Mercy

Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are contiually before me.
(Isaiah 49:13-16)

My dear friend Kelley wrote recently about an experience she had with mercy in a traffic court. She had been pulled over for speeding in a construction zone; she didn't deny the charge but went to court to plead for mercy because she couldn't afford the ticket. The judge listened as she explained her situation; her husband had recently lost his job, and they have four young children. He dismissed the charge.
As I read of my friend's experience, and the deep gratitude she felt, I was reminded of the divine mercy that is available to each of us, and how deeply grateful we would rightly feel if we truly understood it. Some day we will stand before God to be judged. On our own merits, we must plead guilty. But there is one who offers us mercy, if we will accept it.
The Book of Mormon prophet Amulek speaking before the time of Christ, spoke of His great atonement:
"And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrivice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.
And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.
And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption." (Alma 34:14-16)