Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!
This doxology by Lehi includes a marvelous promise to all those who will come unto the Lord: they shall not be allowed to perish. It is a promise that the Savior Himself uttered repeatedly during his mortal ministry. To the Jewish leaders who questioned His authority, He declared, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand." (John 10:27-29) And to the sorrowing sisters of His friend Lazarus came the Lord's words of deep comfort, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."
Plainly, these promises do not assure the faithful of endless mortal life. Death comes upon all, believers and nonbelievers. These scriptural promises do contain three aspects, however, that bring tremendous comfort to all who understand the Lord's great Plan of Salvation.
First, the faithful have the assurance that mortal death will have no sting. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph: "Thou shalt alive together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die, and more especially for those that have not hope of a glorious resurrection. And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them; And they that die not in me, wo unto them, for their death is bitter. And again, it shall come to pass that he that hath faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed." (D&C 42:45-48)
Second, the faithful who abide in the Lord have the promise that mortal death does not come before its time. The revelation just quoted refers to those who are or are not "appointed unto death." We also read: "Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?" (Job 7:1) Many passages of scripture make it clear that the faithful are, as one wise man wrote, "immortal until their work is done."
Finally, those who come to the Lord and stay with Him, as shown by their faith and obedience, need not fear the second death. Their eventual resurrection to the fullness of eternal life is assured.
"Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive. And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." (2 Nephi 31:17-20)
Lehi's brief hymn of praise also points out the basis upon which the faithful may trust in these amazing promises. The promises are founded upon the power, goodness and mercy of God. Because the Lord is all powerful, He can bring about what is best for His children; because He is good, He knows and desires what is best for His children; and because He is merciful, He will do all within His infinite power to see that His best will be given to all who are willing to receive it.
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