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CHAPTER 41In the resurrection men come forth to a state of endless happiness or endless misery—Wickedness never was happiness—Carnal men are without God in the world—Every person receives again in the restoration the characteristics and attributes acquired in mortality. [About 73 B.C.] |
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1 AND now, my son, I have somewhat to say
concerning the restoration of which has been spoken; for behold, some have
awrested the
scripturesa, and have gone far
bastray because of this thing. And I perceive that thy mind
has been cworried also concerning this thing. But behold, I
will explain it unto thee.
2 I say unto thee, my son, that the plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every apart of the body should be restored to itself.
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1a wrest the scripture This is to force from or wrestle out of unnatural and incorrect meanings from the scriptures by twisting them to mean that which they do not mean. |
1a
2 Pet. 1:20;
2 Pet. 3:16; Alma 13:20 b TG Apostasy of Individuals c TG Problem-solving 2a Alma 40:23
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3 And it is requisite with the ajustice of
God that men should be bjudged according to their
cworksa; and if their
works were good in this life, and the
desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be
drestored unto that which is good.
4 And if their works are evil they shall be arestored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be brestored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame—cmortality raised to dimmortality, ecorruption to incorruption—raised to fendless happiness to ginherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on one hand, the other on the other— 5 The one raised to ahappiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh.
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3a it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works It is not justice that one who has been wicked all their days without repentance be restored unto the same as he who has been righteous in that he has exercised his faith in Christ unto repentance and living righteously. That is evil begats evil and goodness begats goodness. This is the justice of God. |
3a
TG
God, Justiice of;
TG
Justice b TG Accountability; TG Judgement, The Last c Isa. 59:18; Alma 36:15; Alma 42:27; D&C 1:10 (9-10) d Hel. 14:31; 4a Alma 42:28 b 2 Ne. 9:13 (10-13); D&C 138:17; TG Resurrection c TG Mortality d TG Immortality e 1 Cor. 15:50-53 f TG Eternal Life g TG Exaltation 5a TG Happiness
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6 And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his
sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even
so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness.
7 aThese are they that are redeemed of the Lord; yea, these are they that are taken out, that are delivered from that endless night of darkness; and thus they stand or fall; for behold, they are their own bjudges, whether to do good or do evila. 8 Now, the decrees of God are aunalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that bwhosoever will may cwalk therein and be saved.
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7a they are their own judges, whether to do good or do evil Now there is one great Judge over us all whose judgment is final. But as stated here, in a certain sense we are our own judge. That is, as we choose to 'do good' or 'do evil' from day to day, so we take it upon ourselves to determine our own fate before the judgement bar of God. If we have choosen evil, we cannot but be restored unto evil. And if we have choosen good, we will be restored unto the good which we have choosen. And in so doing, by our own actions to evil or good, we in fact do impart unto our ownselves the judgment which will become that final judgment of God upon us. |
7a
D&C 76:65 b 2 Ne. 2:26; Alma 42:27; Hel. 14:30; TG Agency 8a Morm. 9:19 b Alma 42:27 c TG Walking with God
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9 And now behold, my son, do not risk aone more
offense against your God upon those points of doctrine, which ye have
hitherto risked to commit sin.
10 Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, awickedness never was bhappiness.
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9a
Prov. 26:11;
Matt. 12:45 (43-45); D&C 42:26 (23-28) 10a Prov. 32:10; Isa. 57:21; Hel. 13:38; TG Evil; TG Wickedness b Alma 50:21; Morm. 2:13; TG Happiness; TG Peace of God
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11 And now, my son, all men that are in a state of
anature, or I would say, in a bcarnal
state, are in the cgall of bitterness and in the
dbonds of iniquity; they are ewithout God
in the world, and they have gone fcontrary to the nature of
God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.
12 And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature? 13 O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again aevil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful.
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11a
Mosiah 3:19; TG Man, Natural, Not Spiritually Reborn b TG Carnal Mind; TG Fall of Man c Acts 8:23; Morm. 8:31 d TG Bondage, Spiritual e Eph. 2:12; Mosiah 27:31 f Hel. 13:38 13a Dan. 12:10; Rev. 22:12 (6-16)
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14 Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren;
deal ajustly, bjudge righteously, and do
cgood continually; and if ye do all these things then shall
ye receive your dreward; yea, ye shall have
emercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice
restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you
again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.
15 For that which ye do asend out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all.
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14a
TG
Honesty b Matt. 7:1-5; D&C 11:12 c TG Benevolance d TG Reward e TG Mercy 15a Prov. 19:17; Eccl. 11:1; Alma 42:27-28
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