Lessons on the Plan of Salvation
Lesson No. Forty-Two
A Summary of the Plan of Redemption from the Book of Mormon
Alma teaching his son Corianton from the scriptures.
The Book of Mormon teaches that the atonement of Christ is central to the plan of redemption – The index to the LDS Triple Combination under Plan on p. 265 states that 2 Nephi 2, 9 and Alma 12, 42 give a “summary of plan of redemption.” The following refer to the summary of the plan of redemption as given in Alma 42:
- The consequence of sin is misery – Alma’s son Corianton did not believe that God punishes sinners (Vs 1). The modern equivalent of the belief is that there is no need for repentance because God is loving and merciful, and would not punish his children if they sin.
- The fall brought knowledge of good and evil and the need for Redeemer and an atonement. (Vs 2-3)
- Mortality is a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God” (Vs 4). If there was “no space for repentance…the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated” (Vs 5).
- Because of the fall we experience both physical and spiritual death, and “man became lost forever, yea, they became fallen man” (Vs 6). As is often the case in the scriptures, man or men means both men and women.
- Men have agency “to follow after their own will” (Vs 7) – When men are living on this earth and are no longer in the immediate presence of God, our agency expands and our opportunity to grow by choosing for ourselves is increased.
- It is essential that men not be “reclaimed from this temporal death” prematurely. (Vs 8) Because we sin we need time in this life to repent. Therefore, “the days of the children of men were prolonged…that they might repent while in the flesh” (2 Nephi 2:21).
- By disobedience men will sooner or later become miserable – This is because they “are cut off from the presence of the Lord…. Therefore, it is expedient that mankind should be reclaimed from this spiritual death” through the atonement of Christ which is central to the plan of redemption. (Vs 9-12).
- Repentance qualifies us for mercy offered through the atonement of Christ. (Vs 13-14)
- “God himself (the Lord Jesus Christ) atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice” (Vs 15).
- The law of consequences – Punishment and misery are the certain consequence of sin just as forgiveness and happiness is the certain consequence of repentance. (Vs 16)
- The plan of redemption explained – “There is a law (commandments) given, and a punishment affixed (misery), and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth.” But if there is no repentance then mercy cannot be extended, and “justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment…And thus God bringeth about his great and eternal purposes…. And thus cometh about the salvation and the redemption of men, and also their destruction and misery” (Vs 22-26).
An Outline of the Plan of Redemption – The following is a graphic presentation of Alma’s summary of his teachings to his son on the plan of redemption (Vs 17-26):
