Boundless Mercy

This week I would like to ponder on the doctrine of mercy. My thoughts were spurred on by two scriptures:

• "blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy"--Matt. 5:7
• "I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men." --D&C 64:10

In reading these scriptures I understand that it is of utmost importance to forgiving and merciful, but where does one draw the line between boundless mercy and being a pushover? I was then led to the counsel of the Savior:

But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain...love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.--Matthew 5:39-41, 44

Basically, at this point I was feeling the royal smackdown for being unloving and distrusting. Reading on in verse 48, Christ gives the bottom line:

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Interestingly enough, this scripture helped to bring me out of mental quandary provided by the previous verses. This gave me another angle at which to approach the issue, through the guise of the commandment to be perfect. I found out that "charity is the bond of perfectness (Col. 3:14)," which means that the more loving I am, the closer I would come to perfection, and that much closer to understanding how to find the mercy balance!

Then, as many do, my answer came through further study of the scriptures:

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen

--1 Peter 5:6-11

I realized that it is my job not to understand everything, and to have difficulty with some things, such as being perfectly meek, merciful, and charitable. I will be made to suffer for awhile with my imperfect state, but then will be "made perfect" through Jesus Christ. How is this done? Well, as I must have hope that the Atonement is real, it appears that it will be through grace and mercy, after all that I can do. It is the same mercy and grace that I try to perfect that is granted unto me through the power of the Atonement. This may seem a bit circular, but it merely serves to illustrate the infinite scope of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Have a great week!