Alma 42

“I sense that you are unclear about God’s justice in punishing sinners,” Alma explained to his son Corianton. “You seem to think that eternal misery is too great a punishment. After God banished Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden he placed an angel at the gate to prevent them from eating from the tree of life, and becoming immortal. Because they had come to know good and evil, eating the fruit would have condemned them to misery forever without a chance for repentance. Had this happened, God’s great plan would have failed. Instead, fallen man was condemned to be mortal and die.

“At this time, our first ancestors were cut off physically and spiritually from God, and came to follow their own will. Because the soul is immortal it became necessary that mankind should be reclaimed from spiritual death. So earthly life became a probationary period in which man could reject or accept his sensual and devilish natures. Without the plan of redemption the dead souls would remain forever in misery and cut off from God as a result of their ancestor’s disobedience. To fulfill the need for justice, a plan of redemption was brought about based on the repentance of men during their probationary, earthly lives. Without this conditional mercy, justice would be destroyed.

“After mankind had fallen they were caught in God’s justice and cut off from him. A plan of mercy could not be implemented without an atonement being made, so God himself atones for the sins of man in order that justice be appeased, and that mercy can be shown. Repentance could not happen unless there was a punishment as eternal as the life of a soul. How can a man repent unless he sins? How can he sin if there is no law that defines sin? And how could there be a law unless there is also punishment? So laws were given, punishments were fixed, and man learned remorse of conscience. If there were no punishment for murder, murderers would have no fear. Likewise, if there were not laws against sin, sinners would run rampant.

“But there is a law against sin, reinforced by punishment. Without laws and justice, punishment and mercy would be meaningless. Mercy comes because of the atonement and the consequent resurrection of the dead. Those who are resurrected from death are brought before God for judgment according to how they’ve lived their lives — according to the law and justice. For justice to prevail, only the truly penitent are saved. Does that mercy rob justice? Not a bit. If it did, God would cease to be God.

“This is how God brings about his great and eternal purposes that have been prepared since the foundation of the world. From this plan comes the salvation and redemption of men, but also their destruction and misery. So my son, you can see that all who live are free to choose for good or for evil, but when they are resurrected on judgment day they will find themselves restored to the conditions in which they lived. If a man has lived an evil life, and not repented during that lifetime, evil will befall him under the restoration.

“My son, don’t be troubled any more by these things I’ve spoken of. You need to pay attention now to your own sins, and your own repentance for them. I wish you would quit questioning the justice of God. Don’t excuse yourself for your sins, or deny the justice of God. Instead, let the justice of God, his mercy, and his suffering turn your heart to bring you into humility. You are called by God to preach the word to our people. Go your way now, and declare the truth of the word so that you may bring other souls into repentance and mercy. May God grant you help according to my words.” [74 BC]