Alma 42:1 concerning the justice of God in the punishment of the
sinner
As an introduction to
chapter 42, we should remember the words of Joseph Smith, “I have a key
by which I understand the scriptures. I enquire, what was the question which
drew out the answer?” (Teachings, p. 276) The question which drew out
Alma’s answer was Corianton’s concern that it is unfair for God to punish
sinners.
This provides an interesting
character study on young Corianton. The sinner, especially the sinner who has been
taught the truth from his childhood, always has to develop some rationalization
to deal with the internal conflict which results from knowing right and
choosing wrong. Corianton’s version of this is common—to question God’s
fairness in the punishment of the sinner. This argument appeals to the “life is
not fair” mentality. It is designed as an excuse, which Alma recognizes, Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point
because of your sins (v. 30). The Corianton doctrine was also taught by
Nephi, there shall also be many which shall say:
Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing
a little sin…and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few
stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God (2 Ne
28:8). After leaving his mission and committing adultery with a harlot,
Corianton rationalized that he was worthy of a few
stripes, not the eternal consignation to a
state of misery.
Alma 42:2 the Lord God sent our first parents forth from the garden
of Eden
Alma begins his discussion
with a quotation of scripture. The words of verse two were taken from Genesis
3:23-24 as recorded on the brass plates of Laban. There are subtle differences
between the translations which are worth examining. It is also instructive that
Alma follows a righteous pattern in his teaching. To deal with his son’s
concerns, he first turns to the scriptures.
Alma 42:2 What are
cherubim and a flaming sword?
Cherubim are heavenly
creatures whose exact form and function are unknown. The revelations of other
heavenly creatures suggest that these are not figurative but intelligent
servants of God. The word cherubim is the plural form of the singular,
cherub. Bruce R. McConkie said,
“Apparently a cherub is an angel of some particular order or rank to whom
specific duties and work are assigned. That portion of the Lord's word which is
now available among men does not set forth clearly either the identity or work
of these heavenly beings.” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 124.)
Even less is known of the
flaming sword. The early brethren considered the flaming sword to be a figure
for an angel of God who wields a flaming sword in the defense of truth (Journal
of Discourses 4:43; 13:180). During the early Kirtland period, spiritual
manifestations were frequent. One experience confirms this concept, “Elder
Roger Orton saw a mighty angel riding upon a horse of fire, with a flaming
sword in his hand, followed by five others, encircle the house, and protect the
Saints.” (History of the Church, 2:386) Finally, Elder John W. Taylor,
while paraphrasing DC 7:6, made an interesting change in the text, “More
blessed is my servant John, because he desires to tarry upon the earth to bring
souls unto me, and to do a greater work than he has yet done, and verily, I say
unto you, I will make him a flaming sword of fire and a ministering
angel unto all those who shall be heirs of salvation to them that dwell upon
the earth.” (Conference Report, Oct. 1900, p. 56, italics added) We cannot
know for sure whether John the Beloved is necessarily the angel who kept the
way of the tree of life, but that the term flaming sword refers to an
angel who is given a special assignment of protection.
Alma 42:3 man had become as God, knowing good and evil
Knowledge of good and evil
are not the only reasons why Adam and Eve became as gods. Not only did they
know good from evil, but they had been placed in a state to act upon that
knowledge. Not only had they been placed in a state to act according to their
will, but they had been given possession of physical bodies. In the pre-mortal
world, the only beings who had such knowledge, freedom to act upon it, and a
body of flesh and bones were Gods. The irony is that this great privilege was
given to mortals in a state of probation, in effect, to see if they could use
these principles wisely enough to become as God in
every other way.
Alma 42:4 a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God
Two scriptures require our
attention. The first comes from Lehi, And the days
of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they
might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of
probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which
the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all
men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the
transgression of their parents (2 Ne 2:21). The second comes from Alma
himself, there was a space granted unto man in which
he might repent; therefore this life became a
probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that
endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection
of the dead (Alma 12:24).
