Mosiah 3:10 - how does Christ coming to the earth and performing the atonement lead to a “righteous judgment” of the whole earth?

I've studied a lot recently about what the atonement really means, and how through the atonement Christ is able to judge us righteously. What does that even mean??

In a recent discussion with family members, we tried to understand why Christ's suffering was necessary for us to be saved. I realized that any time I am struggling with something, I naturally turn to others who have gone through something similar, and that enables me to overcome that trial. Without suffering every specific pain, sickness, and sin, Christ would have no way of understanding us, and he could not judge our situations appropriately.


In a recent General Conference talk given by James R. Rasband, he said, "To ensure a righteous judgment, the Savior’s atoning sacrifice will clear away the underbrush of ignorance and the painful thorns of hurt caused by others." He explains that Christ's righteous judgment is a fair judgment. Christ promises that our mistakes will not doom others—others we hurt can be healed through Christ when we cannot heal them ourselves. Like Alma the younger who led so many astray—he was promised that not only would he be forgiven, but all those who were led astray would be led back to the truth. There is no way for us to completely fix the harm we have caused to others.

In the Book of Mormon, Alma the Younger went about seeking “to destroy the church" (see Mosiah 27:8-10). In fact, Alma told his son Helaman that he was “tormented with the pains of hell” because he had effectively “murdered many of [God’s] children” by leading “them away unto destruction.” (Alma 36:13-14)

Elder Rasband says that "Alma explained to Helaman that peace finally came to him when his 'mind caught hold' on his father’s teaching 'concerning the coming of … Jesus Christ … to atone for the sins of the world.' (Alma 36:17-18) A penitent Alma pleaded for Christ’s mercy and then felt joy and relief when he realized that Christ had atoned for his sins and paid all that justice required. Again, what would justice have required of Alma? As Alma himself later taught, 'No unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God.' (Alma 40:26) Thus, part of Alma’s relief must have been that unless mercy interceded, justice would have prevented him from returning to live with Heavenly Father."

Mosiah 3:15 says that "the law of Moses availeth nothing except it were through the atonement of his blood." We are given laws to follow, but our salvation is not based on us obeying the law perfectly, our salvation is based off of Christ's mercy that comes through his atonement. Our salvation comes through turning to him, accepting we are imperfect, and allowing him to judge our hearts.

Verse 17 goes on to say, “And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.“

I’ve always looked at this verse in the sense that we have to “do” certain things and only those things to be saved. But I’m realizing more now that this means that no matter what we do, Christ is the only one who provides an opportunity for salvation. It’s important for us to learn of him and obey what he asks us to do, but there is also room for grace and allowing us to figure it out, and not think we have to “save ourselves” all on our own!

Verse 18 emphasizes that “he judgeth” and “his judgment is just.” It’s HIS judgment, not ours!


Alma 7:11-13 states:
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

"And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

"Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me."


Because of all that Christ experienced, He does not judge with a condemning heart but with a tolerant heart. He lets us fail and try again and again. He performed the atonement that he might be able to judge us righteously.

John 12:25 - What does this verse mean?

John 12:25 reads: "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."

The footnotes in the King James version of the Bible bring us to these verses:

"For whosoever will save his life, must be willing to lose it for my sake; and whosoever will be willing to lose his life for my sake, the same shall lose it. For what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and yet he receive him not whom God hath ordained, and he lose his own soul, and he himself be a castaway?" (JST, Luke 9:24-25)

I think that is the ultimate goal of this life, to figure out how to "lose our lives" in the service of God. The gospel teaches us that ultimate joy is found when we conduct our lives according to God's will, and that will bring the ultimate blessings in the world to come.

I've been studying Fowler's 6 Stages of Faith, and I think the person who lives this scripture to its fullest would be a Level 6 person: one who has reached a state of universal faith and who lives only to benefit others and please God. This is a rare stage to achieve, but I think John 12:25 is ideal in helping us understand our goal in working towards that highest stage of faith.

These articles answered this question best for me:

https://faithalone.org/grace-in-focus-articles/hating-your-life-to-keep-it-for-eternal-life-john-1225/
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/12-25.htm

Simply put, "The person who 'loves his life [psyche]' is one who is living for the now. He is contradicting Jesus’ command, 'Don’t lay up treasure on earth' (Matt 6:19). He is failing to serve Jesus: 'If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor,' (John 12:26).

"The person who 'hates his life [psyche]' is one who is living for the life to come. He is obeying Jesus’ command, 'Lay up treasure in heaven' (Matt 6:20). He is following Jesus and serving Him and will one day be honored by God (John 12:26)."

"Losing your life" requires a longterm perspective--it requires patience, faith, trust, and a desire to follow God no matter what happens. 

"What He is calling for is self denial. Followers of Jesus are to deny themselves any pleasures that stand in the path of glorifying and obeying God."


We assume that when Jesus says we should “deny” ourselves, he is talking only about sinful things. But he is really talking about the whole world of external attachment! In the context of properly “counting the cost” of becoming his disciple, Jesus states: “. . . Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33, NKJV). When Jesus says, “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life . . . will find it,” what is he referring to? When you meet someone new and ask questions to learn about their lives, how do they respond? They list their particular collection of attachments to people, things, places, and situations. A Yogic interpretation of this phrase would be “whoever desires to save his collection of attachments will lose his core spiritual nature, and whoever loses his collection of attachments will find his core spiritual nature.” (https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/pdf/146_30-45.pdf)

What is the difference between blessings and grace?

I listened to a podcast that changed the way I now think about blessings. (Podcast can be found here: Podcast #15: Let's Talk About Blessings July 16, 2019)

Susan Hinckley speaks about a lesson she taught in Sunday School based on Elder Dale G. Renlund's talk, "Abound with Blessings," given in April 2019.

***It is important to first of all recognize the definition of what it means to be "blessed." To be blessed is to be "made holy; consecrated."***

This definition is much different than our cultural definition of being blessed! We typically think of physical blessings, or things that are easy to see from the outside. But a blessing is not an event. It is independent of circumstance - it is an internal state, not an external one. We hear so much about "blessings" and tie those with circumstances or events--but God's blessings come when we learn to surrender control and feel an internal change through God's grace. We are made holy.

When we do specific actions to follow God's will, we often expect that He will bless us with safety. But life is so unpredictable and trials will happen that don't make sense and that leave us feeling confused and unsure and unstable--we sense that God has abandoned us!

To truly understand blessings, we realize we have to let go of the control aspect of receiving our blessings. We realize we really are not in control, and we don't have to do everything perfectly to receive blessings. We simply have to allow room for vulnerability and growth and unsurety.

