2 Nephi 2: 8

8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

Atonement needed for godhood

Not only is Jesus Christ the only one who could atone for our sins and reconcile us to God the Father, but also the Atonement is the only way that reconciliation could occur. D&C 19: 16–18 tells us that if we don’t accept the Atonement we will have to suffer as Christ did, and pay for our sins ourselves. That is true, but it’s only part of the story. We may be able to pay for our won sins to satisfy the demands of justice, but we do not have the power to exalt ourselves in the Celestial Kingdom. That requires the Atonement.

Elder Bruce C. Hafen wrote, “I once wondered if those who refuse to repent but who then satisfy the law of justice by paying for their own sins are then worthy to enter the celestial kingdom. The answer is no. The entrance requirements for celestial life are simply higher than merely satisfying the law of justice. For that reason, paying for our own sins will not bear the same fruit as repenting of our sins. Justice is a law of balance and order and it must be satisfied, either through our payment or his. But if we decline the Savior’s invitation to let him carry our sins, and then satisfy justice by ourselves, we will not yet have experienced the complete rehabilitation that can occur through a combination of divine assistance and genuine repentance. Working together, those forces have the power permanently to change our hearts and our lives, preparing for celestial life…

“The doctrine of mercy and repentance are rehabilitative, not retributive, in nature. The savior asks for our repentance not merely to compensate him for paying our debt to justice, but also as a way of inducing us to undergo the process of development that will make our nature divine, giving us the capacity to live the celestial law” (quoted in The Infinite Atonement, p. 225–26, by Tad R. Callister).

In my mind, one of the key reasons we need the Atonement to qualify us for the celestial kingdom, and therefore godhood, is to learn humility. Just because a person pays his/her own debt to the law of justice does not necessarily mean he/she has changed. We see that on earth when a criminal is released after serving their sentence in prison, only to return to a life of crime. That example has eternal consequences if the unrepentant sinner is given the freedom, power, and responsibility of godhood. To responsibly handle that much power in the universe requires absolute humility, otherwise the abuses to that power are unthinkable. We rely on someone else’s merits to qualify for exaltation partly to learn the humility necessary to handle that much power and responsibility without letting it get to our pride.

• 2 Nephi 10: 24
• 2 Nephi 25: 20
• 2 Nephi 31: 21
• Mosiah 4: 8
• Mosiah 5: 8
• Alma 21: 9
• Alma 38: 9

Responsibility to share when we have been converted

There are places in the scriptures that teach us it is a commandment to share the gospel when we have been converted. Examples of that would be when Christ told Peter to strengthen his brethren when he was converted (Luke 22: 32), or when we are told that when we have been warned, it becometh us to warn our neighbors (D&C 88: 81). The scriptures are full of examples of doing this. Some examples just in the Book of Mormon are Nephi (1 Nephi 2: 16–18), Alma and the sons of Mosiah (Mosiah 27: 32–35), King Lamoni (Alma 19: 31); Amulek (Alma 8: 29–30), Zeezrom (Alma 31: 6), and Mormon (Mormon 1: 15–16). Lehi, though, gets past the fact that it is a commandment and tells us that because Christ is the only way to salvation, that is why it is so important “to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth…” The highest reason for sharing the gospel is not out of duty, but out of love. We would do it whether or not it was a commandment, because we “could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thought that any soul should endure endless torment [would] cause [us] to quake and tremble,” as it did the sons of Mosiah (see Mosiah 28: 3). Do we love God above everyone and everything else, and our neighbors as ourselves, as the Savior taught we should (Matthew 22: 36–40)? If so, we will warn our neighbors out of love more than out of duty.

