THE FOOLISH BEAST (Part II)

"In relation to the kingdom of God,
the devil always sets up his kingdom
at the very same time in opposition
 to God" (Joseph Smith, Teachings, 365).

Before proceeding, the reader is encouraged to review, in the order shown below, previous blogs concerning this same topic:

1. THE SEALED BOOK UNFOLDED TO VIEW

2. HIS NUMBER IS 666

That Spirit of Antichrist

When it comes to placing a preposition before "christ", the word "anti" has an illusive meaning. According to the 1828 Webster's American Dictionary, it is a preposition "signifying against, opposite, contrary, or in place of." From this definition, two types of antichrists are possible.

First, as demonstrated by characters such as Nehor, Korihor, Zeezrom, and Sherem, antichrist is teaching against, opposite, or contrary to Christ. The apostle John described this antichrist as a deceiver "who confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" (2 John 1:7). He  provided an addition insight concerning this spirit of antichrist to those who received his writings. In 1 John 2:22, he posed an instructive question, "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?" John subsequently described the liar as one who hates his brother:

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1 John 4:20).

Where hatred exists, antichrist reigns.

Unlike this first type, the second antichrist comes declaring that he is Christ. This devil is, far and away, the most treacherous. If one comes forward saying there is no Christ, believers may easily turn a deaf ear to his ravings and continue with their lives unhindered. Such antichrists are found littered on the sidewalks near Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, jeering and ridiculing Saints who attend General Conference or engage in temple worship. But, as noted by the prophet Joseph Smith, "when a man goes about prophesying, and commands men to obey his teachings, he must either be a true or false prophet. False prophets", he continued, "always arise to oppose the true prophets and they will prophesy so very near the truth that they will deceive almost the very chosen ones" (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 365). Hence, if the spirit of antichrist is to prevail among believers, this is the flavor to which they are most apt to succumb.

In his second letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul warned that the day of the Lord's coming would be preceded by wide-spread apostasy. As explained by early Church historians, ". . . another and different religion was to be substituted for the Christian religion: that another church, one founded by men, was to take the place of the Church of Christ, a worldly church dominated by the very spirit of Lucifer . . ." (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,1:42). More specifically, apostle Paul described  that, within this worldly church, the man of sin would be revealed, noting that he would "oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). 

Again, it is easy for the world to hyperventilate looking for some insidious person who fits the foregoing description. However, the world need only look in the mirror to find him, for the apostle taught that this antichrist would "sit in the temple of God." In context with Paul's other letters and latter-day revelation, "the elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples" (D&C 93:35; compare 1 Corinthians 3:16). Accordingly, just as God walks in holy temples (see 2 Corinthians 6:16) and "dwelleth . . . in the hearts of the righteous" (see Alma 34:36) by virtue of the Holy Spirit (see Alma 34:35; compare D&C 130:3 and D&C 130:22), Satan likewise dwells in the hearts of the children of men (see Mosiah 3:6). God's temple is the place from where Satan reigns in the last days (see 2 Nephi 28:20). Confirming this conclusion to the prophet, Joseph Smith, in his commentary on the parable of the wheat and the tares, the Lord explained:

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants, concerning the parable of the wheat and of the tares: 

Behold, verily I say, the field was the world, and the apostles were the sowers of the seed; 

And after they have fallen asleep the great persecutor of the church, the apostate, the whore, even Babylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose hearts the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign—behold he soweth the tares; wherefore, the tares choke the wheat and drive the church into the wilderness (D&C 86:1-3).

Thus, even though the individual identity named Lucifer is, in fact, "the man of sin" referred to by Paul,[1] each of us have a "man of sin" that embraces this spirit of antichrist. Unless this "man of sin" is put away, we become the temple from whom the son of perdition reigns. In a discourse given to the Church on October 8, 1876, President Brigham Young taught:

We find a pure spirit inhabiting the tabernacle of the creature which is always prompting the individual to good, to virtue, to truth and holiness; all of which emanate from that source of purity from which this spirit came. And here the evil that came through transgression that is in this tabernacle, is warring with this pure spirit, it seeks to overcome it, and is striving with all its power to bring this spirit into subjection, into bondage to the law of sin. This is the warfare which Paul refers to when speaking of the “thorn in the flesh,” which is no more or less than the spirit contending against the flesh, and the flesh against the spirit. This pure spirit will remain in a condition to receive the operations of the spirit of God, which has gone forth into the world, and which lightens every man that comes into the world, regardless of his condition, birth or education; the spirit of Christ lightens them all, and instructs their pure spirits, which are organizations in the germ and in their growth, to become independent beings, even sons and daughters of the Almighty; and it will continue to thus operate until this body, this sinful tabernacle, has warred against the spirit and overcome it to such a degree as to entirely subject it to the man of sin.

And when the flesh attains this victory over the spirit, then is the time spoken of when man has sinned to that degree that, says the Apostle, “ye shall not pray for them, for they have sinned a sin unto death.” Then the spirit of the Lord ceases to strive with them, they no longer receive light, having passed the day of grace (President Brigham Young, Philosophy of Man Upon The Earth, delivered at the Semi-Annual General Conference, Salt Lake City).

Importantly, President Harold B. Lee taught that "baptism by immersion symbolizes the death and burial of the man of sin; and the coming forth out of the water, the resurrection to a newness of spiritual life" (Lee, Harold B., Teachings of Presidents of the Church, Chapter 4: The First Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel).

Hence, as I proceed to develop Solomon as the beast possessing the number "Six hundred threescore and six", it is worthy to note that, in the last days, Solomon comes disguised as the nations of the world. Satan can lift no sword, shed no blood, speak no evil, and cause no strife unless there exists among men the arm, sword, mouth, and heart that is willing to serve him (see D&C 45:55). 

To be continued . . .

FOOTNOTES

[1] The man of sin has been revealed in various ways and times throughout history. In the early latter-day Church, the prophet Joseph Smith recorded the following event:

On the 3rd of June, the Elders from the various parts of the country where they were laboring, came in; and the conference before appointed, convened in Kirtland; and the Lord displayed His power to the most perfect satisfaction of the Saints. The man of sin was revealed, and the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood was manifested and conferred for the first time upon several of the Elders.