In Elder Renlund's talk, he gave two lines that Sis. Hinckley really struggled to understand as she prepared for her lesson:

"Restored truth reveals that blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired actions on our part, both initial and ongoing, are essential."

"God has revealed that “there is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” That being said, you do not earn a blessing—that notion is false—but you do have to qualify for it."

So what is the difference between "earning" and "qualifying"?
We initially think we must do everything exactly right to get blessings from God. But to live for God's blessings doesn't mean to be perfect, it means to live with constant hope. Trusting, moving forward, allowing His grace to work in our lives, despite our imperfections. We let go of control and we open ourselves up to His grace. We seek more and ask more, instead of living such a pre-made structured life. We let go of all the ways we set up our lives to be and we allow room for growth and change and development.

Asking is for us, not for God. We ask so we are constantly seeking, so we are never comfortable.

So why are blessings usually synonymous with a "good/righteous life"?
So often we tie things that happen in our lives to "because I said my morning prayers" or "because I read my scriptures." This is a faulty expectation of how blessings really come. This is not to say doing those things does lead to good consequences, but we cannot tie all our actions to specific results, because we don't always know what God intends to bless us with.

It is easy to look at people who have a lot physically as "very blessed." Typically, though, those physical blessings that are so easy to look at are "as the world giveth." To really understand real blessings, we have to see past blessings "as the world giveth," but see them "as God giveth." As we accept the trials and imperfections of our lives, we see how God is sanctifying us and making us holy through that process. Blessings are not what we see, they go much deeper.

We have to be careful how we talk about blessings because they are intensely personal. A "blessing" that one person might receive is one that another person will not! We have to stop talking about them as external events and bring them internal!

There will always be things in our lives that we just don't know what to do with. Was God there, was He not there, where was He, why did He help this person find their car keys and then let my husband die from cancer, when were blessings tied to my actions and when did He simply give me grace despite my actions? This is where the question of grace comes in.

Probably one of the best ways I’ve heard grace described was this: “We do not earn grace... Its fruits are expressed in our righteousness.” (From The Temple by Ed J. Pinegar p. 57). 

Ed J. Pinegar's book The Temple explains grace as a power that comes from God to enable us to do good works. Acts 10:38 explains "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Bro. Pinegar explains that “these scriptures surely demonstrate that our works follow our faith and conversion to Christ and that the good we do comes from God and the power He puts into us.” (p. 57) He continues, “Instead of being a checkoff list of things to do, the commandments become a joyful expression of the love of God, the empowerment of the atonement, and the grace of God in our lives. ... We not only obtain a hope in Christ, but Christ empowers us, perfects us, and becomes our strength, too, ‘for in his strength [we] can do all things’ (Alma 26:12).” (p. 58)

Sometimes we need a little extra push to even have a desire to do good. Philippians 2:13 says that “it is God which worketh in you both TO WILL and TO DO his good pleasure.” He works in us to give us even a desire to do good works--that is his grace! But we cannot recognize or be open to that grace if we never act in faith to draw ourselves closer to Him.

Bro. Pinegar discusses in his book how worshipping God endows us with His power to do good (see p. 55). We are enabled and empowered when we worship! Sometimes we need that power outside ourselves, even just to go out and serve. God's grace helps us WANT to do good.

Finally, an important reminder in the scriptures: "Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things." (Jacob 4:7)


As I've studied, this is how I have come to understand Grace versus Blessings:

• Grace is unconditional and applicable to existence and the world a whole. Blessings are typically much more personal and specific.
• When we're really struggling, we feel a need for more control and we feel like we need to "do" our way out of the situation. But the real answer is that we need to simply "OFFER IT UP." Sit still, be open, receive whatever it is we're supposed to be receiving, GIVE AWAY CONTROL, and allow grace. That is when the real blessings come.
• Things falling apart are really a form of testing and even healing. We think we are supposed to get through it and have more control, but we need to allow room for grief, misery, healing, joy, growth. That is the essence of blessings. ***That is when you are really living for your blessings--not doing more, but allowing more.***
• Allowing grace is not about DOING, it is about BEING. 

I often connect blessings with actions and think that I will only receive good things from God if I "do" all the right things. Dallin H. Oaks spoke in 2009 about "love versus law," and I think this quote beautifully captures the essence of the relationship between actions and obedience: "The love of God is so universal that His perfect plan bestows many gifts on all of His children, even those who disobey His laws. Mortality is one such gift, bestowed on all who qualified in the War in Heaven. Another unconditional gift is the universal resurrection: 'For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive' (1 Corinthians 15:22). Many other mortal gifts are not tied to our personal obedience to law. As Jesus taught, our Heavenly Father 'maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust' (Matthew 5:45).

"If only we will listen, we can know of God’s love and feel it, even when we are disobedient. A woman recently returned to Church activity gave this description in a sacrament meeting talk: 'He has always been there for me, even when I rejected Him. He has always guided me and comforted me with His tender mercies all around me, but I [was] too angry to see and accept incidents and feelings as such.'"

He continues to clarify:

"God’s choicest blessings are clearly contingent upon obedience to God’s laws and commandments. The key teaching is from modern revelation:

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (D&C 130:20–21).

"This great principle helps us understand the why of many things, like justice and mercy balanced by the Atonement. It also explains why God will not forestall the exercise of agency by His children. Agency—our power to choose—is fundamental to the gospel plan that brings us to earth. God does not intervene to forestall the consequences of some persons’ choices in order to protect the well-being of other persons—even when they kill, injure, or oppress one another—for this would destroy His plan for our eternal progress. He will bless us to endure the consequences of others’ choices, but He will not prevent those choices."


I am sometimes internally guilted into doing good things because I feel like I will be "punished" otherwise, but my good works should simply be a reflection of my gratitude for God. He is really in charge, and without His grace we could do or be nothing. As I start focusing on ALLOWING more rather than DOING more I will naturally surrender my will to God's and recognize His hand more in my life. What a beautiful lesson!

What is the difference between wickedness vs righteousness? What does it mean to be "damned"?

The main goal of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to help people find Christ so He can "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). There is no lower standard taught. Lately I've been thinking a lot about how there are so many levels of "righteousness," and not everybody will choose to make it to the highest degree of celestial glory after this life. But I have met so many good people of different faiths who live better lives than some people of my own Christian faith, so how does that all play out in the end? If there are so many "levels," why do the scriptures sound so black and white when it comes to wickedness verses righteousness? What does this look like in the Final Judgment?

