For years I have watched attacks on Christianity and religion in general from my favorite atheists in the scientific community like Richard Dawkins and Laurence Krauss, and celebrities like Ricky Gervais. They absolutely lambaste our belief in God AND a couple of them encourage militant ridicule and public displays of contempt towards those who believe. This growing group of self proclaimed elitists see themselves as the last bastion of reason and are on a mission to rid society of what they deem a superstitious belief in God.
They even have “Reason” rallies and boldly refer to themselves as “free-thinkers” and this is my favorite, the “inteligencia.” This is to make an intellectual distinction between themselves and the rest of us who, instead of being “free-thinkers,” are bound with outmoded fables, and instead of being among the intelligent, are ridiculed as being ignorant and foolish.
With growing unbelief and pessimism towards God and religion, it seems more and more daunting as we try to get the billions of people in the world to understand our message. Society seems to be more and more jaded and polarized than ever. But if we look closely at the scriptures, we are not asked to save the world, we are asked to seek out the lost sheep, those who can believe and gather them… out of the world.
I watch a lot of debates between Christians and Atheists. I think these debates are generally a good thing, but watching those debates sometimes frustrates me terribly, because for us Latter-day Saints we would need a completely separate table somewhere in between the atheists and the Christians, because frankly, we agree with some of the accusations and arguments made by atheists and disagree with some of the defenses of the mainstream Christians.
A point made by atheists is the concept that religion is a man-made construct with a long history of conflict. And who in their right mind would argue that religion used as a weapon is a bad thing? Now Latter-day Saints believe that religion was invented by man, but that it was GIVEN to man by God. But man within the rights of his agency, has taken it upon himself to construct religions and gods after their own ideas, for comfort, monetary gain or even power. So, I think it is a reasonable accusation. First of all, it is recorded in scriptures as a fact, beginning with Cain who wanted to change the revealed forms of worship to suit his own ideas. And the evidence is overwhelmingly verified in all the differing religious beliefs in the world today. And even within the same religions you have hundreds, if not thousands of different sects with significantly differing beliefs.
Many Christian apologists have brought up an argument in favor of religion called Pascal’s wager. Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) was a seventeenth-century French philosopher, mathematician and physicist. He argued from the strict point of logic, that even if you do not believe it is very likely there is a God, the risk of not worshiping IN CASE there is a God, carries dire eternal consequences. While worshiping, if there IS no God, has rather insignificant and finite consequences, in comparison to infinite and eternal consequences. Simply put, why not hedge your bet, just in case?
This philosophy has been used to argue in favor of belief for going on 400 years! But could that really work? For the Latter-day Saints this is a ludicrous argument. This is not to say that those who have faith as a minuscule mustard seed, yet exercise that particle of faith to experiment on the word, will not gain the promises. On the contrary, it is expected that most people must start at this point.
The problem is that Latter-day Saints believe that God’s Plan of Salvation is an extensive plan to change our nature, through life experience and learning, from a lesser, natural and carnal condition to a higher spiritual maturity and Christ-like condition. The idea that you can just go through the motions of such a grand scheme without any sincere conversion, or change at all, and accomplish everything that God has promised for those that believe and endure to the end, is not really possible. Pascal’s wager also ultimately relies upon the infinitesimal odds of being born into the right religion.
Now I am aware that there are exceptions, but most of the larger, mainstream religions of the world acknowledge there is a God. Is this God the author of all these differing beliefs? Is God the author of all this confusion? Or are the differing beliefs and concepts mankind’s contribution? And IF through deception, craftiness and even simple human error, sincere people can be lead astray in matters of such eternal consequence, is not there some Godly mercy built into this strange plan? Or is it ultimately a huge gamble with the odds being overwhelmingly against us?
As Latter-day Saints, we appreciate the light and knowledge that God has revealed about his justice and mercy. Joseph Smith received a revelation where Christ gives a warning to the world to repent, in other words, to heed his instruction and change our ways because he will not revoke his judgment upon the world. But then he goes on to explain a shrouded dark age mystery about Heaven and Hell.
In the simplest terms, we learn in the scriptures that universal justice is keeping copious records of every cruelty, injustice and moral wrongdoing in the world, and that justice will collect for every debt, great and small. It is a comforting thought that all wrongs must be made right when this plan is finished. It is a bit of a double edged sword though, is not it? Because for us human beings, there is not a person on earth that has not been unjust, caused pain for others or broken a moral law – no matter how good the person is, except for Christ. He is innocent of breaking any universal moral law and as the focal point of God’s plan, is the only person that ever lived that justice has no claim what ever. The stage of God’s plan that we are in right now, is to gain hard core experience in knowing good from evil and learning, through trial and error and experience, to choose the good. But because we learn by trial and error on each other, we will incur a hefty debt that must be reckoned when all is said and done.
Because this is how we gain experience and knowledge, a Savior was chosen before the world was even organized, and that Savior made payment in Golgotha and on Calvary to satisfy the demands of universal justice for us, on the condition of repentance. This buys us time to gradually change and mature into Christ-like people through out our mortal lives, and even into the next life, when we can finally be perfected through Him.
