But behold, I was without hope, for I knew the judgments of the Lord which should come upon them; for they repented not of their iniquities, but did struggle for their lives without calling upon that Being who created them.
Just as Mormon could not forsake his people, even though he had no hope for them, God never forsakes his children, even when they refuse to repent. He loves all his children eternally and wants every single one to return to him. To paraphrase Elder D. Todd Christofferson, God's love is eternal but not unconditional. The word "unconditional" does not appear in the scriptures. What we read there is that we must repent, keep the commandments, and love God and our fellow man. Otherwise, the mercy of Christ's Atonement can have no effect on us, and justice must take effect. God's love will not save us if we do not qualify for mercy. He knows the end from the beginning, and so he knows how the test of mortality will turn out for each of us, but he never gives up and never walks away. We may turn our backs on him, but he does not turn his back on us.
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