Plan of Salvation

Some times in life we get caught up in the moments of the day, and we loose or have lost the real meaning of every day activity.
Lets look at the very simple plan that our Father in Heaven created so that you may come to earth, go through personally selected trials, gain faith, and learn about and trust God.
First of, you lived before you came to this earth in what we call a pre-mortal or pre-existence life.
WOW

Don’t you find this incredible?

The day you where born, you passed through a kind of veil. This is where all that you knew would be forgotten and you would have to learn to live on faith.


We learned this from the prophet Abraham and also about what the purpose of our life is...

“...We (the Father and the Son) will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these (us - all of his children) may dwell; And we will prove them here with, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;”
(Abraham 3:24-25)

We lived, walked, talked and enjoyed the company of each other and Father in Heaven before we came here for our turn on the earth that He created for us.

Let me share a fun story that gives a glimpse of what it may have been like in the pre-existence...

A Mission

The following event took place in a ward in Salt Lake City in 1974. It occurred during Sacrament meeting and was told by a Regional Representative of the Twelve, who was in the meeting.
A young man, just before leaving on his mission, stood in Sacrament meeting and bore, in essence, the following testimony:

“Brother and Sisters, as you know, during the past few weeks I have been awaiting my mission call. During the time I was waiting I had a dream. I knew it was not an ordinary dream. I dreamed I was in the pre-existence and was awaiting my call to come to earth. I was filled with the same excitement and anticipation that I had before I received my mission call. In my dream, I was talking to a friend. He was a very dear friend and I felt a special closeness to him, even though I’ve never met him in this life.
As we talked, a messenger came and gave me a letter. I knew it was my call to go to earth. In great excitement, my friend and I opened the letter. I gave it to him and asked him to read it aloud. The letter said:

“You have been called to earth in a special time, and to a
special land. You will be born into the true Church, and you
will have the priesthood of God in your home. You will be
raised with many advantages and many blessings. You will be
born in a land of plenty, a land of Freedom. You will go to
earth in the United States of America.”

My friend and I rejoiced as we read my call. And while we rejoiced, the messenger returned. This time he had a letter for my friend. We knew it was his call to earth. My friend gave me the letter to read aloud. The letter said:

“You have been called to go to earth in circumstances of
poverty and strife. You will not be raised in the true
Church. Many hardships will attend your life. Your land
will be fraught with political and social difficulties
which will hinder the work of The Lord. You will be born
in Costa Rica.”

We wept, my friend and I, as we read his call. And my friend looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, “When we are down on earth, you in your choice land and me in Costa Rica, my friend, come and find me.”

Then this young missionary, with tears in his own eyes, said, “Brothers and Sisters, I have received my mission call. I am going to Costa Rica.”

There is a sequel to this story. About a year after this Sacrament meeting, the Bishop of this ward received a letter from the missionary. The letter had one sheet of paper in it, and on that sheet, written in inch-high letters were four words:

“I FOUND MY FRIEND”

Of course each of our experiences are different, but we all received a call to come to this blessed nation and some of us to be born into the true church of Jesus Christ.

Now here you are currently on earth. You get to live out your mortality in the wildest time the planet has ever known.

Just look around at the actions going on throughout the world!

Did you know that it was violence that forced God to destroy the planet in Noah’s time with a flood? (See Gen 6:11-13)
Did you know that it was immorality that forced the Lord to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? (See Gen 19:1-25)

Think about this...if God destroyed the earth in Noah’s time because of violence and then destroyed the two great cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of immorality? How cool is it to live in todays world where we have BOTH! IN ABUNDANCE!

So if we see how God reacts to this kind of behavior in the past and He is the same yesterday, today and forever...you then know how He feels about our time and you can only imagine about what and when His reaction is going to be!

Hmmmm! That is something to think about.

So here you are in what is known as the “Last Days” living your life. But, as everyone that has lived, is living and will live, you will have your turn to face that not so big mystery known as...death.

The ancient prophet Nephi called this life the “days of our probation.” So when your days have ended your physical body will be laid to rest in the earth while your spiritual body will go to the spirit world.

