# Alma 42

*Simple English*

### God’s Plan Is Fair

My son, I see that something else is bothering you. You don’t understand God’s fairness when he punishes sinners. You think it’s not fair that sinners have to be miserable. Let me explain this to you. After the Lord God sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden to work the ground, he placed angels and a flaming sword at the east end of the garden. They turned every direction to guard the tree of life. Adam and Eve had become like God, knowing good and evil. The Lord God placed angels and the flaming sword there so they couldn’t eat from the tree of life and live forever. This gave people time to repent. It gave them time to change and serve God. If Adam had eaten from the tree of life right away, he would have lived forever. He would have had no time to repent. God’s word would have been broken. God’s great plan to save us would have failed.

### All People Became Fallen

But God said people must die. Because they were cut off from the tree of life, they would be cut off from the earth. People became lost forever. They became fallen. Our first parents were cut off from the Lord both in body and spirit. They became free to follow their own will. It would not be good for people to be saved from physical death. That would destroy God’s great plan of happiness. The soul can never die. The fall brought spiritual death to all people, not just physical death. They were cut off from the Lord. So people needed to be saved from this spiritual death. People had become worldly, selfish, and evil by nature. So this life on earth became a time for them to get ready. It became a time to prepare.

### God’s Plan to Rescue Us

Remember, my son, without God’s plan to rescue people, their souls would be miserable as soon as they died. They would be cut off from the Lord. There was no way to save people from this fallen state. They had brought it on themselves by not obeying. According to what’s fair, God’s plan to rescue people could only work if people repented in this life. Without this, God’s mercy couldn’t work. It would destroy what’s fair. What’s fair can’t be destroyed. If it was, God would stop being God. All people had fallen. They were caught by what’s fair. God’s fairness meant they would be cut off from him forever. God’s plan of mercy couldn’t work unless someone paid for sins. So God himself paid for the sins of the world. This brought about the plan of mercy. It satisfied what’s fair. This way God could be both fair and merciful. People couldn’t repent unless there was a punishment. This punishment had to last forever, just like the soul lives forever. It stood against the plan of happiness, which also lasts forever.

### Why We Need Laws

How could a person repent if he didn’t sin? How could he sin if there was no law? How could there be a law without a punishment? There was a punishment set, and a fair law given. This brought guilt to people. If there was no law that said a murderer should die, would he be afraid to die if he murdered? Also, if there was no law against sin, people would not be afraid to sin. If there was no law when people sinned, what could fairness or mercy do? They would have no claim on the person. But there is a law given, and a punishment set, and repentance granted. Mercy claims those who repent. Otherwise, fairness claims the person and carries out the law. The law gives the punishment. If not, what’s fair would be destroyed. God would stop being God.

### Fairness and Mercy Work Together

But God doesn’t stop being God. Mercy claims those who repent. Mercy comes because Jesus paid for sins. Jesus’ payment brings back the dead to life. Coming back to life brings people back to God. Then they are judged by what they did, according to the law and what’s fair. Fairness gets everything it demands. Mercy gets everything that’s hers. So only those who truly repent are saved. Do you think mercy can steal from fairness? I tell you, no, not at all. If it could, God would stop being God. This is how God brings about his great and eternal plans. These were prepared from the beginning of the world. This is how people are saved and rescued. This is also how they are destroyed and made miserable.

So, my son, whoever wants to come may come and drink the water of life for free. Whoever doesn’t want to come doesn’t have to come. But on the last day, he will get back what his actions deserve. If he wanted to do evil and didn’t repent during his life, then evil will be done to him. This is how God restores things.

### Alma’s Final Words

My son, I want you to stop worrying about these things. Only let your sins bother you. Let them bother you enough to make you repent. My son, don’t deny God’s fairness anymore. Don’t try to make excuses for your sins by denying God’s fairness. Let God’s fairness, his mercy, and his patience fill your heart. Let them bring you down in humility. My son, God has called you to preach to these people. Go and teach the truth seriously. Help people repent so that God’s great plan of mercy can save them. May God help you do what I’ve said. Amen.

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/simple/alma/42)*
