Yesterday Dan Bachman, one of the truly great gospel teachers in my experience, taught a Sunday School lesson, out of "Teachings of the Presidents" (Lesson 17), which was particularly memorable for two reasons:
1. It was his last lesson. Dan has a new assignment as counsellor to the president of the Logan Temple.
2. The lesson took me back to 1961 when I met two missionaries of the LDS Church in Australia...and they taught me about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...and the great Plan of Salvation.
As Dan talked my mind went back to that special experience. Was it the story of Joseph Smith and his first vision which captured my attention? Was it the coming forth of the Book of Mormon? Was it the presentation of the Plan of Salvation? I had to conclude that for me, it was without doubt the Plan of Salvation...which in reality encompasses the entire Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Religious discussions with my student friends, while interesting, were never compelling. There were always too many questions...and never an answer to the age old question...who will be saved in the end? What about little children? What about those who never heard of Christ in this life? Most of my friends were Catholics, and while I admired them for their commitment to God and family, it was obvious that I was a lost soul from their perspective.
So following Dan's lesson I asked Paul Norton, who served as a Mission President in Chicago, what was his experience and that of his missionaries, in that regard. He answered quickly..."It was the Plan of Salvation which was that special spiritual experience which led people to baptism". He added "I interviewed a lot of people before their baptism. It was amazing to consistently hear people say..."when the missionaries taught me the Plan of Salvation, it was as if I had heard it all before...it rang true...I wanted it to be true...I hoped it was true...for the first time in my life, everything made sense"."
In short form, the Plan of Salvation (of Redemption, and of Exaltation), as revealed by the Prophet Joseph Smith, is as follows:
We are all children of God.
He is literally our Father in Heaven.
Our individual intelligences have always existed.
The Father created us as spiritual beings...intelligences clothed with spirit bodies.
Jesus Christ was the first born in the Spirit.
There were many noble and great spirits.
Lucifer was among them.
God the Father instituted a Plan for the advancement of His spirit children.
The plan was presented to us in a great council of all spirits.
The Plan involved us coming to an earth, obtaining a physical body, being tested, dying, resurrecting and returning to our Father as immortal beings.
Jesus was the creator of this earth.
We were to be given moral agency...freedom to choose good over evil.
It was obvious that all would sin...and fall short of the perfection necessary to return to our Father.
The Father's plan required that one would need to go to earth to atone for the sins of the world. Jesus volunteered to implement the Father's Plan...the Atonement...and the Resurrection.
Even so, it was apparent that some would be lost, because we were to have choice.
Lucifer presented a plan which would guarantee that all would be saved...if the glory could be his.
Lucifer's plan was attractive to many...it involved giving up our agency, but it was safe.
Our Father rejected Lucifer's plan and accepted Jesus' eternal offering.
There was war in heaven.
Lucifer...and one third of the host of heaven were cast down to earth.
Their punishment was to never have a physical body.
Their commitment was to tempt and torment man...to thwart the Father's Plan.
The Father ensured that His children received guidance through Prophets...and angels.
Jesus , being one with the Father (Elohim), was the Jehovah of the Old Testament
Jesus was born of Mary in the meridian of time.
He was the literal Son of God
He was the only begotten (of God) in the flesh
Jesus grew into manhood without sin...the only such man to ever live on earth.
At age 30 he commenced his ministry.
He did only the will of his Father.
He testified of his Father...that his Father sent him
In his great intercessionary prayer he said: "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."
He implemented the eternal Atoning sacrifice.
He took upon himself the sins of the world through unspeakable pain and suffering.
He suffered himself to be slain upon the cross.
He took up his body on the third day.
As a resurrected being he showed himself first to Mary saying: "Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended unto my Father, but go unto my brethren and tell them that I go unto my Father, and your Father, unto my God and your God."
He then showed himself to his Apostles and then to thousands.
He ascended to his Father...and stands by his side to this day.
Jesus was the first fruits of the resurrection.
Because of Jesus, ALL will be resurrected...the just and the unjust.
Jesus promised to send the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is the messenger of the Father and the Son...the Comforter.
The apostle Paul greeted the Saints of his day as follows: "Grace be with you, and peace, from God our Father and his Son Jesus Christ." That marvellous salutation incorporates the core of the Father's Plan. "Grace" in this context refers to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. ALL will be resurrected through Christ...but only those who accept Jesus as the Christ, who exercise faith in him, who are willing to humble themselves before him and repent of their sins, and be baptized, will be made perfect through the Atonement...and return to the presence of the Father. It is through Christ that we are saved...after all we can do. Salvation in this context refers to returning to the presence of our Father and the Son. Jesus intends to take the truly humble by the hand, and through his Grace, present them to his Father ...pure, and holy, even perfect.
"Grace" in another important context, is an enabling power...power to help each of us deal with the trials of this life, through our faith in Christ. Thus Paul's salutation is a sweet blessing of Power and Peace...in this life...and Salvation in the world to come.
And what about that big question? What about all those who never heard of Jesus in this life? What about the Saviors admonition that we can only enter the Kingdom of heaven through baptism? The grand answer is that ALL will have equal opportunity to learn of Christ and the Father's Plan. All will have the opportunity to exercise their agency. All will have opportunity to repent and be baptized...if not in this life, then in the life to come. "All who will come, may come, and partake of the waters of life freely. But all who will not come, the same are not compelled to come..."
Still...ALL will be resurrected...unto varying degrees of Glory...the highest being...in the presence of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Those who would not be comfortable in their presence will dwell in a kingdom in which they are comfortable. Jesus said: "In my Father's house are many mansions...if it were not so, I would have told you".
Little children are automatic heirs of Salvation...and do not need baptism.
Those born without the capacity to comprehend, are heirs of salvation without baptism.
Those who would have accepted Christ had they been taught of Christ in this life are heirs of Salvation...but require baptism.
Mormons have taken on the immense challenge of identifying their ancestors and baptizing them vicariously "for the dead" in temples which are now scattered throughout the world. I am just one of an army doing this work. It will continue to be my passion until I can no longer do it. Mormons will continue to expand this grand work until the Lord himself comes to accept their offering in righteousness.
It was this grand Plan of Salvation, which captured my attention in 1961. I thought then...it would be wonderful if it is true...I began to hope that it was true...today I can testify that it is true.
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