I do want to begin with a disclaimer that I do not in any way feel any right or ability to "judge" anyone else's place in the kingdom of God. All of my study has been purely for my own understanding, without making assumptions about the judgment of anybody's life. I am purely curious and wanting to gain more understanding in order to improve my own life. I love the counsel given in Romans 14:10-14 that says:

"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

"Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way." 

It is with these scriptures in mind that I approach this study.



In the "Guide to the Scriptures," damnation is defined this way:

• The state of being stopped in one’s progress and denied access to the presence of God and His glory. Damnation exists in varying degrees. All who do not obtain the fulness of celestial exaltation will to some degree be limited in their progress and privileges, and they will be damned to that extent. (See Mark 16:16; John 5:29; 2 Ne. 9:24; Morm. 9:4, Ether 4:18; 3 Ne. 26:5; D&C 68:9, 84:74.

Elder David A. Bednar taught in a recent General Conference talk the following about "damnation":

"Satan does not have a body, and his eternal progress has been halted. Just as water flowing in a riverbed is stopped by a dam, so the adversary’s eternal progress is thwarted because he does not have a physical body. Because of his rebellion, Lucifer has denied himself all of the mortal blessings and experiences made possible through a tabernacle of flesh and bones. One of the potent scriptural meanings of the word damned is illustrated in his inability to continue progressing and becoming like our Heavenly Father.

"Because a physical body is so central to the Father’s plan of happiness and our spiritual development, Lucifer seeks to frustrate our progression by tempting us to use our bodies improperly. President Russell M. Nelson has taught that spiritual safety ultimately lies in “‘never taking the first enticing step toward going where you should not go and doing what you should not do.’ … As human beings we all have [physical] appetites necessary for our survival. ‘These appetites are absolutely essential for the perpetuation of life. So, what does the adversary do? … He attacks us through our appetites. He tempts us to eat things we should not eat, to drink things we should not drink, and to love as we should not love!’”

"One of the ultimate ironies of eternity is that the adversary, who is miserable precisely because he has no physical body, invites and entices us to share in his misery through the improper use of our bodies. The very tool he does not have and cannot use is thus the primary target of his attempts to lure us to physical and spiritual destruction."


The scriptures teach that there are many tools given to us that are meant to keep our eternal progress moving forward so our progress is not stopped by the devil and his followers:

“And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day” (2 Nephi 33:14).

In 2 Nephi 9, we are told that those who do not have the law of the gospel taught to them are immune to the "demands of justice" (vs. 26). But "wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!" (vs. 27).

We are warned not to trust in our own knowledge without also relying on the counsel of God (see 2 Nephi 9:28-29). If our hearts our closed and unwilling, God will not open up to us (see 2 Nephi 9:40, 42).

2 Nephi 28 discusses how easy it can be to be "lulled away" by Satan if we fail to receive God's guidance and direction and commit our lives to Him:

19 For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;

20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!

25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!

27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!

28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.

29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.
2 Nephi 33:14 says, "And you that will not partake of the goodness of God, and respect the words of the Jews, and also my words, and the words which shall proceed forth out of the mouth of the Lamb of God, behold, I bid you an everlasting farewell, for these words shall condemn you at the last day."


The words in the scriptures to me sound very depressing and harsh and they make me worry about anyone who might choose anything other than God's path for them. I found some comfort in these words taught by some well known Church leaders:

D&C 19:4–12. Great Additional Truths Concerning God’s Punishments

"These verses provide one of the most important insights into the Judgment found anywhere in scripture. Elder James E. Talmage stated: “During this hundred years [of Church history] many other great truths not known before, have been declared to the people, and one of the greatest is that to hell there is an exit as well as an entrance. Hell is no place to which a vindictive judge sends prisoners to suffer and to be punished principally for his glory; but it is a place prepared for the teaching, the disciplining of those who failed to learn here upon the earth what they should have learned. True, we read of everlasting punishment, unending suffering, eternal damnation. That is a direful expression; but in his mercy the Lord has made plain what those words mean. ‘Eternal punishment,’ he says, is God’s punishment, for he is eternal; and that condition or state or possibility will ever exist for the sinner who deserves and really needs such condemnation; but this does not mean that the individual sufferer or sinner is to be eternally and everlastingly made to endure and suffer. No man will be kept in hell longer than is necessary to bring him to a fitness for something better. When he reaches that stage the prison doors will open and there will be rejoicing among the hosts who welcome him into a better state. The Lord has not abated in the least what he has said in earlier dispensations concerning the operation of his law and his gospel, but he has made clear unto us his goodness and mercy through it all, for it is his glory and his work to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1930, p. 97.)

D&C 19:7. Is There a Difference between Eternal Punishment and Eternal Damnation? 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained the difference between these two terms:

“Eternal damnation is the opposite of eternal life, and all those who do not gain eternal life, or exaltation in the highest heaven within the celestial kingdom, are partakers of eternal damnation. Their eternal condemnation is to have limitations imposed upon them so that they cannot progress to the state of godhood and gain a fulness of all things.

“They ‘remain separately and singly, without exaltation, … to all eternity; and from henceforth are not gods, but are angels of God forever and ever.’ (D. & C. 132:17.) Their kingdom or progress has an ‘end,’ and they ‘cannot have an increase.’ (D. & C. 131:4.) Spirit children are denied to them to all eternity, and they inherit ‘the deaths,’ meaning an absence of posterity in the resurrection. (D. & C. 132:16–25.)

“They are never redeemed from their spiritual fall and taken back into the full presence and glory of God. Only the obedient are ‘raised in immortality unto eternal life.’ The disobedient, ‘they that believe not,’ are raised in immortality ‘unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not.’ (D. & C. 29:42–44.)” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 234.)



When I wonder about the fairness of the afterlife, if one "sin" is worse than another "sin," and how judgment will work out in the end, I remember these words:

"My promise to you is one that a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles once made to me. I had said to him that because of choices some in our extended family had made, I doubted that we could be together in the world to come. He said, as well as I can remember, 'You are worrying about the wrong problem. You just live worthy of the celestial kingdom, and the family arrangements will be more wonderful than you can imagine.'” (Pres. Eyring, GC April 2019)


Sometimes people will look at the Church and see it as restrictive, narrow-minded, and limiting, because it claims to provide the "one way" to receive eternal life. Because there are so many beliefs and ideas of truth in the world, God has provided a pathway in his mercy to offer a consistent and reliable way for all people to return to Him. It is not to restrict, it is to free and enable and clarify. I found this passage in Richard Millet's The Doctrine of Merit that discusses Christ's role in our salvation because of the Fall:

"The Fall and the Atonement are a package deal; one brings the other into existence, and I am not aware of any discussion of the Atonement in the Book of Mormon that is not accompanied, either directly or by implication, with a discussion of the Fall. We do not appreciate and treasure the medicine until we appreciate the seriousness of the malady. One cannot look earnestly and longingly to the Redeemer if he or she does not sense the need for redemption. Jesus came to earth to do more than offer sage advice. He is not merely a benevolent consultant, a spiritual adviser. He came to save us."

"Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer" (1 Nephi 10:4-6; compare Alma 42:6). I am fascinated with the two words so descriptive of mortals—lost and fallen. Truly, as Isaiah declared (and as Abinadi quoted), "All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way" (Mosiah 14:6; compare Isaiah 53:6). The Good Shepherd thus comes on a search and rescue mission for all of His lost sheep. He who never took a moral detour or a backward step thus reaches out and reaches down to lift us up. We are lost in the sense that we do not know our way home without a guide, in the sense that we are alienated from God and separated from things of righteousness. We are fallen in the sense that we have chosen, like our Exemplar, to condescend and enter a telestial tenement; in the sense that our eternal spirit has taken up its temporary abode in a tabernacle of clay; in the sense that we must be lifted up, quickened, and resuscitated spiritually if we are to return to the divine presence."
(pgs. 112-113.)

Millet discusses the "natural man" that is within all of us that we are meant to overcome in order to align our will with God's:

"The natural man is an enemy to God in that he (or she) is operating on another agenda than God's, is doing everything in his or her power to bring to pass their own whims and wishes, and in general has placed his or her will above that of the Captain of our souls. President Brigham Young taught that "the natural man is at enmity with God. That fallen nature in every one is naturally opposed, inherently, through the fall, to God and to His Kingdom, and wants nothing to do with them." Such persons are thereby operating at cross-purposes to the Father's plan for the salvation and redemption of His children and thus prove to be their own worst enemy. "All men that are in a state of nature," Alma observed, "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" (Alma 42:11)." (pg. 115)
...
"By means of the Atonement, the finite is reconciled to the Infinite, the incomplete to the Complete, the unfinished to the Finished, the imperfect to the Perfect. . . . The plan of salvation is not just a program bent on making bad men good and good men better, though it certainly does that; rather, it is a system of salvation that seeks to renovate society and transform the whole of humankind." (pg. 116)

So how do we access the Atonement in order to overcome the natural man? How are we "transformed" by God's plan of salvation and Christ's atonement?

"The Book of Mormon teaches that we are saved by merit, but not by our own merit. "Since man had fallen," Aaron explained to the father of Lamoni, "he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth" (Alma 22:14; emphasis added). This requires a bit of explanation. Of course, we are expected to receive the ordinances of salvation, work faithfully in the kingdom, perform acts of Christian service, and endure faithfully to the end. Of course, we are required to do the works of righteousness. These things are necessary—they evidence our covenant with Christ to follow Him and keep His commandments. They are necessary, but they are not sufficient.

"Through the Church, we receive the ordinances of salvation. Through the Church, we sing and preach and rejoice. Through the Church, we learn to love and serve one another, to contribute to the edification and growth of the "body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12), to officiate in a system of organized sacrifice. But our hope for salvation is not in a system, not in an organization, not in a program, inspired and God-ordained though it may be. Our hope is in Christ, the Person. In a world that offers flimsy and fleeting remedies for mortal despair, Jesus comes to us in our moments of need with a "more excellent hope" (Ether 12:32). What Jesus Christ has done speaks volumes concerning what He can do and what He will do for us." (pgs. 116-17)
..,
"It is only through exercising faith in the name of Jesus Christ—meaning His power or authority, His atoning mission and work—that salvation comes to the children of men (see Acts 4:12; 2 Nephi 9:24; Mosiah 3:17; 26:22; Alma 22:13; Helaman 14:13)." (pg. 118)
...
"This strength, this enlivening influence, this spiritual change about which we have been speaking, does not come to us just because we work harder or longer hours. It comes as a result of working smarter, working in conjunction with the Lord God Omnipotent. Elder Gene R. Cook pointed out that "if we can obtain the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that divine enabling power to assist us, we will triumph in this life and be exalted in the life to come. . . . I bear witness that if we will seek the grace of God, He will come to our aid and the aid of our loved ones in times of need." President Brigham Young likewise testified: "My faith is, when we have done all we can, then the Lord is under obligation, and will not disappoint the faithful; He will perform the rest." (pg. 124-125)
...
So on the one hand, Latter-day Saint scripture and prophetic teachings establish the essential truth that salvation is free and that it comes by grace, through God's unmerited favor. On the other hand, ancient and modern prophets set forth the equally vital point that works are a necessary though insufficient condition for salvation. We will be judged according to our works, not according to the merits of our works, but to the extent that our works manifest to God who and what we have become. (pg. 127)
...
C. S. Lewis explained: "Christians have often disputed as to whether what leads the Christian home is good actions, or Faith in Christ. . . . You see, we are now trying to understand, and to separate into water-tight compartments, what exactly God does and what man does when God and man are working together." (pg. 128)
..,
What does it mean, therefore, to "work out our own salvation"? (Philippians 2:12). Certainly not to attempt to do it by ourselves, for the divine word is sure and clear—such is impossible. Certainly not to accept Christ and His gospel and then live however we choose, utterly disregarding the standards of Christian discipleship—such is an offense to God, and we will answer for the same on the day of judgment. No, it means to pray and trust in the Lord God as though everything depended upon Him, and also to work and labor as though everything depended upon Him! If I rely wholly upon the merits of Christ (see 2 Nephi 31:19), how much do I rely upon myself to be saved? If I rely alone upon the merits of Christ (see Moroni 6:4), how much do I rely upon myself to be saved? The answer to both questions is a resounding "NONE." This is not a matter of self-confidence; it is a matter of confidence in Christ. I have a role in my own salvation, but peace and assurance and hope come because of what Jesus the Redeemer has done and will do to qualify me for life with Him one day. Thus, the grace of God, provided through the intercession of the Savior, is free yet expensive; it is costly grace, "costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. . . . Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son, . . . and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us." (pgs. 128-129)
...
"Because we are human—because we are weak and mortal and tired—we will probably never reach the point in this life when we have done "all we can do." Too many of us misread 2 Nephi 25:23 and conclude that the Lord can assist us only after, meaning following the time that, we have done "all we can do." In fact, the Lord can and does help us all along the way. I think Nephi is trying to emphasize that no matter how much we do, it simply will not be enough to guarantee salvation without Christ's intervention. Restating Nephi, "Above and beyond all we can do, notwithstanding all we can do, it is by the grace of Christ that we are saved." And what is true of our ultimate salvation is true of our daily walk and talk, of our personality and our passions. Above and beyond all efforts at self-control, behavior modification, or reducing our sins to manageable categories, "everything which really needs to be done in our souls can only be done by God." (pg. 130)

...