• D&C 88: 81
• Mosiah 28: 3

The Resurrection

The resurrection is part of the Atonement that I don’t understand, in terms of the mechanics of it. Paying for our sins I can at least get the theory of, even if I can’t comprehend what Christ went through to do it. The resurrection is kind of different in my mind because it involves re-animating a physical object (and I use that word on purpose. I have helped dress a body for burial and was impressed, even surprised, at how the body really is an object without the spirit to animate it). I get how Christ’s being the Son of God gives him power over death. What I don’t get is how His resurrection gives our spirits the power to re-animate our bodies. Something about him doing it first under his own power makes it possible for us to do it at a specific appointed time. Most likely we never have the power to do this on our own, but like paying for sins, Christ has the power to perform this physical miracle for everyone. Maybe that was the real intent of Christ healing people, so that we could gain faith in his ability to resurrect as well. I think of the time when Christ was accused of blasphemy for forgiving sins, so he healed the man of palsy to show he had the power to forgive sins as well (Matthew 9: 2–8). Maybe for him the resurrection is simply another kind of healing.

• 1 Corinthians 15: 20

2 Nephi 2: 7

7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

The first significant point in this verse is that the Holy Messiah who is full of grace and truth (vs. 6) offers himself as a sacrifice for sin. Sacrifice was a part of the Law of Moses as a means of teaching and preparing Israel for this very divine sacrifice, but why would the Savior offer himself rather than someone or something else? After all, most, if not all other religions that require blood sacrifice or something similar do it to appease their gods and make it so they don’t get angry. But in this case the God is the sacrifice, and any other ceremony is just for the purpose of teaching that. I think there are a few very significant reasons for God the Son to offer himself as a sacrifice.

1.     He loves us. Christ taught that there is no greater expression of love than this, “that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15: 13). The only other expression of love that we know of that compares with Christ laying down his life for us, his friends, is that of the Father, who “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,” for this very purpose of sacrificing his life for us (John 3: 16). Why couldn’t the Father sacrifice himself instead of sending his Son? Partly because the Law of Justice binds him, but another big part is that He was already immortal. He couldn’t die for our sins because He couldn’t die at all. That is why the Father depends on the Son.

2.     He was perfect. Jesus Christ had to be the one to offer himself because in order to cover everyone’s sins and afflictions with one person’s sacrifice, the One being sacrificed had to be perfect, without spot. Jesus was the only person in history who lived a perfect life and was unblemished by sin. That disqualifies everyone else from eligibility.

3.     Christ was the only person physically capable of performing the Atonement. In order to be able to endure the physical pain required to do this, which pain was so great that it caused Him to bleed at every pore, Christ had to have complete control over life and especially death. He needed that immortal quality inherited from his Father so that he wouldn’t die or pass out before the job was done. I love how Tad R. Callister describes it:

“He took upon him infinite suffering, but chose to defend with only mortal faculties, with but one exception—his godhood was summoned to hold off unconsciousness and death (i.e., the twin relief mechanisms of man) that would otherwise overpower a mere mortal when he reached his threshold of pain. For the Savior, however, there would be no such relief. His divinity would be called upon, not to immunize him from pain, but to enlarge the receptacle that would hold it. He simply brought a larger cup to hold the bitter drink” (The Infinite Atonement, Deseret Book. 2000. p. 119)

Christ was the only person who has ever in our history had all these unique qualifications. Even Lucifer, who in the Council in Heaven also volunteered to be our savior, could literally not be able to accomplish this task, even if he had conformed to Heavenly Father’s plan instead of his own agency-killing plan. Why? Because he wanted it for the wrong reason. Lucifer wanted the glory for himself. He was too selfish to love mankind enough to stick it out. In order to endure what Christ went through, and not give up before the job was finished, His motive had to be bigger than himself. Christ (and therefore Lucifer) could not have stuck it out without a purpose, a cause, a reason that was bigger than and outside of Himself. Love is the only thing big enough to handle it, and Lucifer, even if he fit all the other qualifications simply did not love enough. He wanted it for the wrong reason, and therefore could not physically have accomplished it. So the Messiah had to offer himself a sacrifice to answer the ends of the law.

What are the “ends of the law?” We read in verse five that the law is what separates us from God. By the law we are cut off, both temporal and spiritual, and the law justifies nobody. It is rigid and must be followed. By that standard we have no chance to reunite with Heavenly Father. The law is a powerful problem for us, with eternal consequences. According to the demands of the law no unclean thing can dwell with God, and we are all unclean things, so we have no chance. That’s the end or conclusion of the law. This powerful and eternal problem for us requires a powerful and eternal answer. Enter the Savior who, for reasons discussed above, is our only hope of overcoming the effects of the law and return, or be reconciled to our Father.

