Book of Mormon Stories--"The Title of Liberty"

There was dissension in the land of the Nephites.  Certain unrighteous Zoramites who were descendents of Zoram, the servant of Laban from whom Nephi had taken the brass plates in Jerusalem, left the church of God and united with the Lamanites to war against the Nephites.  “And now the design [plan] of the Nephites was to support their lands, and their houses, and their wives and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies; and also that they might preserve their rights and their privileges, yea, and also their liberty, that they might worship God according to their desires” (Alma 43:9).

The chief captain of the Nephite army was a 25 year-old named Moroni.  He was “a strong and mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; Yea a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people” (Alma 48:11-12).

And when the Lamanites came against the Nephites to put them in bondage, the Nephites, seeing the fierceness of their anger were about to flee but Moroni rallied them by inspiring their hearts with the thoughts of their lands, their liberty, and their freedom from bondage. Even though the Lamanites were more numerous, they were beaten because of the stratagems of Moroni who had prepared his people for war and led them to victory (Alma 43: 48-50). 

After the wars with the Lamanites were over, “Moroni caused that the work of death should cease again among the people.  And he took the weapons of war from the Lamanites; and after they had entered into a covenant with him of peace they were suffered [allowed] to depart into the wilderness” (Alma 44:20).  Because of the wars more “dissensions and disturbances” among the Nephite people made it necessary “that the word of God” should be declared among them again to once more establish the church in the land.  But some of the people had grown proud because of their riches and refused to “walk uprightly before God” (see Alma 45:21-22, 24).

Now a wicked man named Amalickiah who desired power to be King, by “cunning device” began to lead away some of the lower judges and by flattery won over many in the church who were quick to forget their “deliverance by the hand of the Lord” (Alma 46:4-8). 

When Moroni heard of the dissensions [divisions] among the people, he was angry with Amalickiah.  And he took his coat and tore it apart and wrote on a piece of it—“In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children”—and he fastened it on the end of a pole; and called it the title of liberty. With his helmet on his head and his breastplate fastened to his body, with his armor about his loins, holding his shields “he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land” (Alma 46:11-13).  And, he “poured out his soul to God” (Alma 46:17).  After Moroni prayed, “he went forth among the people, waving the rent [torn] part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing…saying, Behold, whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them” (Alma 46:19-20). 

After Moroni proclaimed these words, the people came running girded with their armor, rending [tearing] their garments as a covenant that “they would not forsake the Lord their God” and they cast their garments at the feet of Moroni vowing to be destroyed rather than fall into transgression (Alma 46:21-22).  Those few who continued to follow Amalickiah, who would not enter into the covenant of a free government, were put to death (Alma 46:35).

Then the title of liberty was “hoisted upon every tower” in the land; “and thus Moroni planted the standard of liberty among the Nephites.  And they began to have peace again in the land” (Alma 46:36-37).

Book Review--I Hated Heaven by Kenny Kemp

Book Review- I Hated Heaven by Kenny Kemp
Ordinarily I wouldn’t want to read a book with a title like this but I saw the author while shopping at Costco in American Fork and talked to him for a minute.  He seemed a little defensive and told me that his book was less than the cost of “this candy” and he held up a container of chocolate almonds.  I said, “I only read from my Kindle as my eyes can’t see the small print anymore even with glasses.” He said he didn’t know if it was available from Amazon for the Kindle but I could give it a try.  So, when I got home, I looked it up and it was only 99¢, so I downloaded it right then.

The book begins with Tom Waring helping to carry the casket of his friend’s wife, Carolyn, to the burial site.  Soon, we are introduced to Tom’s wife April and his young son, Josh who was attending his first funeral.  Then we meet Chuck the husband of the deceased who is an older man and who works with Tom.

Tom is comforted by his Christian faith and “knew that Carolyn was safe in God’s arms” but his wife April is a non-believer.  Tom and Josh attend church together and they say prayers at night, but April doesn’t participate.  In spite of their differing beliefs, they are happy and very much in love.  When Tom is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he doesn’t tell April. A couple of days later, he collapses and is rushed to the hospital.  Right before he dies, April says to him, “If there is something . . . or someone . . . promise me you’ll come back and tell me.”  Tom’s desire to fulfill his promise to April is the overriding theme of the book.

