Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts

Where, Why, Where

Where were we before this life?
Why are we here?
Where are we going after this life is over?

Where were we before this life?
We lived in heaven with God.
He is our Heavenly Father, we were his spirit children in that pre-earth existence.
He knew that as spirits we wouldn't have all the experiences we needed to learn and grow and so he proposed to us that we come to earth and have all the experiences that earth could bring.

There was a problem however. If we came to earth, we could sin and we wouldn't be worthy to be with God.

God proposed that there be someone who could pay for our sins for us. Our brother Jesus said he would be our savior and pay for our sins and all the glory would be God's.

Satan proposed that he would force everyone to do right and he would take the glory.

God wanted us to have the ability to choose to do right, so he accepted Christ as our savior.

Satan rebelled against God and with a third of God's children he was cast out of God's presence. He and his hosts came to earth where they would tempt and try us and get us to sin.
From Revelations
  • 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
  • 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
  • 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
  • 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
  • 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
  • 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
  • 9 And the great dragon was acast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
  • 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
Why are we here?
We are here to learn everything we can in life.
We are here to decide whether to follow God or not.
We are here to become as much as we can be.
We will be judged on what we do.

Where are we going after this life is over?

We will be judged after this life according to what we know and have done.
Everyone, after death, will be taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and have the opportunity to accept or reject it.

We will be judged.
If we were righteous or repented, and were baptized we will go live with God in a degree of glory called the Celestial Kingdom.

If we were good people but weren't baptized and didn't keep the commandments we will live in a degree of glory called the Terrestrial Kingdom where God does not come.

If we were evil we will go to a place called the Telestial Kingdom where God and Christ do not come.

Those who knew without doubt of Christ in this life and rejected him will go to a place called outer darkness where Satan and his followers will be.

From 1 Corinthians 15
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 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.


How do we know these things? From a living prophet.

Need more? Go to mormon.org

Until Death Do You Part

What a great thing to hear as the final part of your marriage ceremony!

Sounds like something to be excited about.

I can't imagine being married and then reminded that this marriage that you have waited for and been excited for has, in essence, a divorce decree built in.

Is there more?
Yes

Part of what we believe, is that when we are married in one of our most sacred buildings, a temple, where only worthy Church members can go, that if we live worthily, we can be with our spouse for eternity.
Wow

Together forever. Part of the God's plan of happiness for us.

There's more. Lots more.

Find answers to many of lifes hardest questions at mormon.org

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!