Come, Follow Me
A Plan of Mercy
Heavenly Father’s Plan of Salvation
Heavenly Father’s plan puts everything in perspective, especially our need to turn to Him and our Savior—to do better and be better.
Illustrations by Sarah Keele
Heavenly Father has a plan. This plan is often called the plan of salvation because it’s about saving us—that is, overcoming the things that keep us from returning to Heavenly Father. It’s also sometimes called the plan of happiness because its purpose is to help us become more like our Heavenly Father so that we can receive a fulness of joy.
Understanding Heavenly Father’s plan can give us an eternal perspective, which can help us to repent and make better choices. The Book of Mormon gives us a good illustration of this truth in the story of Alma’s son Corianton.
But first, here is a basic overview of Heavenly Father’s plan.
Heavenly Father’s Plan
Before This Life
Spirits: We are all spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents. God knows and loves each of us.
The Plan: Heavenly Father has provided a plan for our happiness and progress. This plan was presented to us all.
Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is central to the plan and was chosen to be our Savior from the beginning.
Agency: We chose to accept Heavenly Father’s plan.
Creation: Under Heavenly Father’s direction, Jesus Christ created the earth for us to dwell on.
During This Life
Mortal Life: Our spirits now dwell in physical bodies. In this life, we gain experience, learn, and grow.
Agency: All people are born with the Light of Christ—that is, conscience or a basic sense of right and wrong. Heavenly Father has also given all people the ability to act for themselves and to choose good or evil.
Sin and Death: Each of us sins, and each of us will die.
Jesus Christ: Because Heavenly Father loves us, He sent Jesus Christ, His Son, to redeem us from sin and death. Jesus Christ suffered for our sins, died, and was resurrected. Because of Him, we will be resurrected. Because of Him, we can repent and be forgiven of our sins.
Jesus Christ’s Gospel: Heavenly Father reveals His plan to prophets. They preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. It includes faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.
After This Life
Spirit World: After we die, our spirits continue to live. The spirit world includes a state of paradise (peace and rest of the righteous) and of spirit prison.
Agency: The gospel of Jesus Christ is preached in the spirit world so that all have an opportunity to choose to accept it.
Resurrection: Because of Jesus Christ, all will be resurrected. The spirit and body will be reunited, and each person will live forever in a perfected, resurrected body.
Judgment: All will be brought into God’s presence to be judged. Jesus Christ will be our judge.
Kingdoms of Glory: With very few exceptions, all of God’s children will inherit a kingdom of glory. These three kingdoms are called the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms. If we are faithful, we can return to live in God’s presence in the celestial kingdom and receive a fulness of joy.
The Power of Understanding the Plan: Corianton’s Story
The prophet Alma gave us an example of how a better understanding of the plan of salvation helps us to embrace God’s path to happiness, the path of repentance (see Alma 39–42).
Alma’s son Corianton had been called to go with his father to preach to the Zoramites. But Corianton hadn’t always behaved as he should. He hadn’t listened to his father that well. He had disobeyed. He had been prideful and boastful. And he had given in to temptation and committed serious sexual sin.
Alma had some frank words for Corianton about how serious his sins were and how his behavior had hurt their efforts to get the Zoramites to repent. But most of all, Alma taught his son about the plan of salvation.
Corianton had some questions that troubled him related to the gospel. Some of his misunderstanding had led him to justify himself in his sins. Alma took time to answer his son’s questions by explaining the plan of salvation.
Corianton wondered about:
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Prophecy. Why was the coming of Jesus Christ known so long before it happened? Alma said that it was necessary for the plan to be made known ahead of time and that God could send angels to declare it anytime—before or after Christ’s coming. (See Alma 39:15–19.)
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Resurrection. When would people be resurrected? What’s between death and resurrection? Alma explained to him that people would begin to be resurrected after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Alma also taught that between death and resurrection, the spirits of the righteous would go to a state of peace and rest, which he called paradise. The spirits of the wicked would go to a place of darkness and torment. (See Alma 40:1–15.)
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Repentance. Why do we need to repent if everyone’s spirit and body is restored through resurrection? Alma explained to him that all people will be resurrected and judged according to their works. If they did good and desired good and repented of their sins, they will be restored to happiness. If they did evil and desired evil, they cannot be restored to that same state of happiness, because they did not choose it in this life. (See Alma 41:1–15.)
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Justice and mercy. How is it just for God to punish people for their sins? Alma explained that people are cut off from the presence of God because of physical death and their sins. And they would be cut off forever without Jesus Christ. He brought about resurrection, overcoming physical death. He also atoned for all of our sins. But His atoning mercy cannot destroy justice, so mercy is extended only to those who repent. Repentance is the condition He has set in order for us to receive the mercy that is available to us because of His atoning sacrifice. (See Alma 42:1–28.)
So, what happened to Corianton?
He was called again to preach. It seems that he listened to his father’s words about the plan of salvation. He repented and sought to live a righteous life (see Alma 63:2).
What about Us?
When we need to repent (which—let’s be honest—is every day), we can think of the plan of salvation and study it. Alma called it the “plan of mercy” (Alma 42:15). Jesus Christ’s Atonement for our sins offers us this mercy—as we repent. So maybe we could think of the plan as the “plan of repentance.”
Our Heavenly Father wants us to return to Him, become more like Him, and receive a fulness of joy like He has. That’s what His plan is all about. We chose to accept this plan before we were born. We can fulfill this plan now by having faith in Jesus Christ, repenting, and making and keeping covenants.