The trick is that we have to do our part as well. If we don’t do our part we cannot access the answer offered by Jesus the Christ. It’s a free gift, but it requires that we accept it. And if we don’t accept the Atonement, this answer to the ends of the law, then we are on our own to suffer the natural consequences of breaking the law. There’s no way around this; it’s the major condition of applying the answer. This appears to be an eternal law that cannot be broken even by God, at least not if He is to continue as God. I think that’s why this verse says, “unto none else can the ends of the law be answered,” instead of, “will the ends of the law be answered.” God has to live by this law as much as we do. It’s not just a rule He made up to force us into servitude. We don’t have to accept the answer offered by the Savior, but the penalty has to be paid somehow. Again, in order to accept the free gift we have to do our part.

I once received an email from a student I advised at school. She said she had received notification that she had a scholarship that she had not applied for. All she needed to do is fill out a form and write a letter of thanks in order to receive it. The tone and gist of her letter to me was one of mistrust that she could be offered this free gift to help pay her tuition. So she asked me if it was legitimate, or if she should ignore it. I did some checking around and found that an organization in her hometown offered this scholarship to their high school graduates who went to college, and then the college supplied matching funds.  It was completely legitimate, even though she didn’t know it had happened, and that she qualified for the scholarship. All she had to do was accept the scholarship and write a thank you note to receive it. She almost didn’t accept the scholarship because she didn’t trust that she could receive a gift like that without her even requesting it. Of course, I advised her to meet the conditions and accept the gift. How like the Atonement is that story! How many people don’t accept the conditions of the Atonement because they can’t believe it’s that simple to accept? We just need to exercise faith and humility, and the free gift is ours; we just need to look to Him and live (see Alma 33: 19–22).

• Romans 10: 4
• Alma 42: 15
• 3 Nephi 9: 20
• D&C 19: 16–17

2 Nephi 2: 6

6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

Because the law (both temporal and spiritual) cuts us off from Heavenly Father, we need a way back to Him. Otherwise we are lost. Justice cannot redeem us, since none of us is perfectly clean, and no unclean thing can dwell with God. As much as we need law, it is not what brings us home to our Father. That requires grace, which grace is provided by Jesus Christ. He becomes the pivotal person in time, space, and eternity. If our loving Heavenly Father wants us to return to Him, He relies on the Savior as much as we do. As has been discussed, God the Father must live according to the eternal law of justice, or He ceases to be God (see Alma 42 for an in-depth explanation). By the strict requirements of that law, we have no chance of successfully returning to Him, and He has no way of personally stepping in to intervene to save us, as much as He may want to. He simply cannot let us off the hook, so to speak, to leave our sins unpaid for, and yet His work and glory, His job, so to speak, is to make that happen, to bring about our immortality and eternal life (see Moses 1: 39). The Savior, Jesus Christ’s Atonement was the only way to mediate, the only way to provide mercy and grace without violating the law of justice. John 1: 17 states it clearly: Moses gave the law (by which we are cut off from the Father), but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (by which we are reunited with our Father).

• John 1: 17 (14, 17)
• 1 Nephi 10: 6
• 2 Nephi 25: 20
• Alma 12: 22 (22–25)
• Moses 1: 6

2 Nephi 2: 5

5 And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever.

I have mentioned before in this journal how interesting it is to me that the scriptures in general, and especially the Book of Mormon, explain the gospel so logically. It’s interesting that these subjects of the Spirit are explained and understood by the mind’s logic (plus faith), but they are believed by the Spirit. The Lord told Oliver Cowdery that when he wanted inspiration (or confirmation) in his decisions he should “study it out in [his] mind,” and didn’t mention his heart or emotions (D&C 9: 8 (7–9)). So here begins one of those very clear and reasonable explanations of the Atonement and its relationship to justice and mercy.