The manner in which the man of sin was revealed and the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood manifested, is related by John Whitmer, in his History of the Church. After giving the names of those who were ordained High Priests the day on which the two powers were manifested, he says:

Joseph Smith, Jun., prophesied the day previous that the man of sin would be revealed. While the Lord poured out His Spirit upon His servants, the devil took a notion to make known his power. He bound Harvey Whitlock and John Murdock so that they could not speak, and others were affected but the Lord showed to Joseph, the seer, the design of the thing; he commanded the devil in the name of Christ, and he departed, to our joy and comfort (see History of the Church, Volume 1, Chapter 15, Footnote 2).

HIS NUMBER IS 666 (Part I)

"In relation to the kingdom of God,
the devil always sets up his kingdom
at the very same time in opposition
 to God" (Joseph Smith, Teachings, 365).

Before proceeding, the reader is encouraged to review the previous blog concerning this same topic:

1. THE SEALED BOOK UNFOLDED TO VIEW

I'm going to let the cat out of the bag on this one by blurtting out that Solomon is the latter-day antichrist whose "number is Six hundred threescore and six" (see Revelation 13:18). I feel at peace with this conclusion. He was a man of wanton wickedness, with innocent blood on his hands, and a sexual preoccupation and deviancy second to none. Although dead for many years, he continues to "have dominion . . . from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth" (see Psalms 72:8).

For some, this news might be disappointing inasmuch as many have anticipated a latter-day antichrist that is a little less abstract. However, the scriptures teach that "whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived" (Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:37). Hence, the apostle John sought to reveal the great antichrist through one of whom much is written that the elect may, through the appointed means, avoid being "overpowered unto blindness, or lead away to destruction" (1 Nephi 15:24). Supporting this cause, the Lord declared that "the scriptures shall be given . . . to the salvation of mine own elect" (D&C 35:20). According to a revelation previously given to the prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord pronounced that "mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts" (D&C 29:7). In the most profound sense, the Lord's "words . . . are [his] voice" (D&C 84:60) and those who read them by the power of the Spirit can "testify that [they] have heard [his] voice, and know [his] words" (see D&C 18:34-36). Indeed, the Shepherd's sheep "hear his voice" and "follow him: for they know his voice" (John 10:3-4). In the end, if we find that we have been deceived, it will be because we have not treasured up the word.

The Works of His Hands

In JST Revelation 13:1, John noted that he saw "a sign, in the likeness of the kingdoms of the earth; a beast rise up out of the sea, and he stood stood upon the sand of the sea, having seven heads and and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." In a reference to this beast, the Lord invited the prophet Joseph Smith to consider how the lilies of the field grew? This rhetorical question was likewise asked by the Lord on two prior occasions; once to the multitudes listening to His sermon given on the mount (Matthew 6:28), and again to his people dwelling in ancient America (3 Nephi 13:28). On each occasion, the same reply was given . . . "they toil not, neither do they spin" (D&C 84:82).

Christians world-wide, tend to take the Lord's reply as the constitution for a perfect life. Neither toil, nor spin . . . that's the life for me! In fact, one individual has immortalized the Lord's question in song (see "Consider the Lilies" by Roger Hoffman), and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has commemorated it with a beautiful 2003 rendition (arranged by A. Laurence Lyon). However beautiful the song may be, the context of the Lord's question IS NOT, for the lilies are "the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven" to be burned (3 Nephi 13:30). Hence, the Lord's invitation to consider the manner in which lilies grow is not a suggestion that we should grow in like manner. To the contrary, lilies grow without toiling or spinning, without working, and without increasing the talents they have been given. Individuals who adopt this lifestyle cling to others to sustain life. Usually, they give nothing in return and, eventually, they must exhaust the host to which they cling if they are to sustain their lifestyle.

Solomon's life was so arrayed. He was Mahan, the master of that great secret, whereby he could convert life into property (compare Moses 5:31). His gain was another's loss. Despite his costly apparel, the Lord publicly censured Solomon and declared that, in all his glory, he "was not arrayed like one lily of the field which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven to be burned" (Matthew 6:28-29). When addressing the prophet of the latter-days regarding this subject, the Lord substituted his previous use of the name "Solomon" with "kingdoms of the world" (D&C 84:82), thereby, coupling Solomon to the beast (in the likeness of the kingdoms of the earth) that John saw.

At the conclusion of his sad life, he revels in the fact that all of his egocentricity "was vanity and vexation of spirit." Following are some of his final entries in his book of life:

I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the

provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:3-11).

Although I am an accountant by profession, I gave up trying to count the number of times that Solomon used the term "I", or its pronoun-equivalent, in these verses. I-ronically, it was Solomon who wrote concerning a generation of leeches who, like himself, would devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. Although I find it distasteful to quote such a man, I believe it is warranted in this case: 

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. 

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 

There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. 

There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. 

The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: 

The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. (Proverbs 30:11-16).

There is prophetic irony in the fact that nearly every electronic device under the sun today begins with the letter "I" . . . iPhone, iTunes, iPad, and iPod . . . each with iTouch capabilities . . . in contrast to the declaration of the Great Jehovah, that I AM. 

Before the apostle John developed the verses that reveal Solomon as the latter-day antichrist, he established a fundamental premise as an opposing backdrop. Concerning Christ, he wrote: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Revelation 5:12). These seven things, and the means by which they were obtained and the use to which they were put, are the opposing backdrop. Christ was slain to receive all things. The sacrifice of all things is a precedent to receiving all things. Solomon received all things, but the means by which he obtained them, or the use to which he put them, was in contrast to the man he opposed--Jesus Christ. Each of these seven things, and the means by which Solomon obtained them will be the focus of the next several blogs.

To be continued in Part II . . . 

. . . Blessed and Sanctified . . .

The Harvest Moon

This webcast presentation was given by Kevin L. Packard on Thursday evening, July 31, 2014, at BYU-Idaho in connection with BYU-Idaho Education Week - 2014. 

