Come Follow Me (Alma 39-42)
I find myself quoting Mark Twain often with this characteristically pithy wisdom: “Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.”
Those ten words get to the heart the human experience, and to the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ's generous atoning sacrifice offers us all the benefit of experience - good judgment - without leaving us forever the prisoner of the inevitable consequences of our bad judgment.
As I write that, it almost sounds like an impossible sleight of hand: how is that even possible? Enos, incredulous at its effects in his own heart, asked, Lord, how is it done?” (Enos 1:7)
Alma explains this wondrous doctrinal reality in chapters 41-42 with some of the best clarity in all of scripture. The doctrine of restoration is the doctrine of turning bad judgment into good judgment, because of Jesus Christ.
Chapter 41 sets up the dilemma of natural law which forever consigns us to those consequences. Alma teaches:
“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.
“And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order…
“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…” (Alma 41:3-5)
Alma makes it perfectly clear that both our desires and works over a lifetime create a perfect record to be judged from - which do we want - happiness or misery? Light or darkness? Freedom or captivity?
I don’t know about you, but my works and desires are unruly and wildly unpredictable. The education of earth is a grueling process at my house, and schooling those desires to fit into the will of God feels like trying to contain plutonium in a lunch sack.
I’d give the entire project up as hopeless, were it not for the glorious realities Alma teaches Corianton. He continues:
“…if he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness.
“Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved.” (Alma 41:6,8)
There's that comforting promise again: I can have this - if I want it. Irredeemably stained from living in this fallen world, I can't escape eternal justice which must be paid. God isn't a hard nose because of this requirement; Alma teaches:
"Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God." (Alma 42:13)
But because of Jesus Christ, my massive debt to justice is paid. I don't know how He did that for every living soul through the millennia in that one horrible, finite night, but He did. It allows mercy to be offered, and justice to still be paid:
"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 42:15)
In "The Mediator" - Elder Boyd K. Packer's general conference talk from April 1977 - he tells an original parable to illustrate how Jesus Christ becomes our mediator to pay justice - allowing both justice to be satisfied with full payment, thanks to His atoning sacrifice - and for mercy to be applied for those who accept Jesus as their creditor. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1977/04/the-mediator?lang=eng)
This video was in this week's Come Follow Me Lesson, depicting Elder Packer's parable:
Alma reiterates:
"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." (Alma 42:27)
Heaven is our original home. To be restored through Jesus Christ is to be as clean as when I left home. But now, because of His supreme act of love, I come with all the experience of doing it so gloriously wrong for lo, these many years. To quote our dear new temple president, Kenneth DuVall:
"Perhaps his arms and hands are always outstretched so that we can clearly see the visible
signs of His uncompromising commitment to our success in the imprints on his palms and wrists." (Kenneth DuVall, Taylorsville Temple President, Taylorsville Temple Dedication, June 2, 2024)
Heaven is truly our original factory reset, because of Jesus Christ. But thanks to Him, all the data of our learned lessons isn't erased! Jesus was with the Father from the beginning when the Plan was designed and sustained and He agreed to implement it. He completed the transaction and paid the debt in full when He said "It is finished" on the cross (John 19:30). He is literally the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We can gain the experience to achieve eternal judgment without forever remaining prisoners of our bad judgment, because of Him.
"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." (2 Corinthians 9:15)
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