Helaman reiterated to his two sons an important doctrine taught by Amulek, another Book of Mormon prophet who lived on the American continent before the time of Christ. This doctrine has been weighting on my mind and I have felt impressed to write down my thoughts. Helman said to his two sons, “Remember also the words which Amulek spake . . .for he said . . .that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.
There is an important distinction, in this case, between the words in and from. I will make some attempt to explain the difference between being redeemed from our sins, and being redeemed in our sins, a void possibility. Christ did not come to redeem us in our sins, but to redeem us from them. Said He “Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.”
I have met some people who indulge in doing that which is strictly forbidden by God, yet profess some belief in Christ, and a conviction that by a large they are good people, and in the last day it will be well with them. I do not exempt myself from having fallen into this belief from time to time. To restate, many consider that in spite of their rebelliousness against the son of God He will save them at the last day . . . that he will save them in their sins.
Due to my line of work I have taken somewhat an interest in the idea of law. There is more legislation that exists than could ever be read and understood by one human being in a lifetime. For the most part I concentrate my efforts on the criminal code for the State of Utah. Even with this narrowing of subject comprehension there is an extensive and almost overwhelming amount of information. There is one section, however, that if nonexistent would render the entire book of law useless; punishments. If there were no punishments established, all written legislation would be entirely and utterly futile. Law cannot exist without justice, they coexist, and they are inseparable. If you say there is no justice, you must say there is no law, and vice versa.
To say there is no punishment for sin is to say that God has no law. If it is so, there is no need for prophets, revelations, teachings, scriptures, behavioral modification, repentance, or gospel ordinances such as baptism. None of this would be necessary because God’s law, therefore God’s justice, would not exist. Nothing would be required of us. “If there was no law given against sin men would not be afraid to sin.” Sin would not exist, for there would be no law whereby one could sin against. Men could do whatsoever they please without consequence. This is what the world desires, but this is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. God has established laws, which are eternal in nature. When these laws are violated, there must be justice, there must be a punishment.
All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. There is One who has paid the punishment for sin, and in some way incomprehensible to man has taken upon himself the sins of the world, an act we call the Atonement. Man can, therefore, lay hold on the mercy of God, through his son, and be saved from their sins. It is through the Atonement and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel that we may receive this mercy. We must have faith in Jesus Christ, repent, or align our behavior in a manner consistent with the holy commandments, and ask forgiveness of Him whose laws we have violated. In addition the Lord has required that we be baptized by one having authority to administer in the ordinances of the gospel. Mercy is something that we must accept in this manner. It is not something we earn or merit. It is a graceful gift from One who desire to give it to any who will receive it.
Belief alone in Jesus Christ is insufficient to receive his salvific gifts, or the fullness of his blessings. As James writes, “Thou believest there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” Many will profess a belief in their own personal interpretation of a god who will save them in their sins, or who, perhaps has a set of laws which differ to some degree with the God of the Old Testament. While it is true they may believe in god, they do not believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel.
I know that our Eternal Father, the one true God of Israel, desires that all of his children return to him, and be saved. He has sent his beloved Son that through him, and by our obedience, we might receive His mercy and be saved at the last day. “There can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins.”
If you think carefully enough about it, to believe that a man can be saved in his sins is to believe that the Son of God suffered and descended below all things that man might freely sin without consequence. This is the antithesis to the great plan of salvation set forth by our Eternal Father.
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