So often I hear people say things like "I'm pretty sure God is fine with ..." Or, "God doesn't care if I ..." Oh, foolish generation, seeking to make a God in their own image! As Christ declared to the Samaritan woman, "Ye worship ye know not what."
Is it wise to claim to worship something you do not comprehend? How can we properly give our respects to that which we do not understand? God would not have us worship Him in ignorance. Though He is not like us exactly, and "No man hath seen God at any time, save he hath borne witness of His son," He has given us some understanding into His own nature. It is through this revelation, and not mere opinion, that I give an explanation of the nature of God.
First and foremost, God is our loving Heavenly Father. He is called Father, and requests to be called such, all throughout the scriptures. We are His spirit children. As a perfect father, God wants what is best for us, and that is to teach us His laws so that we are able to inherit "all that [He] hath."
Because He wants what is best for us, God cares about what we do. He has set clear boundaries and limits according to His commandments. Though we are free to accept or reject these commandments, we cannot be prepared to receive God's gifts unless we humble ourselves through obedience. This is why we make covenants - not to limit our freedoms, but to enable us to receive blessings.
So God does care about what we do with our lives. As Elder D. Todd Christofferson stated in October 2014, "A God who makes no demands is the functional equivalent of a God who does not exist."
Much earlier, the prophet Lehi explained, "And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away."
If God did not command us, if God had no laws, if God allowed mercy to rob justice, then it might as well be as though He did not exist, in which case this life is ultimately meaningless. We live, we die, and there is nothing else. How sad an existence would that be? Nothing would matter, ultimately. Crime, transgression, obedience, family, past, future? What would any of this mean to a soul which was not destined for anything more than a one-time shot at existence? I am sorry, but even if that were true, I would rather be deluded into believing there is purpose in life than accept a world where nothing mattered.
This whole "mercy and justice" thing as well trips many people up. If God loves us, why would He consign some of us to everlasting punishment? Why would He not just save all of us? Well, first, that would once again render any of our actions ultimately pointless if the murderer, the adulterer, the righteous martyr and the prophet were all given the same reward in the next life. Truly this would be an injustice to they who followed God's commandments if they who did not were treated as if they did.
The prophet Alma explains this point in excruciating detail in Alma chapter 42, but here are some headlines;
-If there was no law, there would be no sin and no punishment. For example, if there was no law against murder, if one man killed another then nothing would be done about it.
-God's justice thus executes punishment upon all who have sinned.
-Christ's Atonement offers mercy to the penitent - His sacrifice pays the price of sin, and we are allowed to stand in God's presence again.
-Once in God's presence, we shall be judged of our works.
Thus, God is both just AND merciful, and His love is perfect whilst also not nullifying His law and justice.
As I understand it as well, Christ's sacrifice offers what is known as His Grace, which is the saving, redeeming and uplifting power freely available to all of us. Grace is not barred by laws, covenants, anything; it is freely given to all men. Thus, when people claim to be "saved by Grace," in some ways they are correct.
However, simply being "saved" is not the end. I refer back to my earlier blog post, where I discuss the difference between salvation and exaltation. To be saved is free, but to be exalted requires personal effort, and if we are not worthy, then ultimately we will be the ones to walk away from God. He would love to invite all of us to stay, but none under a perfect consciousness of their own guilt would want to stay in the presence of a perfect and just God, feeling judged and condemned every day, so they will ultimately flee His presence.
I hope some understanding has been brought to you by my words. If this improves the life and understanding of at least one person, then I know I have done my job.
While this document uses quotes from general authorities as well as the Book of Mormon, it is not an official statement of doctrine by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and represents only my personal witness and beliefs.
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