12 And it came to pass that when Aaron saw that the king would believe his words, he began from the creation of Adam, reading the scriptures unto the king–how God created man after his own image, and that God gave him commandments, and that because of transgression, man had fallen.
13 And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name.
14 And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king.
(Alma 22:12-14)
Aaron taught the king from the scriptures. And what were the principle themes he wanted the king to understand?
1. The creation of man: We were created in God’s image. By understanding this principle, we recognize our divine heritage and potential.
2. The fall of man: In spite of our divine nature, we are living in a fallen world and are subject to temptations and evil influences. Not only are we in a fallen state, but each of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and as a result, we “cannot merit anything of [our]selves.”
3. The atonement of Jesus Christ: Through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can overcome our sins through faith and repentance. He has also overcome death.
These three principles combined should inspire a desire to reach out to our Heavenly Father in the deepest humility. We know that He wants to save us since we are His children. We know that we need His help since we are in a fallen state. We know that He can save us because of the plan of redemption and the atonement of Jesus Christ. What now remains is for us to individually reach out to Him and seek that help which He is able and eager to give.
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