2 Nephi 9:25-27-Who Does This Apply?

[Duncan]

25 Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him.

 26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.

 27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!

 

I get the part about where there is no law given Christ mercy applies and they get deliverance and I gather this applies to kids but other than them would it also apply to adults? What kind of a situation , given the preaching of the Gospel in this or the next life, would an adult have no chance of hearing the gospel? hmmm?

[Bobbieaware]

25 Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him.

 26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.

 27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!

 

I get the part about where there is no law given Christ mercy applies and they get deliverance and I gather this applies to kids but other than them would it also apply to adults? What kind of a situation , given the preaching of the Gospel in this or the next life, would an adult have no chance of hearing the gospel? hmmm?

When speaking of adults, except in rare circumstances, the law of God is given to all in varying degrees. Even non-members of the Church are given the light of Christ that guides their consciences so that they will have a good idea as to what's right and what's wrong. But in general, the degree of the Lord's condemnation for sin is in direct proportion to the amount of light one has, as Jacob clearly reveals in your quote. An active, believing and knowledgable member of the LDS Church will be condemned more harshly for the sins he commits on earth than was a Mongol warrior who lived and died in the 12th century without a knowledge of the Gospel of Christ. But then comes the great equalizer -- the fact that the Gospel of Christ is taught to all the dead. So eventually even our Mongol warrior will come under a greater condemnation for sin if he doesn't accept Christ as Savior and sincerely repent.

[Meadowchik]

I think it would be a mistake to take it very literally.

 

Use General Conference as an example.  Thousands sit in the Conference Center.  Thousands "hear" the words of prophets and apostles.  Yet, to me, whether for children or adults, that "hearing" does not automatically mean knowing and understanding, nor does it mean having the conviction of the words in one's heart and mind, even if the words are indeed true.  Why?  Because we define words in our minds according to our own understanding.  It can take a while to really learn and to really know.

[janderich]

I get the part about where there is no law given Christ mercy applies and they get deliverance and I gather this applies to kids but other than them would it also apply to adults? What kind of a situation , given the preaching of the Gospel in this or the next life, would an adult have no chance of hearing the gospel? hmmm?

Paul says this about the law, "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under law" (Gal 5:18) And Nephi later on the same chapter says, "Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know the deadness of the law: and they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given. And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him when the law ought to be done away" (2 Ne 25:27). Sometimes we misinterpret the term "law" we apply it only to the law of Moses and do not realize that these prophets are speaking in more broad terms. In these verses we should understand that the law refers to the  commandments given of men. There is nothing wrong with direction given us, but it is not amenable to all circumstances. One who tries to follow every word others give them will be weighed down.

 

At some point as we progress in the gospel we must get out from under the need for constant commandments to direct our lives. We must learn to walk by the spirit. And when we learn to walk by the spirit the law will become dead to us and we will find life in Christ. As Paul said elsewhere, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (Gal 3:24-25). 

 

So I with Paul, Jacob and other prophets say, come out from under law! Free yourself from dead commandments and receive the mercies of Christ where there is no condemnation and where the atonement can satisfy all the demands of justice. Live and walk by the spirit and you will find life and freedom. The law itself is not end, but simply a passage way to the spirit of the Lord. Use it to find life and light.

[ksfisher]

 

25 Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him.

 26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.

 27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!

 

I get the part about where there is no law given Christ mercy applies and they get deliverance and I gather this applies to kids but other than them would it also apply to adults? What kind of a situation , given the preaching of the Gospel in this or the next life, would an adult have no chance of hearing the gospel? hmmm?

 

 

The context of this scripture is a time when the world was divided up into Israel and gentiles.  Jacob is teaching here that the gentiles who have not had the law given to them (hence they are gentiles) are not bound by it.  They are under no condemnation for not obeying a law that they were not given.

[JAHS]

"that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel."

 

I think Jacob is talking about those living now in mortality and the fact that those without the law are still saved in that they are resurrected through the atonement of Christ and that they are saved from outer darkness where the Devil resides with his spirits who never received a body. 

They are saved in the sense that they will have the opportunity to receive the law in the next life and somehow be tested there.

 

This was written around 560 BC. Since we know that God gives us His word line upon line as we are ready for it, I wonder if Jacob really understood or knew anything about the fact that those who did not receive the gospel here would have the chance in the next life?

Or do we just assume that since he was a prophet that he should know everything about the plan of salvation?

[CV75]

 

25 Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him.

 26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.

 27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!

 

I get the part about where there is no law given Christ mercy applies and they get deliverance and I gather this applies to kids but other than them would it also apply to adults? What kind of a situation , given the preaching of the Gospel in this or the next life, would an adult have no chance of hearing the gospel? hmmm?

 

Given the doctrines of the redemption of the dead, I think these verses apply only to situations where an adult has no chance of receiving the Gospel in this life only due to such things as mental or physical incapacity, living during a time or place where the Gospel is not available through authorized servants of God, etc.