Alma 42:30- The justice of God is what is required of us. Let us be clear about those requirements. They aren't some arbitrary expectations to control us. There are what will bring us true joy and happiness. God's mercy is the price Christ paid for us to be redeemed from falling short of that requirement.
When I am at odds with the requirements, I can beat myself up and feel ashamed for my weakness. Or I can refuse to take responsibility and not be remorseful and instead want to excuse myself. It is especially tempting to claim it is just to hard to live up to so why even try. Or I want to blame something or someone else as the source of my pain. When we don’t believe in and thus deny God’s mercy, it makes all of those destructive choices necessary to relieve the pain of not meeting the requirements because that is all I can do to avoid suffering.
Of course, we will all fall short. When we are told that no unclean thing can enter His presence, that includes all of us. The plan of happiness says that is why we need a Savior. We cannot be clean enough, we cannot be good enough. And it is a waste of time to beat ourselves up, to give up, or to blame something or someone else. Instead, we can choose to be humble and come unto Christ and take advantage of the mercy that is offered to us.
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