But rejecting the application of His atonement to satisfy this debt to justice, will lead to a personal suffering for sins, and the Lord tells us that that personal torment would be so sore, so exquisite and so hard to bear that we could not comprehend it. I think we have all had times in our lives where we have personally licked those flames of hell and have sampled its bitterness through our inborn human weakness and bad decisions. But the demands of justice, he says, is something that he suffered for all if we would sincerely repent. “But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit…” Doctrine & Covenants 19:17-18. That revelation revealed that the long held mainstream Christian belief of the flames of hell are something quite different. And it taught for the first time in many centuries that, “…it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment.” D&C 19:6
In the Book of Mormon the prophet Nephi reinforces this concept, explaining that just like death gives up her dead through the resurrection of Christ, hell also gives up her captives once the demands of justice are satisfied, and remember, this is a 600 BC Old Testament theology.
“O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit. And because of the way of deliverance of our God… this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave. And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel. O how great the plan of our God!” 2 Nephi 9:10-12
This supports the Latter-day Saints belief in the Biblical teaching that the dead will be resurrected and live again in varying degrees of glory. Paul teaches “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.” 1 Corinthians 15:41-42
People’s bodies will be resurrected to differing degrees of glory that are compared metaphorically to the degrees of light that the stars, moon and sun produce. This is a concept also supported in Matthew 5:19 where those that break commandments and teach others to do so “shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.” While those that keep and teach the commandments “shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Joseph Smith and Sydney Rigdon were pondering the resurrections of life and damnation spoken of in John 5:29 and concluded that, “It appeared self-evident from what truths were left, that if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the body the term ‘Heaven,’ as intended for the Saints’ eternal home, must include more kingdoms than one. Accordingly, …myself and Elder Rigdon saw the following vision.”
The revelation in section 76 of the Doctrine & Covenants was referred to by the early church as, “The Vision.” In it was revealed the degrees of glory that Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians. I have always remembered a phrase that President Gordon B. Hinckley quoted in a conference years ago. He said, the gospel of Christ is intended to make bad men good and good men better. That has always stuck with me. I thought at the time, it was simply a charming way to put it. But I have come to realize that that phrase actually summarized the doctrine of section 76 brilliantly into one sentence.
You can read in the vision (Doctrine & Covenants 76) what the qualifications are between these degrees of glory. What I find interesting is, the only distinction I can detect between the good people of the earth and the righteous people of the earth, is simply their willingness to take upon them the name of Christ. The “good” people stop at just being good. “These are they who receive of [Christ’s] glory, but not of his fulness… These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus.” The only difference between these people that I can tell is the desire and willingness to do what Christ has asked them to do, however imperfect the attempt.
While on her mission, my wife was once asked by a woman who did not want to have to do very much, “What do I have to do to go to that middle kingdom?” I believe the reason this doctrine is not overly emphasized is summed up in a comment by the apostle John A. Witdtsoe many decades ago, “[The Church] has no interest in the other, lower kingdoms. Every doctrine, principal, and item of organization within the church pertains to the celestial glory.” The Saints are not interested in anything less than all that the Father has to offer.
So, my point here is not to fixate on lesser kingdoms, it is to point out that the Plan of Salvation began before the earth was even formed, and it ends with the final judgment, that is how much time we have. The Plan of Salvations is not just this short lifetime, it is a long, long process. Some Christians accuse us of believing in second chances. So? You can look at it in two ways, either we believe in 70 times 7 chances, or we believe in one big chance. Either way it does not matter to me, but before we can be fairly judged at the end of time, we must fully understand the rules of the game.
“All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom; For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.” Doctrine & Covenants 137:7-9
A desire and willingness to take upon you the name of Christ, to be valiant and grow in that testimony requires a process of changing you from the inside out. And the Lord teaches over and over that he will work with you at any stage, this is not a competition. So according to Pascal’s wager, does the mere act of baptism for example, cleanse you of your sins?
Remember that baptism does not take away your sins, your repentance does that. So technically you should be clean from your sins and worthy before you get baptized, just like you should be worthy before you partake of the sacrament when you renew those baptismal covenants each Sunday. For those critical personalities out there, we do not believe in “perfectionism,” Meaning, people do not have to be perfect according to your personal expectation of perfection to be considered a repentant person. But “perfectionism” is a subject for another episode/post.
You see, long after the New Testament apostles died, it became fashionable to put off baptism for as long as one dared. Hopefully up until one’s death bed, so that you would be cleansed of your whole life’s sins through the act of baptism, wiping the slate clean just before someone died. Emperor Constantine, the champion of Christianity himself, put off baptism until his deathbed. The idea was to live as you like until the last minute. Did they figure out a way to cheat the system?
By this time, the great apostasy was complete. The ordinance of baptism was changed from immersion to sprinkling out of convenience for baptizing babies, who they believed would burn in hell if they died without baptism (according to the new incorrect established creeds), and also due to people waiting until their deathbeds to be baptized. In many Christian denominations today, baptism is now merely optional.
