The Victims of Sin

We’ve now addressed the roles of Jehovah and Azazel in the atonement and explained how through these roles the sinner can be forgiven. We’ve show that Jesus became a proxy victim who suffered in proxy for the victims of sin, but what about the actual victims of sin? How are they made whole? Are they required to do anything and what if they don’t do what Jesus taught? Let’s now look at the atonement from the point of view of the actual victims of sin. 

The Law of Universal Application

There is an eternal law called “The Law of Universal Application” which simply says that our beliefs, actions and views toward others will be universally applied back toward us so that we will receive again that which we have sent out. Another way of saying this is that we create the world and environment we live in and will live in eternally.

On the surface this sounds great to everyone who says,” I’d love to live in the world I create”, but it comes with a catch. The “Universal Application” part means that what you create universally applies back to yourself. So, if you were a slave owner and you create and support a life where people can own other people, you will universally receive back what you sent out and you will live in a world of slave owners, but it will be turned against you and you’ll be the slave.

This is why murders, liars and thieves will all be placed together in the Telestial world with other murders, liars and thieves. They have elected to live by principles and moral codes that will be returned back to them as they live in a world populated with others whose hearts and morals are like unto their own. In turn, as they lie, they will be lied to. As they steal, they will be stolen from. As they apply force on others, others will apply force on them, and so they have created their own eternal punishment by the life and morals they have adopted. 

Those who progress on to heaven will have learned to create a heavenly society. They will by necessity learn to live as a citizen of heaven in which they treat others the way they want to be treated so that when the Law of Universal Application is applied back to them, they receive the same paradise that they created for others. In this way they are placed in a world with others who think very differently but are able to live with their enemies in love and peace. Just as the Law of Universal Application is applied to the wicked to create their eternal punishment, it is also applied to the righteous to create their eternal paradise. We simply receive back what we sow and live with others who interact with their enemies the way we interact with our enemies.

Those who progress on to heaven will need to learn to be heavenly. They will by necessity learn to live as a citizen of heaven in which they treat others the way they want to be treated so that when the Law of Universal Application is applied back to them, they receive the same paradise that they created for others.

This principle has real and direct impact on our lives here on earth as well as our eternal lives. The City of Enoch was able to create such a perfect society that the law of Universal Application was applied to them and they were taken into heaven.

Others have lived so that they have created societies which destroy themselves by war. 

Jesus understood this law clearly and we see that he applied the principle in many of his teachings. Here are a few examples of how he applied this law in his teachings.

21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

…

25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

…

27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

…

30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” – Luke 6:21-38

Notice howJesus teaches in verse 38 that what we send out will be returned to us again. But in the examples he gives he points out that people receive from the other end of the stick that they held to. Those who were filled and withheld their food from the hungry will be hungry. Those who were hungry because they ensured others had food will be filled. Those who laugh at the faults of others will mourn when they see their own faults. Those who weep and are broken hearted will laugh and rejoice in their reward. 

The law of Universal Application tells us that if we judge, we will be judged, and if we condemn, we will be condemned. So, Jesus tells us Judge not, lest we be judged, condemn not lest we be condemned and forgive that we may be forgiven.

Because the Law of Universal Application says that what we do will be done to us, we must forgive to be forgiven. 

“14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15

”And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” – Luke 11:4

“Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.

10 I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.

11 And ye ought to say in your hearts—let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds.” – D&C 64:9-11

For this reason, the atonement requires that we be forgiving to receive forgiveness. The actual victims must learn to forgive if they are to receive forgiveness, BUT, they will not be left comfortless.

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” – John 14:18

The victims who forgive will not only be forgiven, but compensated or healed so that the pain they experienced from others will be overcome by the blessings of God.

“ Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.” – 3 Nephi 18:32

“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” – Revelation 7:21

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” – Revelation 21:4

We cannot experience this healing which comes to the victims of sin through the atonement unless we have repented of our sins and become converted.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” – Luke 4:18

“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” – Matthew 13:15 (see also John 12:40 & Acts 28:27)

For this reason Zeezrom asked Alma to heal him and Alma said,

“If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed.” – Alma 15:8

And so it is with us. If we also believe in the redemption of Christ, we too can be healed of the pain caused to us by the sins of others. But we must forgive and understand with our hearts and be converted so that we can be forgiven and healed.