A More Merciful Justice System

I'm glad that God is the one who will ultimately judge our souls. As I listened to President Dallin H. Oaks' talk Cleansed by Repentance, it occurred to me that man's laws focus mostly on justice and punishments while God's laws give people a greater opportunity for mercy through repentance and the Atonement. When a crime is committed, there almost always has to be a punishment. When a sin is committed, the just punishment can be avoided through sincere repentance. Naturally, it's better not to sin in the first place, and if we sin deliberately, thinking we can just repent later, that's all the worse, but I'm glad that God allows a way for people to escape some of the punishment they have coming to them. It's kind of Him to give us that chance, and it's certainly better than we deserve. In a completely just system, we would always face the full consequences of our actions. I'm glad that God's system, while still just, is also more merciful than that.