and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death,
that all shall be raised from this temporal death; the spirit and the
body shall be reunited again in perfect form; both limb and joint shall
be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and
we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now
and have a bright recollection of all our guilt. Now this restoration
shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free; both male
and female, both the wicked and the righteous and even there shall
not so much as a hair of their heads be lost but all things shall be
restored to their perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and
shall be brought and arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and
God, the Father, and the Holy Spirit which is one Eternal God, to be
judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they
be evil. Now, behold, I have spoken unto you, concerning the death of
the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal
body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal
body; that is from death; even from the first death unto life, that
they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to
be divided. Thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they
can no more see corruption" (Alma Ch. xi:42-45).]
[Footnote F: Doc. & Cov. Sec. 29:41.]
So Alma, explaining the fall of man, and how God gave unto men
commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption,
saying: "That they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a
second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining to
righteousness."[A]
[Footnote A: Alma xii:31, 32.]
Again Alma, describing the impenitent dead before the bar of God, says:
"And now behold I say unto you, then cometh a death, even a second
death, which is a spiritual death; then is a time that whosoever
dieth in sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual
death; yea he shall die as to things pertaining unto righteousness;
* * * Then I say unto you, they shall be as though there had been
no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to God's
justice; and they cannot die, seeing there is no more corruption."[A]
[Footnote A: Alma xii:16, 18.]
Samuel the Lamanite prophet says: "The resurrection of Christ redeemeth
mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the
presence of the Lord; * * * but whosoever repenteth not * * * then cometh
upon them again a spiritual death, for they are cut off again as to
things pertaining to righteousness."[A]
[Footnote A: Helaman Ch. xiv:17, 18.]
3. Men as Dependent on the Atonement for Individual Sins as for
Redemption from Adam's Sin: As already remarked, men having
transgressed the law of God by their own personal violations of it,
they are helpless of themselves to make satisfaction to the justice of
God;[A] and are just as dependent upon a Redeemer to rescue them from
the spiritual effects of their personal transgression of the divine law
as from the effects of Adam's fall. Also, under a reign of law, God may
not pardon men for their individual sins by arbitrary act of sovereign
will. He may no more set aside the claims of justice unsatisfied in
the case of men's personal sins than in the case of Adam's first sin.
In both cases "a necessary and immanent attribute of Deity" stands
in the way of the non-infliction of the penalty due to sin, _viz._,
the attribute of Justice, which not even the attribute of Mercy may
displace, or rob of that satisfaction which is due. God must act in
harmony with his own attributes.
[Footnote A: The late Elder Orson Pratt, put this doctrine of the
helplessness of man to escape the penalty of his own sin in the most
forcible manner. He said: "We believe that all who have done evil,
having a knowledge of the law, or afterwards in this life coming to
the knowledge thereof, are under a penalty, which is not inflicted
in this world but in the world to come. Therefore such in this world
are prisoners, shut up under the sentence of law, awaiting with awful
fear for the time of judgment, when the penalty shall be inflicted,
consigning them to a second banishment from the presence of their
Redeemer, who had redeemed them from the penalty of the first law.
But, enquires the sinner, is there no way for escape? Is my case
hopeless? Can I not devise some way by which I can extricate myself
from the penalty of the second law and escape this second banishment?
The answer is,--if thou canst hide thyself from the all-searching eye
of an Omnipresent God, that he shall not find thee, or if thou canst
prevail with him to deny justice its claim, or if thou canst clothe
thyself with power, and contend with the Almighty, and prevent him
from executing the sentence of the law, then thou canst escape. If
thou canst cause repentance, or baptism in water, or any of thine
own works, to atone for the least of thy transgressions, then thou
canst deliver thyself from the awful penalty that awaits thee. But be
assured, O sinner, that thou canst not devise any way of thine own to
escape, nor do anything that will atone for thy sins, therefore, thy
case is hopeless, unless God hath devised some way for thy deliverance"
(Remarkable Visions, Orson Pratt's Works).]
_4. Identical Principles Operative in Man's Individual Sins as in
Adam's Sin:_ In the case of man's individual violations of law,
as in Adam's sin, the inexorableness of law holds good.[A] Thus
satisfaction to justice in the case of individual sins like the
satisfaction to justice for Adam's sin, must be rendered by God to
God, "since only Deity can satisfy the claims of Deity." There is the
same act against the honor of God; hence the same question of rank
and dignity in the one who makes the Atonement. The same necessity
for one not only willing but capable of making the Atonement, by
suffering the penalty due to the sins of all men. He must suffer for
them; for the ground work of their forgiveness and restoration to union
with God must be that the penalty due to their sin has been paid.