The Spirit world is a temporary place where your body and spirit are separated sending your spirit to paradise or prison…

Then when the time is right you receive an astonishing FREE gift from Jesus Christ…you will be resurrected!

Your body and spirit will again reunite…FOREVER…How cool is this!!!

But as real is your life and pending death are so is what Nephi describes that…”the day should come that you must be judged of your works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in your days of probation.” (1Nephi 15:32)
This means that you will get to have a personal meeting
with Jesus Christ, known as “The Judgment”!

In your personal interview with Jesus Christ you will review your life, your feelings, your thoughts and you’re your actions.

I think for some people this will be a very scary moment in life, but you can make it one of the best events in your life!

As I have learned and continue to learn about God’s plan for us one of the most fascinating discoveries I made was when I read Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
This speaks of the final resting places of God's children, which you are one. They are known as the Celestial Kingdom or the Glory of the Sun, The Terrestrial Kingdom, Glory of the Moon and the Telestial Kingdom or the Glory of the Stars.

Here is a brief description of each and who will reside there.

First there is the Celestial Kingdom. The Glory of the Sun:
Here is where you will learn all of the great mysteries of our Father and you will get to live with Him and your family forever.

Next, is the Terrestrial Kingdom: The Glory of the Moon:
Here is where those who chose not to follow Jesus Christ but where honorable none the less. These are they who will be able to be visited with Jesus, but He will not live with them and they will no be with their family forever but will be alone.

Finally, the Telestial Kingdom: The Glory of the Stars:
This is where the most wicked of our Father in Heaven’s children will live. They will only see the Savior once…at Judgment Day. Then after that they will be visited only be Administering Angels.

Think about this…As you look at your life, you have to admit that your family is very important to you. If this is so, wouldn’t it seem important to be together forever as a family? If this is how you feel, than Celestial glory is your goal.

Here is a story…

I couldn’t believe it. I knew this was coming but I never imagined it would come so soon! My head swam, the room seemed to circle around me while I sat stationaryon my private little bench. I was so nervous I had to fight the feelings of nausea in my stomach. I wished and prayed with all my heart that I could have had just a little more time. I remember the waiting, the terrible waiting, hoping my turn would never come.

There were a lot of people around me waiting their turns as well. Some paced in tight circles, some crossed from bench to bench looking for a more comfortable seat. Some sat with their faces in their hands crying and shaking their heads. Still others were sitting in an almost relaxed fashion smiling to themselves. The waiting area was a huge room. The only walls I could see were the ones next to me. The ceiling was high above my head and held crystal chandeliers every few feet apart. The soft white glow filled every corner and space without leaving a shadow any where. Once I tried to count the sea of heads, but quickly discovered it to be difficult since I couldn’t see them all and it seemed that there were people coming in all the time.

When I heard my name it startled me. I wasn’t really sure at first that I had actually been called. Perhaps there was another person with the same name. With so many people around it didn’t seem unreasonable to think that way! As I looked around I could not escape the guides' unmistakable stare. It was my name that had been called without a doubt. As I stood my legs felt as if they were made of lead, but some how I managed to walk.
I followed the guide down a quite hallway to huge, metal-looking doors. They gave the impression of being very heavy. The guide didn’t have any problem moving them. I would have liked to study the engravings and artwork on

the doors, but something else captured my attention. It was a long wooden table made with the most exceptional material and craftsmanship I had ever seen. Behind the table and positioned in the center sat a kindly-looking man. I lost my breathy as I recognized Him.

“My Lord!”, I said dropping to my knees. I could feel His gaze on me as I bowed my head and began to cry. I can’t remember what thoughts or feelings made me start. I cried for a few moments then struggled to regain myself.

He called me by name and told me to rise and come forward. I obeyed as the tears streamed down my face. The lump in my throat tightened as I looked into His eyes. Although His features were similar, there was something indescribably different from all the pictures I had seen of Him. The words echoed in my head as He said softly, “Witness the doings of they life.” Involuntarily, images filled my mind and eyes. I tried to suppress them by singing a hymn I had sometimes used to block unwanted thoughts. I shut my eyes, held them tight and concentrated. Nothing worked. I saw my whole life parade before me.