“Time
is a gift from the Lord, Alma also recorded, wherein His children can learn to
become more like Him. ‘And thus we see, that there
was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to
repent and serve God.’ (Alma 42:4.)
“Too
quickly, lives can pass away ‘like as it were unto
us a dream...’ (Jacob 7:26.) Each spent minute is gone forever. It
should be invested more carefully than gold, one philosopher said, because a
fortune lost can be reclaimed, but time lost cannot.
“There
are different demands on peoples’ time at various stages of life. ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every
purpose under the heaven.’ (Ecc. 3:1.) But consistent throughout a
person’s lifetime is the command: ‘Thou shalt not
idle away thy time...’ (D&C 60:13.)” (Church News, 12/30/89)
Hugh Nibley
“We
are being tested every minute of the day by the choices we make, by the
reactions we have, by the things we say, by the things we think about. It's
like the ancient Christian doctrine of the two ways, the way to the right and
the way to left, whichever they are. You must make the choice, and you may have
made the wrong choice every day of your life up until now, but as long as you
are here it is still not too late. You can still make the right choice-every
minute you can make the right choice. It's never too late to make the right
one…We have a time to repent; ‘therefore this life
became a probationary state.’ Well, it can't be anything else; it's a
time to prepare to meet God. That's why we need the gospel here.” (Teachings
of the Book of Mormon, Lecture 48, p. 327)
Alma 42:5 if Adam had put forth his hand immediately…the great plan
of salvation would have been frustrated
Had Adam partaken of the
tree of life after his fall, he would have had instant immortality. On the
surface, this sounds great! But he would have been immortal in a fallen state.
He would have condemned himself to eternity in a telestial existence with its
spontaneous thorns and thistles and food supply contingent upon the sweat of
the brow (Moses 4:23-25). This was not according to the Lord’s plan and could
not be allowed.
Therefore, we learn that
death is a blessing. Clearly, the mythical search for a fountain of youth is a
misguided adventure. This mortal probation with its pains, travails, and
mistakes can only end with the blessing of death, whose sting was swallowed up
in Christ’s infinite atonement. All this is according to the great plan of
salvation which God would not allow to be frustrated.
Bruce R. McConkie
“Alma
said, ‘the word of God would have been void, and the
great plan of salvation would have been frustrated.’ Adam must fall;
Adam must die spiritually; Adam must repent and keep the commandments and live
again spiritually; Adam must die temporally; Adam must be raised in the
resurrection -- all this must be or he could not be saved.” (A New Witness
for the Articles of Faith, p. 88)
Bruce R. McConkie
“Such
is the divine will. Fall thou must, O
mighty Michael. Fall? Yes, plunge down from thy immortal state of
peace, perfection, and glory to a lower existence… Yes, Adam, fall; fall for
thine own good; fall for the good of all mankind; fall that man may be; bring
death into the world; do that which will cause an atonement to be made, with
all the infinite and eternal blessings which flow therefrom.
“And
so Adam fell as fall he must. But he
fell by breaking a lesser law-so that he too, having thereby transgressed,
would become subject to sin and need a Redeemer and be privileged to work out
his own salvation, even as would be the case with all those upon whom the
effects of his fall would come.” (The Promised Messiah, pp. 220-21)
Alma 42:6 man became lost forever, yea, they became fallen man
“Adam
brought the fallen condition, mortality, through partaking of the forbidden
fruit. All men and women are subject to
this condition. All. Jehovah spoke to Adam: ‘Inasmuch as thy
children are conceived in sin, even so when they begin to grow up, sin
conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to
prize the good’ (Moses 6:55).
Robert L. Millet has written:
‘No, of course we do not believe, with Calvin, in the moral depravity of
men and women. No, we do not believe,
with Luther, that man, because of his carnality and depravity, does not, even
have the power to choose good over evil.
And we do not believe that children are born in sin, that they inherit
the so-called sin of Adam either through sexual union or by birth. Rather, children are conceived in sin:
meaning first, that they are conceived into a world of sin, and second, that
conception is the vehicle by which the effects of the Fall (not the original
transgression, which God has forgiven) are transmitted to Adam's posterity. To say that we are not punished for the
transgression is not to say that we are not subject to and affected by it. . .