This or Justice goes unsatisfied--Mercy robs Justice or else the law
must take its course and punishment be actually inflicted upon the
transgressors which leaves man to a life of eternal misery, alienated
from God, separated from the source of spiritual life and light; no
longer in union with the power divine that could uplift and direct him
to sublime heights of moral and spiritual excellence--man, under such
circumstances, would indeed be spiritually dead, and dead eternally,
since he is helpless to extricate himself from such conditions, as a
sinner can not justify his sin, nor a criminal pardon his own crime.
But to leave the punishment to be actually inflicted upon man would
thwart the purpose of God with reference to man's earth-life; for God
designed that mail's earth-life should eventuate in his happiness,
in the union of man with God. "Men are that they might have joy." By
other Book of Mormon teachers the plan for man's redemption is called
"the plan of happiness," "the great plan of happiness;"[B] and as this
happiness depends upon union and communion with God, it is proper to
think of the gospel as contemplating the spiritual union of man with
Deity.
[Footnote A: Behold justice exerciseth all his demands. * * * What! do
ye suppose that mercy-can rob justice? I say unto you, nay; not point
urged by the Nephite writer is that God will act in harmony with his
attributes, see the context--the whole chapter.]
[Footnote B: Alma xlii:8, 15.]
We conclude then that for man's individual sins as for Adam's sin,
though differing in some respects already noted, involves the same
necessity of Atonement to the honor of God by one equal with God--hence
God.
There is the same inexorableness of law; the same helplessness on the
part of man to make satisfaction for his sin, hence man's dependence
upon a vicarious atonement, if he is to find redemption at all. There
is the same need for capacity in the one making the atonement to
make full satisfaction to the justice of God by paying the uttermost
farthing of man's obligations to the law; the idea of satisfaction
necessarily involves that of penal suffering, coupling together those
two ideas, satisfaction and expiation; or satisfaction to Justice
through expiation. The Deity who redeems man must pay the penalty due
to sin by suffering in man's stead.
_5. Motive Force of the Atonement:_ And what shall prompt a Deity
to make such an atonement? Two attributes of the Deity now a long
time kept in the back ground, viz., Love and Mercy. We have seen and
considered at some length the helplessness of man in the midst of
those earth conditions necessary to his progress; God saw it from the
beginning; and--
"God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth on him might not perish but have everlasting
life.
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but
that the world through him might be saved."
"He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth
not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God.
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were
evil."[A]
[Footnote A: St. John iii:16-19.]
LESSON XIX.
(Scripture Reading Exercise.)
THE ADVENT OF MERCY INTO THE EARTH-SCHEME OF THINGS.
ANALYSIS.
I. Source of Redemption.
II. Antiquity of the Plan of Redemption.
III. Vicarious Work of the Christ.
IV. The Balancing of the Claims of Justice and Mercy.
V. Man's Part in the Scheme of Redemption--Repent or Suffer.
VI. The Advent of Mercy--Alternatives.
VII. The Justice, Wisdom and Mercy of God.
REFERENCES.
The references of Lesson XVIII.
Also Taylor's Mediation and Atonement, Chs. xix, xxiv, xxv; and the
text and context of the passages of scriptures quoted and cited in this
lesson.
_SPECIAL TEXT: "The law entered that sin might abound. But when sin
abounded, grace did more abound that as sin hath reigned unto death,
even so might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life by
Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. v:20, 21.)_
DISCUSSION.
_1. Manner of the Christ's Atonement Foreshadowed:_ This lesson
continues with the truth with which the last one concluded, viz., "God
so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever
believeth on him might not perish, but have everlasting life." This
declaration is preceded in the testimony of John with the following:
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish but have eternal life."[A]
[Footnote A: St. John iii:14, 15.]
Showing the manner of Christ's atonement.
Peter the chief of the Judean apostles, and hence chief of the
witnesses for the great truth of salvation through Christ, says: "For
Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that
he might bring us to God."[A]
[Footnote A: I Peter iii:18.]
