Elder James R. Rasband of the Seventy said in April 2019 general conference: “The doctrine of Christ—which consists of the saving principles and ordinances of faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end—is taught numerous times in all the scriptures of the Restoration but with particular power in the Book of Mormon.2 The doctrine begins with faith in Christ, and every one of its elements depends upon trust in His atoning sacrifice.
As President Nelson has taught, “The Book of Mormon provides the fullest and most authoritative understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere.”3 The more we understand about the Savior’s supernal gift, the more we will come to know, in our minds and in our hearts,4 the reality of President Nelson’s assurance that “the truths of the Book of Mormon have the power to heal, comfort, restore, succor, strengthen, console, and cheer our souls.”5
The Savior’s Atonement Satisfies All the Demands of Justice
A vital and peace-giving contribution of the Book of Mormon to our understanding of the Savior’s Atonement is its teaching that Christ’s merciful sacrifice fulfills all the demands of justice. As Alma explained, “God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.”6 The Father’s plan of mercy7—what the scriptures also call the plan of happiness8 or the plan of salvation9—could not be accomplished unless all the demands of justice were satisfied.
“. . . Alma’s joy focused solely on himself—on his avoiding punishment and his being able to return to the Father? We know that Alma also agonized about those whom he had led away from the truth.16 But Alma himself could not heal and restore all those he had led away. He could not himself ensure that they would be given a fair opportunity to learn the doctrine of Christ and to be blessed by living its joyful principles. He could not bring back those who may have died still blinded by his false teaching.
As President Boyd K. Packer once taught: “The thought that rescued Alma … is this: Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the atonement of Christ.”17 The joyous truth on which Alma’s mind “caught hold” was not just that he himself could be made clean but also that those whom he had harmed could be healed and made whole. (For the complete post of Elder Rasband’s remarks, click “Ensuring a Righteous Judgment’ May 2020 Ensign, page 12.
