“Eleven years.” (It actually took 15)
“Eleven more years! You’re only half-way through school! That’s crazy! I would never do that!”
Now, however, the difference is obvious. Having more education has given me many more opportunities in life. I paid the price, and now I reap the rewards.
A song from the movie The Sound of Music has a line, “Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could...” The Eternal principle of the justice, karma, or the law of the harvest can work against us, or for us. If we are trying to take things, to get away with something, to get something for nothing, or we are lazy, we will have to pay later. We must pay. Payment is required. There must be compensation for everything. The Universe must balance in ALL things! We can never get away with anything. This law is simply one aspect of the greater law of justice.
Everything must be equal, and justice must be served, or God would cease to be God. “What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God.” (Alma 42:25) Justice is one of the two principles that God must obey, or He would no longer be God. This is the reason that all things must balance among all the creations of God. There must be good. There must be evil. The two must balance. Evil is to take now and pay later. Good is to pay now and receive later.
The law can work for us, or against us. We can be sure that if we take now, we will pay later. Or, we can know that if we pay now, we must receive later, we use the law in our favor. In the big picture, all suffering is paid with joy and happiness in Eternity. Likewise, all wealth, ease, and comforts that are not earned in advance must be paid in sorrow and suffering.
Everyone has his price
We are bought with a price. Some are cheap, and can be bought with fake money, paper, or coins. Others require the soul of another. However, those who believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, are bought with His blood. Their price is high, it is the price of the blood of the Creator.
Christ exemplifies the law of the harvest. He suffered all things, and is paid by the Eternal gratitude of all he saves for God. When the Nephites understood the word, Hosanna, and Christ came to them, they knelt at His feet and worshipped Him. “And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.” (3 Nephi 17:20) He paid the price in advance, and now reaps the rewards by saving all those who believe in Him. He has the power to gather all to Him.
Justice requires that the individual who made the decision to hurt another pay the price to bring balance back to the Universe. I cannot suffer for the sins of my brother, he must pay the price for his own. Amulek explains: “Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay. But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered;
(Alma 34:11-12)
However, it also requires that those who suffer innocently receive recompense. Both sides must balance. The Lord explained to Joseph Smith, the prophet, how the law of justice makes the atonement work in our favor.
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)
His innocent sufferings and death require some sort of recompense. The scales must balance, and He is owed a great debt by the law of justice. How can He possibly be paid for such suffering? He can take those who believe in Him, and repent, into Eternal Life. They are spared of suffering the fate of their own sins because He must be remunerated, the scales must balance. He cannot take sinners into Heaven, they must pay for their own, but those who change and turn from their sins are no longer guilty so they can be bought.
Pie-in-the-sky
Jesus Christ is our example in all things. We only find happiness in following Him. He gave us the perfect example of allowing suffering in the world, and receiving a recompense after. He didn’t have a home. He was rejected by His own people. He was hated, smitten, beaten, and hung on a cross. It was still inside His power to command the elements so He could have avoided such injustice -- but He allowed it so He would have the power to help us through our probation. We can receive good for evil because of Him. His suffering covers for our misdeeds. Thus we can escape justice -- through Him. There is no other way. We must follow Him.
“Jesus, once of humble birth, Now in glory comes to earth.
Once he suffered grief and pain; Now he comes on earth to reign.
Once a meek and lowly Lamb, Now the Lord, the great I Am.
Once upon the cross he bowed; Now his chariot is the cloud.
Once he groaned in blood and tears; Now in glory he appears.
Once rejected by his own, Now their King he shall be known.
Once forsaken, left alone, Now exalted to a throne.
Once all things he meekly bore, But he now will bear no more.”
(Hymn 196:1-4)
When we realize the power in the law of justice, we can see that it is our only way out. All things must be fair and balanced. We must receive recompense in the next life for all our unjust suffering while here on Earth. It requires that we have faith in God, that He is just. Faith allows us to suspend justice, wait for it, be patient in suffering, and “suffer all things the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us].”
Suspend Justice
While we are on the Earth, we must give up our sense of justice if we are to reap a harvest of good things. We are suspended in a world between Heaven and Hell, called time. During this mortal life we are on probation. All things are before us, but we cannot see those things that are in Eternity. This gives us an opportunity to choose who we are. We can decide that we are holy, meaning separate from the world, or we can become filthy and miserable. Since this is outside of Heaven, it doesn’t require justice, or balance in all things. We do make decisions, we hurt others, we are hurt by others, but the balancing of the scales will not happen until we’re outside of here.
For this reason, we notice that there is no justice in the world. People who are “good” suffer. The saying, filled with irony, goes: “No good deed shall go unpunished.” We see those who trample on the lives of others getting wealth and the good things of the Earth, and wonder, where is justice? There is none, yet. There is a time for everything,
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
The time for justice is not yet. We are still on probation. We do not reap in this life, we only sow. If we are sowing a life of ease for ourselves, we will have to pay later to balance-out what we have received. If we are sacrificing, and suffering injustice, we will receive good things. We still have time to repent, as long as we’re here. However, we may leave this life without warning, and the time is done; we will then each “reap what we have sown” to exacting proportions. Nothing will be left out, everything will be balanced perfectly.
Pay Now, Play Later
Part of following Christ is paying up front, with faith that every debt will be paid. The more we give now, the greater will be our “harvest” when all things are made equal. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man is instructive:
“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” (Luke 16:22-23)
The rich man is paying the price of his comfort to balance the scales. Likewise, it is just that Lazarus receive a balanced recompense for his suffering.
“But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” (Luke 16:25)
The rich man then asked Abraham to send an angel to warn his kin. He wanted them to repent before they die so they wouldn’t have to suffer the same fate. Knowing that the Lord, Jesus Christ, paid for all our injustice makes all the difference in the world. We will not be required to pay for all of the suffering we have caused others in the world. If we turn to Him, and repent of all our wrongs, we get the most merciful injustice that could ever be given: we can reap the rewards of all our unjust suffering, but not have to pay for our errors. He shifts the balance. He tilts the scales in our favor. Once we understand what He has done, we can take full advantage of it by changing our lives from selfish to selfless. We will give, instead of take. We will pay now, with a knowledge that we will receive only reward for our suffering.
Make Justice work in your favor
Our philosophy then changes to: “pay in advance.” Give. Sacrifice. Give money freely. Give time freely. Give your efforts to others. Give when nobody is looking. Live to give. Give to your enemies. Do good to those who hurt you. Do more than you are asked. “We should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness.” (D&C 123:13) Forgive everyone of everything. Give up your need for immediate justice and put your trust in God that He is just. Pay the price now. Accept suffering without complaint; revealing your suffering in life removes your recompense later. Do all you can to make your life hard; “be not weary in well-doing.” (D&C 64:33) Don’t reveal any sacrifices you make. Say nothing, just give the widow’s mite. Give yourself into poverty. Suffer more that others may have less suffering. There is no bottom, there is no end, just give now. The law of justice will then, through Christ, work in your favor.
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