_2. Source of Redemption:_ Inexorableness of Justice: The Nephite
writers are even more explicit. Lehi says:
"The way is prepared and salvation is free, and men are
sufficiently instructed that they know good from evil. And the law
is given unto men. And by the law, no flesh is justified; or, by
the law, men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law, they were cut
off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is
good, and become miserable forever. Wherefore, redemption cometh in
and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.
Behold he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends
of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite
spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered."[A]
[Footnote A: II Nephi ii;4-7.]
So also Jacob, brother of the first Nephi, said: "And he [the Christ]
cometh into the world that he may save all men, if they will hearken
unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men; yea the
pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who
belong to the family of Adam."[A]
[Footnote A: Ibid ix:21.]
_3. Antiquity of the Plan of Man's Redemption:_ After explaining
that it was appointed unto men to die, "and after death they must
come to judgment;" and that God saw that it was expedient that men
should come to a knowledge of these things and accordingly, from early
time,[A] "sent angels to converse with them, who caused men to behold
the glory of God"--Alma says:
[Footnote A: Book of Moses--P. of G. P--Ch. v:6-8, 58.]
"And they began from that time forth to call on his name;
therefore God conversed with men, and made known unto them the
plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation
of the world; and this he made known unto them according to their
faith and repentance, and their holy works; wherefore he gave
commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first
commandments as to things which were temporal and becoming as
Gods, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to
act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills
and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good; therefore God
gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them
the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty
thereof being a second death, which was everlasting death as to
things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of
redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not
be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God. But God
did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of
redemption which was laid) saying, 'If ye will repent, and harden
not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine
only begotten Son; therefore, whosoever repenteth and hardeneth
not his heart, he shall have a claim on mercy through mine only
begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter
into my rest. And whosoever will harden his heart, and will do
iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into
my rest."[A]
[Footnote A: Alma xii:29-35.]
_4. The Vicarious Work of the Christ and Its Purpose:_ Again Alma:
"Behold I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among
the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his
people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the
Lord God hath spoken it; for it is expedient that an atonement
should be made; for according to the great plan of the eternal
God, there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must
unavoidably perish; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must
perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient
should be made And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law;
every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that
great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God; yea, infinite
and eternal; and thus he shall bring salvation to all those who
shall believe on his name; and this being the intent of this last
sacrifice to bring about the bowels of mercy, which over powereth
justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith
unto repentance. And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice,
and encircle them [the penitent sinners] in the arms of safety,
while he that exercises no faith unto repentance, is exposed to the
whole law of the demands of justice therefore only unto him that
has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal
plan of redemption."[A]
[Footnote A: Alma xxxiv:8, 9, 14-16.]
_5. The Counter Claims of Justice and Mercy--Mercy Triumphant:_
And again Alma:
"All mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice;
yea, the justice of God which consigned them for ever to be cut
off from his presence. And now the plan of mercy could not be
brought about, except an atonement should be made; therefore God
himself atoneth for the sins of the world to bring about the plan
of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a
perfect, just God, and a merciful God also. * * * 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. 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; for behold justice exerciseth all his demands, and also
mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus none but the truly
penitent are saved. What! do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice?
I say unto you, nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be
God. And thus God bringeth about his great and eternal purposes
which were prepared from the foundation of the world. And thus
cometh about the salvation and the redemption of men, and also
their destruction and misery."[A]
[Footnote A: Alma xlii.]
The revelations given through Joseph Smith are equally explicit:
"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; for,
behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh;
wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might
repent and come unto him."[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. & Cov. Sec. 18:10, 11.]
_6. Man Must Repent or Suffer:_ And again:
"And surely every man must repent or suffer, for I, God, am
endless; wherefore, I revoke not the judgment which I shall pass,
but woes shall go forth, weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth,
yea, to those who are found on my left hand; nevertheless it is
not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it
is written endless torment. * * * Therefore I command you to repent,
repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath,
and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore--how sore you know
not! how exquisite you know not! yea, how hard to bear ye know
not! For behold, I, God have suffered these things for all, that
they might not suffer if they would repent. But if they would not
repent, they must suffer even as I. Which suffering caused myself,
even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to
bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit; and would
that I might not drink the bitter cup and shrink--nevertheless,
glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations
unto the children of men; 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."[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. & Cov. Sec. 19:4-6, and 15-20.]
