Tag: God’s Plan

It Was Appointed unto Man to Die

~ Richard Rowley

Alma teaches his son that death is a necessary part of God’s plan for His children on Earth.

“…We see that the man had become as God, knowing good and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God placed cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of the fruit—And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God. For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and partaken of the tree of life, he would have lived forever, according to the word of God, having no space for repentance; yea, and also the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated. But behold it was appointed unto man to die…” (Alma 42:2-6)

Questions:

-How guarded, by God’s power, is mankind’s mortality?

-Why would obtaining immortality, separate from God’s plans and purposes, be a terrible tragedy?

-Will some of the greatest calamities in the last days be caused by mankind’s pursuit of immortality (an immortality which God will never allow to occur outside His own plan of salvation)?

If Ye Will Repent and Harden Not Your Hearts, Then Will I Have Mercy on You, Through My Only Begotten Son

~ Richard Rowley

All, who have reached an age of accountability and whose mental facilities haven’t been compromised, know good from evil. And all of us, at times, will choose evil. Doing so causes spiritual death and permanently so if one continues to choose evil leading up to the Last Judgment. Those who make a sincere effort to recognize the evil they have done and turn away from it in the name of Jesus Christ will have mercy extended to them, which will overcome the effects of spiritual death. This is God’s plan to save imperfect people.

“Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as gods, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good—Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.” (Alma 12:31-32)

But God did call on men in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy on you, through my Only Begotten Son. Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardenth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.” (Alma 12:33-34)

Questions:

-How valuable to you is the ability to repent through Christ’s Atonement?

-How valuable is it to know about Christ’s Atonement now in terms of having a meaningful life and spiritual strength to help others?