The Miracle of Grace (as applied to Math 313)

"...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

-2 Nephi 25:23-

You know, this has always been one of my favorite Book of Mormon phrases.


I love it because it reconciles the debate between faith and works as the method for salvation. It is neither faith nor works that saves; rather, it is a combination of the two. There is no way I can ever save myself through my own faith or my own works because I simply am not perfect, as we each are commanded to be (Matthew 5:48). But if I do everything in my power (works), I can then have the confidence (faith) that Christ will cover the remaining ground (grace).


I always thought this applied to the end of my life, when I've done all I could do for as many years as I could do it, and then I sit to anxiously await the verdict. But last week I had an epiphany. This scripture applies all along the way. 


Here's what brought on this thought: I worked really hard in my Math 313 class last semester--taking tons of notes, finishing every assignment, studying for every test--and I averaged about a B before taking the final. Although I could handle that, I had hoped for higher so I could guarantee another semester on scholarship. I figured I'd just do my best on the final and say plenty of heartfelt prayers and everything would work out in whatever way it was supposed to work out. (This has worked in every similar situation, by the way, if anyone's looking for a fool-proof method.) 


The final was at 7 AM on Monday. Do you have any idea how killer a 7 AM final on a Monday morning can be? I was five minutes late, but fortunately the professor didn't care. Upon looking through the test, I figured I pretty much knew 8 questions out of 10, but that left 2 on which I honestly had no clue. Each question was worth 10 points, so I calculated that if I hadn't messed up the ones I knew, I could get a solid 80, which would translate to a B for the semester, and I'd just take it and run. I did write a few things down on the two clueless questions, but it was nothing really worth any points. 


I checked my grade a couple days later because the professor usually graded tests super quickly, and I was dying of curiosity.


Final score: 98.


Um...wait what?
Does this happen in real life? People get 98's on college math tests in real life?
A 98?? 


Seriously, I almost died of happiness/shock right on the spot.


I was naturally very excited about my test score, but after that wore off just a tad, I knew that it hadn't been my own doing. I looked back on the semester and realized that I had done all I could do in the class, and I had also done my best in other, more important areas of my life (church, family, temple, etc.), and Christ had made up the difference on my crucial math score. Not because I particularly deserved it ("Hey, look at everything I did. Your turn, please!"), but simply because I had done what I could and left the rest to Him in faith. I suppose something I wrote on those 2 unknowns must have been right, unbeknownst to me, and I suppose the professor scaled the scores a bit, and I suppose a bunch of little things came into place to make it happen, but it wasn't anything I had done to make it happen.


That's grace, guys. In real life. I'm pretty sure of it.


The concept of God's grace is not just for when you die and the tally of good things versus bad things comes up on the scoreboard and Jesus steps in and says, "Wait! Erase a bunch of those sins! I got 'em covered!" It's for today, and tomorrow, and every day that we ever need divine assistance. Which, for me at least, is every day, ever, for the rest of my life, and beyond.


So. Many thanks to my Heavenly Father who knows that math scores and scholarships matter to this girl. Many thanks to a loving Heavenly Father who likes to bless His children much more than He likes to see them disappointed (because He doesn't actually like that at all). Many thanks to Jesus Christ whose atoning sacrifice makes grace possible. I hope to continue to partake of His grace both in this life and at the final day.


Moral of the story: Only grace can do the trick, folks. You should all try it out.