. Adam's fallen nature is passed on to his children and thereby from generation
to generation. Thus sin is implanted in
man's nature at conception, just as death is implanted at the same time. Both of these- death and sin- are present
only in seed form at conception, and therefore a child is neither dead nor
sinful when born. Death and sin do,
however, come to pass as a result of man's nature as he grows up. Sin comes naturally, just as does death.’ (Life
in Christ, pp. 24-25.)
“This
is what we call the fall of man. Adam,
and thus all of us as his children, were freed from whatever ‘original guilt’
might once have been as a result of Adam's transgression (see Moses
6:53-54). But what of our own
fall? Gerald N. Lund has written: ‘If we know good from evil and then sin (which,
according to Paul, all men do), then we must talk about a second fall. This is not the fall of Adam. This is one's own personal fall. This fall, which our own, not Adam's,
transgression brings about, requires redemption as surely as mankind needed
redemption from the consequences of Adam's fall. We'll term this the 'fall of me.' . . . Now, since we have no one
to blame for this except ourselves, our redemption becomes conditional upon our
actions. This is what Lehi meant [2
Nephi 2:7] when he said that the sacrifice that the Messiah offered to satisfy
the ends of the law is viable only for those with a broken heart and a contrite
spirit.’ (Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation, p. 95.)” (McConkie and
Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 314)
Alma 42:7 our first parents were cut off both temporally and
spiritually
“The
‘first death,’ which was suffered by Adam and Eve upon their banishment from
the Garden of Eden, is described by Alma as being ‘cut
off both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord’ (D&C
29:41; Alma 42:7-11). The parents of the human race were not the first to
suffer such a ‘death,’ for it had been previously decreed for Lucifer and those
spirits who chose to follow him in rebelling against righteousness (D&C
29:36-37; Rev. 12:7-9; 2 Ne. 2:17-18).
“President
Joseph Fielding Smith said this ‘death ... has passed upon all men who have
remained unrepentant and who have not received the gospel. Those who have
suffered the first spiritual death or departure, which is a shutting out
from the presence of God, have the privilege of being redeemed from this
death through obedience to the principles of the gospel. Through baptism and
confirmation they are born again and thus come back into spiritual
life, and through their continued obedience to the end, they shall be made
partakers of the blessings of eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God.’
(DS 2:222-23; italics added.)” (Hoyt J. Brewster, Doctrine & Covenants
Encyclopedia, p. 184)
Bruce R. McConkie
“Thus
‘all mankind,’ meaning all who have arrived
at the years of accountability, are spiritually dead, and they so remain until
they attain unto spiritual life through baptism and the receipt of the gift of
the Holy Ghost.” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 757)
Alma 42:8 the great plan of happiness
Joseph Smith
“In
obedience there is joy and peace unspotted…and as God has designed our
happiness—and the happiness of all His creatures, he never has—He never will
institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not
calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed, and which
will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the
recipients of his laws and ordinances.” (Teachings, p. 256-7 as taken from Latter-day
Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 345)
Alma 42:11,14 their souls were miserable, being cut off from the
presence of the Lord
At this point, let’s return
to the question which Alma is addressing. Corianton thinks it is unfair for the
wicked to be miserable forever. Alma’s response is to show him that (in the
absence of the Atonement) the Fall places everyone in an eternal state
of misery, even spiritual death. This sets the stage for the conclusion that we
are all eternally indebted to God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ for the
plan of redemption. Without it, sinners as well as the most righteous would be consigned to a state of misery…shut out from the presence
of our God…to remain with the father of lies, in misery (v. 1; 2 Ne
9:9).
Alma 42:14 all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice
Jeffrey R. Holland
“This
loving, charitable, and merciful generosity of the Savior raises the inevitable
question of the place of justice in his working out of the Atonement. The
balance between seemingly contradictory principles is examined in the Book of
Mormon most skillfully and—because it is a father speaking to his own
transgressing son—most sensitively by Alma the Younger when instructing his son
Corianton.