The author’s description of Paradise (as he calls it) where Tom “transitions” to seems more like a place where the government is in control—-not a place where God would want His children to return to. While there, Tom encounters difficult people who are concerned with rules and regulations with lots of forms to fill out.  (Sound familiar?)  It is not a happy or peaceful place—and he is always trying to find a way to get back to April. Before crossing the bridge to Hell, he meets an irreverent skinny personage named Stan who stays with him after he crosses the bridge.  Stan helps him find the portholes where he can pass through to earth where he takes over Chuck’s body in an attempt to reach April.  I thought Stan was Satan.

Warning: Spoiler ahead.  Stop here if you want to read this book.

In the end, God is irreverent, Paradise is Hell, and Tom returns from the dead to live with his wife and son, (even with fast-growing pancreatic cancer?).  My knowledge of God and His love for us—His children—is not compatible with this story although it had it’s moments of goodness particularly when Tom is talking about his faith in God.  It struck me that this book might have been written by a person who was trying to keep some of the beliefs he had been taught and no longer embraced and combine them with the religious ideology of the secular world.  Whatever!  I could be wrong.

Movie Review--Bourne Legacy

I was excited to go to this movie.  Not because it was well reviewed, but because I went with my daughter Annett and her friend Robyn on August 13th, Annett’s birthday.  And, we went to the huge new complex at Thanksgiving Point that I didn’t even know existed (I live in a hole).  Going in, I knew that Matt Damon as Jason Bourne was not in this movie.  But, because I liked the first three Bourne movies (and watched them again whenever they were on TV), I was anxious to give it a try. 

At the end of the third Bourne movie “Bourne Ultimatum” (2007), Deputy Director Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) faxed information to a superior exposing Operation Blackbriar and the Treadstone Project, both part of Jason Bourne’s previous escapades as a trained CIA assassin. We all thought that was the end of any more Bourne movies.  However, CIA Director Ezra Kramer (Scott Glenn) who is being investigated calls in Eric Byer (Edward Norton), a retired USAF Colonel responsible for the CIA’s clandestine operations, for help in a cover-up of an additional illicit operation.

The beginning of “Bourne Legacy” finds Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) on a snowy mountain in Alaska where he is undergoing training as “number five” a member of Operation Outcome, a Department of Defense black ops program.  He has been programmed with green pills to enhance physical abilities and blue pills to improve his mental processes.  He arrives early at a cabin for rendezvous with another agent “number three” (Oscar Isaac) who is suspicious of him.

Meanwhile, Byer decides the only course of action is to eliminate all Operation Outcome “assets” meaning all of the participating members. Each ops member has been implanted with a tracking device.  When he discovers both “three” and “five” are in the same place, he sends in an armed drone to the cabin in Alaska.  Cross hears something and leaves the cabin just minutes before it explodes killing “number three.”  He realizes his life is in danger and cuts out the tracking device from his abdomen and forces it down the throat of a wolf who is trying to kill him.  A minute later the wolf is destroyed by another missile.  

Then, (undisclosed to us) Bryer has chemically brainwashed a scientist in the research lab where the enhancing pills are made to kill all his colleagues and commit suicide.  Only one person survives after the massacre, Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz).  This part of the movie is quite fuzzy and hard to follow.

Bryer’s CIA agents are sent to the home of the traumatized Dr. Marta to kill her, but she is miraculously rescued by “number five” Aaron Cross who wants her to supply him with the enhancing pills.  Marta tells Cross they have to go to Manila where the pills are made.   Keeping one step ahead of Byer’s men, they get the pills in Manila and she helps him to “viral off” the dangerous pills.  They have many close calls but finally escape after a 30-minute motorcycle chase during which I went to the bathroom twice (no more drinks at the movies for me!). 

I hope this movie is not the Bourne Legacy.  The script is poorly written and plot is so fragmented that it is almost incomprehensible. Edward Norton does not play the evil eliminator with any credibility.  The character of Aaron Cross is nebulous—it’s hard to figure out who he is. Rachel Weisz is an excellent actor and does a good job with what she has to work with.  Except for the camaraderie of my companions, this movie would have been a bust.  Too bad.

Movie Review--Hope Springs

Let’s get several things clear right off the top—this movie is about intimacy and marital problems including graphic talk during therapy sessions.  Thank goodness there isn’t any nudity but there are some intimate scenes with clothes on both suggested and explicit. 

