And it shall come to pass that when all men shall have passed from this first death unto life, insomuch as they have become immortal, they must appear before the judgment-seat of the Holy One of Israel; and then cometh the judgment, and then must they be judged according to the holy judgment of God.” (2 Nephi 9:15)
What would happen if your country decided to do away with all laws and all courts of justice? Suppose people could do anything they wanted to do and never be judged or required to pay a price? How many people would continue to live as they live today? Some might, but most people would feel free to do anything they wanted to do, regardless of how it affected themselves or others. In a generation or two, when adults no longer remembered living under the law, they wouldn’t even have the help of good habits to keep the behaviors in line. People, being the imperfect beings they are, need guidelines and consequences.
Because God loves us, He didn’t send us to earth without rules, which are known as commandments in the spiritual world. He let us know, through His prophets, what He expects of us, and what the rewards (blessings) will be for obedience to those laws. He also makes clear what the consequences of disobedience will be. God is a good parent, and this is what good parents do.
Just as people wouldn’t generally do the right thing if there were no laws, most people also wouldn’t do the right thing if there were laws but no consequences. They would choose the laws they liked and obey those, ignoring the others. This is one reason we must have blessings and consequences for our obedience or disregard for God’s laws.
God is a just God, and so there must also be consequences to satisfy justice. A price must be paid for each act of disobedience, however small. God knew we wouldn’t be perfect and He knew we’d not be able to atone for each of our sins, so He sent His Son to atone for our sins instead. Jesus Christ suffered extraordinary agony as He atoned for each sin, one by one.
This, however, does not mean we’re now free to do anything we want, sin as much as we like, without being expected to do anything on our own part or pay any sort of price. It would be an extreme act of dishonor if we allowed the Savior to pay all the price without making any effort ourselves. What an unkind way to thank Him for the gift He gave us!
Elder D. Todd Christofferson said:
To have effect, the gift must be accepted: “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift” (D&C 88:33).
Thus, it is not that we earn these gifts, but rather that we choose to seek and accept justification and sanctification. Since the Savior paid for our sins and satisfied justice for us, we become debtors to Him rather than to justice. We must therefore meet the stipulations He has established for forgiveness and cleansing. Otherwise, He withdraws His proffered mediation, and we are left to deal alone with the demands of justice, lacking the means to become pure. One must choose Christ to receive what Christ offers. D. Todd Christofferson, “Justification and Sanctification,” Ensign, Jun 2001, 18
We will have to answer for all sins we’ve not repented for. Repentance is our part of the process. When we feel a true sorrow for those things we’ve done wrong, we want to confess them to God and to follow the process of repentance. Those sins, then, are erased.
Elder Christofferson explains that we don’t accept the Savior’s gift to us just once. We can’t “accept Jesus as our Savior” one time and then go on our way, doing as we please. Instead, we must, each day, accept the gift, trying to do what’s right, and repenting when we temporarily fail.
Paul taught in the Bible:
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Romans 2)
It is made clear in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, that there is a law and that we will be held accountable for obeying that law. Jesus Christ will be our judge. He is a fitting judge because He has lived on earth, experiencing mortal life, and also atoning for our sins. As the One who satisfied justice, we now owe our eternal lives to Him, and so He is the One who will judge us.
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
