blessing of peace

"For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God." Romans 3:23  When we sin, we become unclean or uworthy to be n the Presence of God.


"And no unclean thing can enter into His kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into His rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end." 3 Nephi 27:19 To answer the demands of justice, the price must be paid for every sin whether great or small. We all die as a result of Adam's transgression.


"And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside) as soon as they were dead their souls were miserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord. And now, there  was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state, which man had brought upon himself because of his own disobedience; therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God. 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." Alma 42:11-14

Justice requires payment for sin.

"And according to the power of justice, for justice cannot be denied, ye must go away into the lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of fire and brimstone is endless torment." Jacob 6:10

This does not sound inviting.

"And thus saith the Lord: They shall stand as a bright testimony against this people, at the judgment day; whereof they shall be judged, every man according to his works, whether they be good, or whether they be evil. And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls. Therefore, they have drunk out of the cup of wrath of God, which justice could no more deny unto them than it could deny that Adam should fall because of his partaking of the forbidden fruit; therefore, mercy could have claim on them no more forever. And their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever Thus hath the Lord commanded me. Amen." Mosiah 3:24-27

Thankfully, we have a Savior and two ways to satisfy justice. We can pay for our own sins in hell or we can repent and accept the atonement. Personally, I'll take the latter with its additional blessing of peace.