Not One Thing Left Undone

This morning I was reading in the Book of Mormon (Alma 24) where the king of all the Lamanites is thanking God (who he repeatedly refers to as "my God") for the miraculous events that lead to the conversion of so many thousands of his people.

He says, "God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us ... because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children ...".

I love this beautiful glimpse into God's character--that He extended mercy not because they deserved it, but because He loved them!

And it might be easy to think, "Ah yes, but they really hadn't known any better. All their cruelty and wickedness was a product of handed-down tradition after all. It makes sense that God might have mercy on such ignorance."

That might be true. But, closely tied to that story we have the stories of Alma, Ammon and Aaron, etc. These men did know better. Their fathers were among the most righteous and humble men of their time and had surely taught truth to their sons. And yet, to the great sorrow of those fathers (and surely those mothers), their sons had gone about willfully rebelling--abandoning the teachings of their parents--and following their own desires and paths.

Later, when both Alma and Ammon's souls had been truly changed and they spoke of this miracle, they freely admitting that they had done absolutely nothing to deserve the help that had come.

Alma says:

"... God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself; 

"For I went about with the sons of Mosiah, seeking to destroy the church of God; but behold, God sent his holy angel to stop us by the way."

And Ammon, speaking of this same event says:

"Behold, we went forth even in wrath, with mighty threatenings to destroy his church.

"Oh then, why did he not consign us to an awful destruction, yea, why did he not let the sword of his justice fall upon us, and doom us to eternal despair?

"Oh, my soul, almost as it were, fleeth at the thought. Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, even to the salvation of our souls."

These stories remind me of what Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (President Uchtdorf at the time) says about The Parable of the Lost Sheep:

"Over the centuries, this parable has traditionally been interpreted as a call to action for us to bring back the lost sheep and to reach out to those who are lost. While this is certainly appropriate and good, I wonder if there is more to it.

"Is it possible that Jesus’s purpose, first and foremost, was to teach about the work of the Good Shepherd?

"Is it possible that He was testifying of God’s love for His wayward children?

"Is it possible that the Savior’s message was that God is fully aware of those who are lost—and that He will find them, that He will reach out to them, and that He will rescue them?

"If that is so, what must the sheep do to qualify for this divine help?

"Does the sheep need to know how to use a complicated sextant to calculate its coordinates? Does it need to be able to use a GPS to define its position? Does it have to have the expertise to create an app that will call for help? Does the sheep need endorsements by a sponsor before the Good Shepherd will come to the rescue?

"No. Certainly not! The sheep is worthy of divine rescue simply because it is loved by the Good Shepherd.

"To me, the parable of the lost sheep is one of the most hopeful passages in all of scripture.

"Our Savior, the Good Shepherd, knows and loves us. He knows and loves you.

"He knows when you are lost, and He knows where you are. He knows your grief. Your silent pleadings. Your fears. Your tears.

"It matters not how you became lost—whether because of your own poor choices or because of circumstances beyond your control.

"What matters is that you are His child. And He loves you. He loves His children."

I have spent years pondering on the situations of loved ones who are off on dangerous paths--and this has become one of my surest and greatest hopes. This certainty that God is "not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." (Luke 9:56)

Yes. Yes. We have agency. I don't mean to suggest some "eat, drink and be merry" attitude. No. Justice cannot be robbed. And God will certainly not force any of us to accept more of his atoning sacrifice than we desire--nor will He force anyone into covenants they do not want to be a part of, or into becoming anything they have no wish to become. 

But I am certain that these condensed stories of Alma and his brethren and the Lamanites are types of what, typically in a much lengthier process, He will do (and is in the process of doing) for each of us and each of our loved ones. I am absolutely full of peaceful assurance that there will be more opportunities extended, confusions cleared up, and insights granted than we even dare hope. Yes, for many there may be much to face and difficult and painful roads on the way back. But it's this confidence expressed by President Ezra Taft Benson that has become my own:

"God loves us. ... [A]nd we'll know someday that he has not left one thing undone for the eternal welfare of each of us."

Not one thing left undone.

Not one thing! 

No matter how long it takes. No matter if it extends far beyond this life. No matter if a thousand mistakes and wrongs have to be righted and learned from. And a million impossible things turned for our good. No matter the depths and pain. 

For me. For my children. For all of us. Not one thing left undone. 

None that I love will be left out of blessings they have eternally desired simply because they got confused, or lost sight of eternal truths, or made mistakes, or struggled with various unseen handicaps. None of us will be left thinking, “If he’d only just have done this …”. That's why I dared come. 

That's why we all dared. Because we knew we had Heavenly Parents and a Savior who would not abandon us, would not wash their hands of us when we got off track, and who would not leave one thing left undone to redeem us and bring us back.