This webcast discusses the Seven Sabbaths outlined in Leviticus 23:

1. Passover,

2. Feast of Unleavened Bread,

3. Feast of Firstfruits,

4. Pentecost, or Feast of Weeks,

5. Feast of Trumpets,

6. Day of Atonement, and

7. The Feast of Tabernacles.

In due course, I will provide a synopsis of each of these Sabbaths. For the time, the webcast will have to do. I have previously provided a blog on the Feast of Trumpets. I will use this blog as the index to each of the other blogs as they become available.

For those who attended my presentation entitled ". . . of whatsover passeth under the rod . . .", the contents thereof will be incorporated within the sixth Sabbath noted above, or the Day of Atonement.

For those who attended my presentation entitled ". . . six hundred, three score, and six . . . .", a blog regarding what was presented will be posted in due course.

The Sealed Book Unfolded to View

Of the four Standard Works we have been invited to read and study the most, I believe all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will agree that the Book of Mormon comes in first place. But does that mean that the other Standard Works are of lesser value?

Although I love the Book of Mormon and, in fact, teach a Book of Mormon course at Brigham Young University - Idaho every semester, I must admit that I have learned most from the Old Testament. It is the baseline for all of the Standard Works. In reality, the Book of Mormon begins in an Old Testament context and dramatically moves to a New Testament context with the appearance of God's Son to the saints in ancient America. Many of the most relevant Old Testament prophecies concerning the latter days is included in the Book of Mormon by Nephi and Christ. It is the book to which one must refer to understand all of the symbolism used throughout the other works. And, it is the book from which the temple of God is best learned.

In support of this emphasis, Elder Richard G. Scott asked a question and provide an insight concerning the resources from which we learn:

Do you use all of the standard works, including the Old Testament? I have found precious truths in the pages of the Old Testament that are key ingredients to the platform of truth that guides my life and acts as a resource when I try to share a gospel message with others. For that reason, I love the Old Testament. (Scott, Richard G., The Power of Scripture, October 2011 General Conference)

Both Isaiah and John foretell of a book to come forth in the last days, a book that is sealed. The book to which they both refer is what is commonly referred to as the "sealed portion of the Book of Mormon."

From these "twenty and four plates," the ancient prophet, Moroni, transcribed "an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of [North America]." It is a comprehensive historical record containing an account of "the creation of the world, and also of Adam, and an account from that time even to the great tower, and whatsoever things transpired among the children of men until that time . . .." (Ether 1:1-3). Importantly, it contained "a revelation from God" (2 Nephi 27:7) concerning "all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be"(Ether 3:25), even "from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof" (2 Nephi 27:7). The individual who received and recorded this revelation has the unique distinction of being named by reference to his brother, Jared. He was given precise instructions concerning the record's future disposition:

And it came to pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye have seen and heard, and show it to no man.

And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read. 

And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write.

For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write. (Ether 3:21-24)

Due to the sacred nature of the information contained in this record, Nephi noted that "the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people." (2 Nephi 27:8). "For the book," Nephi continued, "shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof" (2 Nephi 27:10). Evenso, Nephi saw that "the day cometh that the words of the book . . . shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth" (2 Nephi 27:11).

Containing events similar to those unfolded within the brother of Jared's record, John the Revelator saw "in the right hand of him that sat on the throne" a book "sealed with seven seals" (Revelation 5:1). Although John's record contains the revealed will, mysteries, the works of God, and the hidden things of His economy during the 7,000 years of this earth's temporal existence (see D&C 77:6), his revelation primarily concerns "things which must shortly come to pass" (JST Revelation 1:1) and "things which must be hereafter" (Revelation 4:1). And even though most commentators have depicted John's revelation as sensational, apocaplyptic, and shrouded in abstract imagery, I have come to know the style and content of John's record to be uniquely OLD TESTAMENT. It was undoubtedly one of the few records he had with him while spending his final years of mortality in seclusion on the Isle of Patmos; it formed the backdrop for what he wrote. Hence, when attempting to understand what John has written, I now refer exclusively to the prophecies and symbols of Old Testament prophets.

Nephi likewise saw what John and the brother of Jared witnessed. But he, whose natural disposition it was to "glory in plainness" (2 Nephi 33:6), was instructed by the angel of the Lord to holster his pen. Naming John as the apostle who was authorized to write of such events, the angel said:

John, the Revelator

Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things; yea, and also many things which have been. 

And he shall also write concerning the end of the world. 

Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just and true; and behold they are written in the book which thou beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew; and at the time they proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, or, at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written were plain and pure, and most precious and easy to the understanding of all men. 

And behold, the things which this apostle of the Lamb shall write are many things which thou hast seen; and behold, the remainder shalt thou see. 

But the things which thou shalt see hereafter thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb of God that he should write them. (1 Nephi 14:21-25)

Afterwards correlating what Nephi saw with those things seen by the brother of Jared and what would be later seen by John, the angel said:

And also others who have been, to them hath he shown all things, and they have written them; and they are sealed up to come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of Israel.

As a participant in a symposium on the New Testament in 1984, Elder Bruce R. McConkie emphasized this correlation between the visions seen by these three ancient prophets. As he began speaking, he introduced his topic as "the sealed book, which contains many of the mysteries of the kingdom." Although his audience may have thought he was going to address the writings of the brother of Jared contained in the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon, this was not the "sealed book" to which Elder McConkie referred. "My specific subject," he noted, "is the Bible, a sealed book...." Elder McConkie thereafter introduced John's vision called Revelation and noted that "this same knowledge is contained in the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon. For aught we know the two sealed books are one and the same." (Teaching Seminary Preservice Readings Religion 370, 471, and 475, (2004), 123–32)

Indeed, the vision of the brother of Jared and the revelation of John are one and the same; of this I am quite certain. Many centuries before he was born, the Lord chose John to write the vision. Why? Because of his writing style? Maybe. But beyond this, I believe the greater reason why John was selected was because John was going to be given the privilege "to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things [would] be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when [Christ would] come in [his] glory with the powers of heaven" (3 Nephi 28:7). Hence, when the writings of John are unfolded to you, "the revelation which was sealed . . . . until the own due time of the Lord" will likewise come forth and be made manifest unto you. Concerning this, the prophet Moroni wrote:

Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief. 

Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief. 

Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel. 

And then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed. (Ether 4:13-16)

The vision that the brother of Jared, Nephi, and John experienced has been written for us to read. However, understanding comes by ears that hear Old Testament language, eyes that see Old Testament symbols, and hearts that feel Old Testament prophets. It is all too unfortunate that few come to understand the hidden treasures of the Old Testament; it is viewed as too verbose, too archaic, too dry, and too . . . well, too OLD! If there was ever a book that stands above all others as being sealed to the latter-day saints, it is the OLD TESTAMENT.

But it does not need to remain forever sealed to you and me!

The Perfect Paradox - Chapter 8: In Harmony Divine

Author Edith Hamilton writes: “When love meets no return the result is suffering, and the greater the love the greater the suffering. There can be no greater suffering than to love purely and perfectly one who is bent upon evil and self-destruction. That was what God endured at the hands of men.”[1] Although He was “made like unto his brethren” (see Hebrews 2:17), Christ was neither treated as nor considered a brother, “neither did his brethren believe in him” (John 7:5). Time and again Isaiah’s unique poetry reminds us that the Savior’s sufferings were vicarious and borne for us and yet we hid as it were our faces from him.

With such rejection, we might ask—what was the force that pressed Christ forward to advocate the cause of men? Was it an act of vanity? Was it for personal gain? Such suggestions make reason stare. Love was the force—first, love of His Father and, second, love of His fellowmen, “for scarcely for a righteous man will one die,” declared the apostle Paul, “yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8). Nephi further explained: “And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men” (1 Nephi 19:9). Confirming such love as the force that influenced Christ to suffer for us, Moroni likewise wrote:

And again, I remember that thou hast said that thou hast loved the world, even unto the laying down of thy life for the world, that thou mightest take it again to prepare a place for the children of men. 

And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity (Ether 12:33-34).

“True charity has been known only once,” writes Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. “It is shown perfectly and purely in Christ’s unfailing, ultimate, and atoning love for us,” He continues:

It is Christ's love for us that ‘suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not.’ It is his love for us that is not ‘puffed up . . . , not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.’ It is Christ’s love for us that ‘beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.’ It is as demonstrated in Christ that ‘charity never faileth.’[2]

On May 21, 2004, Lori and I became grandparents. Thirty minutes following the birth of our grand-daughter Kate, we entered the room where our daughter Sarah and her husband, Paul, were admiring their new daughter. Sarah appeared tired yet peaceful, and the new parents were visibly filled with an anxious love for their first child. As we approached our daughter Sarah, we asked, “How are you doing?” Looking to her new baby in her arms and with tears streaming down her face, she replied, “I can do this for as many times as is necessary. It was worth every minute.” This was as gracious a statement as I have ever heard. It calls to mind the Savior’s selfless love demonstrated in His atonement. Christ was willing to experience such indescribable suffering because, in the midst of His offering and in the travail of His soul, He saw His seed. He looked to his children and was satisfied (see Isaiah 53:10-11).[3]

The love of a mother in bringing mortality to her child can be viewed as a type of the perfect love demonstrated by our Savior in bringing immortality and eternal life to His children. As a mother’s pains experienced in the midst of her travail are swallowed up in the joy of her new-born child (see John 16:21), so Christ’s pains and sorrows were “swallowed up” in the pleasure of His seed. His was a supreme joy born of a godly sorrow. He suffered it, because of His loving kindness and His long-suffering towards the children of men and He knew, even in the midst of the terror, of the joy that would result from His divine act and expression of love. Such love has been demonstrated but once. In truth, “how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!” (D&C 18:13), a joy made possible only because He descended below all things (see D&C 88:6).

Notwithstanding His love, God is also a God of justice and cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. He is the Lion (see Revelation 5:5) that cannot be tamed. He is the Captain who “put on righteousness as a breastplate, [a] . . . helmet of salvation upon his head; . . . the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak” (Isaiah 59:17). He carries a sword that is both swift and sharp (see 1 Nephi 22:16) and is able to utterly destroy with the brightness of His coming (see D&C 5:19). He has a voice of thunder (see D&C 88:90), eyes as the flame of fire (see D&C 110:3), lips filled with indignation, a tongue that devours, and breath to reach the midst of the neck (see Isaiah 30:27-28). He creates and He destroys. He gives life and administered death. He can be filled with love and yet filled with anger. Thus, I suggest there was a second impetus, influenced by His love,[4] that pressed Christ forward to undertake the pains of all men—I refer to His wrath, vengeance, anger, and fury.

Some would teach that Christ is only gentle—that anger, fury, and wrath cannot be ingredients of His divine nature. They would even go so far as to have us believe that He loves the one who turned a third of God’s children against Him. Quite to the contrary, God placed enmity—a state of hatred and opposition—between Satan and Christ (see Moses 4:21). Affection for one who is filled with darkness cannot radiate from One in whom there is no darkness. Light cannot cleave to that which light and truth forsake (see D&C 93:37). Light cleaves to light, virtue loveth virtue, and truth embraceth truth (see D&C 88:40). Thus, God’s full love for His children is not without condition. His blood will not cleanse the wicked who hear not His voice (see D&C 29:17) nor will the love of the Father continue with those who keep not His commandments (see D&C 95:12). Indeed, the wicked are rejected from that Tree of Life (see 1 Nephi 15:36) which is the love of God (see 1 Nephi 11:21-22).

Increasing “levels” of God’s love are clearly demonstrated throughout scripture. The Lord declares that He despises the wicked (see 2 Nephi 9:42) and “has no place” in him who “becometh an enemy to all righteousness” (see Mosiah 2:37). Towards such who “repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever. And now I say unto you, that mercy hath no claim on that man; therefore his final doom is to endure a never-ending torment” (Mosiah 2:38-39). The “enemy to God” whose choice and lot it is to “remain filthy still” (see D&C 88:35, 102) shall not experience God’s mercy or love—he shall only know the penalty of His law (see D&C 82:4).

