The Whole Human Race

Alma declared out of the earnestness of his heart, “O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth” (Alma 29:1-2).  His desire was that all people could repent and come unto the Lord, to find peace and joy in Him.  Having personally made the change from wickedness to repentance, he knew that it is the only way to overcome the sorrows of the world and to find lasting joy.  He thus spent the final years of his life preaching and trying to bring as many souls to the Savior as he could.  The sons of Mosiah had a similar desire to see salvation come to everyone.  Mormon described them this way, “Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble” (Mosiah 28:3).  This led them to devote fourteen years of their lives to missionary labors among their enemies.  This desire to bring the gospel to all people, to help all of God’s children come unto the Lord through repentance is a sign of true conversion and a common feeling among the Lord’s prophets in the scriptures. 

               Other prophets recorded their desire that all men would come unto God and find salvation.  After expressing his frustration with the wickedness of men, Mormon wrote, “And I would that all men might be saved. But we read that in the great and last day there are some who shall be cast out” (Helaman 12:25).  When Paul stood before King Agrippa he expressed his desire for all within the sound of his voice to come unto Christ: “And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds” (Acts 26:29).  Nephi wrote his desire for salvation to come unto many: “And I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and last day” (2 Nephi 33:12).  Elsewhere he also wrote that this was indeed the desire of Christ: “He loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him.”  And the possibility is for any to so come unto Christ: “He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him” (2 Nephi 26:24, 33).  Paul similarly wrote that the Savior’s desire is for all to be saved: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).  In our dispensation the Lord gave the responsibility to holders of the priesthood to invite all to be so saved: “They are, however, to warn, expound, exhort, and teach, and invite all to come unto Christ” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:59).  Perhaps our own desire to so spread the gospel to all of God’s children is an indicator of our own conversion to Him.  As Joseph Smith said, “A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.”  The Savior’s gospel and saving grace is indeed for the whole human race and our desire should be, like the sons of Mosiah, that salvation should be declared to every creature.