“Obviously
the demands of justice require that penalties must be paid for violation of the
law. Adam transgressed and so have all of us; thus the judgment of death
(physically) and the consequences of hell (spiritually) is pronounced as a just
reward. Furthermore, once guilty, none of us could personally do anything to
overcome that fate. We do not have in us the seeds of immortality allowing us
to conquer death physically, and we have not been perfect in our behavior, thus
forfeiting the purity that would let us return to the presence of God
spiritually. Furthermore, God cannot simply turn a blind eye to the breaking of
divine law, because in so doing he would dishonor justice and would ‘cease to be God,’ which thing he would never do.
The sorry truth for mortal men and women was, then, that ‘there was no means to reclaim [them] from this fallen state which man had brought upon himself
because of his own disobedience.’ (Alma 42:12)
“‘Thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the
grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be
cut off from his presence.’ (Alma
42:14)” (Christ And The New Covenant, p. 226)
Alma 42:15 the plan of mercy
The plan of mercy is the
plan of salvation’s answer to the law of justice. In the discussion of sin,
law, and punishment, the law comes first. It is a principle as eternal as God
himself. Its integrity must be preserved at all cost, for as soon as the law of
justice is destroyed, so is God’s divinity (v. 22). Against this seemingly
unrelenting force, we place ourselves in a very precarious position when we
sin. Without the plan of mercy, we would be like an ant under a falling anvil,
waiting for our well-deserved, crushing punishment. The plan of mercy,
fortunately intercedes. Boyd K. Packer said, “Through Him mercy can be
fully extended to each of us without offending the eternal law of justice.”
(Dallin H. Oaks, The Lord’s Way, p. 218) Remarkably, the plan of mercy
simultaneously preserves the law and offers protection to the violator of the
law.
Bruce R. McConkie
“Mercy
is thus for the repentant, the faithful, the obedient, those who love and serve
God. All other fail to escape the clutches of justice. ‘Blessed
are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.’ (Matt. 5:7.) ‘Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is
merciful.’ (Luke 6:36.) Salvation is the reward of those who conform to
the plan of mercy. ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6.)
“So
infinite in scope is the plan of mercy that it applies to the living and the
dead. Those who did not have the opportunity to subject themselves by
repentance to the plan of mercy while in this life, but who would have done so
had the opportunity been afforded them, will have their chance in the spirit
world; they shall then be saved from the grasp of justice and, reaping the full
blessings of mercy, shall go on to celestial reward.
“’There
is never a time when the spirit is too old to approach God,’ the Prophet said.
‘All are within the reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed the
unpardonable sin, which hath no forgiveness, neither in this world, nor in the
world to come. There is a way to release the spirits of the dead; that is by
the power and authority of the priesthood -- by binding and loosing on earth.
This doctrine appears glorious, inasmuch as it exhibits the greatness of divine
compassion and benevolence in the extent of the plan of human salvation.’ (Teachings,
pp. 191-192.)” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 486)
Alma 42:18 remorse of conscience
George F. Richards
“I would have the Saints, myself included, avoid as
far as possible the disappointments and sorrow here in life, and hereafter,
resulting from sin and neglect. Many of our sorrows, and the greatest sorrows
we experience in life, are of our own making, and could have been averted.
“Remorse of conscience, resulting from sin, is among
the greatest of sorrows, and the hardest to heal. No person can afford to
commit sin. There is no satisfaction derived from so doing that will justify
the sorrow and remorse that result therefrom. Many of our sorrows in life are
the result of [thoughtlessness] on our part. We do things that are unwise, and
hurtful to ourselves and to others, not having first thought the thing through,
and considered the inevitable consequences.” (Conference Report, Apr.
