Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 42:1

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 42:1

"And now, my son, I perceive there is somewhat more which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot understand - which is concerning the justice of God in the punishment of the sinner; for ye do try to suppose that it is injustice that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery."

This chapter explains the demands of justice and the role of mercy in the plan of salvation. It is very compelling. But, I had to come back to this first verse of what Corianton's issue was. It sounds like he thought people should be saved in their sins. They would make it back home to their God without every repenting or having a need for a Savior.

As I pondered on this I thought of giving good gifts to our children. We may know we have something precious for them but the child wants to go in another direction. His eye is on a different course. I know you cannot serve two masters at one time. You will love the one and hate the other. Would a gift be good for a person if you made them go on a course different than the one they wanted? If I owned a beautiful ranch and wanted my child to inherit it and they wanted instead to be a coal miner, how would forcing them the reward I wanted be a good gift any more?

So I'm thinking that another area of mercy is letting a child follow what they want to follow, even if we know its a really bad idea. Forcing someone to say above ground when they wanted to be beneath it would never make them happy above ground no matter how hard they tried. After they follow their whim they may see that darkness doesn't bring light and come back, or they might just seek more darkness.

The plan of salvation gives us our free agency. There are rules and laws to follow to gain exaltation. God in the end will give me only what I have been seeking after. If I am headed to misery or to joy that will be my final destination. Though thankfully there are hints along the way of what the outcome will be, and opportunities to turn back the other way. I guess the whole point is I need to really think about what direction I am are heading in any action that I take, for that is where I will end up. It doesn't matter how deep I am in the path, its the direction I am headed that counts.

Day 316 Tami Fitzgerald Harris