Those who enjoy God’s love in the winding-down scenes will be His servants; they shall experience salvation (see D&C 76:88), but where God and Christ dwell they cannot come worlds without end (see D&C 76:112). They shall experience His love and partake of His mercy, but they must also suffer the penalty of His law (see D&C 76:104-106). Thus, these unique individuals shall taste of His anger and His love—the contrasting experience will undoubtedly remain a memory in the eternities that come and go. Afar from servants, God has friends to whom He extends a greater measure of His love. To His apostles He said:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you” (John 15:13-15).

Friends are those to whom He promises eternal life (see D&C 88:3-4),[5] but they must thereafter prove faithful if they are to become His sons.[6] Thus, the full manifestation of God’s love is reserved only for those who become His sons and daughters—members of His family. The Apostle John wrote:

BEHOLD, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is (see 1 John 3:1-2).

The fact that God chooses to call those whom He loves most His sons is not unimportant. Rather, it establishes the basis for understanding God’s love—God has a Beloved Son[7] and to the degree we become like Him we will be beloved of the Father. Some dictionaries suggest that “beloved” means “dearly loved.” But the more refined definitions of “beloved” given in the Oxford English Dictionary include “often-loved, well-loved, best-loved, first-loved, and fairest.” Christ, who sits in the position of first and best, was quite aware of His Father’s immense love for Him and announced it on several occasions (see John 3:35)[8] together with the reason for such love (see John 10:17).

Can we ever experience the Father’s love to the degree that His Son does? Can we ever be beloved of the Father? By referring to those who become sons of God as “beloved,” the Apostle John suggests that we can—that the love which He has for His Beloved Son will be “shed forth upon all those who are just and true” (see D&C 76:53). But John also made it clear that such love can only materialize in and through Him who is Just and True (see Revelation 19:11). To describe how the Father’s love is manifest in and through His Son, the Lord said to His apostles: “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:9-10). Christ’s love for us is inextricably tied to the degree we keep His commandments. And if we keep His commandments, we will abide in His love. If we don’t, we won’t. The Apostle added: “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in him” (1 John 2:5).

Keeping Christ’s commandments brings oneness with God and, with it, His love. Jesus confirmed this doctrine to His apostles, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). The day that we are encircled about in the arms of Christ’s love (see 2 Nephi 1:15) will be the day that we shall know that He is in the Father, and we are in Him, and He is in us (see John 14:20).[9] This pattern is demonstrated perfectly in the Lord’s prayer for His apostles wherein He prayed:

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast send me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me (John 17:22-23).

In short, when we become a son, we will be loved as the Son.

It has long been my experience that efforts to teach that God’s full love is conditional are met with strong resistance—opponents to this view find it impossible to accept that connecting to God’s love is premised upon one’s conduct. They would rather feel safe in their ignorance than apprehensive in the truth. But however ironic it may seem, the myth of unconditional love is most profane and cruel as the one who lives secure in his ignorance may eventually lose all that he thought was certain. The concept of unconditional love is nothing less than the brainchild of him whose primeval design it was to “to save men in their sins”[10]—to guarantee salvation without effort, without excellence, without hard work, and without individual responsibility. It is Lucifer’s ultimate trickery. It is a “secret combination” that validates the sinner no matter how vile he may become; and because it validates the sinner, it decriminalizes his conduct. 

Looking into its origins, one might be surprised to discover that the concept of unconditional love stems largely from Karl Marx and his socialistic and communistic ideals.[11] As far as I can ascertain, the term unconditional love was coined by the social psychologist Erich Fromm.[12] He is thought as one of the founders of socialist humanism who equated Marxism with matriarchal[13] feelings of unconditional love and capitalism with patriarchal[14] dominance and conditional love. He formalized these views in his 1956 book entitled, The Art of Loving, and concluded that one’s childhood relationship with his parents was central in determining which of the two views emerged as predominate. “The love of God,” he wrongly noted, “cannot be separated from the love for one’s parents.”[15]

His protégé, Carl Rogers, equally set forth the idea that one’s personal experience was the foremost authority in developing the idea of God.[16] “Experience is, for me,” Rogers wrote, “the highest authority." He continued:

The touchstone of validity is my own experience. No other person’s ideas, and none of my own ideas, are as authoritative as my experience. It is to experience that I must return again and again, to discover a closer approximation to truth as it is in the process of becoming in me. Neither the Bible nor the prophets—neither Freud nor research—neither the revelations of God nor man—can take precedence over my own direct experience. My experience is not authoritative because it is infallible. It is the basis of authority because it can always be checked in new primary ways. In this way its frequent error or fallibility is always open to correction.[17]

Because individual up-bringing has been largely patriarchal, Fromm suggested that this experience has yielded a societal view that God’s love is patriarchal. “Quite obviously,” he boorishly explained, “the majority of people have, in their personal development, not overcome this infantile stage, and hence the belief in God to most people is the belief in a helping father - a childish illusion.”[18] He concluded that so long as a person retains “this childish dependence on a punishing and rewarding father, or any other authority, he cannot develop a more mature love for God.”[19] Such hodgepodge found fertile soil among the free-loving, morally-bankrupt hippies of Woodstock who wanted little to do with communal constraints and even less to do with God. 

Taking an opposite view and setting forth the doctrine concerning the conditional nature of God’s love, Elder Russell M. Nelson writes: “While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional. The word does not appear in the scriptures. On the other hand, many verses affirm that the higher levels of love the Father and the Son feel for each of us—and certain divine blessings stemming from that love—are conditional.”[20] To those who persist that God’s full love is unconditional, Elder Nelson speaks pointedly:

Understanding that divine love and blessings are not truly ‘unconditional’ can defend us against common fallacies such as these: ‘Since God’s love is unconditional, He will love me regardless . . .’; or ‘Since ‘God is love,’ He will love me unconditionally, regardless . . . .’ These arguments are used by anti-Christs to woo people with deception. Nehor, for example, promoted himself by teaching falsehoods: He ‘testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, . . . for the Lord had created all men, . . . and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.’ Sadly, some of the people believed Nehor’s fallacious and unconditional concepts.[21]

The doctrine of unconditional love is antichrist! It is a fabrication of the lowest order. While scriptures declare that “God is love” (see 1 John 4:8), we cannot then conclude that “love is God.” There are those who love darkness and those who love evil. But this love is neither God nor of God. Conversely, although we can appropriately conclude that “Satan is hate,” it does not then follow that “hate is Satan” for “hatred is a proper and holy emotion when channeled properly . . . . Manifestations of perfect hatred are shown forth by Deity himself,”[22] declared Elder McConkie. In scripture we read:

These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 

A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, 

Feet that be swift in running to mischief,

A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren (Proverbs 6:16-19).