After it was all over I hung my head and looked at the shiny floor. I wasn’t that bad, I reasoned to myself. I haven’t killed anyone or anything like that. I admit that I wasn’t perfect either. Surely He didn’t expect me to be perfect! I looked up just in time to see a tear roll down His cheek. Crying? He was crying for me?! “Yes, crying for you.” He said in the same soft tone as before. “Why are you surprised?”

“I bled in the Garden of Gethsemane, suffered on the cross of Calvary and agonized many things for you. Why shouldn’t I cry? My whole life was spent teaching and preparing a way for you so that you could dwell in the mansions of our Father. I cry because you did not heed the warnings. I cry because my sacrifice meant very little to you. Do you not realize that even though you did do some things right you ignored others just as important? I cry for you because you potential is lost. You have settled for brass when gold was within your reach. You have put limits on yourself that with just a little more effort could’ve been removed. You procrastinated your full repentance and now those little things you thought wouldn’t matter will hold you for an eternity.”

I dropped to my knees sobbing and reaching towards Him. “Please, My Lord! Have mercy on my soul! I do love you, please forgive me!”, I begged.

“I cannot.”, He answered calmly. “The law of justice cannot be denied. Mercy will not save you from your torment as you spend the eternities understanding what it is that you have given up. You selected your own fate. I love you, but it is too late to grant forgiveness. This judgment is true and just. Your progression has ended.”

I stood numb. My whole body trembled as the gravity of what had just taken place began to sink into my heart. The guide met me at the huge doors. I didn’t even look at them. We walked silently for a long time away from the waiting area. Finally I couldn’t stand it any longer. “Am I to be cast out?” I stammered.

“That depends on your definition of being cast out.”, he said without looking at me. “If you mean cast out into outer darkness, no you’re not. If you mean never seeing you Heavenly Father again, then yes, you are cast out.”

He paused and we stood face to face. He gave me a little smile in an attempt to comfort me and said, “Continue in this direction and you will find others of the Terrestrial Kingdom.” He turned and left me standing alone. With tears welling in my eyes and flowing down my cheeks I asked myself, “Why? Why didn’t you prepare fully?!” I felt empty and completely alone. As I began slowly walking I realized with a new understanding that I had cheated myself. I’ll never get a second chance!

“BUT BEHOLD, YE CANNOT HIDE YOUR CRIMES FROM GOD; AND EXCEPT YE REPENT THEY WILL STAND AS A TESTIMONY AGAINST YOU AT THE LAST DAY.” Alma 39:8

(You Will Never Get a Second Chance By: J. Douglas Green)

The Lord has not made the ability to live with him unobtainable. His plan of salvation shows you what God has designed for His children. God wants you, like all of your brothers and sisters, to succeed in life and return to live with Him.

So, He created what I call, the Path of Truth, in which God teaches about his priesthood; His use of prophets; the organization of the Church that Jesus Christ created during His earthly ministry; also about the great apostasy and finally about the restoration and organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Don’t worry. It will all make sense

If you believe in the Bible then you understand the story of Adam and Eve. While in the Garden of Eden they were innocent like young children and walked with God. Then like you they where tempted by Satan and partook of the forbidden fruit, which they where instructed by Father not to. For God said…“for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen 2:17) This one action caused two things to happen:
1.Physical Death (Adam, Eve and all of us were turned mortal and our bodies will die.)
2.Spiritual Death (Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden and out of the presents of God)
Adam and the rest of mankind would have to go through life learning about God and faith.
Now, Heavenly Father truly loves you and created for you what can be called a LINE OF TRUTH. If you learn and follow this line, it will lead you back to live with Him. But the only way to learn about this line is through His prophets. (Amos 3:7)
Adam was the first man to live on earth he began to pray to God for help and understanding and God started teaching Adam about His plan and the way back to return to Him. This made Adam a prophet.
Now Adam was given the Lord’s holy priesthood which enabled him to act in the name of God, and he taught all his children how to follow God’s commandments.

