Heaven or Hell? Who goes Where?

Who goes to heaven? Who goes to Hell?

If you listen to some in the world, this is what happens to people.

Babies who die - Hell
Young children who have not been baptized - Hell
People who live good lives but have never heard the true gospel - Hell
People who have grown up knowing nothing except worshiping idols, statues, multiple gods - Hell
Good people who have spent their lives serving others who have never been baptized - Hell

What do Mormons believe?
Well, we believe literally what Christ taught, that everyone must be baptized.
Even He set the example to show that everyone who wants to enter God's kingdom must be baptized.

So, does that mean He didn't love everyone and that only those who happened to hear the gospel and were baptized can dwell with God for eternity?

Well, we believe that He provided a way for everyone to have that chance.

We believe that after death, we go to a place to await resurrection. In that place, everyone who has lived is taught the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Each person has the chance to either accept or reject Christ and his gospel.

But they're dead! What can they do about it if they accept the gospel? They can't be baptized!

Therein comes the beauty of Christ's restored gospel. With restoring His Church and His gospel comes His authority, his priesthood, to baptize those who are living as proxies for those who are dead.

So yes, we believe in baptism for the dead. That doesn't mean we dig anyone up and baptize them. It does mean that a member of the Church can enter one of our temples and with the name of their deceased relative, they can be baptized in that dead persons behalf.

Does that mean that the person is forced to become a member of Christ's church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

No. We believe that we have our agency, our ability to choose, to accept or reject Christ and his gospel in this life or after death.

That means that after the proxy baptism has been performed, that deceased person will have the opportunity to accept it or reject it.

Is that true for babies and young children? No. They are a different case.

We believe that the age of accountability, the ability to know right from wrong, is age eight. Those younger than eight are incapable of sin, because to sin means you know something is wrong and you do it anyway.

Children who die before the age of eight are perfect and return to God without the need for baptism, because they were never capable of sin.

Those eight and older will choose for themselves to accept or reject. Every person will have the chance, no matter if the person lived in a big city but never heard the gospel, or if the person lived in a hut and believed in a stone god. Every person will hear, learn, understand, and then choose for themselves.

It may seem that everyone, when they are dead and hear the gospel, would accept Christ. Maybe, maybe not, but they will have the ability to choose, something they never had the chance to do here.

That was part of the plan God made for us when he let us come to earth. Our freedom to choose to follow him or not.

He loved all of us then, he loves all of us now.

He loves you too. You were part of his plan.

What are you doing about it?

Babies who die not condemned to hell

Do Mormons believe that babies need to be baptized?
Nope. We believe that that practice is wrong. Plain wrong.

The reason? Babies can't sin. What is baptism for? From lds.org, the Church's web site, it says, "Those who are baptized enter into a covenant with God to take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ, keep His commandments, and serve Him to the end."

Through modern revelation we know that the Lord said, "They cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me" (see D&C 29:46–47). They are not to be baptized until they reach the age of accountability, which the Lord has revealed to be eight years of age (see D&C 68:27). Anyone who claims that little children need baptism "denieth the mercies of Christ, and setteth at naught the atonement of him and the power of his redemption"

So, to summarize. Babies can't sin. Satan can't tempt them.

In fact, no one can sin until they are able to make a decision to do wrong. We believe that the age of accountability to be eight years old. That is when we baptize.

So, what happens if you are over eight and want to be baptized? It's okay. We can baptize anyone from age eight on up.

Just to follow up. What happens to babies who die and children under age eight who die?
We believe that they return to God and are with him. We have a chance to live with those children again if we keep the commandments.

Pretty cool huh? God provides for all his children.

It's true. You can find out too!