1945, p. 130)
Harold B. Lee
“Remorse of conscience is the greatest hell. The
greatest hell that one can suffer is the burning of one's conscience. The
scriptures say his thoughts will condemn him, he'll have a bright recollection
of all his life (see Alma 12:14; 11:43). You'll remember that in the scriptures
they speak of the Lamb's book of life, which is a record kept of man's life
which is kept in heaven. Well, who keeps that record? Not only the records on
earth, but there's a record of our lives in heaven. Men will be judged
according to the records that have been kept of our lives. (See D&C
128:6-7.) Now, when we fail of that highest degree of glory and realize what
we've lost, there will be a burning of the conscience that will be worse than
any physical kind of fire that I assume one could suffer.” (Teachings of
Harold B. Lee, p. 67)
Alma 42:19-21 if there was no law given
Jeffrey R. Holland
“The
claims of justice must be honored. The absence of law or the lack of any
penalty for breaking it would leave the world in amoral chaos. Alma asked
rhetorically, ‘If there was no law given—if a man
murdered he should die—would he be afraid he would die if he should murder? And
also, if there was no law given against sin men would not be afraid to sin.’ Clearly one of the purposes of law and the
firm demands of justice behind it is its preventive impact.” (Christ And The
New Covenant, p. 226)
Alma 42:22 justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law
“Who
or what ‘inflicteth the punishment’ demanded
by a broken law?
“Inasmuch
as every law has both a punishment and a blessing affixed to it, punishments
(or miseries) are the natural result of disobedience to the law, whereas
blessings are the natural results of obedience. Thus, when a person
transgresses a law (or sins) and suffering or punishment results, he brings
upon himself the suffering and the ‘law inflicteth
the punishment.’ (Read Helaman 14:30- 31.) It is foolish to blame God
for our suffering, for if all men were 100 percent righteous there would be no
suffering. The following analogy might help to illustrate this point: If you
counsel a person not to touch a hot stove or he will be burned, and he then
disregards your counsel, touches the hot stove, and is burned, what caused him
to be burned -- you or the stove? Likewise, if the Lord commands you not to do
a certain thing or you will suffer, and you then disregard the counsel of the
Lord, commit the sin, and then suffer, who caused your suffering -- the Lord,
or your willful disobedience of divine law?” (Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion
To Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p. 229)
Dallin H. Oaks
“Justice
has many meanings. One is balance. A popular symbol of justice is scales in
balance. Thus, when the laws of man have been violated, justice usually
requires that a punishment be imposed, a penalty that will restore the
balance…Punishments prescribed by the laws of man only follow the judge’s action,
but under the laws of God the consequences and penalties of sin are inherent in
the act…by itself, justice is uncompromising. The justice of God holds each of
us responsible for our own transgressions and automatically imposes the
penalty.” (Latter-day
Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p.
346)
Alma 42:23 mercy claimeth the penitent
Bruce C. Hafen
“Mercy
is thus rehabilitative, not retributive or arbitrary. The Lord asks repentance
from a transgressor, not to compensate the Savior for paying the debt of
justice, but to induce the transgressor to undertake a meaningful process of
personal development toward a Christlike nature.
“At
the same time, mercy depends ultimately on the Lord's extension of unmerited
grace. Even though conditioned on repentance for personal sins, mercy is never
fully ‘earned’ by its recipients. Repentance is a necessary, but not a
sufficient, condition of salvation and exaltation. ‘For
we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do’ (2
Ne. 25:23). The unearned nature of mercy is demonstrated by the Atonement's
having unconditionally compensated for the disabilities imposed on mankind by
the Fall of Adam. Adam and Eve and their posterity were utterly powerless to
overcome the physical and spiritual deaths that were introduced by the Fall.
Moreover, transgressors do not ‘pay’ fully for their sins through the process
of repentance. Even though repentance requires restitution to the extent of
one's ability, most forms of restitution are beyond any person's ability to
achieve. No matter how complete our repentance, it would all be to no avail
without a mediator willing and able to pay our debt to justice, on condition of
our repentance. Thus, even with sincere and complete repentance, all are
utterly dependent on Jesus Christ.” (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 776)
Alma 42:23 mercy cometh because of the atonement
Bruce R. McConkie
“As
justice is the child of the fall, so mercy is the offspring of the atonement.”
