All Are Alike Unto God

This week President Nelson made this post on social media: “Today, we commemorate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Book of Mormon teaches that ‘black and white, bond and free, male and female . . . all are alike unto God.’ May God continue to bless us as we labor together to abandon attitudes and actions of prejudice.” This verse from the Book of Mormon comes from the writings of Nephi who mourned the future destruction of his people. Some today would might want to read this verse out of context and suggest that since all are alike unto God, all choices and actions we take are alike and acceptable unto Him. But Nephi was very clear about the Lord’s stance on sin in the previous verse: “And again, the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whoso doeth them shall perish. For none of these iniquities come of the Lord.” We are all alike unto God in that we are all commanded not to do these things and will each stand accountable before God for them if we so do. Nephi knew that destruction would ultimately come upon the wicked as he had foreseen in his posterity who were destroyed by the Lamanites because “they yield unto the devil and choose works of darkness rather than light, therefore they must go down to hell.” Nephi’s message was that all are invited to come unto God and be saved by the Savior who has done all things for them already: “He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation” (2 Nephi 26:10, 24, 32-33). All are equally invited, but only those who are willing to repent and follow Him will truly partake of His goodness.

                One of the parables of the Savior which I believe teaches this same message is that of the Good Samaritan. There were three who passed by the man who had fallen among thieves and was “stripped him of his raiment, and wounded… [and left] half dead.” These were a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. The first two were honored in their society and the last was despised by the Jews of Jerusalem. And yet it was the last who “was neighbour unto him that fell among thieves,” and one of the Savior’s points was that we are judged by our actions and not our status in society (Luke 10:30-36). For Jesus, the Samaritan was just as capable of righteousness as a priest in Jerusalem, and that was the basis on which they would be judged. No one gets an exemption from being judged on their actions and desires—all are alike in accountability before God. John the Baptist gave a similar message to those who came into the wilderness to hear him. He said, “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire” (Luke 3:7-9). Again, his message was that we are judged not on our status in society but on the fact that we bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. Nephi put it succinctly this way: “For behold, I say unto you that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off; for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel” (2 Nephi 30:2). What matters for each of us is not the color of our skin or our worldly positions or the size of our wealth; rather, it is simply that we repent, believe in the Son of God, and make covenants with Him.