FYI, eternal life was repeatedly referred to as a blessing and a gift that had to be earned when I was a Mormon for all those years. Every gift of God is a blessing. You can act like an apostate or you can pretend that the Mormonism that was taught in the past was wrong. If there are requirements that must be met in order to win the prize, the prize is not a gift but a wage that was earned. The Doctrine and Covenants tells LDS that all commandments must be obeyed. Have your commandments become suggestions?
According to Mormonism, the Lord is bound when you obey. If He doesn't give the reward, he's in deep trouble. He MUST to obey the law.
D&C 82
9 Or, in other words, I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation.
10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.
The Book of Mormon and the D&C both state that eternal life is a gift. The Bible states that a person must be worthy to be able to get the
gift of eternal life:
(New Testament | Romans 6:20 - 23)
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become
servants to God, ye have your
fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(New Testament | Matthew 25:45 - 46)
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these,
ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but
the righteous into life eternal.
(New Testament | Luke 10:25 - 28)
25 ¶ And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit
eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right:
this do, and thou shalt live.
(New Testament | John 6:53 - 55)
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath
eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
(New Testament | John 12:25)
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that
hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
(New Testament | Romans 2:5 - 10)
5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 Who will render to every man according to his
deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in
well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality,
eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and
do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that
worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
(New Testament | 1 Timothy 6:18 - 19)
18
That they do good, that they be
rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come,
that they may lay hold on eternal life.
(New Testament | Titus 3:7 - 8)
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have
believed in God might be careful to
maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
(New Testament | 1 John 3:15 - 17)
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath
eternal life abiding in him.
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and
seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of
compassion from him,
how dwelleth the love of God in him?
(New Testament | 1 John 5:2 - 13)
2 By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For
this is the love of God, that we
keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he
believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us
eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have
eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
All Biblical!