here on Earth. Many people may ask the questions:
1. Why am I here?
2. Where did I come from? And
3. Where am I going?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints addresses these questions through a model called the “Plan of Salvation” or commonly referred to as, “God’s Plan of Happiness”. (click on the image below to enlarge)
Pre-mortal Life- Before we came to Earth, we all lived as a family with our Heavenly Parents. There was a plan made there for us to come to Earth and be tested. While we were there we would gain a body, have experiences, and have the opportunity to create a family. This plan was created because of God’s love for us. He wanted to provide us with the opportunity to grow and become more like him. In order for us to come back to Heaven we would need a Savior to atone for the sins we would commit while on Earth. Jesus Christ volunteered to go to Earth and pay the price for all of us, so we could rejoin our Heavenly Father, while giving our Father all the glory. There was alternative plan presented by Lucifer, now referred to as Satan. He wanted to come to the world as a Savior but rob us of our agency, this way we would not be able to make mistakes and we would be guaranteed after-earth glory, while accrediting our salvation to him and not our Heavenly Father. We had a council and we were able to vote which plan we wanted to follow. 1/3 of the spirits in Heaven chose Satan’s plan. Those people were denied the chance to come to Earth and receive a body, and there is a second estate reserved specifically for these spirits.
Birth- When we were born we passed through the “veil of forgetfulness”. The veil is what kept us from remembering our Heavenly home, and the things we were taught. In an essence this is what kept us from cheating on our “test”, making it so we would have to live by faith.
Earth Life- We were meant to come to Earth and be born into families. With parents that love us, we would be able to receive direction and guidance for the life ahead of us. Heavenly Father intended that these families be constructed of a man and woman, married and sealed for time and all eternity, with the ability to bring children into the world. We each deserve a father that loves us, protects, provides, and presides over his home. We also deserve a mother that nurtures, loves and teaches us in the home. On Earth we experience joy, pain, temptation and spiritual growth. It is through our Earthly experiences that progression that we are able to live with our Heavenly Father again.
Death-We leave this mortal life through death. When we die the veil is lifted and we are able to recall our past experiences in the pre-mortal life. We as members of the LDS church believe that death should not mean prolonged mourning or anguish. When we are sealed to our families in the temple we know that we will be able to live with them for time and all eternity, and that death is just a temporary separation.
Spirit Prison/ Spirit Paradise- When we die, those that had the opportunity to learn the gospel, be baptized and live the commandments go to spirit paradise. It is here where we are reunited with our already deceased family members, and our bodily forms’ are restored to their perfect form. For those that did not have the opportunity to learn of Christ, or did but did not keep the commandments or live righteously, they must go to spirit prison. Here the spirits may progress and learn gospel principles, being taught be those that live in spirit paradise. Though these spirits may accept these truths into their lives, they depend on the living to perform their baptismal and temple ordinances for them to be able to leave spirit prison for spirit paradise.
Resurrection- When we are resurrected we receive our bodies’ back, in their perfected state. The most righteous will be resurrected first, but everyone eventually will be resurrected.
Final Judgement- After our resurrection we will be judged. Based on our relationships with our families, our righteousness, obedience, and how well we honored our temple covenants.
Celestial Kingdom, Terrestrial Kingdom, Telestial Kingdom, Outer Darkness- After judgment there are three degrees of glory. Those that are most righteous go to the celestial kingdom, (where Heavenly Father lies) which is also divided into three different degrees. In order to to go to the Celestial Kingdom we must be married in the temple and have spent our time on Earth growing together in love and obedience with our spouse. Here we are able to live with our Father in Heaven and become like him, being Gods and Goddesses ourselves. The glory of the Celestial Kingdom has been compared to that of the sun.
Next is the Terrestrial Kingdom, these are where people go that were righteous, but were “blinded by the craftiness of men”. In the terrestrial kingdom you receive the presence of the Son, but not the fulness of the Father. The glory of the Terrestrial Kingdom has been compared to that of the moon.
Last is the Telestial Kingdom. This state is compared to that of the Earth. These are people that do not receive the gospel of Jesus Christ, are taught in spirit prison and still reject the gospel. These can be considered the people that go to “Hell”. This glory is compared to that of the stars.
A completely different final estate is Outer Darkness. This is a place reserved for those faithful members on Earth, that become apostate, and repentance cannot save them. These are people that have had a personal witness of Jesus Christ’s existence and denied it, and those who denied Heavenly Father’s plan and followed Satan.
No comments:
Post a Comment