Whenever God has created something for his children Satan creates a counterfeit. Also Satan will influence men that they are better than God and/or don’t need God’s plan or advice, thus creating an Apostasy or Falling Away. Every time there is an apostasy the Lord sends another prophet to bring His children back to the line of truth. God uses prophets to continue to teach all of us His true plan of life.
God is kind of selfish in the fact that He wants to see you, His child, again.
You can read about many prophets in the Old Testament. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses etc... These men all acted in behalf of the Lord for his people which meant that they where not only were they prophets but also held what? The priesthood. What usually happens? Satan tricks man into an apostasy. And why does God call these righteous men? To teach God’s children at the time His plan of salvation and to bring them back to the path of truth.

Do you see a pattern here? God sends a Prophet to show us the way, man reject the Prophet and go into Apostasy, then the Lord sends another Prophet to show man how to return to the line of truth. This pattern has repeated itself throughout time.

Then during a period of unbelief, Father sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Among the innumerable amount of miracles He performed, Jesus organized His church known as the Church of Jesus Christ (of formal days) Jesus called 12 rightious men to be apostles and prophets.

In the book of Ephesians in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul taught that Jesus’ church was built upon the “Foundation of apostles and prophets...that Jesus Christ himself is the chief corner stone.” (Eph 2:19-20)

Question: If Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God created a church with the foundation of apostles and prophets and He as the chief cornerstone, what percentage of truth would this church teach?

Answer: 100%

Jesus Christ taught us how we are to live this life her on earth. He taught that we needed to control our mind and our body and to love God the Father and all of our brothers and sisters as we love ourselves, and also to forgive one another.

In the end it was Jesus Christ that saved all of us from the two deaths that came from the Garden of Eden: physical and spiritual.
Jesus saved us from physical death with the resurrection. A gift to all mankind and He saved us from spiritual death by His atonement, a gift only to those who take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ.
It doesn’t end there. After the crucifixion of Jesus, the wicked men of the time hunted down and killed the apostles and members of the Church of Jesus Christ or the Christians.

Question: When you remove the foundation of a building...what happens?
Answer: It collapses.

And this is what happened to the Church of Jesus Christ when all of the apostles and prophets where assassinated and the priesthood of God was removed causing the world to fall into “the Great Apostasy”, ushering in the dark ages.

Isn’t it amazing how you miss something more than usual when you lose it? The word of God is no exception. So many of the scholars of the time put together the writings of the Jews and created a library or collection of books known as the Bible. As magnificent as this book is, it is only one witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ.

The Bible is the teachings of the prophets who held God’s holy priesthood and directed all of God’s children on the path of truth. But out of this one book arose over 2500 different “Christian” religions all professing to be the one true religion or that there is no true religion.

Question: If God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and according to His pattern of doing things, what does God do so we know we are on His path of truth?

Answer: Bring in another prophet with His holy priesthood.

The following story is in the words of a boy named Joseph Smith who prayed to God and received an answer.

...there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, “Lo, here!” and others, “Lo, there!” Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist.

During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.
In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together?

If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?
While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads:
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and unbraideth not;
and it shall be given him.”
Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.
At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.
So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet mad the attempt to pray vocally.
After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction-not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being-just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me, I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other-
This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)-and which I should join.
I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of
men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
(JSH1:5,8,10-19)

WOW! There it is!

Joseph Smith had questions about religion just like everybody, but he found a solution...to ask God. So with pure intent on learning wisdom he prayed. And did you notice how Satan made an attempt to stop the prayer? That is why he bound Joseph’s tongue as too not let him speak. But Joseph’s determination earned him a visitation by God the Father and Jesus Christ, his son, our Savior.

Joseph Smith would do many wonderful things but two of the greatest events was the restoration of the holy priesthood of God and the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

You see, with the Bible you had one testament which was interpreted in many different ways. But, with another testament available there is only one way to interpret that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of the Living God and that He has again restored the path of truth for our day, and with true apostles and prophets back on the earth, and Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone, He has reconstructed His church again creating the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

And God has brought back prophets today to testify of His teachings and life. Also to help us stay on God’s path of truth.