Comprehending God’s justice and mercy require an understanding of God’s plan, for it is in the context of that plan that all of His many attributes operate and are made manifest. Thus, throughout Alma’s words to Corianton, Alma speaks often of what we usually call the Plan of Salvation, but he also points to different aspects of that plan of the Father. He spoke of the word “plan” ten times, used in the following terms:
We like to talk about the great plan of happiness or the plan of salvation. But when was the last time you spoke of or heard somebody talking about the plan of restoration or the plan of mercy? I do not think these are just synonymous names for the plan, because when you look at the context in which these different aspects of the great plan are spoken of, Alma was addressing different phases, different dimensions, different ways in which the plan is moved forward and its results, as well as who is moving the plan forward, how and in what ways, and for what purposes.
When Alma referred to the plan of mercy (Alma 42:15), he very movingly said, “and now the plan of mercy could not be brought about except …". Mercy is essential, but it is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Realize that Alma talks about restoration, salvation, justice, and the requirements that must be met, as well as mercy. He had described justice as necessary. He explained that justice requires certain things, and in order to achieve the eternal goals, there must be repentance. And in order for repentance to apply, Alma taught of all the factors that must come into play, and the last of many is the plan of mercy, which “could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore, God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also” (Alma 42:15). God himself needs to be merciful for His own great plan to work. And Alma knew this from his own conversion (Mosiah 27:28; Alma 38:7), and he had mentioned before that God’s “arms of mercy are extended” unto all men (Alma 5:33) and that, by His Atonement, His “bowels maybe filled with mercy according to the flesh” (Alma 7:12). But until Alma answers the deep theological questions of his son Corianton, we do not see him explaining mercy, and not just as a dimension of His plan, but as a necessary attribute of God.
Thus, to think that “the plan of mercy” is somehow just another way of talking about “the plan of salvation” misses many things. It is not just people on earth that must try to satisfy the plan of mercy. God himself is necessarily a party to this plan. He must provide for an atonement in order for the plan of mercy to work. God himself must be merciful as well as just. As Alma stated, He must be a perfect, just God. Thus, He must express all virtues. It is not enough that His children be merciful. They must learn to be as He is, which includes all the virtues that are brought into the plan. In Alma 42:13–14, Alma talked about justice and how justice cannot be destroyed; if God would let justice be destroyed, then He would cease to be God; but that cannot happen, and so we know that justice must exist, and also mercy, the time within which to satisfy the just demands of repentance. Most eloquently, Eliza R. Snow stated this full doctrine in the final verse of the hymn “How Great the Wisdom and the Love,” which reads, “Where justice, love, and mercy meet in harmony divine!” (Hymn 195, verse 6).
Book of Mormon Central, “Why Are There So Many Different Names for the Plan of Salvation? (Alma 42:5, 8, 13, 15),” KnoWhy 312 (May 12, 2017).
Book of Mormon Central, “Why Does Alma Mention “the Plan” Ten Times in His Words to Corianton? (Alma 42:13),” KnoWhy 150 (July 25, 2016).