This movie is not a romantic comedy nor would I call it a drama.  In the afternoon when I went, the audience included one younger couple and three over 65 couples plus me.  Much of the movie was just a sad depiction of an unhappy couple who had been married 31 years and no longer had any kind of a close relationship.

Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) have grown used to their superficial marriage.  Their two grown children are long gone out of the nest leaving Kay lonely and starved for something more from her marriage. When she tries to interest Arnold in a more intimate relationship, he rebuffs her.  She goes looking in a bookstore for something to help her and discovers a book by  Dr. Bernie Feld (Steve Carell) who is a marriage counselor living in Great Hope Springs, Maine.  She tells Arnold that she cashed in her CD and paid $4000 for a week of therapy sessions in Maine for both of them.  Arnold refuses to go and Kay leaves in a cab for the airport without him.  Right before the plane takes off Arnold shows up and sits next to her on the plane.

The rest of the movie is the progression of the therapy sessions between Dr. Feld, Kay and Arnold.  Kay’s character is familiar to most women who have husbands like Arnold.  She is looking for a loving relationship and he is more interested in golf on TV.  In their therapy, she is open and honest while he is closed and defensive about his manhood. Dr. Feld assigns them “exercises” to help them overcome their problems with some success, but in some cases, they also lead to more problems.

The setting is charming. Great Hope Springs reminds me of a quaint New England village full of interesting things to see and good people to meet. Meryl Streep plays her part perfectly as usual and although Tommy Lee Jones looks about 20 years older than she does, he is able to break out of his usual “tough guy” persona and make himself likeable—not an easy task.  Steve Carell as a sex therapist was serious and believable—not his role in previous films. Elizabeth Shue has a miniscule part as a bartender, Mimi Rogers has a cameo role as Carol, a neighbor and the admitted object of Arnold’s fantasy, and Jean Smart is Kay’s friend where they both work (worked) at a woman’s clothing shop.

This movie is rated PG-13, but I would not take a teenager to it.  It is obviously for a more mature audience.  One thing I found out about the movie—it has the perfect title. Think hope springs ___________ (hint: there is always hope).

The U.S. Economy by the Numbers: 70 Facts

theeconomiccollapseblog.com

The U.S. Economy by the Numbers: 70 Facts That Barack Obama Does Not Want You To See
I first ran across this article in an email from Glenn Beck.  I couldn’t comprehend the facts and figures—they were so mind blowing.  So, I decided to group them under headings as an attempt to understand what they were trying to say.  In a nutshell, the fact is “we are headed for a national economic nightmare.”   The article continues: 

“So why does the title of the article single out Barack Obama? Well, it is because right now he is the biggest cheerleader for the economy. He is attempting to convince all of us that everything is just fine and that the economy is heading in a positive direction. Well, the truth is that everything is not fine and things are about to get a whole lot worse. Certainly others should share in the blame as well. Congress has been steering the economy in the wrong direction for decades, the ‘too big to fail’ banks have turned Wall Street into a pyramid of risk, leverage and debt, and the Federal Reserve has more power over the financial system than anyone else does. Our economy has been in decline for quite a while now, and soon we are going to smash directly into an economic brick wall.”

 

Don’t stick your head in the sand. Look at these facts and numbers. Everything is verified if you follow the links—theeconomiccolapseblog.com - reference: economy by the numbers 70 facts

Poverty

22 - It is hard to believe, but today the poverty rate for children living in the United States is a whopping 22 percent

48 - Shockingly, at this point 48 percent of all Americans are either considered to be "low income" or are living in poverty.

$10,000 - According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 46 percent of all American workers have less than $10,000 saved for retirement, and 29 percent of all American workers have less than $1,000 saved for retirement

2,600,000 - In 2010, 2.6 million more Americans fell into poverty.  That was the largest increase that we have seen since the U.S. government began keeping statistics on this back in 1959.

Wealth

90 - In the United States today, the wealthiest one percent of all Americans have a greater net worth than the bottom 90 percent combined.

93 - The United States now ranks 93rd in the world in income inequality

350 - The average CEO now makes approximately 350 times as much as the average American worker makes

400 - According to Forbes, the 400 wealthiest Americans have more wealth than the bottom 150 million Americans combined.

