Stoic Principle: Justice

"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

- Micah 6:7-8

Justice and Mercy

It's important for terms to be defined so an understanding can be reached through proper etymology.

The root word for justice is "just", which comes from the Latin root word, iustus. (1)

just "By classical times ... it denoted 'right,' and particularly 'legal right, law,' and it has provided English with a number of words connected with 'rightness' in general and with the process of law."(2)

Continuing with the appropriate definitions:

Just

1. Honorable and fair in one's dealings and actions.
2. Consistent with what is morally right.
3. Properly due or merited.
4. Valid within the law; lawful.

Justice

1. The quality of being just; fairness.
2. The principle of moral rightness.
3. a. The attainment of what is just, esp. that which is fair, moral, right, merited, or in accordance with law b. The upholding of what is just, esp. fair treatment and due reward in accordance with honor, standards, or law. (3)

Mercy

1. Compassionate treatment, esp. of those under one's power.
2. A disposition to be kind and forgiving.
3. A blessing. (4)

mercy "Latin merces meant 'payment, reward.' In the Christian era the notion of a reward was taken up and reapplied metaphorically to the 'compassion given freely by God to humankind,' and the word passed into Old French (in the form of merci) with the broader sense 'compassion,' and hence 'forbearance from punishment.' English took it over and has continued to use it in much the same way, but its main role in modern French is as the word for 'thank you.'" (5)

It is also appropriate to turn to the Hebraic meaning of the term mercy: 

"The Hebrew word rahamim (רַחֲמִים) means compassion or mercy. It is an essential quality of God and a desirable ethical trait in human beings. 

"The word rahamim comes from the Hebrew noun rechem, which means womb. This etymology reflects the powerfully nurturing, protective qualities associated with compassion — like a mother’s care for her child." (6)

With the image of a mother's care for her child, it brings to mind the lamentation of the Lord Jesus towards the end of His mortal ministry.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often have I desired to gather thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"

-Matthew 23:37, with Greek

This verse illustrates in our minds that Jesus Christ desires, or longs, to save us. He desires for us to come unto Him. Let's reflect on what the Savior said when He began gathering disciples.

Matthew 4, with the Joseph Smith Translation

18. And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19. And he saith unto them, I am he of whom it is written by the prophets; follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Jesus' announcement to follow Him is not simply an invitation, it's a commandment.

What God Expects from Us, His Children

"O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation."

-2 Nephi 9:45

What our Father in Heaven desires is for us to repent, and come unto Him through the mediation of His Only Begotten Son, who is Jesus Christ.

The Atonement & Our Mediator

"Law is a necessary precondition to salvation, so to speak; necessary, but insufficient. Law provides the borders that limit chaos, and allows for the protected maturation of the individual. Law disciplines possibility, and allows the disciplined individual to bring his or her potentialities ... under voluntary control."

-Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief [Online PDF, 455]

If mercy is to have her claim, then what about justice? Is justice to be subverted? God forbid! In a lesson from the prophet Alma to his son Corianton, he taught the following concerning law, justice, mercy, and the atonement.

Alma 42

22. But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.

23. But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice.

24. For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.

25. What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God. 

(7)

At the end of his life, Lehi taught about our need for a Mediator to his children.

2 Nephi 2

26. And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good and evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

27. Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

To Be Just & Merciful Towards Others

A question was given to Jesus, which was:

Matthew 22

36. Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?

The Master Teacher gave the answer that was found in the law of Moses:

37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38. This is the first and great commandment.

39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 I borrow another statement from Dr. Peterson:

"To love God means to listen to the voice of truth and to act in accordance with its messages; to love thy neighbour, as thy self. This means, not merely to be pleasant, polite and friendly, but to attribute to the other a value of equivalent to the value of the self--which, despite outward appearances, is a representative of God--and to act in consequence of this valuation."

-Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, Maps of Meaning [Online PDF, 455]

Going back to the need for rahamim--that compassion and mercy. The Hebrew verb which is characteristic of God and a desired trait for mankind: it also applies to what Jesus said in His command to follow Him. In following Christ, we are in fact behaving in a godly manner. Following Christ means to emulate Him in thought, word, and deed.

"And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

- 3 Nephi 12:7 (Cf. Matthew 5:7)

"If ye love me, keep my commandments."

-John 14:15

1 Peter 3

8. Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

9. Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

10. Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and endure it.

11. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

"And remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple."

-Doctrine & Covenants 52:40

Matthew 25, with Greek

34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye cared for me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39. Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

"For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; turth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things."

-Doctrine & Covenants 88:40

(1) The American Heritage Dictionary, 5th ed., 460.

(2) Dictionary of Word Origins: The Histories of More Than 8,000 English Language Words, John Ayto, Arcade Publishing, New York, NY, 310.

(3) AHD, 460.

(4) Ibid., 527.

(5) Dictionary of Word Origins, 345-6.

(6) Rahamim.

(7) The Mediator.