Justification-Justification-On the Wings of On the Wings of

EaglesEagles

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Napoleon Napoleon

During the campaign in Poland, Napoleon took During the campaign in Poland, Napoleon took up his quarters in a country house where some up his quarters in a country house where some of the officers of a captured Russian company of the officers of a captured Russian company were brought before him. were brought before him.

Their attitude to their conqueror was anything Their attitude to their conqueror was anything but humble, and one took the opportunity of but humble, and one took the opportunity of saying that the Russian was superior to the saying that the Russian was superior to the Frenchman in every way. Frenchman in every way.

"We Russians fight for honor; you French fight "We Russians fight for honor; you French fight only for gain!" only for gain!"

"You are quite right," replied the emperor. "Each "You are quite right," replied the emperor. "Each fights for that which he does not possess… fights for that which he does not possess…

In Search of “Justice”In Search of “Justice”

Judge

Prosecutor

Job? Defense

Job?

Jury

Job?

How is “justice” found in this process?

But, what about mercy?

Paul to the Paul to the RomansRomans

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest judgest: for wherein thou judgest

another, thou condemnest thyself; another, thou condemnest thyself; for for thou that judgest doest the same thou that judgest doest the same things.things.

For there is no respect of persons with God. (Justice!)For there is no respect of persons with God. (Justice!)For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish

without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;judged by the law;

God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? (Chapter God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? (Chapter 2)2)

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption

that is in Christ Jesus: (Mercy!)that is in Christ Jesus: (Mercy!)To declare, To declare, I say,I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might at this time his righteousness: that he might

be just, be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesusand the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. . (Chapter 3)(Chapter 3)

QuestionQuestion

If we are saved by If we are saved by grace, then why are grace, then why are we to stand before we to stand before the “bar of God” to the “bar of God” to be “judged?”be “judged?”

Joseph SmithJoseph SmithTo be justified before God we must love one

another: we must overcome evil; we must visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, and we must keep ourselves unspotted from the world: for such virtues flow from the great fountain of pure religion, strengthening our faith by adding every good quality that adorns the children of the blessed Jesus, we can pray in the season of prayer; we can love our neighbor as ourselves, and be faithful in tribulation, knowing that the reward of such is greater in the kingdom of heaven.

What a consolation! What a joy!(TPJS, p76)

QuestionQuestion

How do you know How do you know you have been you have been ‘justified”?‘justified”?

Elder HollandElder HollandI've been so struck and virtually preoccupied with one I've been so struck and virtually preoccupied with one recent experience that I'm going to ask your indulgence in recent experience that I'm going to ask your indulgence in letting me share it with you tonight. letting me share it with you tonight. It was unlike any other commencement or baccalaureate It was unlike any other commencement or baccalaureate exercise I had ever attended or participated in myself. It exercise I had ever attended or participated in myself. It was held one week ago…There were forty-four graduates, all was held one week ago…There were forty-four graduates, all

male. They did not have traditional academic robes or caps or gowns. male. They did not have traditional academic robes or caps or gowns. Their attire, to a man, was light blue denim shirts and dark blue denim Their attire, to a man, was light blue denim shirts and dark blue denim trousers. The ceremony was not held in a fieldhouse or a stadium or even trousers. The ceremony was not held in a fieldhouse or a stadium or even a lovely auditorium. a lovely auditorium.

The exercise was held in a modest interdenominational chapel at the Utah The exercise was held in a modest interdenominational chapel at the Utah state prison. The graduating class consisted of forty-four men who had state prison. The graduating class consisted of forty-four men who had successfully completed a year's course of Bible study sponsored by The successfully completed a year's course of Bible study sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but open to all who cared to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but open to all who cared to come and participate.come and participate.

A young man who was now on the outside had come back to get his A young man who was now on the outside had come back to get his certificate and to encourage his colleagues. He said something that I certificate and to encourage his colleagues. He said something that I wrote down. I'll call him Howard, though that isn't really his name. He wrote down. I'll call him Howard, though that isn't really his name. He looked out to his colleagues and said, "Guys, the perspective in prison is looked out to his colleagues and said, "Guys, the perspective in prison is really bad. It really looks better on the outside. Try to remember that." really bad. It really looks better on the outside. Try to remember that."

Then he turned to the outsiders, to the friends and families who had come Then he turned to the outsiders, to the friends and families who had come in, and said, "in, and said, "You people are a light in a dark placeYou people are a light in a dark place. If it were not for . If it were not for love like yours, we would not be able to get from where we are to where love like yours, we would not be able to get from where we are to where we need to be." we need to be."

How is it done, Lord?How is it done, Lord?

TheNatural

Man and Woman

JustifiedMen and WomenLove

Paul reminds us…Paul reminds us…But God be thanked, that ye were the servants But God be thanked, that ye were the servants

of sin, but ye have obeyed of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heartfrom the heart that that form of doctrine which was delivered you. form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. servants of righteousness.

But now being made free from sin, and become But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. holiness, and the end everlasting life.

For the wages of sin For the wages of sin isis death; but the gift of death; but the gift of God God isis eternal life through Jesus Christ our eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6)Lord. (Romans 6)

President Joseph Fielding Smith

"There are too many members of the Church who will not separate themselves from the figurative 'flesh-pots of Egypt'; too many who will not heed the counsels that are given in the revelations of the Lord, notwithstanding the magnitude of the promised blessings. There

have been some who feel, as President John Taylor expressed it, 'who think that they can

slide into the kingdom of God,' without complying with the commandments.

