"And surely every man must repent or suffer, for I, God, am endless; wherefore, I revoke not the judgment which I shall pass, but woes shall go forth, weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea, to those who are found on my left hand; nevertheless it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless torment. * * * Therefore I command you to repent, repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not! how exquisite you know not! yea, how hard to bear ye know not! For behold, I, God have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent. But if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I. Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit; and would that I might not drink the bitter cup and shrink—nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men; wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power, and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my spirit."[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. & Cov. Sec. 19:4-6, and 15-20.]
7. The Advent of Mercy—Summary: From the doctrines of these scriptures, how like a flood comes rushing into this world-scheme of things the Love and Mercy of God! The Justice of God, as we have seen, has been exacting—otherwise it would not be Justice, the very nature of Justice is to be exacting—demanding all that is its due satisfaction for the injured honor and majesty of God; and the penalty due to broken law. But once these claims are satisfied, Justice is silent, and Love and Mercy have free range to bring to pass the complete redemption of man.
Let us for a moment contemplate our theme from this view-point though at the cost of iteration.
God, loving always the spirits of men, desires their progress and their eternal happiness.[A]
[Footnote A: See Lesson IV where the doctrine is worked out in detail.]
To achieve this the union of spirit and earth-elements are necessary, that the spirit may get more perfect self expression, and attain to higher manifestations and power than would otherwise be possible.[A]
[Footnote A: See Lesson IV where the doctrine is developed somewhat in detail.]
Also to achieve this end, the experience of earth-life amid broken harmonies is necessary; the experience of viewing opposite existences in conflict—good and evil; faith and doubt; hope and despair; victory and defeat; freedom and bondage; joy and sorrow; perfect health and physical pain; life and death.[A]
[Footnote A: The subject is discussed at length in Lesson VII.]