"There is a very real sense in which "all we can do" is come before the Lord in reverent humility, confess our weakness, and plead for His forgiveness, for His mercy and grace. It occurred to me recently that life is repentance, that progression and improvement and growth and maturity and refinement are all forms of repentance, and that the God-fearing live in a constant state of repentance." (pg. 131)


In a 1995 Conference Address, Pres. Ballard discussed the importance of agency in this life:

Critical to our knowledge of the plan of happiness is an understanding of the great governing principle of agency. A person does not have to spend much time in the schoolroom of mortality to realize that Heavenly Father’s plan does not provide for blissful happiness at every step along our mortal journey. Life is filled with harsh realities that tug at the heart and tear away at the soul.

We tend to think of agency as a personal matter. If we ask someone to define “moral agency,” the answer will probably be something like this: “Moral agency means I am free to make choices for myself.” Often overlooked is the fact that choices have consequences; we forget also that agency offers the same privilege of choice to others. At times we will be affected adversely by the way other people choose to exercise their agency. Our Heavenly Father feels so strongly about protecting our agency that he allows his children to exercise it, either for good or for evil.

We mortals have a limited view of life from the eternal perspective. But if we know and understand Heavenly Father’s plan, we realize that dealing with adversity is one of the chief ways we are tested. Our faith in our Heavenly Father and his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, is the source of inner strength. Through faith we can find peace, comfort, and the courage to endure. As we trust in God and his plan for our happiness with all our hearts and lean not unto our own understanding (see Prov. 3:5), hope is born. Hope grows out of faith and gives meaning and purpose to all we do. It can give us comfort in the face of adversity, strength in times of trial, and peace when we have reason for doubt or anguish.

By focusing on and living the principles of Heavenly Father’s plan for our eternal happiness, we can separate ourselves from the wickedness of the world. If we are anchored to the correct understanding of who we are, why we are here on this earth, and where we can go after this mortal life, Satan cannot threaten our happiness through any form of temptation. If we are determined to live by Heavenly Father’s plan, we will use our God-given moral agency to make decisions based on revealed truth, not on the opinions of others or on the current thinking of the world.

Those who live according to Heavenly Father’s eternal plan will not want to absorb any information that is illicit or untoward, nor will they destroy their spiritual sensitivity through immoral acts or the consumption of any harmful substances. Neither will they search for doctrinal loopholes to find reasons to challenge the ordained leadership of the Church nor tamper with the simple truths of the gospel. They will not attempt to justify any lifestyle that is contrary to the plan of happiness. If they do any of these things, they will never find the inner peace and joy that living the gospel brings. All of our Father’s children can seek prayerfully to know who they are and can find real happiness if they obey God’s commandments and endure to the end. President Howard W. Hunter said:

"There is nothing sad or gloomy about a person who accepts the truths of the gospel and incorporates these principles in his daily living. God wants all of his children to be joyous and glad, and we can have this blessing if we are willing to keep his commandments and live by his word in all that we do” (in Conference Report, Sept./Oct. 1961, p. 108).

When I find myself worrying about another person's happiness or where they might end up in the afterlife according to the poor choices they are making in this life, I try to remember these words from Pres. Eyring's conference talk in 2019:

“You are worried about the wrong things. You should be worried about whether you will get to those places. Concentrate on that. If you get there, all of it will be more wonderful than you can imagine.”

“When we ask ourselves what we know about the spirit world from the standard works, the answer is ‘not as much as we often think.’”

Of course, we know from the scriptures that after our bodies die we continue to live as spirits in the spirit world. The scriptures also teach that this spirit world is divided between those who have been “righteous” or “just” during life and those who have been wicked. They also describe how some faithful spirits teach the gospel to those who have been wicked or rebellious (see 1 Peter 3:19; Doctrine and Covenants 138:19–20, 29, 32, 37). Most important, modern revelation reveals that the work of salvation goes forward in the spirit world (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:30–34, 58), and although we are urged not to procrastinate our repentance during mortality (see Alma 13:27), we are taught that some repentance is possible there (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:58).

The gospel is preached to the ignorant, the unrepentant, and the rebellious so they can be freed from their bondage and go forward to the blessings a loving Heavenly Father has in store for them.
(I appreciate Eyring's specification here of who the gospel is preached to in the spirit world, because it helps define for me what "wickedness" really means. All people will sin and make mistakes at some point in this life, but it is those who refuse to change or repent who will not receive the ultimate blessings of the gospel.)

The spirit-world bondage that applies to righteous converted souls is their need to await—and perhaps even be allowed to prompt—the performance of their proxy ordinances on earth so they can be baptized and enjoy the blessings of the Holy Ghost (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:30–37, 57–58).2 These mortal proxy ordinances also empower them to go forward under priesthood authority to enlarge the hosts of the righteous who can preach the gospel to the spirits in prison.

Beyond these basics, our canon of scripture contains very little about the spirit world that follows death and precedes the Final Judgment. So what else do we know about the spirit world?

... For all questions about the spirit world, I suggest two answers. First, remember that God loves His children and will surely do what is best for each of us. Second, remember this familiar Bible teaching, which has been most helpful to me on a multitude of unanswered questions:

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6).

Jacob 5 - What does the Lord of the vineyard mean when he says he is going to "lay up fruit against the season"?

Jacob 5 in the Book of Mormon contains a long parable about the "Lord's vineyard." This vineyard contains both tame and wild olive trees, which represent Israel and the gentiles. One theme to recognize in this parable is how people can be changed so that they who once rejected Christ might be ready for His Second Coming.

The entire chapter represents different time periods:
1. Before Christ (vs 4-15)
2. During the time of Christ (vs 16-28)
3. After Christ, during the Great Apostasy (vs 29-60)
4. The Gathering of Israel (vs. 61-77)

This whole chapter is so rich, but I want to focus on one particular phrase that caught my eye: to "lay up fruit against the season." I noticed this multiple times throughout the chapter, so I took some time to study what that means.

In Jacob 5:41-47 (the section describing the Great Apostasy, or the corruption of the gospel after the time of Jesus Christ), the Lord of the vineyard weeps because of the corruption of His vineyard. He asks multiple times,

"What more could I have done for my vineyard?"

