Doctrine
Faith and Works
Faith and works label how scripture and communities connect trust in God or Christ with obedient action—covenant-keeping, love of neighbor, ordinances, or moral fruit—without assuming a single vocabulary for every tradition.
LineUponLine does not pick a “winning” doctrine. These pages summarize where to read in scripture and how some traditions describe those texts—so you can compare sources yourself. This is not Ask (scripture lookup) or Research (conversational Q&A)—only static study notes.
Scripture anchors
When a reference parses to the Church's study site, the link opens scripture there in a new tab; otherwise the label stays plain text. Short notes describe what the text is doing, not a full theological conclusion. Anchor type badges (primary, supporting, contextual) are editor markers for reading order and scope only; they do not rank inspiration, truth, or authority.
Faith and works illustrated; debated widely across Christian readings.
Saved by grace through faith; unto good works as God’s preparation.
Grace, law, and ‘effort’ language read together in Restoration discourse.
Faith compared to planting and nurturing a seed until knowledge grows.
Faith, hope, and charity; good works and grace in close proximity.
Trees known by fruit; not everyone who says Lord enters the kingdom.
Pauline shorthand on justification; often paired with fuller letters on new life in Christ.
How different traditions summarize the texts
Each block names a tradition or common reading, then describes it in neutral, third-person language. Summaries are representative, not exhaustive. Blocks are listed A–Z by tradition title for a stable order; that order is not a ranking of correctness.
Tradition / reading
Catholic / Orthodox teaching on faith working through love
Catholic and Orthodox teachers commonly link faith, hope, and charity, and speak of faith ‘formed by love’ or expressed in sacramental life and virtues. Summaries vary on vocabulary, but James and the Sermon on the Mount appear often beside Pauline letters.
Passages often cited in this summary: James 2:14–26 (opens official scripture study in a new tab); Matthew 7:16–21 (opens official scripture study in a new tab); Ephesians 2:8–10 (opens official scripture study in a new tab); Moroni 7:33–48 (opens official scripture study in a new tab)
Tradition / reading
Latter-day Saint teaching on faith and works
Latter-day Saint manuals often present faith in Christ as inseparable from repentance, ordinances, covenant faithfulness, and the Spirit’s sanctifying work. Alma 32, 2 Nephi 25, and Moroni 7 are frequently cited beside New Testament passages on grace and good works.
Passages often cited in this summary: Alma 32 (opens official scripture study in a new tab); 2 Nephi 25:23 (opens official scripture study in a new tab); Moroni 7:33–48 (opens official scripture study in a new tab); Ephesians 2:8–10 (opens official scripture study in a new tab)
Tradition / reading
Protestant teaching on justification by faith
Historic Protestant catechisms and commentators stress justification by faith apart from meriting salvation, while also describing good works as fruit of gratitude or evidence of new life. How tightly to juxtapose Romans and James remains a classic exegetical discussion.
Passages often cited in this summary: Romans 3:28 (opens official scripture study in a new tab); Ephesians 2:8–10 (opens official scripture study in a new tab); James 2:14–26 (opens official scripture study in a new tab)
General Conference teachings
Talks linked here were selected during doctrine review and import. Each entry opens the talk on the Church's site.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland · 2025-10
Elder John C. Pingree Jr. · 2023-10
Elder Larry S. Kacher · 2022-04
Elder Adrián Ochoa · 2022-04
President Russell M. Nelson · 2023-10
Related topics
Cross-links for study context only—they do not imply that one topic logically proves another.
- Grace(related study topic)
- Repentance(related study topic)
- Atonement of Jesus Christ(related study topic)
Where readers often connect ideas
Notes describe common discussion threads between topics, not mandatory implications.
None recorded yet.
Coming later: optional fields for short argument sketches and reasoning tags. There is no automated apologetics or debate logic in v1.