(The Promised Messiah, p. 245)
Alma 42:25 do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice?
Boyd K. Packer
“There
once was a man who wanted something very much. It seemed more important than
anything else in his life. In order for him to have his desire, he incurred a
great debt.
“He
had been warned about going into that much debt, and particularly about his
creditor. But it seemed so important for him to do what he wanted to do and to
have what he wanted right now. He was sure he could pay for it later.
“So
he signed a contract. He would pay it off sometime along the way. He didn't
worry too much about it, for the due date seemed such a long time away. He had
what he wanted now, and that was what seemed important.
The
creditor was always somewhere in the back of his mind, and he made token
payments now and again, thinking somehow that the day of reckoning really would
never come.
“But
as it always does, the day came, and the contract fell due. The debt had not
been fully paid. His creditor appeared and demanded payment in full.
“Only
then did he realize that his creditor not only had the power to repossess all
that he owned, but the power to cast him into prison as well.
‘I
cannot pay you, for I have not the power to do so,’ he confessed. ‘Then,’ said
the creditor, ‘we will exercise the contract, take your possessions, and you
shall go to prison. You agreed to that. It was your choice. You signed the
contract, and now it must be enforced.’
“’Can
you not extend the time or forgive the debt?’ the debtor begged. ‘Arrange some
way for me to keep what I have and not go to prison. Surely you believe in
mercy? Will you not show mercy?’
“The
creditor replied, ‘Mercy is always so one sided. It would serve only you. If I
show mercy to you, it will leave me unpaid. It is justice I demand. Do you
believe in justice?’
“’I
believed in justice when I signed the contract,’ the debtor said. ‘It was on my
side then, for I thought it would protect me. I did not need mercy then, nor
think I should need it ever. Justice, I thought, would serve both of us equally
as well.’
“’It
is justice that demands that you pay the contract or suffer the penalty,’ the
creditor replied. ‘That is the law. You have agreed to it and that is the way
it must be. Mercy cannot rob justice.’
“There
they were: One meting out justice, the other pleading for mercy. Neither could
prevail except at the expense of the other.
“’If
you do not forgive the debt there will be no mercy,’ the debtor pleaded.
‘If
I do, there will be no justice,’ was the reply.
“Both
laws, it seemed, could not be served. They are two eternal ideals that appear
to contradict one another. Is there no way for justice to be fully served, and
mercy also?
“There
is a way! The law of justice can be fully satisfied and mercy can be fully
extended-but it takes someone else. And so it happened this time.
The
debtor had a friend. He came to help. He knew the debtor well. He knew him to
be shortsighted. He thought him foolish to have gotten himself into such a
predicament. Nevertheless, he wanted to help because he loved him. He stepped
between them, faced the creditor, and made this offer.
“’I
will pay the debt if you will free the debtor from his contract so that he may
keep his possessions and not go to prison.’
“As
the creditor was pondering the offer, the mediator added, ‘You demanded
justice. Though he cannot pay you, I will do so. You will have been justly
dealt with and can ask no more. It would not be just.’
“And
so the creditor agreed.
“The
mediator turned then to the debtor. ‘If I pay your debt, will you accept me as
your creditor?’
“’Oh
yes, yes,’ cried the debtor. ‘You save me from prison and show mercy to me.’
“’Then,’
said the benefactor, ‘you will pay the debt to me and I will set the terms. It
will not be easy, but it will be possible. I will provide a way. You need not
go to prison.’
“And
so it was that the creditor was paid in full. He had been justly dealt with. No
contract had been broken.
“The
debtor, in turn, had been extended mercy. Both laws stood fulfilled. Because
there was a mediator, justice had claimed its full share, and mercy was fully
satisfied.
Each
Lives on Spiritual Credit
“Each
of us lives on a kind of spiritual credit. One day the account
will
be closed, a settlement demanded. However casually we may view it now, when
that day comes and the foreclosure is imminent, we will look around in restless
agony for someone, anyone, to help us.
