45. We need the blood of Another shed on our behalf. Either option takes a life for a life. Restitution definition is - an act of restoring or a condition of being restored: such as. Founders Ministries You may be tempted to overreact or to make excuses and avoid making amends. However, the purpose for the imprisonment here is less about punishment and more about isolating the offender so that he can get the help he needs and be “transformed” into a more productive member of society. If we received justice, after all, we’d all be in hell. Retribution in the legal world refers to the act of setting a punishment for someone that “fits the crime.” In other words, an eye for an eye, or “do unto others as you would have done unto you.” For example, retribution may be a judge’s ordering either a life sentence or the death penalty for someone after convicting him of murdering another person – a life for a life. It is a way of expressing love to God. It is not at all evident that the child rape victim’s hurt is lessened when the law permits the perpetrator’s death, given that capital cases require a long-term commitment by those testifying for the prosecution. Hence, responsibility implies property (cf. Eventually, abstinence and changed behavior will speak for themselves. Any prescriptions to social ills that stop short of true gospel salve will leave us bleary-eyed as we squint towards the city of God. How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... Do you know what languages these words come from? Still, as we faced step 9, we knew we could not carry out our desires unless God blessed us with His Spirit. Some of the greatest harm we have done to others is by influencing them to develop addictions themselves. You have learned to receive the blessing Paul described when he wrote, “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). the restoring of something that is stolen or lost to the property owner. This is gospel drama. Watch on Amazon Prime or in the Founders Armory! There may be times when approaching another person or seeking to provide restitution is painful for that person or even harmful. Other alternatives include restorative justice and transformative justice. Today you recognize that service is a way of coming unto Christ. What reasons for being persuaded are listed in this verse? And though the Levitical code applied only directly to the Israelite commonwealth, its general moral equity remains binding on all who possess the imago Dei. Write about your own experiences with activity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 28. The restitution was to be made on the same day that the guilty one brought his sacrifice before the Lord, which implies that making amends with one’s neighbor is just as important as making peace with God. But we must note how the text characterizes all these transgressions of law: as a “sin” and “breach of faith against Yahweh” (v. 2). Interestingly, the definition of retributive justice has changed over time. (See Matthew 25:40; John 13:34–35; John 15:15; Mosiah 2:17.). In a 5 – 4 decision, the Court ruled that Kennedy was the victim of “cruel and unusual punishment,” as defined by the Eighth Amendment. “Whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds” (Alma 42:27). So, for example, retribution for a person who stole money would be to pay the money back, whereas retribution for a person who committed murder would be to either receive the death penalty of life in prison. Kennedy then filed for a writ of certiorari, and asked the U.S. Supreme Court to make a decision based on the following criteria: In what was perhaps a surprising turn, the Court ruled that, yes, the retribution that Kennedy suffered did not, in fact, fit the crime, and reversed the lower Court. You can give a gift to the person’s favorite charity. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, and publishing all the things which they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them” (Mosiah 27:35). We needed courage, good judgment, sensitivity, prudence, and appropriate timing. Instead of jail time, the shoplifter has been ordered to pay a huge sum of money as restitution for the stolen items. Instead, a subsequent example of righteousness provides a compensatory form of restitution” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1991, 41; or Ensign, Nov. 1991, 31). For example, you may have to address matters that could have legal repercussions, such as dishonesty or serious sexual sin. And the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty” (Lev 6:6-7). . “You must restore as far as possible all that which is stolen, damaged, or defiled. It is no mistake that atonement is required by divine law in addition to restitution. 1995, 102; or Ensign, May 1995, 76). Christians have a unique opportunity in this cultural moment to bear witness to the absolute justice God. ), The concern that the Court’s holding will effectively block further development of a consensus favoring the death penalty for child rape overlooks the principle that the Eighth Amendment is defined by ‘the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society,’ (Citation omitted.) This, of course, applies within the context of measurable wrongs directly triable under law. For example: Michelangelo promises to pay Picasso $5,000 if Picasso paints Michelangelo’s house. This part of recovery must never lead to the further harm of others. Transformative justice focuses more on healing than do other forms of retribution. Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way. This stands in marked contrast to the prevailing notion that entire classes or ethnicities owe a nearly incalculable debt to other underprivileged classes. Under Louisiana law, the death penalty is an available punishment to those convicted of raping a child under the age of 12 years old. Therefore, when we consult the Old Testament, we must seek not only to apply it to our social order but to see all the way through to Christ in the text. Apologizing for some actions can be particularly challenging. Where can you find courage to face these people, according to Alma’s teachings in these verses? This is why restitution is also referred to as “restorative justice,” because it “restores” a person back to his position before the incident occurred, or at least as close as possible. In what ways can you show the Lord your trust in Him? After making amends for most of your past actions, you may still have one or two people you feel like you cannot face. Accessed 8 Nov. 2020. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Examples of Restitution in a sentence. Or you may be able to do something to help a member of the family anonymously. “Men cannot forgive their own sins; they cannot cleanse themselves from the consequences of their sins. A restorative justice program also allows the victim to take an active part in the process. You can write the person a letter expressing your regret and desire for reconciliation, even if the letter cannot be delivered. Nowhere in this text is the state an agent of redistribution. Confirmed by the Court’s repeated, consistent rulings, this principle requires that resort to capital punishment be restrained, limited in its instances of application, and reserved for the worst of crimes, those that, in the case of crimes against individuals, take the victim’s life.”. These were not qualities that most of us possessed at that time. Give others time to realize that this time is different. Men can stop sinning and can do right in the future, and so far their acts are acceptable before the Lord and worthy of consideration. In other cases, you may have no way of making amends directly. To explore this concept, consider the following retribution definition. In the past, if you were religiously active, you may have been motivated by fear of the judgment of God or of what others would think.