"And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish! And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen , yea, which the Lord had shown unto him."
We consider that Sariah was meaning physical death when she used the word "perish" in the following context.
"...Sariah was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us. For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness." (1 Nephi 5:1 - 2)
Is this what is meant by Lehi's praising as he declares, "...and because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!"?
We know that Lehi and his family were saved from the Babylonian onslaught because of belief on Christ but what about others?
What about Abinadi?
"And now, when Abinadi had said these words, he fell, having suffered death by fire; yea, having been put to death because he would not deny the commandments of God, having sealed the truth of his words by his death." (Mosiah 17: 20)
What about the believing women and children in the city of Amonihah?
"...And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned by fire." (Alma 14:8)
There are many examples from Abel in the beginning to Joseph and Hyrum and others who have lost their lives because they have come unto God the Father and Jesus Christ.
John the Revelator saw all of these martyrs.
"...I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest for yet a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." (Revelation 6:9 - 11)
The Lord, while He was on the earth, said this to His disciples.
"And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do." (Luke 12:4)
It would appear that to die physically is not a matter of "perishing", as far as the Lord is concerned, if we are coming to Him.
As an example, here is what the Lord said to Nephi as he was there with a drunken Laban in the streets of Jerusalem.
"Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief." (1 Nephi 4:13)
We believe that the context God is using here for the word "perish" is the same for "a nation" and for "Laban".
The physical death of Laban would be overcome through the resurrection of Christ. Therefore, Laban perishing is something different.
Jesus speaking to Nicodemus uses the word "perish" in bearing witness of the Father and what the Father sent Him (Christ) to accomplish.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
The Lord revealed the same principle to Joseph that He spoke to Nicodemus concerning belief on Him and everlasting life.
"Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him- Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased: behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life." ( D&C 45:3 - 5)
the Lord further stated to Nicodemus,
"And he who believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and shall receive of his fulness. But he who believeth not the Son, shall not receive of his fulness; for the wrath of God is upon him." (JST John 3:36)
What does it mean to have everlasting life?
Can "everlasting life" be received in this life?
Is "everlasting life" related to "eternal life"?
The Lord said this concerning "eternal life" as He gave His intercessory prayer to the Father.
"and this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3)
If what the Lord says is true, is it possible then to have "eternal life" if we don't "know" the Father and the Son?
Lehi came to "know" the Father and the Son. He saw them face to face in this life.
Jeremiah saw a day when a whole people would know (not "know of" but "know") the Lord.
"... this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord:..." (Jeremiah 31:33-34)
Would that mean that the entire nation, as small in number as they may be at that point, will qualify for eternal life because they will have seen God face to face?
"Everlasting life" may mean something in addition to "eternal life" because it appears that the Lord uses the term consistently as He is speaking of "everlasting life" without interchanging it with "eternal life".
We do believe that everlasting life contains, as part of its components at least, eternal life. (A continued study for another time perhaps as it is hard in a blog to get really in depth.)
What does it mean to receive of the fulness of the Son?
Is receiving a "fulness of the Son" related to entering into His rest or entering into the fulness of His glory?
"And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live. Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought dilignetly to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory." (D&C 84:19 - 24)
If one enters into the presence or glory (His rest) of the Son are they receiving a fulness of the Son?
If we are not prepared to receive these things,everlasting life and a fulness of the Son; if the Lord is unable, because of our unbelief, to advocate for us before the Father as explained in section 45 of the D&C does that mean that we have perished?
Amulek declared that this life is the time to prepare to meet God (Alma 34:33). It is here in mortality that we are to come to meet God.
If those before us had to receive "everlating life" and a "fulness of the Son" in order not to "perish" can we expect to receive anything less and not "perish"?
Would God be more lenient with us than with those who have gone before?
What King Benjamin taught seems to be related to being prepared to receive everlasting life and a fulness of the Son on the one hand or perishing on the other hand.
"And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them. But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deed, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not." (Mosiah 4:29 - 30)
How is it possible for one to watch our thoughts, words, and deeds, and observe the commandments of God and continue in faith in Christ unto the end of one's life?
Nephi was brought to a remembrance of what the Lord had promised him as the spirit was constraining him to slay Laban.
"And now, when I, Nephi had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as they seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise. Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law. And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass." (1 Nephi 4:14 - 16)
This remembrance comes to Nephi right after the Spirit talked about a nation dwindling and perishing in unbelief.
Is there an inverse relation between "perishing" and "prospering in the land"?
Alma speaking to his son Helaman declared,
"...ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and ye ought to know also, the inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence. Now this is according to his word." (Alma 36:30)
Alma is very clear that prospering in the land means to enjoy the presence of God. If we keep His commandments we will prosper or enjoy His presence. If we do not we will be cut off from His presence or "perish".
Nephi knew by revelation that the scriptures were necessary in order to have the commandments of God and the words of the Holy Prophets in order to keep a nation from "perishing" or being cut off from God.
Should we look at the scriptures in the same way?
Should the scriptures be used by us to govern our own actions so that we do not "perish"?
Is not all of this a demonstration of Gods mercy?
If someone delves into the scriptures and finds the words of eternal life there and they abide by these words they are promised that they will not perish but will prosper in the land.
They will be able to watch their thoughts, words, and deeds.
They will be able to keep the commandments of God and continue in faith in Jesus Christ.
They will receive elverlasting life and a fulness of the Son.
This is our present understanding.
We believe that Lehi is giving praise for these things the Lord has provided in His mercy in order that all who approach Him will not "perish".
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