“And,
by eternal law, mercy cannot be extended save there be one who is both willing
and able to assume our debt and pay the price and arrange the terms for our
redemption.
“Unless
there is a mediator, unless we have a friend, the full weight of justice
untempered, unsympathetic, must, positively must, fall on us. The full
recompense for every transgression, however minor or however deep, will be
exacted from us to the uttermost farthing.
“But
know this: Truth, glorious truth, proclaims there is such a mediator.
‘For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus.’ (1 Timothy 2:5.)
“Through
Him mercy can be fully extended to each of us without offending the eternal law
of justice.
“This
truth is the very root of Christian doctrine. You may know much about the
gospel as it branches out from there, but if you only know the branches and
those branches do not touch that root, if they have been cut free from that
truth, there will be no life nor substance nor redemption in them.
Mercy
Is Not Automatic
“The
extension of mercy will not be automatic. It will be through covenants with
Him. It will be on His terms, His generous terms, which include, as an absolute
essential, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins.
“All
mankind can be protected by the law of justice, and at once each of us
individually may be extended the redeeming and healing blessing of mercy.
“A
knowledge of what I am talking about is of a very practical value. It is very
useful and very helpful personally; it opens the way for each of us to keep his
spiritual accounts paid up.
“You,
perhaps, are among those troubled people. When you come face to face with
yourself in those moments of quiet contemplation-that many of us try to
avoid-are there some unsettled things that bother you?
“Do
you have something on your conscience? Are you still, to one degree or another,
guilty of anything small or large?
“We
often try to solve guilt problems by telling one another that they don't
matter. But somehow, deep inside, we don't believe one another. Nor do we
believe ourselves if we say it. We know better. They do matter!
Our
transgressions are all added to our account, and one day if it is not properly
settled, each of us, like Belshazzar of Babylon, will be weighed in the balance
and found wanting.” (That All May Be Edified, p. 318-21)
Alma 42:29 let these things trouble you no more, and only let your
sins trouble you
Alma wants Corianton to stop
questioning the justice of God and start worrying about what he should be
concerned with—his own sins. Here, Alma demonstrates great insight into the
mind of the sinner. With this gentle, understated rebuke, Alma recognizes that
the mind of the sinner rarely focuses on sin. Rather, as with Corianton, the
mind will search for conflict within his belief system. He will become critical
of Church leaders, wrest the scriptures, or as with Corianton, question the
justice of God himself. The mind which is at fault is quick to find fault. In
this way, the mind protects itself from the remorse of
conscience which inevitably follows from knowingly violating the laws of
God.
Alma 42:30 O my son, I desire that ye should deny the justice of God
no more
“Corianton's
sins were grievous. And yet we have
every reason to believe that Alma's preaching touched the soul of his errant
son, that Corianton ‘crossed himself’ (see
Alma 39:9), repented, and returned to the ministry. We read of Corianton's labors a year or so later: ‘Thus ended the
nineteenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. Yea, and there was continual peace among
them, and exceedingly great prosperity in the church because of their heed and
diligence which they gave unto the word of God, which was declared unto them by
Helaman, and Shiblon, and Corianton, and Ammon and his brethren, yea, and by
all those who had been ordained by the holy order of God.’ (Alma
49:29-30.)
“Elder
Orson F. Whitney held out this hope for the parents of wandering or wayward
children: ‘You parents of the wilful
and the wayward: Don't give them
up. Don't cast them off. They are not utterly lost. The shepherd will find his sheep. They were his before they were yours- long
before he entrusted them to your care; and you cannot begin to love them as he
loves them. They have but strayed in
ignorance from the Path of Right, and God is merciful to ignorance. Only the fulness of knowledge brings the
fulness of accountability. Our Heavenly
Father is far more merciful, infinitely more charitable, than even the best of
his servants, and the Everlasting Gospel is mightier in power to save than our
narrow finite minds can comprehend.’ (CR, April 1929, p. 110.)” (McConkie
& Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p.
320)