Whatsoever is Not of Faith is Sin

And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them.

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not 

(Mosiah 4:29-30).

This is one of the many ways, and one we may not think of as sin.

Paul exclamation in Romans 14:23 seems at first glance unlike any statement he made concerning faith. It is true that he speaks of faith in Christ most often as the way to obtain the righteousness of God, as opposed to the works of the law, which if done without faith do not account for righteousness. 

But to go so far as to say that whatsoever is not of faith is sin, seems at first glance to be rather harsh. Certainly our good works should count for something even if done without faith! But there is an order where works are either used to ¹justify ourselves, or ²where works follow after being changed from our "carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness" (Mosiah 27:23). The latter works are only done with faith, otherwise they would not be counted as works of righteousness, and according to Paul, if done without faith in Christ, would be sin.

See: The Cart Before the Horse

But will our human acts of kindness count for anything at the judgment? They will, but if we are still under the bondage of sin at the judgment, we will pay for our own transgressions, but after paying for our sins, all our good works will be considered and we will receive a reward according to our works (D&C 138:59). 

See Repentance: Bondage of Sin After Death.

“It is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned” (Doctrine & Covenants 58:26–29).

There are several truths we can take from this scripture. Besides receiving no reward if we must be compelled in all things, the good cause spoken here refers to bringing to pass righteous works, which are works that follow and are the fruits of our repentance. Righteousness is consistently used in scripture to define the righteousness of God and Christ, not our own human goodness. The power comes from Him changing us, and for those who do anything with a doubtful heart, in other words without faith, they are damned. They do not ascend to higher degrees, are not recreated.

A careful reading of Romans makes it clear that it is faith in Christ and only faith in Christ that counts for righteousness. And if anything other than faith in Christ does not count for righteousness, then it must be that it counts for unrighteousness and is therefore sin. 

This is consistent with the Doctrine of the Two Ways: either the righteousness of God, which is obtained through faith in Jesus Christ, or any alternative to the righteousness of God, which includes works without faith, and which, according to Paul, is sin.

Paul makes it clear that man is justified only through the righteousness of God, which comes through faith in Christ. He says that "There is none righteous, no, not one... (and) ...there is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Romans 3:10-12). It is faith in Christ that is counted for righteousness (Romans 4:2-5). He makes it clear that it was not because of Abraham's obedience to the law of Moses that was counted for righteousness, but because of Abraham's faith.

He tells us that the Gentiles "attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith" but that "Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness" because "they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law" (Romans 9:30-33).

It is not always easy to develop faith 

If it is true that whatsoever is not of faith is sin, then are the works we do without faith in Christ, sin? Can it be that doing our duty in our Church callings, if done without faith, is sin? Given the Lord's definition of Good and Evil, we are either doing one or the other, and He makes it quite clear that unless we work by the power and gifts of God, we do not do good (Moroni 10:25). And since there is only one other alternative, we must be doing what is not righteous, and therefore sinning.