$361,330 - This is what the average banker in New York City made in 2010

Lifestyle

42 - According to one survey, 42 percent of all American workers are currently living paycheck to paycheck

60 - According to a recent Gallup poll, only 60 percent of all Americans say that they have enough money to live comfortably

80 - Americans buy 80 percent of the pain pills sold on the entire globe each year

$4155 - The average American household spent a staggering $4,155 on gasoline during 2011

25,000,000 - Today, approximately 25 million American adults are living with their parents

$147,000,000,000 - In the U.S., medical costs related to obesity are estimated to be approximately 147 billion dollars a year

Housing

35 - U.S. housing prices are now down a total of 35 percent from the peak of the housing bubble

Employment

30 - Back in 2007, about 10 percent of all unemployed Americans had been out of work for 52 weeks or longer.  Today, that number is above 30 percent

40 - The official U.S. unemployment rate has been above 8 percent for 40 months in a row

53 - Last year, an astounding 53 percent of all U.S. college graduates under the age of 25 were either unemployed or underemployed

95 - The middle class continues to shrink - 95 percent of the jobs lost during the last recession were middle class jobs

877 - 20,000 workers recently applied for just 877 jobs at a Hyundai plant in Montgomery, Alabama

50,000 - The United States has lost an average of approximately 50,000 manufacturing jobs a month since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001

500,000 - According to the Economic Policy Institute, America is losing half a million jobs to China every single year

5,400,000 - When Barack Obama first took office there were 2.7 million long-term unemployed Americans.  Today there are twice as many.

40,000,000 - According to Professor Alan Blinder of Princeton University, 40 million more U.S. jobs could be sent offshore over the next two decades if current trends continue

88,000,000 - Today there are more than 88 million working age Americans that are not employed and that are not looking for employment.  That is an all-time record high.

100,000,000 - Overall, there are more than 100 million working age Americans that do not currently have jobs.

Business

23 - According to U.S. Representative Betty Sutton, an average of 23 manufacturing facilities permanently shut down in the United States every single day during 2010.

627 - In 2010, China produced 627 million metric tons of steel.  The United States only produced 80 million metric tons of steel

900 - Auto parts exports from China to the United States have increased by more than 900 percent since the year 2000

56,000 - The United States has lost more than 56,000 manufacturing facilities since 2001.

$85,000 - According to the New York Times, a Jeep Grand Cherokee that costs $27,490 in the United States costs about $85,000 in China thanks to all the tariffs.

2,000,000 - Family farms are being systematically wiped out of existence in the United States.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farms in the United States has fallen from about 6.8 million in 1935 to only about 2 million today.

$2,000,000,000 - The amount of money that JP Morgan has admitted that it will lose from derivatives trades gone bad.  Many analysts are convinced that the real number will actually end up being much higher

$200,000,000,000,000 - Today, the 9 largest banks in the United States have a total of more than 200 trillion dollars of exposure to derivatives.  When the derivatives market completely collapses there won't be enough money in the entire world to fix it. 

A recent Bloomberg article defined derivatives....(see theeconomiccollapseblog.com) 
Derivatives are financial instruments used to hedge risks or for speculation. They’re derived from stocks, bonds, loans, currencies and commodities, or linked to specific events such as changes in the weather or interest rates.

Economy

$3.59 - When Barack Obama entered the White House, the average price of a gallon of gasoline was $1.85.  Today, it is $3.59

63 - One recent survey found that 63 percent of all Americans believe that the U.S. economic model is broken

71 - Today, 71 percent of all small business owners believe that the U.S. economy is still in a recession

$1580 - When Barack Obama first took office, an ounce of gold was going for about $850.  Today an ounce of gold costs more than $1580 an ounce

2016 - It is being projected that the Chinese economy will be larger than the U.S. economy by the year 2016

$4300 - The amount by which real median household income has declined since Barack Obama entered the White House

49,000 - In 2011, our trade deficit with China was more than 49,000 times larger than it was back in 1985

295,500,000,000 - Our trade deficit with China in 2011 was $295.5 billion.  That was the largest trade deficit that one country has had with another country in the history of the planet

Taxes

107 - Each year, the average American must work 107 days just to make enough money to pay local, state and federal taxes

Government spending

32 - The amount of money that the federal government gives directly to Americans has increased by 32 percent since Barack Obama entered the White House

49 - Today, an astounding 49.1 percent of all Americans live in a home where at least one person receives benefits from the government

$175,587 - The Obama administration spent $175,587 to find out if cocaine causes Japanese quail to engage in sexually risky behavior.