As we work our way through this list of things that God hates, it becomes clear that His hate is not only directed towards sin, but is also directed towards the father of all lies (see 2 Nephi 2:18) who sowed discord among His brethren and “accused them before our God day and night” (see Revelation 12:10).[23] Satan is an abomination to God and for him there is no godly affection.[24] Both love and hatred are godly attributes when properly channeled. When not properly channeled, they are driving forces of the devil’s work. 

It is the focus of one's emotions that determines whether the emotion is good or evil. Thus, while God is a God of love, we cannot ignore that He is also a God of wrath (see Revelation 14:18-20), vengeance (see Romans 12:19), and fury (see D&C 121:5). He stands as a terrible gulf to divide the children of men (see 1 Nephi 12:18) and will not permit the wicked to destroy the righteous without swift retribution. Concerning His wrath and vengeance, the prophet Joseph recorded this vivid description:

And the Lord shall be red in his apparel, and his garments like him that treadeth in the wine-vat. 

And so great shall be the glory of his presence that the sun shall hide his face in shame, and the moon shall withhold its light, and the stars shall be hurled from their places. 

And his voice shall be heard: I have trodden the wine-press alone, and have brought judgment upon all people; and none were with me; 

And I have trampled them in my fury, and I did tread upon them in mine anger, and their blood have I sprinkled upon my garments, and stained all my raiment; for this was the day of vengeance which was in my heart (D&C 133:48-51).[25]

We cannot study such verses without seeing that the justice and vengeance of God is as real and divine as His love and mercy. And if justice, love, and mercy meet in harmony divine in the atonement, shouldn’t we witness something more than His love in this horrific undertaking? Mustn’t we also see the vestiges of His justice? In fact, we do! To Isaiah, the Lord declared concerning His suffering, “and my fury, it upheld me” (Isaiah 63:5). Not only did His love for His Father and His righteous seed sustain Him through His sufferings and sorrows, but His fury, anger, and vengeance upheld Him. Together with love and mercy, I suggest that these were all emotions which he had “in his heart” on that terrible night in Gethsemane.

A day is sufficient for God to take vengeance upon the wicked. His sword is swift and He hastens such hostile yet necessary work. Conversely, His work of redemption is patient and long-suffering and, as the allegory of the olive tree expresses, He is ever eager to spare His vineyard a little longer (see Jacob 5). When the victory is won, I think we will see that His mercy and long suffering will reach as far as His justice. Not a single sin will escape His judgments but neither will there be a soul whom He has not showered with His love and whom He has not blessed with His good favor. God’s love is enduring. God’s mercy is infinite. God’s justice is certain. God’s anger is terrible. How wonderful it is to be encircled in the arms of His love (see 2 Nephi 1:15), yet how fearful it is to fall into the hands of the Living God (see Hebrews 10:28-31).

Glory to God on high! Let heav'n and earth reply. Praise ye his name. 

His love and grace adore, Who all our sorrows bore. Sing aloud evermore: Worthy the Lamb! 

Jesus, our Lord and God, Bore sin's tremendous load. Praise ye his name. 

Tell what his arm has done, What spoils from death he won. Sing his great name alone: Worthy the Lamb! 

Let all the hosts above Join in one song of love, Praising his name. 

To him ascribed be Honor and majesty Thru all eternity: Worthy the Lamb![26]

Having looked at the ends of the law and atonement and how both love and fury were divine attributes and emotions demonstrated in the atoning sacrifice, it is appropriate now to consider God’s attributes of justice and mercy. In doing so, I admittedly will be taking a different approach than what is generally taken and I may even suggest different conclusions about the relationship between justice and mercy than those commonly heard. However, I believe that neither my approach nor conclusions are contrary to the revealed word.

From my own studies, I have come to the conclusion that although God’s justice and mercy may seemingly manifest themselves in divergent ways, they most often, if not always, demonstrate themselves in a complimentary fashion. In other words, justice and mercy buttress rather than destabilize each other. At first blush, this may seem like a contradictory philosophy and, in the minds of some, may create ambiguity that needs clarification. Although there are many ways in which justice and mercy are similarly manifest, I will consider only four that are most apparent in order to clear up any ambiguity and illustrate this important conclusion.

First, the resurrection comes to all men because justice demands it. Concerning this, Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said:

Reason teaches us this, and it is a simple matter of justice. Adam alone was responsible for death and therefore the Lord does not lay this to the charge of any other person. Justice demands that no person who was not responsible for death shall be held responsible for it, and therefore, as Paul declared: ‘as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.’[27]

Thus, justice demands that the resurrection be provided freely to all who, because of Adam’s transgression, are subject to the physical bands of death.

In seeming contrast to Elder Smith’s observations, Elder Dallin H. Oaks states:

The universal resurrection from physical death is an unconditional act of mercy made possible by the Atonement. Alma taught Corianton that ‘mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead’ (Alma 42:23).[28]

Thus, like justice, mercy assures that the resurrection will be provided freely to all.

Second, for the same reason that justice demands the resurrection be provided freely to Adam’s posterity, justice likewise demands that all men be redeemed from the “first spiritual death” that comes upon them as a result of Adam’s transgression. Again, Elder Smith declared:

It, therefore, became necessary for the Father to send his Only Begotten Son, who was free from sin, to atone for our sins as well as for Adam's transgression, which justice demanded should be done.[29]

As with physical death, it was by Adam that the first spiritual death came upon men and the Lord will not hold any other man accountable for the choices of this one man. Confirming this, “the Lord said unto Adam: Behold I have forgiven thee thy transgression in the Garden of Eden. Hence came the saying abroad among the people, that the Son of God hath atoned for original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the heads of the children, for they are whole from the foundation of the world” (Moses 6:53-54).

