I had a neat thought when reading Alma 34:11-14 today:
11 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.
12 But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.
13 Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.
14 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.
As I read verse 13, I saw the “stop to the shedding of blood” as connected to verses 11 and 12 and not just to the animal sacrifices under the law of Moses mentioned in the preceding verses. This connection is perhaps eisegetical, but I think it’s significant—God sent His son to “fulfill the demands of justice” because justice demands our blood. Justice demands “an eye for an eye,” which means that, without a Savior, there would just be more pain and suffering in response to the pain and suffering we inflict on others. God yearns to stop the pain and suffering, not to have it propagate unbounded. Thus, He sent His Son that there could be “a stop to the shedding of blood.” I’m reminded of a quote from The Brothers Karamazov, in which a man named Ivan expresses his dissatisfaction with the idea of a God whose primary goal is justice:
What do I care for avenging them? What do I care for a hell for oppressors? … I want to forgive. I want to embrace. I don’t want more suffering. … And so I hasten to give back my entrance ticket, and if I am an honest man I am bound to give it back as soon as possible. And that I am doing. It’s not God that I don’t accept, Alyosha, only I most respectfully return him the ticket.
Fortunately, God agrees with Ivan. He also doesn’t want more suffering. He also wants to embrace and to forgive.
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