Justice for All

Elder Bruce R. McConkie explains that “According to the terms and conditions of the great plan of redemption, justice demands that a penalty be paid for every violation of the Lord's laws” (Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed., p.406). Usually when we talk about the law of justice we stress the fact that when we break a commandment we’ve incurred a penalty that must be paid. Then we speak about the great companion principle mercy whereby the Savior will suffer the penalty for us if we will repent. That is all good, but there is so much more to the law of justice.

While justice does involve penalties, it also means that at some point restitution must be made to all who have suffered unjustly. Alma explained this principle to his son Corianton: “The plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order” (Alma 41:2). This means that if through no fault of our own we are hurt or caused to suffer in any way, the law of justice demands that we be recompensed.

As Alma goes on to explain, “It is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good” (Alma 41:3). What we learn from this is that if we are hurt in any way through no fault of our own, we will be compensated. We will be restored to all that is good. Jesus Christ will make everything fair and just! We just need to trust in Him.

Timing

I had a student in my office the other day who said to me, “I’m beginning to realize that with the Lord timing is everything.” It was an interesting statement and one I wish more 18 year old freshmen understood. But I can’t really criticize because I was much older than 18 when I learned it. Elder Neal A. Maxwell once wrote, “Faith in the timing of God [is] to be able to say Thy timing be done, even when we do not fully understand it.”

 When we trust in the Savior we know that all things unfairly done to us will be recompensed to us. As John tells us in his great revelation, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

At some point every one of us will have our tears wiped away, and the pains we have suffered unfairly will be made up to us. That probably won’t happen tomorrow. But it will happen! A great part of faith, as Elder Maxwell taught, is to trust in the timing of God. Jesus Christ will make everything fair and good and right. Our job is to remember that and live accordingly.