In verse 46 He mourns:

"And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit; and these I had hoped to preserve, to have laid up fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self. But, behold, they have become like unto the wild olive tree, and they are of no worth but to be hewn down and cast into the fire; and it grieveth me that I should lose them."

In this context it seems that the Lord of the vineyard was trying to preserve good fruit despite the corrupt surroundings. He did all that He could to care for the trees in every part of the vineyard in order to produce good fruit. To me, this shows an unconditional love and desire that Christ has to bring us back to Him. He does everything He can to lead us to truth and peace, but ultimately it is our choice to follow Him.

Earlier in the chapter (verses 11-14, representing before the time of Christ), the Lord of the vineyard instructs his servant to graft in the natural branches of a tame olive tree into other trees of the vineyard:

"And the Lord of the vineyard caused that it should be digged about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might preserve them unto myself, I have done this thing.

"Wherefore, go thy way; watch the tree, and nourish it, according to my words.

"And these will I place in the nethermost part of my vineyard, whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee; and I do it that I may preserve unto myself the natural branches of the tree; and also, that I may lay up fruit thereof against the season, unto myself; for it grieveth me that I should lose this tree and the fruit thereof.

"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard went his way, and hid the natural branches of the tame olive tree in the nethermost parts of the vineyard, some in one and some in another, according to his will and pleasure."

The "grafting" that the servant of the vineyard refers to the steps that each person must take to receive the full blessings of the kingdom of God: the steps of faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Taking these steps allows people to be nourished by God's word and have a deeper understanding of His truth and His plan. As Jacob 5 illustrates, throughout time the world has gone through periods of corruption and periods of peace. But God has always provided ways for people to find the fulness of the gospel and to again be "grafted" into His family. Throughout time, God has "laid up fruit against the season" to preserve His gospel even during times of corruption.

I am grateful for God's unconditional love and for His desire to bring us back to live with Him again after this life. His main purpose is to help us achieve "immortality and eternal life" (Moses 1:39), and He provides us with a plan to achieve those!

What do some of Isaiah's writings mean as quoted in the Book of Mormon?

One of the prophets in the Book of Mormon, Nephi, built many of his writings around the words of Isaiah. Because of this, we know Isaiah's words are important to study and understand. As I read through Nephi's writings and other references to Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, I pondered how I could understand these verses better.

To be honest, these chapters have taken me months to study and ponder. I have read only one or two verses a day to really understand their deeper meaning. There is no way I could list everything I have learned here, but I want to share some significant highlights that really stood out to me.


1. Nephi quotes Isaiah in 1 Nephi 20 to teach of Christ. As I read this chapter I discovered some powerful commentaries that I will share here.

In 1 Nephi 20:10, the Lord says, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." No person goes through this life without suffering some sort of afflictions. That is why we are here--to struggle and go through trials, and ultimately to learn to turn to our Savior for guidance.

In a talk given in the 1997 BYU Women's Conference, it was said,

"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven."

In the book All These Shall Give Thee Experience, it states,

"He knows, being omniscient, how we will cope with affliction beforehand. But we do not know this. We need, therefore, the refining that God gives to us, though we do not seek or crave such tribulation.

"Is not our struggling amid suffering and chastening in a way like the efforts of the baby chicken still in the egg? It must painfully and patiently make its own way out of the shell. To help the chick by breaking the egg for it could be to kill it. Unless it struggles itself to break outside its initial constraints, it may not have the strength to survive thereafter.

"Afflictions can soften us and sweeten us, and can be a chastening influence. (See Alma 62:41) We often think of chastening as something being done to punish us, such as by a mortal tutor who is angry and peevish with us. Divine chastening, however, is a form of learning as it is administered at the hands of a loving Father. (See Helaman 12:3.)

"Elder James E. Faust of the Council of the Twelve has said, 'In the pain, the agony, and the heroic endeavors of life, we pass through the refiner's fire, and the insignificant and the unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright, intact, and strong.' (Ensign, May 1979, p. 53.) Elder Faust continued, 'This change comes about through a refining process which often seems cruel and hard. In this way the soul can become like soft clay in the hands of the Master.'"

I love the idea that we are soft clay in Christ's hands. He gives us afflictions to shape us and mold us, to help us grow into the Christlike beings He wants us to become.


2. Later in the Book of Mormon, Abinadi preaches repentance using the words of Isaiah. As I read about the atonement of Jesus Christ in Mosiah 14, I loved this commentary that I found from Elder Melvin J. Ballard:

"'In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even He could not endure it any longer; and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so He bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that He had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when He might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that He did not fail us, for He had not only the love of his Son in mind, but He also had love for us. I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men."

Continuing to read Mosiah 15, I found more commentaries about the great sacrifice of our Savior. One comes from Tad R. Callister in his book The Infinite Atonement: 

"Oh, the magnitude of that sacrifice, that condescension! That night, God the Son traded his heavenly home with all its celestial adornments for a mortal abode with all its primitive trappings. He, the King of heaven (Alma 5:50), the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth (Mosiah 3:5), left a throne to inherit a manger. He exchanged the dominion of a god for the dependence of a babe. He gave up wealth, power, dominion, and the fullness of his glory—for what?—for taunting, mocking, humiliation, and subjection. It was a trade of unparalleled dimension, a condescension of incredible proportions, a descent of incalculable depth. And so, the great Jehovah, creator of worlds without number, infinite in virtue and power, made his entry into this world in swaddling clothes and a manger."

Incredible.

3. Mosiah 15:2-3 caught my eye because I have heard confusion around the concept of Christ being the Father and the Son. I wanted to understand better this concept, and here is the insights I found through my research (through multiple resources that I did not record...Anybody who is interested in researching this topic more can ask me for resources):

• The roles of Father and Son when referring to Christ are symbolic rather than biological. 
• To the House of Israel, Christ is Father because the people become His sons and daughters. 
• To God the Father, Christ is Son because He subjects His will to the Father.
• What the Father does for His Son, the Son does for His sons and daughters.
• Christ is the Father:
• Of those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is made possible through His atonement.
• Of this earth--He created the earth under the direction of the Father.
• Because He has been given the power to represent and act for His Father on the earth.
• In the sense of the dictionary definitions of "father": "one to whom respect is due," "one who cares as a father might," "an originator, source, or prototype," and "one who claims or accepts responsibility."
• Christ is the Son:
• Because He was the Firstborn of God in the Spirit.
• As the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh.
• Because He submitted His will to His Father.

Christ's will was completely swallowed up in the will of His Father. (See Mosiah 15:7.) In his book That Ye May Believe, Neal A. Maxwell said that this means "being totally enveloped--without question, protest, reservation, or resentment. It is 'all the way,' not halfway. Choosing such spiritual submission is the highest act of deliberate, individual will."