As a confirmation of this verity, Samuel the Lamanite prophesied:

For behold, . . . it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord. 

Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual. 

But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord (Helaman 14:15-17).[30]

Since, as previously noted, the resurrection comes as a matter of justice, then it is only logical to conclude that the spiritual redemption that comes to all mankind because of the resurrection must also come as a matter of justice.

In seeming contrast, if we use Elder Oak’s previous analysis of mercy and apply it to the verses just quoted, we must also conclude that mercy redeems all men from the first spiritual death. Alma taught that “mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead” (Alma 42:23) and Samuel taught that Christ “dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord” (Helaman 14:15). By networking the words of these two prophets, we must conclude that mercy comes because of the atonement which brings about the resurrection of the dead whereby all men are brought back into the presence of God and are thereby redeemed from the first spiritual death. Thus, as with justice, Elder Oaks concludes that one of the manifestations of mercy is that “[w]e are redeemed from the fall of Adam without condition.”[31]

Third, the salvation of all children who die before the age of accountability is unconditionally guaranteed because justice demands it. Concerning this, Elder Smith concluded that “both justice and mercy would be robbed and an unpardonable crime committed in the name of the Lord, if all little children were not redeemed through the atonement of Jesus Christ.”[32] Elder James E. Talmage further commented:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches as a doctrine founded on reason, justice, and scripture, that all children are innocent in the sight of God, and that . . . they are saved through the atonement of Christ.[33]

In short, justice would self-destruct if enforced against little children.

In seeming contrast, the salvation of all children who die before the age of accountability is also unconditionally provided because of mercy. Elder Smith said:

In declaring that little children are of the kingdom of heaven, our Lord made it clear that they are innocent of sin and require no baptism. This is according to his mercy and justice.[34]

More forcefully, Mormon warned: “Little children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy” (Moroni 8:19).

Finally, justice accords the opportunity for all men and women who die without law to be taught the gospel in the spirit world so that they can be judged according to men in the flesh. Elder Smith declared:

Therefore, it seems that it was only a matter of justice for the Lord to do what Abinadi said he would do and permit these who innocently died in ‘their ignorance, not having salvation declared unto them’ to have part in this great resurrection. The question naturally arises: Little children who do not understand, should they die, are they redeemed through the blood of Christ? The scriptures inform us also that this is the privilege of all those who are without law: For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law.[35] Elder Boyd K. Packer confirms that “moral law assumes accountability; no accountability, no penalties! Moral law will self-destruct if enforced against those not accountable. It is not moral to do so.”[36]

In seeming contrast, mercy also claims all those who die without law. Supporting this declaration, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland states:

When no moral law applies (as with little children, the mentally impaired, those ignorant of the gospel until they are taught it, and so forth), the power of the Atonement [mercy] ‘satisfieth the demands of . . . justice,’ and such people are ‘restored to that God who gave them breath.’[37]

The prophet Jacob also explained:

Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him (2 Nephi 9:25).

Above, I have listed four seemingly contradictory statements from the revealed word as to how justice and mercy are demonstrated in the gospel plan. For example, Elder Smith declared that the resurrection comes to us as “a simple matter of justice” whereas Elder Oaks confirms that it comes to us as “an unconditional act of mercy.”

So what is it that brings about the resurrection—justice or mercy? Is one of these brethren wrong or are they both right? Clearly, they are both right and therein lies support for the conclusion made earlier in this chapter that, in the gospel of Jesus Christ, justice and mercy manifest themselves in essentially identical ways in bringing to pass the salvation of men.

If asked the question, “What is the opposite of justice?” many instinctively respond: “Mercy!” This response, however well-intentioned, is incorrect and illustrates a fundamental and widespread misconception concerning the doctrines of justice and mercy and their relationship with each other. To correct this misconception, Elder Packer provides us with this short and simple statement:

When that prodigal classmate of ours is wiser than he has yet shown himself to be, he will have learned that Justice is another name for Mercy, and Mercy is another name for Justice.[38]

Justice is not the opposite of mercy as may be commonly expressed or heard in our Sunday School classes; they are essentially the same. They do not reside at opposing ends of the law; together they rest at its fulcrum intricately and securely woven into the atonement of Jesus Christ working together to ensure that salvation comes only through Christ and that no robber gains it by some other way. Thus, when Alma expressed that “whosoever repenteth . . . shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son,” (Alma 12:34) we must appreciate that his expression is in perfect harmony with the justice of God that also demands that the penitent shall have claim on mercy through His Only Begotten Son. Both justice and mercy mutually and concurrently claim the penitent and deliver their souls from hell.

Restated, when a person seeking mercy satisfies the conditions of a broken heart and contrite spirit established by Him who suffered the full penalty of broken law, it would be unjust to impose a second penalty on that person seeking mercy. To do so would be to deny the sufferings of the Son of God and exact a penalty from both Christ and the penitent for the same offense—a violation of the rule of double jeopardy. Therefore, as a matter of justice, mercy must be extended to the penitent as justice would self-destruct if enforced against the repentant transgressor.

As the following illustration portrays, it is the Justice of God that executes the law that imposes the punishment and condemns the wicked. It is also Justice that invokes Mercy to claim the penitent.

ENDNOTES

[1] As cited by Maxwell, “. . . A More Excellent Way,” 43. 

[2] Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, 336. I might add that true charity has been known twice. With this Elder Holland would agree, for it was the Father's love for us that was the driving force behind the love of the Son. The Father's love is love.

[3] Compare Mosiah 14:9-10. 

