Moroni brilliantly explains how even God’s punitive justice is merciful. To the wicked, heaven would be an even greater hell, for they don’t belong. In heaven, they would feel as those who attend a black tie affair in their underwear, for they will be brought to see their nakedness before God (v. 5).
God’s great mercy sends them to the only place where they will feel comfortable, among their own kind. This is according to the law of retribution, he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory…for intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth (DC 88:22,40). Conversely, wickedness cleaveth unto wickedness, misery loves misery, and filthiness prefers filthiness.
Boyd K. Packer
"More than 50 years ago during World War II, I had an experience. Our bomber crew had been trained at Langley Field, Virginia, to use the latest invention—radar. We were ordered to the West Coast and then on to the Pacific.
"We were transported on a freight train with boxcars…The baggage car got sidetracked, so we had no change of clothing during the six-day trip. It was very hot crossing Texas and Arizona. Smoke and cinders from the engine made it very uncomfortable. There was no way to bathe or wash our uniforms. We rolled into Los Angeles one morning—a grubby-looking outfit—and were told to return to the train that evening. We thought first of food. The 10 of us in our crew pooled our money and headed for the best restaurant we could find.
"It was crowded, and so we joined a long line waiting to be seated. I was first, just behind some well-dressed women. Even without turning around, the stately woman in front of me soon became aware that we were there. She turned and looked at us. Then she turned and looked me over from head to toe. There I stood in that sweaty, dirty, sooty, wrinkled uniform. She said in a tone of disgust, ’My, what untidy men!’ All eyes turned to us.
"No doubt she wished we were not there; I shared her wish. I felt as dirty as I was, uncomfortable, and ashamed.
"Later, when I began a serious study of the scriptures, I noticed references to being spiritually clean. One verse says, ’Ye would be more miserable to dwell with a holy and just God, under a consciousness of your filthiness before him, than ye would to dwell with the damned souls in hell.’
“I could understand that. I remembered how I felt that day in Los Angeles. I reasoned that to be spiritually unclean would bring shame and humiliation immeasurably more intense than I felt then. I found references—there are at least eight of them—which say that no unclean thing can enter the presence of God. While I realized those references had little to do with dirty clothes or soiled hands, I decided I wanted to stay spiritually clean.” (Conference Report, May 1997, “Washed Clean”)