Because Christ submitted completely to His Father's will, He represented His Father on earth and thus can be referred to as the "Father." This research really helped me to understand the concept of Christ taking the roles of both the Father and the Son.

4. In Mosiah 16:3, Abinadi teaches about the Fall of Adam and Eve, and how that requires us to use the atonement of Jesus Christ to be saved. I learned that the Fall was not a fall from God's grace, but a fall from innocence. When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they "fell" into a state of knowledge. That necessary knowledge came at a price, but that knowledge gave them power. In the book Gospel Doctrine, Bryan Richards explains this idea further:

"Prior to the fall, Adam and Eve lacked the power that they had after they had learned the difference between good and evil. Similarly, a child is powerless, spiritually speaking, compared to the servant who is spiritually mature and yet has become as a little child, meek, submissive, etc. For Adam and Eve and us, it is a long road through the wilderness of the carnal, sensual, and devilish to return the innocence we had as a child (and that Adam and Eve had in the garden). But this is all according to the wisdom and knowledge of God. 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…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). The Lord loves purity and innocence, but He would rather we make this difficult journey, from childhood innocence to the innocence of the childlike servant because the virtuous servant is so much more powerful. This power comes by virtue of his knowledge of good and mastery over evil."

5. Because Christ overcame both physical and spiritual death (both effects of the Fall; see Mosiah 16:7-8), these are the comforts we can receive when we experience the "sting of death" (as illustrated by Bryan Richards again):

• The compassion and mercy of Christ when someone loses a loved one.
• The knowledge of God's plan of salvation.
• Sealing ordinances of the temple.
• Death not being frightful or painful to the righteous (see D&C 42:46).
• The atonement. The sting of death is sin, and Christ has already overcome all the effects of sin, so when we repent before we die, we can rest from all of our trials and sins.

6. Anybody familiar with scripture knows that Jesus Christ is often referred to as the "light of the world." In what ways is He a "light"? In Bryan Richards' Gospel Doctrine, he explained:

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). How many ways is Christ the light and the life of the world? He is the light of truth, the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not (D&C 6:21). He is the intelligence of the world, for The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth (D&C 93:36). He gives all of us the light of Christ, the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings (D&C 88:11). He is the literal giver of life through his light, The light…giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God (D&C 88:13). He is the giver of life by virtue of the resurrection, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (Jn 11:25). Christ is the literal source of power for the light of the sun, moon, and stars, he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made (D&C 88:7-9). Lastly, he will replace the sun as the source of light for the inhabitants of the celestial kingdom, the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof (Rev 21:23).

The prophet Joseph F. Smith told us:

"But the thing for us to do is to live according to the light and intelligence that God has revealed to us in this dispensation, that we may be in harmony with the heavenly powers and with heavenly beings, and especially with our Lord Jesus Christ, who stands at our head, who is our lawgiver, our exemplar, and the way of life and salvation to all the world, through whom we may enter into the celestial kingdom of God, and without whom we can never enter that state of glory worlds without end. He is the way, the light and life of the world; and whosoever will obey the commandments He has given, and do the works which he has done, and commanded us to do, shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have in them the light of life.” (Journal of Discourses, vol 22, Jan. 29, 1882)


I hope these random insights help somebody out there in some way :) They sure helped me.

2 Nephi 10, Alma 41&42 - What is the meaning of "restore"?

I have been very intrigued lately by how often I see a form of the word "restore" in the scriptures. I noticed it especially in a few chapters of the Book of Mormon. I will illustrate here what I found in the verses and how those verses changed my understanding of the meaning of "restore."

2 Nephi 10:2 says, "For behold, the promises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer."

As I read this verse I thought, What does it mean to be restored??

Verse 6 says that after the Jews crucify Jesus Christ and destruction comes upon them, those who are not destroyed will be scattered "among all nations." But "when the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance" (verse 7).

Restored = to be brought back; to return to a place of belonging

Verse 8 - "And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance."

Verse 10 - "But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land."

Restored = brought back to something that was yours before; gathered in. This implies that you are "coming back."

I love the idea that God will "restore" us to a place where we belong as He gathers the righteous together.


Alma 41 & 42 use the idea of "restoration" in a different context. These chapters discuss the plan of restoration which includes the body and soul being restored together, and good being restored for good / evil being restored for evil:

41:2 "The plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself."
41:3 "And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good."
41:4 "And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame--mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption--raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on the one hand, the other on the other--"
41:5 "The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh."
41:6 "And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness."
41:10 "Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness."
41:12 "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?"
41:13 "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."
41:14 "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."
41:15 "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."

Restored = to reward good for good, bad for bad, etc.

These verses introduce the idea that everything will be restored or "brought back" to its natural state. God will reward each of us according to our works and the desires of our hearts. 
Alma 42 continues with this concept:

42:23 "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."
42:27 "Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds."
42:28 "If he has desired to do evil, and has not repented in his days, behold, evil shall be done unto him, according to the restoration of God."

2 Nephi 30:15 - How does the "knowledge of the Lord" create peace and harmony on the earth?

The verses leading to 2 Nephi 30:15 illustrate a scene that would seem quite unusual for the world today: the wolf dwelling with the lamb; the leopard lying down with the kid, calf, and fatling, all led by a little child; the cow and the bear feeding together and their young ones lying down together; the lion eating straw like the ox; the baby playing on a hole of a snake, etc. This scene comes at a time of peace and righteousness on the earth, after the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This time will be called the Millennium.

2 Nephi 30:15 explains that "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord." What is it about the knowledge of the Lord that will create this peace and harmony? The next few verses begin to answer this question.

"The things of all nations shall be made known; yea, all things shall be made known unto the children of men. There is nothing which is secret save it shall be revealed; there is no work of darkness save it shall be made manifest in the light; and there is nothing which is sealed upon the earth save it shall be loosed. Wherefore, all things which have been revealed unto the children of men shall at that day be revealed; and Satan shall have power over the hearts of the children of men no more, for a long time" (2 Nephi 30:16-18).

When I think of secrecy I think of mistrust, miscommunication, misunderstanding, and unsurety. Because all things will be made known in the Millennium, all these negative effects of secrecy will disappear.

I imagine being in a classroom learning new material and not understanding that material. My peers get together to study together, but they don't allow me to join. They are secretive about it, because they want to have an unfair advantage over the rest of the class. This would leave me feeling mistreated, lost, and frustrated. If I didn't understand the material I would not have the ability to do well in the class. However, with knowledge, I would be enabled to pass the class and continue to receive further knowledge. I would feel fulfilled and liberated.

