righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is
just; merciful for that which is merciful.
Alma 41:14
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.
Alma 41:15
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 42 Chapter 42
Alma 42:1
1 And now, my son, I perceive there is somewhat more which doth
worry your mind, which ye cannot understand—which is concerning
the justice of God in the punishment of the sinner; for ye do try
to suppose that it is injustice that the sinner should be
consigned to a state of misery.
Alma 42:2
2 Now behold, my son, I will explain this thing unto thee. For
behold, after the Lord God sent our first parents forth from the
garden of Eden, to till the ground, from whence they were
taken—yea, he drew out the man, and he placed at the east end of
the garden of Eden, cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned
every way, to keep the tree of life—
Alma 42:3
3 Now, we see that the man had become as God, knowing good and
evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the
tree of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God placed
cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of the
fruit—
Alma 42:4
4 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 42:5
5 For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and
partaken of the tree of life, he would have lived forever,
according to the word of God, having no space for repentance;
yea, and also the word of God would have been void, and the great
plan of salvation would have been frustrated.
Alma 42:6
6 But behold, it was appointed unto man to die—therefore, as
they were cut off from the tree of life they should be cut off
from the face of the earth—and man became lost forever, yea,
they became fallen man.
Alma 42:7
7 And now, ye see by this that our first parents were cut off
both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord;
and thus we see they became subjects to follow after their own
will.
Alma 42:8
8 Now behold, it was not expedient that man should be reclaimed
from this temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan
of happiness.
Alma 42:9
9 Therefore, as the soul could never die, and the fall had
brought upon all mankind a spiritual death as well as a temporal,
that is, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord, it was
expedient that mankind should be reclaimed from this spiritual
death.
Alma 42:10
10 Therefore, as they had become carnal, sensual, and devilish,
by nature, this probationary state became a state for them to
prepare; it became a preparatory state.
Alma 42:11
11 And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of
redemption, (laying it aside) as soon as they were dead their
souls were miserable, being cut off from the presence of the
Lord.
Alma 42:12
12 And now, there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen
state, which man had brought upon himself because of his own
disobedience;
Alma 42:13
13 Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could
not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in
this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except
it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except
it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice
could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.
Alma 42:14
14 And 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 42:15
15 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.
Alma 42:16
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.
Alma 42:17
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?
Alma 42:18
18 Now, there was a punishment affixed, and a just law given,
which brought remorse of conscience unto man.
Alma 42:19
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?
Alma 42:20
20 And also, if there was no law given against sin men would not
be afraid