Lehi, in his discourse to his son Jacob concerning the Atonement, states that “the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified …” (2 Nephi 2:5). The implication is inescapable: no mortal can ever live the law of God perfectly. Hence no mortal can ever be justified to return to God’s presence on the basis of a perfect record in abiding by the law. That is beyond mortal reach. Some may be more faithful than others in keeping the commandments, but none can do it perfectly. There will always be a gap in performance that must be bridged.
Over the years as a teacher I have observed with great interest when students have grappled with this paradox—which Lehi used effectively to cause Jacob and his other sons to focus on understanding the need for the Atonement. I will customarily draw two parallel, horizontal lines on the chalkboard, labeling the lower one mortality and the upper one perfection. Then I will ask the students to locate themselves in the blank space between the lines. “Where are you now in the process of perfection?” is the question. The dots will be placed at various points in the space defined by the two lines, but never will a dot be placed as high as the top line—perfection. There is always a gap between the highest dot and the top line. “So it appears that none of us can return to the presence of the Lord purely on the basis of being justified by the law, that is, through total obedience to the law. Correct?” They will always agree.
Then we read together the stirring testimony of Lehi concerning the Atonement as given in 2 Nephi 2:7–9. Lehi defines the way to bridge the “gap” through the “merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (verse 8). How plain and simple is the logic. How persuasive is the doctrine. How beautiful is the message of hope and salvation. How exquisite is the text as a means of defining “grace.” To conclude the exercise, I then write the name of the Savior on the chalkboard at the very place in the chart where the gap must be closed. In this way, we understand better how we are, in effect, beneficiaries of the grace of the Savior, who closes the gap for each individual, after all we can do. It is at that point that the meaning of being “perfect in Christ” (Moroni 10:32) becomes apparent. (Richard J. Allen)