By this he meant that they expect to receive the blessings of the exaltation because their names are still on the records of the Church: but they have not prepared themselves by active participation in faithful performance of duty."

(Answers to Gospel Questions, 2: xii)

Elder Holland Elder Holland Cont..Cont..

How grateful I was that, in addition to just How grateful I was that, in addition to just being just, being just, God decided, because he is God decided, because he is who he is, that he had to be a who he is, that he had to be a merciful God merciful God also. … also. …

I'd just been where they had added I'd just been where they had added i-a-r-y i-a-r-y to to that word that word [penitent]. That thought gave [penitent]. That thought gave me encouragement. Mercy me encouragement. Mercy could claim the could claim the penitent. I decided that if those men had penitent. I decided that if those men had to go to to go to the penitentiary to take advantage of the gift of the penitentiary to take advantage of the gift of mercy, if mercy, if somehow by going there they found the gospel of Jesus Christ or somehow by going there they found the gospel of Jesus Christ or the scriptures or the Atonement or any of those things that might the scriptures or the Atonement or any of those things that might lead to the others, then their imprisonment was worth it. lead to the others, then their imprisonment was worth it.

Let's go to the penitentiary, or let's go to the bishop, or let's go to Let's go to the penitentiary, or let's go to the bishop, or let's go to the Lord or to those that we've offended or to those that have the Lord or to those that we've offended or to those that have offended us. offended us.

Our own little penitentiariesOur own little penitentiaries, I suppose, are all around us. If , I suppose, are all around us. If that's what it takes to make us truly penitent, to enable us to lay that's what it takes to make us truly penitent, to enable us to lay claim to the gift of mercy, then we have to do it. claim to the gift of mercy, then we have to do it.

(On the Wings of Eagles, BYU Devotional, (On the Wings of Eagles, BYU Devotional, 1974)1974)

Question…Is Elder Holland saying we should be grateful for our sins?

Don StaggDon StaggHis name is Henry D. Stagg--Don Stagg to his friends. He went to bed in August of His name is Henry D. Stagg--Don Stagg to his friends. He went to bed in August of

1965 about the way everybody else goes to bed and about the way he had all of 1965 about the way everybody else goes to bed and about the way he had all of his life. The difference came the next morning, when his body awoke and his his life. The difference came the next morning, when his body awoke and his eyes didn't. He was blind, frightened, and he was more than that--terrified. He eyes didn't. He was blind, frightened, and he was more than that--terrified. He went to the doctor, who said with guarded optimism, "Well, this thing went to the doctor, who said with guarded optimism, "Well, this thing sometimes doesn't last very long, and it might just be an hour or two." Well, the sometimes doesn't last very long, and it might just be an hour or two." Well, the hours stretched into days and the days stretched into weeks and the weeks hours stretched into days and the days stretched into weeks and the weeks finally became a month. Don Stagg could think only of one thing, and that was finally became a month. Don Stagg could think only of one thing, and that was suicide. He wanted out…suicide. He wanted out…

Well, to make a long story short, Don Stagg found, in the midst of his experience, Well, to make a long story short, Don Stagg found, in the midst of his experience, what one of the prisoners found; that is, it takes some love to get from where what one of the prisoners found; that is, it takes some love to get from where we are to where we need to be. One evening Mrs. Stagg arranged to slip the we are to where we need to be. One evening Mrs. Stagg arranged to slip the children past the hospital security. They shuffled into the room, and Don did children past the hospital security. They shuffled into the room, and Don did not know who was there. He was surly and arrogant almost all of the time, by not know who was there. He was surly and arrogant almost all of the time, by his own admission, and he didn't want to talk, but then he felt those little hands his own admission, and he didn't want to talk, but then he felt those little hands on his legs and on his arms. The children said, "Daddy, we love you, and we on his legs and on his arms. The children said, "Daddy, we love you, and we want you to come home. We don't want any other daddy." want you to come home. We don't want any other daddy."

Don had seen a little light in a dark place, so he went home and started that night Don had seen a little light in a dark place, so he went home and started that night to pace off the house. He first paced off the steps from the bedroom to the to pace off the house. He first paced off the steps from the bedroom to the refrigerator. He says, "It's one thing to be blind; it's another thing to starve to refrigerator. He says, "It's one thing to be blind; it's another thing to starve to death." When he had the house mastered, he went out into the neighborhood death." When he had the house mastered, he went out into the neighborhood and then up and down the streets for miles away. He decided that he could do and then up and down the streets for miles away. He decided that he could do quite a little bit, and about two years after the effects of this disease had taken quite a little bit, and about two years after the effects of this disease had taken his sight, he enrolled in law school at the University of Utah. In four years he his sight, he enrolled in law school at the University of Utah. In four years he had passed all his courses and the state bar. For one year he worked for the had passed all his courses and the state bar. For one year he worked for the attorney general's office and now is in private practice. attorney general's office and now is in private practice.

Don Stagg is blind and has some limitations and some bonds put upon him by his Don Stagg is blind and has some limitations and some bonds put upon him by his own body, but he is doing a great deal. He water-skis and he snow-skis and, just own body, but he is doing a great deal. He water-skis and he snow-skis and, just a short time ago, he shot a two-under-par game at the Bonneville Golf Course in a short time ago, he shot a two-under-par game at the Bonneville Golf Course in Salt Lake City.Salt Lake City.