The first thing Lehi states, as if it is already so well established that it needs no explanation is that everyone knows enough that they know the difference between good and evil. Most people are taught that by their parents, but even those who are not still have the light of Christ given to them (Moroni 7: 16). Another name for that is “conscience.” I always found it interesting to realize that conscience includes the word science in it. In fact, these related, but seemingly opposite words share the same root word that refers to knowledge. They are just two different ways of knowing different kinds of things. Science is how we know about physical things; conscience is how we know about moral, ethical, or other non-physical things that are no less real, yet cannot be measured.

Lehi makes the simple statement that the law was given to men. He’s probably referring to the law under which they lived, the Law of Moses, which is a specific kind of law, but my question is that if all men know good from evil anyway, why is a law even necessary? The short and easy answer is that not everybody heeds his or her conscience. And so a law is provided as a lowest common denominator of what it takes for a society to function without destroying itself. But, as the Doctrine and Covenants tells us, if we are keeping the laws of God, we have no need to break the laws of the land (see D&C 58: 21). We are dealing with different kinds of law. The law of the land really is a civilization’s lowest common denominator. However, when people want to draw close to God they must embrace a higher law, which includes, but goes beyond the law of the land. Russell M. Nelson, in speaking of a specific law taught, “Regardless of what civil legislation may be enacted, the doctrine of the Lord regarding marriage and morality cannot be changed. Remember: sin, even if legalized by man, is still sin in the eyes of God!” (CR October 2013, emphasis is the Elder Nelson’s). Our conscience tells us what laws are right, and if we live according to our consciences we will, by default, be keeping the laws of God and man. But, as Lehi states, the law alone will not justify us. “Justification means ‘to be pardoned from punishment for sin and declared guiltless’” (Book of Mormon Student Manual, REL 121–122, 2009. p. 51).

The Atonement is what allows justification. Laws, including the Law of Moses, dictate actions and behavior, but cannot control what we think or feel. This is because our agency cannot be taken away from us. Nobody keeps the law perfectly, and even if they do there is no guarantee that they want to. That’s why there is no justification in the law. So because the law cannot look on our intentions or our heart, by the law men are cut off. Because we have both a temporal and spiritual nature there is both a temporal and spiritual law. It is possible to keep the temporal law and not the spiritual, but someone who is truly keeping the spiritual law is most likely also keeping the temporal law, and doing it for the right reason. True happiness comes by keeping both sets of laws, but there are eternal consequences for breaking spiritual laws. I would say that the priority, then, is to keep the spiritual law, so that we do not “perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever.”

Overarching all this is the realization that all is lost without the Atonement. We simply cannot perfectly keep both temporal and spiritual sets of laws. In our imperfection we make mistakes; we stumble. We depend on the Atonement more than we probably realize.

• Leviticus 7: 20 (20–21)
• Romans 3: 20 (20–24)
• Romans 7: 5 (JST)
• Galatians 2: 16
• Galatians 3: 2–3
• 1 Nephi 10: 6
• 2 Nephi 9: 6 (6–38)
• 2 Nephi 25: 23
• Mosiah 13: 28 (27–28)
• Alma 11: 42 (40–45)
• Alma 12: 16 (16, 24, 36)
• Alma 42: 7 (6–11)
• Alma 42: 14 (12–16)
• Helaman 14: 16 (15–18)
• Moroni 7: 16

2 Nephi 2: 4

4 And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall minister in the flesh; for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.

This verse seems to me almost a transition statement to what Lehi will be teaching concerning agency, justice, mercy, and the Atonement. Lehi first confirms that Jacob has seen Christ. We don’t know when that was, except that it was in his youth, as others have seen Him, such as Joseph Smith.

Then Lehi states that the way is prepared (which he will teach us about) for salvation to be made free for everyone (which he will also explain). We should not get complacent in thinking that because the blessing of salvation is offered to everyone for free that everyone will necessarily receive it. There is a big difference. So we can’t really understand this verse if we stop at this verse. We must read on, or Lehi’s statement is taken out of context. That’s why I say this is an introduction or transition to what Lehi will teach next.

• 2 Nephi 10: 3