THE PLAN OF SALVATION
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE
WHO NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO HEAR ABOUT JESUS CHRIST?
Our Heavenly Father has provided a way
for all of his children to hear about the
Gospel of Jesus Christ before the resurrection.
The Lord will judge each of us with justice, mercy, and love.
He is a kind, loving Father, not a merciless or vengeful ruler. More
than anything else, he wants us to be happy and to live with him in his
kingdom. That is why he has provided an opportunity for all of his
children to hear the gospel.
Think for a moment of the millions and
millions of people who have lived upon the earth and did not have the opportunity
to hear and accept the gospel and receive its blessings. (1)
Many such people have never even heard of Jesus Christ, yet they were honorable
and good people. Does it seem just to you that God would refuse
to let such people enter his kingdom simply because they did not have an
opportunity to hear the gospel in their earthly existence?
Our Heavenly Father is just and will not condemn those who never had
this opportunity. Because he is so merciful, he has provided a way
for all of his children to hear the gospel before the resurrection.
(2)
In other words, those who lived on earth and died without hearing the gospel
of Jesus Christ will have an opportunity to hear it and either accept or
reject it. (3)
Our Heavenly Father knew that many of
His children would never have an opportunity to learn about Jesus Christ during
their lives and that others would choose not to follow Him. Because He
loves His children, God provided a way for those in the spirit world to learn
about His plan, have faith in Jesus Christ, and repent. Those who accept
and follow Jesus Christ will have peace and rest.
That opportunity will come to them in the spirit world while they await
the resurrection from the dead. (4) As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ
set up the preaching of the gospel to those in the spirit world.
After his crucifixion, while his body lay in the tomb, the Savior, as a
spirit, went to the spirit world and prepared the way for the preaching
of the gospel. To help understand why the Lord wanted to give these
people the opportunity of hearing the gospel, we must read 1 Peter 3:18-20:
18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins,
the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the
spirit:
19. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in
prison;
20. Which sometime were disobedient,
when once the long suffering of God waited
in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,
wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water.
Our Heavenly Father will see that all of his children hear his gospel
at some time before the resurrection and the judgment.(5) Another
good scripture: 1 Peter 4:6
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.
It’s a comforting feeling to know that our Heavenly Father will see
that all of his children have the opportunity to hear his gospel at some
time before the resurrection and the judgment.
Of course, it should be pointed out that the Lord has said that those
who hear the gospel and reject it in this life will not be permitted to
receive it’s full blessings, even though they may accept it later in the
spirit world. I believe that Christ went to the spirit world to preach
because it was very important to our Heavenly Father that all of his children
have the opportunity to accept the gospel.
Because the Lord loves his children so much he wants us to have the
blessings of his kingdom during this life and forever. To receive
this joy and blessing from him we must except the eternal plan he has for
all of us and keep his commandments.
Next
Concept
______________________
(1) Mosiah 15:24
(2) Alma 42:4, 13
(3) St. John 5:24-29
(4) Alma 40:11-14
(5) Revelations 20:12
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