Endless

Book of Mormon authors use the phrase "endless torment" to describe the suffering from which God has delivered us. The Lord encouraged Martin Harris to think of this suffering as enormous, not unending. With this context, "endless punishment" means God's punishment, or in other words, the punishment God willingly suffered on our behalf.

Moroni and Isaiah

In his final chapter, Moroni paraphrases two passages from Isaiah which urge us to live with more enthusiasm and joy because we are aware of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of Him, we can engage fully with life and plan for a hopeful future.

What Is the Second Death?

Jesus overcame death for us in three ways: Because of Him, our bodies and spirits will be reunited after we die. We will also be reunited with God, at least temporarily. Finally, He can help us be prepared at that time to stay in God's presence forever.

How the Savior Succors Us

The author of Hebrews and Alma both emphasized that Jesus lived as a normal human, subject to all of our afflictions and temptations so that He would know how to succor us. To "succor" is to run to help someone in distress.

“In the Strength of the Lord”

Zeniff and his people were able do defend themselves because they fought "in the strength of the Lord." When they later relied on their own strength, they were conquered. We need God's enabling power in order to overcome challenges and achieve our goals.

Lehi and Jacob

Jacob learned from his father, Lehi: 1. Suffering can lead to blessings. 2. Jesus overcame sin and death. 3. The law enables both sin and righteousness. 4. The devil wants us to be miserable; God wants us to have joy. 5. We are free to choose.

Wretched

Both Nephi and Paul lamented their shortcomings by describing themselves as "wretched." But both of them recognized that Jesus can heal all the conflicts in our lives, including the rift between our expectations of ourselves and our actual behavior.

Merits and Mercy and Grace

Lehi explained that we can only return to God "through the merits, and mercy, and grace" of Jesus Christ. The second and third characteristics flow from the first: Jesus can extend mercy and grace to us because of his merits.

Unto You / Unto Us

The angel told the shepherds that he had good news for everyone, but then he made it personal: "Unto you is born...a Saviour." The Atonement of Jesus Christ is both universal and personal. It is for everyone, but we receive His power one by one.

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