It is a beautiful prophecy that in the times preceding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, "wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of [our] times, and strength of salvation" (Isaiah 33:6).


In October 2013 general conference, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "When the entire truth is eventually known, things that didn’t make sense to us before will be resolved to our satisfaction." All of us have questions, some of which will never be answered until we pass on to the next life. But letting those questions cause doubts lead us to stop progressing and gaining more knowledge. President Uchtorf says to "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" (Dieter F. Uchtorf, "Come Join with Us").

It was necessary for Adam and Eve to exercise their faith in Jesus Christ after they chose to partake of the forbidden fruit. They were commanded not to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They were given a choice, and they chose to eat the fruit. With their choice came the ability for Satan to tempt and try God's children. Because of this, it was necessary for God to provide a Savior to redeem all mankind from the results of the Fall. Without gaining knowledge, Adam and Eve would never have had the opportunity to progress and become like God. They would never experience good and evil and understand the difference. They would never have the opportunity to exercise their agency. They would never experience true joy. (See 2 Nephi 2:22-23.)

The Bible Dictionary states that "knowledge of divine and spiritual things is absolutely essential for one's salvation. . . . The scriptures, and also living prophets, are given so that the people might have knowledge of things of God. . . . Knowledge is one of the endowments of the Holy Ghost and one of the gifts of the Spirit. . . . Since no one can be saved in ignorance of the gospel, and one progresses only as fast as he gains knowledge, it follows that the person who gains knowledge will have 'the advantage in the world to come' (D&C 130:18-19)."

Knowledge comes from the Spirit of God which is the Spirit of peace. The Spirit gives us knowledge "and power according to [our] faith and desires which are in God" (Alma 18:35). When we receive knowledge through the Spirit, we discover the mysteries of God and "all the riches of the full assurance of understanding" (see Colossians 2:2-3).

In Romans 15, Paul lays out the beauty of obtaining knowledge from the scriptures: "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. . . . Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another" (Romans 15:4, 13-14). With knowledge we can obtain hope, joy, and peace, because we understand what is good.


As stated in the scriptures, the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth before the Second Coming of the Savior. "And this is according to the prophecy, that they shall again be brought to the true knowledge, which is the knowledge of their Redeemer, and their great and true shepherd, and be numbered among his sheep" (Helaman 15:13).

In the Book of Mormon, Mormon glorifies God as he illustrates his gratitude for the knowledge God has given to him and his people: "I am Mormon, and a pure descendant of Lehi. I have reason to bless my God and my Savior Jesus Christ, that he brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, (and no one knew it save it were himself and those whom he brought out of that land) and that he hath given me and my people so much knowledge unto the salvation of our souls. Surely he hath blessed the house of Jacob, and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph. And insomuch as the children of Lehi have kept his commandments he hath blessed them and prospered them according to his word. Yea, and surely shall he again bring a remnant of the seed of Joseph to the true knowledge of the Lord their God. And as surely as the Lord liveth, will he gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob, who are scattered abroad upon all the face of the earth. And as he hath covenanted with all the house of Jacob, even so shall the covenant wherewith he hath covenanted with the house of Jacob be fulfilled in his own due time, unto the restoring all the house of Jacob unto the knowledge of the covenant that he hath covenanted with them. And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen" (3 Nephi 5:20-26).

The "knowledge of the Lord" is far more valuable than any other knowledge we could attain. Let us continue to seek knowledge so that we can be brought into the fold of God, and receive the peace and joy that comes from knowing our Savior, Jesus Christ.

How many times will the Savior forgive?

I am the type of person who loves perfection. I love being in control of my life and doing things right. But I have one weakness that I have never seemed to overcome completely. I have always been an emotional eater, and at times it has gotten completely out of hand. There have been moments when all I could do was pray and give myself completely to God, knowing that I couldn't overcome this struggle on my own. Sometimes I have felt hopeless because I messed up again and again and didn't think I could ever overcome this weakness. I have wondered if the Savior really would help me again and again. And again. (To see a post I wrote about this, click on this link: "Food, Self Worth, and the Real Me" ... and here is the follow-up post.)

The following is a friend's recent post on Facebook. It was very timely, and something I needed to hear. She shares a beautiful testimony about families and the hope of eternal life, and then she illustrates the Savior's ability to forgive.

This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of Christ.



These past few months I've been challenging myself to recognize the blessings in my life and become more grateful for them. I am so so thankful for the atonement. Knowing that it is not the end when we have made mistakes is such a powerful thing to know. We have second chances. Third chances, fourth chances, and fifth chances even. However many chances it takes for us to get things right, The Lord is waiting and wanting to forgive. That knowledge to me is priceless. As long as we are striving, struggling, and desiring, the Lord is waiting with a forgiving heart and open arms. At times when I have made wrong choices and felt that I could not carry on, I have felt overwhelming peace and reassurance that the Lord has mercy and enough love to carry me through tough times. I'm thankful for trials big and small so that we are able to come closer to our Savior and have him help us through. I love knowing that we all have the same end goal in mind, just how we get there is different. I love love love the gospel with all of my heart, and my great family who would do anything for me. I'm thankful for a forgiving Savior and brother who has paid for my mistakes. I'm thankful for the knowledge that none of us are perfect, yet are capable of a perfect love, and lastly I'm thankful for our Father in Heaven who wants the best for us and is waiting until we are with him again.

Each of us struggles with something. And each of us messes up, sometimes once, sometimes twice, sometimes over and over and over again. How can the Savior love us enough to continue to forgive us?

Although we may feel otherwise, Jesus Christ wants to forgive us. In an April 2013 conference talk, Elder Craig A. Cardon said that Christ "does not excuse us in our sins. He does not condone our return to past sins. But when we repent and obey His gospel, He forgives us. . . . If we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the enabling power of His Atonement strengthens us in our moment of need, and His redeeming power sanctifies us as we '[put] off the natural man.' This brings hope to all, especially to those who feel that recurring human weakness is beyond the Savior's willingness to help and to save." This last sentence is crucial in our repentance process, and it is a principle I am still trying to understand. For me, the most important thing to remember is that no matter how many times I sin, I can always come to my Savior and ask Him for strength to overcome my sins. It doesn't seem fair to me that I can mess up so many times and He will continue to give me chances, but because of that I am eternally grateful. He will never give up on me. Or anyone. The beauty of this principle is that "He allows for improvement over time rather than demanding immediate perfection." We have a lifetime to become like Him.