Alma 41:11-15

11 And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.

12 And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature?

13 O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful.

14 Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.

15 For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all. (Alma 41:11-15).

Alma finishes discussing the resurrection with Corianton.

All men are in a state of nature which is a carnal state. “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” (Mosiah 3:19).

“For to be carnally minded is death” (Romans 8:6).

“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men” (1 Corinthians 3:3).

“But remember that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the devil hath all power over him. Therefore he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God” (Mosiah 16:5).

They are in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity.

“And there shall also be heard of wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places.

“Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity” (Mormon 8:30-31).

“While [false teachers] promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants [GR slaves] of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage” (2 Peter 2:19).

They are without God in this world. “Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye” (Mosiah 27:31).

They have gone contrary to God’s nature. They are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.

“But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head” (Helaman 13:38).

“So we see that, due to the fall, all men inherit a carnal nature, one that is completely aligned with the devil in his warfare against God. All men are an ‘enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God’ (Mosiah 16:5). All men ‘subject themselves to the devil,’ and hence they all sin and thereby make themselves unworthy to enter the kingdom of God. As the brother of Jared said, ‘Because of the fall our natures have become evil continually’ (Ether 3:2).

“As strong as this doctrine may be, the Book of Mormon goes further still. Not only does the Book of Mormon teach that fallen man is incapable of doing all good, it also teaches that fallen man is incapable of doing any good”[1]

Alma asks, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature” (Alma 41:12).

Alma explains restoration brings back evil for evil, carnal for carnal, devilish for devilish.

“Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10).

“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:11-12).

Good will be restored for what is good, righteous for what is righteous, just for what is just, and merciful for what is merciful.

Alma tells Corianton to be merciful to his brethren. Deal justly and judge righteously.

“Now these are the words which Jesus taught his disciples that they should say unto the people.

“Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment.” (JST Matthew 7:1-2).

“And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit” (D&C 11:12).

Do good continually. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).[2]

If he does these things, he will receive his reward. Mercy will be restored to him. He will have righteous judgement and have good rewarded to him once again.

“Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth” (Psalm 58:11).

“Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you” (Alma 32:43).

“Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward” (D&C 6:33).

“The merciful man doeth good to his own soul…” (Proverbs 11:17).

“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

Whatever he sends out will return to him and be restored. “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1). “[T]he word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all” (Alma 41:15).

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[1] Cry Redemption: The Plan of Redemption as Taught in the Book of Mormon, Corbin T. Volluz, Maxwell Institute website.

[2] “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the vices of world” (JST James 1:27).