16 Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were
a punishment, which also was eternal as the life of the soul should be, affixed
opposite to the plan of happiness, which was as eternal also as the life of the
soul.
17 Now, how could a man repent except he should sin? How
could he sin if there was no law? How could there be a law save there was a
punishment?
18 Now, there was a punishment affixed, and a just law
given, which brought remorse of conscience unto man.
19 Now, if there was no law given—if a man murdered he
should die—would he be afraid he would die if he should murder?
20 And also, if there was no law given against sin men would
not be afraid to sin.
21 And if there was no law given, if men sinned what could
justice do, or mercy either, for they would have no claim upon the creature? (Alma 42:16-21)
Alma continues teaching Corianton.
The only way there could be repentance was if there was a
punishment. “Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with
my almighty power; and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these
punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the
least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit” (D&C 19:20).
The punishment is as eternal as the life of the soul.
“For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it!
For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is
endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore—
“Eternal punishment is God’s punishment.
“Endless punishment is God’s punishment” (D&C 19:10-12).
The punishment affixed was opposite to the plan of happiness.
“And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto
God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him
according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the
law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which
is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the
happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement
“For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all
things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be
brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good
nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if
it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither
death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor
insensibility” (2 Nephi 2:10-11).
“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all
things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose
liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose
captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he
seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27).
“And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the
children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never
should have bitter they could not know the sweet” (D&C 29:39).
The plan of happiness is as eternal as the soul. “O that ye
would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and
shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which
bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the
eternal gulf of misery and woe” (2 Nephi 1:13).
We cannot repent lest we sin. “We have sinned with our
fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly” (Psalm 106:6).
Without a law, how could there be a punishment. “Because the
law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15).
“For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not
imputed when there is no law” (Romans 5:13).
“Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law
given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no
condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of
Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered
by the power of him” (2 Nephi 9:25).
“The Gospel of Jesus Christ
is founded on law, salutary, righteous, benevolent law, established or the
salvation and the blessing of humanity. For every law given, there is a penalty
for its infraction … The Savior himself declared that he came to fulfill the
law, not to do away with it but with the law he brought the principle of
merry to temper its enforcement, and to bring hope and encouragement to
offenders for forgiveness through repentance.”[1]
With a law given, and punishment affixed, our conscience brings
remorse when we sin.
“So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself,
and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a
stone at her…
“And they which heard it, being convicted by their own
conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last:
and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst” (John 8:7, 9).
“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;
but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your
consciences” (2 Corinthians 5:11).
“Consider sin as a spiritual
wound that causes guilt or, as described by Alma to his son Corianton, ‘remorse
of conscience.’ Guilt is to our spirit what pain is to our body—a warning
of danger and a protection from additional damage. From the Atonement of the
Savior flows the soothing salve that can heal our spiritual wounds and remove
guilt. However, this salve can only be applied through the principles of faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, and consistent obedience. The results of
sincere repentance are peace of conscience, comfort, and spiritual healing and
renewal.”[2]
Alma uses the example of murder to make his point, He asks
if there was no law, what would keep someone from committing murder? There is a
law. “And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus
24:17).
“I say, thou shalt not kill; but he that killeth shall die”
(D&C 42:19).
Without the law, we would not be afraid to sin.
Without a law, neither justice nor mercy would have a claim
on us.
“Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law
given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no
condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of
Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered
by the power of him.
“For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice
upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from
that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and
brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave
them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel” (2 Nephi 9:25-26).
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