_7. The Advent of Mercy--Summary:_ From the doctrines of these
scriptures, how like a flood comes rushing into this world-scheme
of things the Love and Mercy of God! The Justice of God, as we have
seen, has been exacting--otherwise it would not be Justice, the very
nature of Justice is to be exacting--demanding all that is its due
satisfaction for the injured honor and majesty of God; and the penalty
due to broken law. But once these claims are satisfied, Justice is
silent, and Love and Mercy have free range to bring to pass the
complete redemption of man.
Let us for a moment contemplate our theme from this view-point though
at the cost of iteration.
God, loving always the spirits of men, desires their progress and their
eternal happiness.[A]
[Footnote A: See Lesson IV where the doctrine is worked out in detail.]
To achieve this the union of spirit and earth-elements are necessary,
that the spirit may get more perfect self expression, and attain to
higher manifestations and power than would otherwise be possible.[A]
[Footnote A: See Lesson IV where the doctrine is developed somewhat in
detail.]
Also to achieve this end, the experience of earth-life amid broken
harmonies is necessary; the experience of viewing opposite existences
in conflict--good and evil; faith and doubt; hope and despair; victory
and defeat; freedom and bondage; joy and sorrow; perfect health and
physical pain; life and death.[A]
[Footnote A: The subject is discussed at length in Lesson VII.]
To bring to pass these broken harmonies that the rich lessons and
necessary experiences they teach may be available to man, there must
needs be "a fall of man," a violation of law, else there can be no
broken harmonies.
Man falls; Adam transgresses law and the earth-life of man begins among
all the conditions essential to his instruction and experience with
opposite existences in conflict.
But this violation of law, though necessary to these ends, is
nevertheless a violation of law, for which a satisfaction must be made
and that the broken harmonies may be restored.
Not only did Adam transgress law in order to bring to pass the
conditions necessary to man's instruction and consequent progress, but
man--all men--coming to years of accountability, also violate law--sin
on their own account and incur the consequences due to sin.
In both cases men are unable to restore that which was lost--give
satisfaction to the injured honor and insulted majesty of God, or
create grounds of justification for the pardon of man's sin; either for
Adam's transgression--the fall--or for man's personal sins.
_8. Alternatives--But One Admissable:_ This creates a situation
that can only be met in one of two ways if justice is to be maintained,
the integrity of the moral government of the world perpetuated, and the
harmony of God's attributes remain unbroken;
First: _Justice must take its course, the punishment must be inflicted
upon the actual sinner, leaving man to satisfy justice by an endless
misery; or_
Second: _God must satisfy his own claims against man; he must make a
satisfaction to justice, there must be a vicarious Atonement made for
man, since, as we have seen, man himself is helpless._
The adoption of the first of these alternatives would thwart the
general purpose of God with reference to man, the bringing to pass
his progress and the possibility of his eternal happiness; and also
it would violate the covenant of God with man, made before the world
began, the promise of eternal life.[A] This alternative, is impossible,
then, and may be dismissed without further consideration.
[Footnote A: Titus i:2.]
The second alternative is all that remains. God must make a vicarious
Atonement for man; a Deity must satisfy the claims of God's honor. God
must satisfy the demands of justice, that Mercy may assert her claims
and redeem man.
And that order of things is in force; that is "the great plan of
happiness"--the Gospel--"Glad tidings;" "Glad tidings of great joy,
which shall be unto all people."[A] Back of it, underlying it, is the
great Love of God for man; Love manifested in great acts of mercy; for
Mercy is but Love active.
[Footnote A: Luke ii:10.]
This Love prompts God to make reparation to God's honor, and satisfy
Justice by undergoing the penalty due to Adam's sin, that he might
bring to pass the resurrection from the dead; and make it possible for
man spirit and body united, to resume his union with God.
This Love prompts God to suffer for the individual sins of men; to pay
the penalty due to each man's sin, that there might be ground for man's
justification under the law. That Mercy might claim the sinner upon
conditions that Love may prescribe.
_9. The Justice, Wisdom, and Mercy of God:_ In view of all this is
it any marvel that men coming to a full consciousness of the balanced
claims of Justice and Mercy in ecstasy exclaim--as Jacob the brother of
Nephi did--
"O the greatness and the justice of our God! For he executeth all
his words, and they have gone forth out of his mouth, and his law
must be fulfilled. * * *
"O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel!
for he delivereth his saints, from that awful monster the devil,
and death and hell."[A]
"O the wisdom of God! his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh
should rise no more, our spirits must become subject to that angel
who fell from before the presence of the eternal God, and became
the devil, to rise no more."