2 Nephi 9:25-27

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Reference Search: 2 Nephi 9:25-27

25 Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him.

26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and helll, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.

27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!

Quote for Discussion

Who are those with “no law” that will be delivered?

When no moral law applies (as with little children, the mentally impaired, those ignorant of the gospel until they are taught it, and so forth), the power of the Atonement “satisfieth the demands of…justice.”

Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, 68

1. Little children (D&C 137:10; JST Gen. 17:11 (p. 798); D&C 68:25)

2. Mentally impaired (Moroni 8:22; D&C 29:46-50)

3. Those who were never taught the law (see below)

Our God is just and merciful. When we are given a law—whenever opportunities for obedience are made available—the Almighty expects us to be true to those divine directives. When, however, adequate opportunities for understanding are not available to us through circumstances beyond our control, God will hold us guiltless in regard to that law until a time when compliance is possible. The law of justification thus demands that all who are saved in the celestial kingdom must have conformed to the laws requisite for entrance into that kingdom. None will so attain under false pretense. “For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world” (D&C 132:5). The law of justification also assures that no person in all eternity will be punished for disobedience to a law of which he or she was ignorant. No child of God will be eternally disadvantaged for noncompliance with a principle or for nonobservance of an ordinance of which he or she had no knowledge. In short, there is not a soul who will be deprived of the opportunity for all of the blessings of exaltation because the fullness of gospel law was not to be had during his mortal sojourn.

Joseph Smith learned by revelation, for example, that “all who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom.” And ten the Lord explained the basis of this principle, the foundation stone upon which the law of justification rests, the very essence of the reason why the Latter-day Saints devote themselves unceasingly to a labor in behalf o their dead: “For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.” (D&C 137:7-9.) In Alma’s words, “it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; 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 restored unto that which is good” (Alma 41:3).

Law of Justification

Justice is that part of Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness that maintains order. It is like gravity to a rock climber, ever present. It is a friend if eternal laws are observed. It responds to your detriment if they are ignored. Justice guarantees that you will receive the blessings you earn for obeying the laws of God. Justice also requires that every broken law be satisfied. When you obey the laws of God, you are blessed, but there is no additional credit earned that can be saved to satisfy the laws that you break. If not resolved, broken laws can cause your life to be miserable and would keep you from returning to God. Only the life, teachings, and particularly the Atonement of Jesus Christ can release you from this otherwise impossible predicament.

The demands of justice for broken law can be satisfied through mercy, earned by your continual repentance and obedience to the laws of God. Such repentance and obedience are absolutely essential for the Atonement to work its complete miracle in your life. The Redeemer can settle your individual account with justice and grant forgiveness through the merciful path of your repentance. Through the Atonement you can live in a world where justice assures that you will retain what you earn by obedience. Through His mercy you can resolve the consequences of broken laws.

The Atonement was a selfless act of infinite, eternal consequence, arduously earned alone, by the Son of God. Through it the Savior broke the bonds of death. It justifies our finally being judged by the Redeemer. It can prevent an eternity under the dominion of Satan. It opens the gates to exaltation for all who qualify for forgiveness through repentance and obedience.

Richard G. Scott, “The Atonement Can Secure Your Peace and Happiness,” Ensign, Nov 2006, p. 42

Edited September 5, 2009 by pam