calling and election sure” (D&C 131:5). The key words in that verse are “and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise.” What we learn from verse nineteen is that until we have so lived our lives subsequent to our temple sealing in such a worthy manner as is required of us by our Heavenly Father so that the Holy Ghost may ratify our temple sealing, we have no promise of eternal life. For Saints, that means we must live worthy of our Father’s promised blessings to the end of our mortal probation. For almost all Saints, it will not be until some point after this life that we will receive the required and sought after assurance from the Holy Ghost.

Sanctification is the process of bring our daily lives into conformity with the laws of the Gospel in such a manner as to be forgiven and cleansed of our sins through the atonement of Jesus Christ. The Prophet Moroni ended his writings with an admonishment to all the followers of Christ to become sanctified. “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moroni 10:32-33).