$328,404 - Over the next 75 years, Medicare is facing unfunded liabilities of more than 38 trillion dollars.  That comes to $328,404 for each and every household in the United States

16,000,000 - It is being projected that Obamacare will add 16 million more Americans to the Medicaid rolls.

$20,000,000 - The amount of money the U.S. government was spending to create a version of Sesame Street for children in Pakistan

46,405,204 - The number of Americans currently on food stamps.  When Barack Obama first entered the White House there were only 32 million Americans on food stamps.

$150,000,000 - This is approximately the amount of money that the Obama administration and the U.S. Congress are stealing from future generations of Americans every single hour

Debt

61 - At this point the Federal Reserve is essentially monetizing much of the U.S. national debt.  For example, the Federal Reserve bought up approximately 61 percent of all government debt issued by the U.S. Treasury Department during 2011.

81 - Credit card debt among Americans in the 25 to 34 year old age bracket has risen by 81 percent since 1989

1700 - Consumer debt in America has risen by a whopping 1700% since 1971

440,000 - If the federal government began right at this moment to repay the U.S. national debt at a rate of one dollar per second, it would take over 440,000 years to totally pay it off.

$2,000,000 - At this point, the U.S. national debt is rising by more than 2 million dollars every single minute.

$359,100,000,000 - During the first quarter of 2012, U.S. public debt rose by 359.1 billion dollars.  U.S. GDP only rose by 142.4 billion dollars.

$454,000,000,000 - During fiscal 2011, the U.S. government spent over 454 billion dollars just on interest on the national debt.

$1,000,000,000,000 - The total amount of student loan debt in the United States recently surpassed the one trillion dollar mark

$1,170,000,000,000 - China now holds approximately 1.17 trillion dollars of U.S. government debt.  Yet the U.S. government continues to send them millions of dollars in foreign aid every year.

$1,600,000,000,000 - The amount that has been added to the U.S. national debt since the Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives.  This is more than the first 97 Congresses added to the national debt combined.

$5,000,000,000,000 - The U.S. national debt has risen by more than 5 trillion dollars since the day that Barack Obama first took office.  In a little more than 3 years Obama has added more to the national debt than the first 41 presidents combined.

$5,000,000,000,000 - What the real U.S. budget deficit in 2011 would have been if the federal government had used generally accepted accounting principles.

$11,440,000,000,000 - The total amount of consumer debt in the United States.

$15,734,596,578,458.59 - The U.S. national debt as of June 7, 2012

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Book Review--The Sins of the Wolf by Anne Perry

The Sins of the Wolf 

When I was reading this book (my seventh in the “Monk” series) I hardly realized what the title was—because I was reading it on my Kindle.  However, when I finished, I recognized that the title of the book was ingenious.  Anne Perry is so clever and such a good thinker and writer.  So, one must ask: “who was the wolf?” and “what were the sins?”  The title may be a biblical reference to Jeremiah 5:6—and also an allusion to Dante’s Inferno.  Dante, in his epic poem, uses a she-wolf as a metaphor for sins of uncertain symbolism during his walk through hell. And, at the end of this book, Monk names them. 

The main character is Hester Latterly.  She is on her way to Edinburgh to escort an elderly woman on a return train trip to London.  She arrives at the Farraline house and spends one day with her patient Mary’s family, which includes two daughters and two sons-in-law, two sons and one daughter-in-law, and also the brother of her dead husband.  Some reviewers have complained about all the characters but that’s because they haven’t read carefully enough.

After reading six previous Monk books, I have come to know Hester as if she was part of my family.  And, I must admit I became very uneasy when she was falsely accused of murdering, Mary Farraline, as they were returning to London from Edinburgh.  At first it was thought that Mary died of natural causes, but later after autopsy, it was found that she died of an overdose of her own digitalis heart medicine innocently administered by Hester. 

Previous to her arrest Hester goes to see her friend, Lady Callandra Daviot, and while looking for pins for her hair, she discovers a gray pearl and diamond brooch belonging to Mrs. Farraline in her own bag.  She immediately goes to see her friend and barrister, Oliver Rathbone, for advice but on her return to Callandra’s, she is arrested for theft and taken to jail—later to be accused of murder.

