THE PLAN OF SALVATION
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE
WHO NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITYTO 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
What are the Full Blessing of the Gospel?
______________________
(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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