[4] Joseph Smith taught that love is the one attribute that influences all other excellencies in God’s character such that men and women desire to exercise faith in Him unto salvation: “And lastly, but not less important to the exercise of faith in God, is the idea that he is love; for with all the other excellencies in his character, without this one to influence them, they could not have such powerful dominion over the minds of men; but when the idea is planted in the mind that he is love, who cannot see the just ground that men of every nation, kindred, and tongue, have to exercise faith in God so as to obtain to eternal life” (Smith, Joseph, Lectures on Faith, 3:24). 

[5] Compare D&C 84:63, 77. 

[6] Because of his obedience in all things, Abraham was known as the Friend of God (see James 2:23). 

[7] See JS-H 1:17; compare Matthew 12:18. 

[8] Compare John 5:20. 

[9] “To ‘possess the principles which God possesses’ is to dwell in God!” declared Elder McConkie. “That is, if we possess love, charity, faith, and every godly attribute as he possesses them, then he dwells in us because we have received those attributes which come from him, and we dwell in him because we have become as he is” (see McConkie, Bruce R., Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:401). 

[10] Smith, Joseph, Times and Seasons, Volume V, Nauvoo, Illinois, 25 December 1844, 758. 

[11] Marxist notions, in part, flows from Darwin’s theories of organic evolution, which might account for the reason why President Joseph Fielding Smith taught that “organic evolution is Satan’s chief weapon in destroying the divine mission of Jesus Christ. It is a contemptible plot against faith in God and to destroy the effective belief in the divine atonement of our Redeemer through which men may be saved from their sins and find place in the Kingdom of God” (see Smith, Joseph Fielding, His Origin and Destiny, 184 – 185). Much of the nonsense today in education, psychology, and social science ties back to Darwin’s theories which postulate that man is nothing more than a highly-evolved animal. 

[12] Unconditional love,” he wrote, “corresponds to one of the deepest longings, not only of the child, but of every human being; on the other hand, to be loved because of one’s merit, because one deserved it, always leaves doubt; maybe I did not please the person whom I want to love me, maybe this, or that—there is always a fear that love could disappear. Furthermore, ‘deserved’ love easily leaves a bitter feeling that one is not loved for oneself, that one is loved only because one pleases, that one is, in the last analysis, not loved at all but used” (see page 35). 

[13] Fromm summarized the matriarchal view as: “I am loved because I am. This experience of being loved by mother is a passive one. There is nothing I have to do in order to be loved—mother’s love is unconditional. All I have to do is to be—to be her child. Mother’s love is bliss, is peace, it need not be acquired, it need not be deserved. But there is a negative side, too, to the unconditional quality of mother’s love. Not only does it not need to be deserved—it also cannot be acquired, produced, controlled. If it is there, it is like a blessing; if it is not there, it is as if all beauty had gone out of life—and there is nothing I can do to create it” (see page 33). 

[14] “Fatherly love is conditional love,” Fromm wrote. “Its principle is ‘I love you because you fulfill my expectations, because you do your duty, because you are like me.’ In conditional fatherly love we find . . . a negative and a positive aspect. The negative aspect is the very fact that fatherly love has to be deserved, that it can be lost if one does not do what is expected. In the nature of fatherly love lies the fact that obedience becomes the main virtue, that disobedience is the main sin—and its punishment the withdrawal of fatherly love. The positive side is equally important. Since his love is conditioned, I can do something to acquire it, I can work for it; his love is not outside my control as motherly love is” (see page 36). 

[15] See page 64. 

[16] Rogers downgraded the concept of unconditional love to unconditional positive regard; a common term used in psychology today. 

[17] See Rogers, Carl, On Becoming a Person, 23-34. John M. Rector used these philosophies of men to suggest that the “doctrines of our faith may spell out aspects of God’s composition for us, but it is we who fill in nuances of God’s personality and character.” Mr. Rector concluded from this that “since none of us knows very deeply what God is like, we can make a conscious choice to form a concept of divine personality which ‘works’ for us” (see Rector, John, “What is the Character of Your God?” Perspectives, Autumn 2006, 79-80). 

[18] See page 64. 

[19] See page 68-69. 

[20] Nelson, “Divine Love,” Ensign, February 2003, 20. 

[21] Ibid.

[22] McConkie, Bruce R., Mormon Doctrine, 344. 

[23] It is often heard that we are to “hate the sin and love the sinner.” Although I do not question the present appropriateness and political correctness of this rhetoric, the statement itself does not logically hold together. Sin does not exist without a cause. God recognizes this fact and, thus, it is the sinner who is punished, not the sin. Can one hate sin and at the same time love the cause of sin? In the telestial realm in which we presently live, we are commanded to love our enemy and do good to those who despitefully use us. This we do to allow the sinner every opportunity to repent and be reconciled to God. And at times, we are called to endure the cruelty of the wicked that the judgments of the Lord might be just. Failure to do so with patience may itself earn the judgments of God. But, from an eternal perspective, the sin and the sinner are uniquely and inseparably tied together. God can love a people and be patient with them in their days of iniquity, but God’s patience and love can wear thin (see Helaman 15:3-4). 

[24] We are no different than God. We have set limits to our love and have identified those who will receive it. From a lesser to greater degree we love our servants, friends, and sons and daughters, but in no degree should our heart give place for the enemy of our soul (see 2 Nephi 4:28). 

[25] Compare and contrast Isaiah 63:2-4. 

[26] Allen, “Glory to God on High,” Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 67. 

[27] Smith, Joseph Fielding, “The Resurrection,” The Improvement Era, December 1942, 827. 

[28] Oaks, With Full Purpose of Heart, 117. 

[29] Smith, Joseph Fielding, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:126. 

[30] Compare Mormon 9:12-14. 

[31] Oaks, With Full Purpose of Heart, 117. 

[32] Smith, Joseph Fielding, The Way to Perfection, 200. 

[33] Talmage, A Study of the Articles of Faith, 79. 

[34] Smith, Joseph Fielding, The Restoration of All Things, 218. 

[35] Smith, Joseph Fielding, Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:77. 

[36] Packer, Boyd K., as cited in Nyman, The Book of Mormon: Jacob Through Words of Mormon, To Learn With Joy, 9; compare Romans 5:13. 

[37] Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, 68. 

[38] Packer, The Things of the Soul, 59.