Baptism by immersion, that was to symbolize the death and burial of the old, carnal person and the rising up of a new spiritual person, is in the similitude of the death of our weak and corrupt mortal bodies being resurrected into perfect and immortal bodies. All the symbolism of the ordinance established by God was done away with, in a futile desire to cheat the system. It is like sneaking into the movies without paying, God would never notice. Right?
As the great apostacy was under way and truths were lost, heart felt repentance and change was no longer the key to becoming clean from sin, it incorrectly became a simplified ceremony that would make one worthy. No repentance or change in one’s nature was required to receive all that the Father has to give us, allowing us live in His presence forever… according to the inaccurate modified belief, it was taught that good men and women all over the earth that did not know about this death-bed baptism loop-hole or even had heard of baptism, would burn for eternity in hell with the devil. Sheesh, no wonder the concept of God is so unpalatable to the rising generation!
As a brand new LDS missionary in the United States so-called “bible belt”, I was showing a Christian minister some evidence in the New Testament of the merciful principle that all the people of the earth will have a full chance to be taught and accept the gospel before the final judgment, in this life and for many into the next. (1 Peter 3 & 4)
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God… By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison… (1 Peter 3:18-20) For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6)
The minister believed this doctrine, as merciful as it is, was rubbish. I asked him this hypothetical question. What about a very good man in some reclusive village in the middle of Africa 500 years ago that would never hear of Christ in his life time, him or any of his people? He lives and dies a good man and never has a chance to do what you say he must do and say to be saved in heaven. What happens to him? He told me point blank, “He goes to hell.” I said, “Even though he was a good man and in his lifetime would never hear about this Christ you teach?” He said, “If he had wanted to, he would have found a way.” I thought, “He would find a way to know about something he has never heard of?” Even as a young 19 year old boy, that struck me as an entirely unjust and unholy doctrine. I could hardly believe that was coming from a minister of religion. But it is an all too common belief. From that day on, I completely understood why someone would despise religion. With unjust doctrine like that, I would too.
The prophet Alma in The Book of Mormon explains the balance between justice and mercy beautifully, “And if there was no law given, if men sinned what could justice do, or mercy either, for they would have no claim upon the creature? But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature…[but] mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement [of Christ]; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice. What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit…” Alma 42:21-25
Justice demands compensation and mercy cannot rob justice. Yet mercy claims the penitent. How can mercy claim the penitent and still not rob justice?
If you own a home that is being foreclosed on by the bank because you do not make the payments, justice is on the side of the bank who gave you the money and terms of the loan. But, if a friend pays off the bank, mercy satisfies the demands of justice, it got paid what was promised and has no more claim on you. Your wealthy friend who stepped in to help so that you loose your house, who is being patient with you as you struggle along, is mercy.
But in this case, mercy never robbed justice of what was his, he was paid in full. And this is how Christ satisfied the universal demands of justice on our behalf, if we would repent. “And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice…” Alma 34:16-17 Because, the Savior said, “If they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit —and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink— Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.” Doctrine & Covenants 19:17-18
It is our choice of course to accept the atonement of Christ or not. But if not, justice will demand compensation for all of our injustice and wrongs we have committed in our earthly lives. But once justice is satisfied and payment is maid in full, however exquisite it will be, then your hell has an end.
Of course this idea is not shared by any religion that I know of, and is certainly not shared with mainstream Christianity and their creeds, which teach there is simply a heaven and a hell. According to most mainstream Christian religions “Heaven” is filled with people that believe the right religion and who have said the right words in their life time and get to live in eternal happiness and bliss with God. “Hell” is filled with men, women and even babies and children, that do not believe, or may have never even heard of the right religion or god, and have never said the right words to be saved in their lifetime. They will be sent for all eternity to be tortured and have their flesh seared in the fires of hell forever, with the devil. We Latter-day Saints actually concur with the atheists on this point, we agree that that is not a merciful or a just God, nor is a false god of that making, worthy of our worship.
But because this false doctrine prevails in mainstream Christianity, the “love me or burn” campaign aims to mock the doctrine Christ’s atonement and turn people away. It is unjust doctrines like this that make me think, it is not so bad being excluded from mainstream Christianity.
I thank God for the restoration of truth on these points of doctrine that have been lost in times where religion was weaponized by evil people to gain wealth and power over the minds and souls of men.
There is a Christ, through him, compensation will be made to all who have suffered injustice in this world. He also suffered the demands of justice on our behalf, so that we do not have to, if we would repent. Letting us learn and grow by trial and error with a way to satisfy our enormous debt to justice seems like the very definition of a fair, kind and loving God to me. I believe when you look at it the right way around, the scripture, “We love him, because he first loved us.” (John 4:19) makes a lot more sense. No matter where you are in your life today, you can take advantage of Christ’s atonement and improve your nature.
Why don’t you take some time to ponder these principles and ask God if they are true… for yourself?
