The Plan of Redemption

The Come, Follow Me lesson this week highlights the fact that “Book of Mormon prophets used a variety of names to describe God’s plan for His children, like the plan of salvation or the plan of happiness.” Typically in the Church we talk about it as the “plan of salvation,” and Jarom, Alma, and Anti-Nephi-Lehi all referred to it as such (Jarom 1:2; Alma 24:24, 42:5). We also commonly refer to it as the “plan of happiness,” and it was spoken of twice by Alma with this name, but nowhere else in the text (Alma 42:8,16). Jacob labeled it “the merciful plan of the great Creator” and Alma similarly spoke of the “plan of mercy” multiple times to his son Corianton (2 Nephi 9:6, Alma 42:15). Alma also referred to it as the “plan of restoration” to his Corianton (Alma 41:2). Nephi called it “the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death” and to the Zoramites Amulek similarly spoke of “the great plan of the Eternal God” (2 Nephi 11:5, Alma 34:9). Certainly all of these different names are instructive about parts of the plan, but it is interesting to note that by far the most common phrase to speak of the plan in the Book of Mormon is the “plan of redemption.” Jacob, Alma, Amulek, Mormon, and the sons of Mosiah all used this term for a total of 17 times references to the “plan of salvation” in the Book of Mormon. The spoke of the “plan of redemption”, “the great plan of redemption”, and “the great and eternal plan of redemption” as they invited others to repent and taught of God’s plan for them (Jacob 6:8; Alma 12:25, 34:16).

               Perhaps one of the reasons that they chose to use the term “plan of redemption” so often was because it alludes to the central figure of God’s plan. The plan of redemption is the plan of the Redeemer, and we gain redemption only through Him. This single word “redemption” is powerful because it refers both to the redeemed and the Redeemer, underscoring the central act of the plan being the redemption of each of us from sin and mortality. For many of these Book of Mormon figures who used this term, they had significant redemptive experiences before starting to preach to help others come unto salvation. Alma, who employed the phrase more than anyone else, was called to repentance by an angel in a dramatic story of conversion. It was only the Savior who could redeem him, and as he came to after this experience he said, “I rejected my Redeemer, and denied that which had been spoken of by our fathers; but now that they may foresee that he will come, and that he remembereth every creature of his creating.” His focus was immediately on the Redeemer once he had repented and exercised the great plan of redemption for himself. The sons of Mosiah had a similar experience, and for all of these after their redeeming experience they “were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer” (Mosiah 27:30,36). When the sons of Mosiah taught the Lamanites, their goal was “that perhaps they might bring them unto repentance; that perhaps they might bring them to know of the plan of redemption” (Alma 17:16). When among Lamoni’s people Ammon “expounded unto them the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world” (Alma 18:39). As Aaron was later teaching the father of Lamoni, “Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name” (Alma 22:13). The central focus of the teaching of the sons of Mosiah to the Lamanites was the plan of redemption, centered upon the Savior who had redeemed them. As we talk about the plan of salvation and the plan of happiness, we should always remember that it is foremost a plan of redemption possible only because of our Redeemer. The invitation and promise of Amulek and others in the Book of Mormon to come unto the Savior through His plan is for all of us: “Now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you” (Alma 34:31).