22 But there is a law
given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance,
mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law,
and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be
destroyed, and God would cease to be God.
23 But God ceaseth not
to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the
atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and
the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and
thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their
works, according to the law and justice. (Alma 42:22-23)
Alma continues to explain the law, justice, mercy, repentance,
and the atonement to Corianton.
A law is given and a punishment is attached. ‘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).
“Wherefore, he saves all except them—they shall go away into
everlasting punishment, which is endless punishment, which is eternal
punishment, to reign with the devil and his angels in eternity, where their
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, which is their torment” (D&C 76:44).
To this, a repentance is granted. “For I will declare mine
iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin” (Psalm 38:18).
“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one
according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all
your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin” (Ezekiel 18:30).
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso
confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
“And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and
forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart
that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye
do them” (Mosiah 4:10).
Through repentance, mercy claims that person. Without it,
justice claims that person and executes the law and the punishment. Without
Christ’s atonement, the person would be lost because of justices demands. “Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13).
If this were not so, God’s works would be destroyed and God
would cease to be God.
“The Atonement and the
Resurrection accomplish many things. The Atonement cleanses us of sin on
condition of our repentance. Repentance is the condition on which mercy is
extended. After all we can do to pay to the uttermost farthing and
make right our wrongs, the Savior’s grace is activated in our lives through the
Atonement, which purifies us and can perfect us.”[1]
However, God does not cease to be God. Those who repent are
claimed by mercy.
“But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to
everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s
children” (Psalm 103:17).
“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is
merciful” (Psalm 116:5).
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3).
“In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but
with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy
Redeemer” (3 Nephi 22:8).
“Behold, verily thus saith the Lord unto you, O ye elders of
my church, who are assembled upon this spot, whose sins are now forgiven you,
for I, the Lord, forgive sins, and am merciful unto those who confess their
sins with humble hearts” (D&C 61:2).
Mercy comes to us through the atonement. “Listen to the
voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath
atoned for your sins” (D&C 29:1).
The atonement brings the resurrection of the dead.
“Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things
known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no
flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and
mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the
flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to
pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise” (2 Nephi
2:8).
“Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which
was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no
resurrection of the dead; but there was a plan of redemption laid, which shall
bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken” (Alma
12:25).
Through the resurrection, we are brought back into God’s
presence.
“For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come;
yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass
the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence
of the Lord.
“Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection,
and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all
mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are
considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.
“But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind,
yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.
“Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance,
that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but
whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh
upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off
again as to things pertaining to righteousness” (Helaman 14:15-18).
At that time, we will be judged according to our works and the law and justice.
“And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall
minister judgment to the people in uprightness” (Psalm 9:8).
“Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge
the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath
given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts
17:31).
“For I command all men, both in the east and in the west,
and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they
shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall
be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works,
according to that which is written” (2 Nephi 29:11).
“And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is
baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him
will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge
the world” (3 Nephi 27:16).
“This unique mortal mission of the Lord—the gospel as He defined it—we know as the Atonement. The fulness of the gospel, therefore, connotes a fuller
comprehension of the Atonement. This we do not obtain from the
Bible alone. The word atonement, in any of its
forms, is mentioned only once in the King James Version of the New Testament. In
the Book of Mormon, it appears 39 times! The Book of Mormon also contains more references to the
Resurrection than does the Bible.” (emphasis in original)[2]
[2] A
Testimony of the Book of Mormon, President Russell M. Nelson, October 1999
General Conference.
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