Justice

What is justice?
I have been on a huge kick on justice. It's something I have thought about and re-thought about for a while. I feel good when I know justice is served. When good people get rewards and when bad people get their consequences. Each choice is pair with a consequence. I want justice in the lives of everyone. I want others to be just because it's good. Justice is good and has the interest for the good of others. Justice is best friends with righteousness. Not everyone agrees with me. In order for this we would need a to have a Utopian society.

Dictionary:
Jus-tice: noun 1.the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause. 2.rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason: to complain with justice. 3.the moral principle determining just conduct.4.conformity to this principle, as manifested in conduct; just conduct, dealing, or treatment.5.the administering of deserved punishment or reward.

Philosophy:
Plato's book-length work, The Republic, is a long way to answer the question. What makes an individual just? And what makes a city just?
Plato says, "I proclaim that justice is nothing else than the interest of the stronger." Meaning the rules and guidelines in a society are placed by the strong to control the weak to be of better service to the strong.
Socrates said there are three kinds of good that justice is involved in. 1)Good for it's own sake. Meaning you are just because it's simply good, being just is the right thing to do. 2)Good in it's self and effects. This meaning you are just because it's good and also because you know it will help you.  If you are just and obey laws you know that makes life better and you don't get arrested. 3)Only good for effects. You aren't good just to be good. You are good because you want to avoid the consequences.
Finally it is concluded that Justice is good for it's own sake and for the sake of all people. 
 
Scriptures:
Alma 42:13-30
"Therefore, according to Justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about...mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.
 
"And thus we see all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yeah, the justice of God, which consigneth them forever to be cut off from his presence.
 
"And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for he 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 merciful God also."
 
Then the middle verses speak of a sinner and sin.  "how could a man repent except he should sin? How could he sin if there was no law? How could there be a law save there was a punishment."
 
The debate continues in the verses talking about the need of the balance of justice and mercy.  "I desire that ye should deny the justice of God no more. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins, by denying the justice of God; but do you let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart...."
 
Annika:
God is just, righteous.  He has given us laws and commandments to live by. He has given us agency so we can choose! We get to choose to obey or sin.  Then we have a consequence from that choice. There is a cause and a reaction to everything. However all men sin. We make mistakes.  God's love for us is so great He found a way that we can live with Him again and He can continue being our just Heavenly Father.  He brought mercy into the equation.  Heavenly Father sent His son, Jesus Christ, to atone for the sins that we do make. Christ's mercy appeases the demand of justice.  The demand I have and the God's demand of justice.  Christ loves us so much, he atoned for our sins giving us a chance to have justice and mercy.  Christ's love for our Heavenly Father is so great. Christ's sacrifices allow God to be perfectly just and merciful.  
 
Without the Savior, I would be in trouble.  Because I rely on Christ's mercy shouldn't I take His example and show more mercy in my life?  With things going on in my life I have demanded justice and fairness. I wanted some events to have consequences. Now I recognize Christ's higher law and the standard He calls us to bear up.  I need to be more merciful.  I need to be more forgiving.  I need to be more like my Redeemer. 
 

I love my Savior with every part of me.  He has mended and fixed my heart, making my hard chambers into soft flesh tablets. Christ never ceases to amaze me.  He is always the answer to my troubling mind.  I am going to put my desires and choices in line with Him.  I will do those things that are necessary for me to be more like him.