Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that good works must be accompanied by the grace of Christ: “It is only through the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ that people can overcome the consequences of bad choices. … No matter how hard we work, no matter how much we obey, no matter how many good things we do in this life, it would not be enough were it not for Jesus Christ and His loving grace. On our own we cannot earn the kingdom of God—no matter what we do. Unfortunately, there are some within the Church who have become so preoccupied with performing good works that they forget that those works—as good as they may be—are hollow unless they are accompanied by a complete dependence on Christ” (“Building Bridges of Understanding,” Ensign, June 1998, 65).