Monk is immediately dispatched to Edinburgh by Oliver to dig up evidence against Mary’s family members as only they had access to her medicine case and her jewelry box.  Monk deviously gets to know the family, but doesn’t find anything that will help Hester.  In the meantime, she is suffering in prison and seems to be losing hope. 

Oliver learns that Hester will have to stand trial in Edinburgh.  Callandra hires an experienced and well-known Scottish barrister, James Argyll, to defend her with Rathbone as an advisor.  Anne Perry is brilliant when it comes to describing the trial, word for word.  I especially liked the testimony of Florence Nightingale whose reputation was “second only to the Queen herself.”  And, Hester’s testimony was the epitome of a woman of character and honesty.  At the end of the trial, Hester is released but is not judged innocent. 

Thus, Monk continues to look for the person or persons who murdered Mary Farraline. Each member of her family is suspect, but after a perilous journey and a close call for both himself and Hester, the case is solved.  I enjoyed getting to know the characteristics, both good and bad, of each member of the Farraline family including their dead father.  And, Monk finally realizes that he is strongly involved in friendship with Hester although he doesn’t consider it love.  You will like the descriptions of England and Scotland.  The actual place where Anne Perry lives is referred to in this story.  And I enjoy reading about the Victorian era.  Perry always includes bits of actual history such as the tale of Burke and Hare, two Irishmen who sold corpses that were used to study anatomy, and of course, the Crimean war where Hester served under Florence Nightingale.

So, have fun and try to solve the mystery.

The Great Plan of Happiness

Book of Mormon – Alma 40-42

 In theses chapters Alma the younger, the great Nephite prophet, is counseling his son Corianton concerning Heavenly Father’s "plan of happiness" (Alma 42:8)—also called “the plan of restoration,” (41:2), “the great plan of salvation,” (42:5), “the plan of redemption” (42:11), and “the great plan of mercy,” (42:31).

Alma “perceives” that Corianton (who has not kept the Lord’s commandments) is concerned about the resurrection.  And even though Christ has not yet served his mortal mission on earth, Alma knows of His coming to take upon Himself the sins of the world, His crucifixion, subsequent resurrection and ascension into heaven.

First, Alma explains there will be no resurrection “until after the coming of Christ" (40:2).  But, Alma has inquired of the Lord and has been given the following by revelation: “there is a time appointed that all shall come forth from the dead”—everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected, but only “God knoweth the time which is appointed” (40:4).  He further explains that it “mattereth not” what time it will be as only God can know that (40:5) because “all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men” (40:8).

And Alma tells Corianton “there must needs be a space betwixt [between] the time of death and the time of the resurrection” (40:6).  “Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life” (40:11). Joseph Fielding Smith explains that “all spirits” don’t actually go back “into the presence of God.”  That phrase “simply means that their mortal existence has come to an end, and they have returned to the world of spirits,” to be assigned to their rightful place according to their works on earth, there to wait for the resurrection. (Answers to Gospel Questions, vol. 2, p. 85).

Next, Alma reveals “that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow” (40:12).  However, “the spirits of the wicked [those who chose evil works rather than good]…these shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil” (40:13).

After a period of time “between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery…the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works” (40:21).  This resurrection means “every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame” (40:23).  This is the same resurrection [restoration] that has been spoken of by all the prophets (40:24) “according to the power and resurrection of Christ” (41:2).

Now, Alma teaches his son about the “justice of God that men should be judged according to their works” (41:3).  He says that all things will be “restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame—mortality raised to immorality, corruption to incorruption—raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil” (41:4).  He emphasizes to Corianton, “Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness.  Behold, I say unto you wickedness never was happiness” (41:10).

As a righteous parent, Alma pleads with Corianton, “Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren [and sisters, I might add]; deal justly, judge righteously and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward;” then mercy, justice, righteous judgment and good, will be restored to him. “For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again” (41:14-15).

