Alma 7:12

[mikbone]

“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”

Does this scripture imply that Jehovah could not comfort humanity prior to the meridian of time?

[laronius]

The next verse says:

13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people...

I interpret this as saying that until He experienced it himself He had to rely on the Spirit to know how to comfort them.

[Carborendum]

12 minutes ago, mikbone said:

“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”

Does this scripture imply that Jehovah could not comfort humanity prior to the meridian of time?

• We are given a mortal experience to learn things.
• Jesus was given a mortal experience to learn things.

Makes sense to me. 

There never is/was a magic wand that would let us learn all we need to know for our exaltation.  Only a real mortal experience would suffice.  The same was true of Jesus.

[CV75]

29 minutes ago, mikbone said:

“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”

Does this scripture imply that Jehovah could not comfort humanity prior to the meridian of time?

I do not think so, since He and His atonement were prepared from before the foundation of the world (Mosiah 4:7, Moroni 8:12, Ether 3:14 and others). An example of rendering comfort prior to His birth is Helaman 5:47. There are many examples of miracles prior to the Lord's incarnation in the Bible and Book of Mormon. He had to fulfil His mission in the Meridian of Time (His flesh and resurrection) to seal in the Millennium and beyond that which was prepared premortally. The Meridian of Time is the pathway He walks to redeem all things bounded by time, according to our reckoning and conceptualization, from the beginning (premortality) to the end (exaltation).

[Traveler]

11 hours ago, mikbone said:

“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”

Does this scripture imply that Jehovah could not comfort humanity prior to the meridian of time?

Alma talks more on this in Alma 42 verses 14-15:

Quote

14 And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence.

15 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore 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.

Until G-d suffered the atonement part that redeemed the sins of the world there could be no mercy.  Combining your scripture with this seems to me to indicate G-d did obtain knowledge (and all else necessary) so that there could be mercy.  I have the impression that there is more – in that Jehovah is the proctor of our agency which brought about the fall.  This being the case G-d is also complicit in the fall because know that man would fall because they were given agency.  Therefore, it is just for him to suffer for our sins, even though he, himself, had not sinned.   Anciently perfect is an indication of completeness.  In the meridian of time he did atone and redeem all our sins.  The end result is that he could also succor those that repent.  Other verses in Alma 42 indicate that without the atonement that satisfies justice – G-d could not have been able to extend mercy.

 

The Traveler