In this post, I've compiled a list of attributes mentioned in association with mercy. I've noticed that God's "mercy" is often mentioned in a list of other attributes. Before you look at this list, ask yourself which attributes you might think are most often connected with God's mercy.
In the list below, I've highlighted attributes which show up in more than one list, and italicized attributes which only show up once.
Passages containing lists about attributes of God which include mercy
"through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things" (Mosiah 5:15)
"by the mercy and power of God" (Alma 5:4)
"have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them?" (Alma 5:6)
"the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth." (Alma 5:48)
"if it had not been for his matchless power, and his mercy, and his long-suffering towards us" (Alma 9:11)
"the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering," (Alma 9:25)
"who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men?" (Alma 26:16)
"he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation" (Alma 26:35)
"that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also" (Alma 42:15)
"let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart" (Alma 42:30)
"according to the mercy, and the justice, and the holiness which is in Christ" (3 Nephi 26:3)
" the mercies and the long-suffering of the Lord" (Mormon 2:12)
"his justice and mercy" (Mormon 6:22)
"may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life" (Moroni 9:25)
"thy power, and goodness, and mercy" (1 Nephi 1:14)
"through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah" (2 Nephi 2:8)
"the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God" (2 Nephi 2:12)
"O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace!" (2 Nephi 9:8)
"his greatness, and his grace and mercy" (2 Nephi 9:53)
"his justice, and power, and mercy" (2 Nephi 11:5)
"he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy" (Jacob 4:10)
Mercy is associated with...
- justice x 8
- long-suffering x 7
- grace x 5
- wisdom x 4
- power x 3
- truth x 2
- equity x 1
- patience x 1
- understanding x 1
- goodness x 1
- greatness x 1
- holiness x 1
- hope of his glory x 1
- sufferings and death x 1
- merits x 1
- the showing his body unto our fathers x 1
Conclusions
Should we be surprised that God's mercy is most often associated with His justice? Or that long-suffering, grace, wisdom, power, and truth show up more than once on this list? I'm not sure any of those findings surprise me too much. It seems that studying each of these concepts in more detail would likely enhance my understanding of His mercy, too.