But, Corianton does not understand “concerning the justice of God in the punishment of the sinner” and Alma perceives that his son believes it is “injustice that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery” (42:1).  Alma teaches his son that because of the transgression of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, by using their agency, and partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they were sent out from the garden “to till the ground.”   A “cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every way” was placed at the “east end of the garden of Eden…lest  he [Adam] should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever [in his fallen state] according to the word of God having no space for repentance.” Thus “the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated” (42:1-3,5).  He taught Corianton “there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God”—meaning this mortal life is the time to repent of our sins and prepare to meet God. (42:4). 

Note: Because of the Fall, all mankind became fallen—subject to death and “cut off both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord” (42:6-7).  In this state, because we are imperfect [mortal], we cannot dwell in the presence of God who is immortal and perfect--“and no unclean thing can dwell with God” (1 Nephi 10:21).

In this fallen state all mankind “[was] in the grasp of justice” (42:14).  But, “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” (42:15). 

“Yea, even so he [Christ] shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.  And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men—Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice." (Mosiah 15:7-9.)

Finally, Alma tells Corianton that repentance is necessary because of sin.  And sin comes from transgressing the law which in turn requires punishment (42:17).  “If there was no law given against sin men would not be afraid to sin” (42:20).  “But there is a law given and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance mercy claimeth;—otherwise, justice claimeth the creature [person] and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God” (42:22).

In a conference talk in April 1977, Elder Boyd K. Packer gave an address titled “The Mediator.”  It is also found in Gospel Principles, Chapter 12.  The following is from that original talk:

“And by eternal law, mercy cannot be extended save there be one who is both willing and able to assume our debt and pay the price and arrange the terms for our redemption. Unless there is a mediator, unless we have a friend, the full weight of justice untempered, unsympathetic, must, positively must, fall on us.  The full recompense for every transgression, however minor or however deep, will be exacted from us to the uttermost farthing.

“But know this: Truth, glorious truth, proclaims there is such a Mediator.  “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 2:5.)

“Through Him mercy can be fully extended to each of us without offending the eternal law of justice.” (Ensign, "The Mediator," May 1977, pp. 54-55.)

“And…the sons of Alma did go forth among the people, to declare the word unto them” (43:1).  “Yea, and there was continual peace among them, and exceedingly great prosperity in the church because of their heed and diligence which they gave unto the word of God, which was declared unto them by Helaman, and Shiblon, and Corianton, and Ammon…and by all those who had been ordained by the holy order of God, being baptized unto repentance and sent forth to preach among the people” (Alma 49:30). 

Yea Corianton, you listened.
 

First Estate—the pre-existence (pre-mortal existence) where all in mortality were born as spirit children of our Heavenly Parents.

Probationary time (The Second Estate; Mortality)—by keeping our first estate, we were allowed to be born into mortality and given agency to choose right or wrong.  This is the period of time during which we will be tried and tested and held accountable for our sins on judgment day.  Through Adam, all mankind is “fallen”—carnal, sensual and devilish (Mosiah 16:3).   By repenting and conforming to “the great plan of redemption” we can be “born again to righteousness” through the atonement of Christ and “return to the presence of God, hereafter” (See Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie, 2^nd ed., 1966, p. 268, 406, 589)

Resurrection—the reuniting of spirit and body, "restored to their proper and perfect frame” to immortality never to be separated again. (Alma 40:23.) 

World of Spirits—a place between death and resurrection where all spirits go to be assigned to their rightful place according to their works, and to await resurrection and final judgment. (See Joseph Fielding Smith above.)

Paradise—(sometimes called Heaven) a place of happiness, peace and rest where righteous spirits go after death to await resurrection. (Alma 40:12.)

Outer darkness (sometimes called Hell)—a place of misery where wicked spirits go after death to await resurrection.  (Alma 40:13.)

Repentance—“the process whereby a mortal soul…stained with the guilt of sin—is enabled to cast off the burden of guilt, wash away the filth of iniquity, and become clean every whit, entirely free from the bondage of sin.”  (Ibid., McConkie, 2^nd ed., 1966, p. 630).

Law—all things according to the Lord are governed by law. “And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (D&C 130:21.) 

Justice—an eternal law stating there is a just punishment or penalty for violation of any and all of God’s laws.

Mercy—through the Atonement, Christ has taken on Himself the sins of the world.  For those who repent of their sins and keep His commandments, He will mediate on their behalf. “Through Him mercy can be fully extended to each of us without offending the eternal law of justice.”  (See Boyd K. Packer above.)