"Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;
Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;
For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts."
Doctrine and Covenants 137:7-9
I really like the fact that God has a plan. He didn't just throw us all down here to sink or swim, with little chance of making it. He not only works with us every day and is constantly available through prayer, but he also has a larger plan to save everyone who is willing to come to him. *No one* falls through the cracks.
We are judged for our works and for our desires. Actions and thoughts, decisions and yearnings. And in some cases that helps us, as in these scriptures. People who die without knowing the gospel, if they would have accepted it... if they desired the truth but just didn't know about it, then they get credit for that. :) Not really "credit," because it doesn't work like that, but good people who are doing everything they can to be good, aren't going to be condemned because they didn't know about the church. Only people who knowingly choose otherwise will be responsible for that choice.
Sometimes being judged for our desires isn't that good, because we still want something badly that isn't good for us, and is against God's will. Those things we have to clear out of our lives. God loves us, and sometimes we think that means he should accept us as we are, but God isn't going to bend and say "okay, okay, I accept your heroin addiction." ... He knows that we are going to become worse people if he allows us our addictions, no matter how much of ourselves we have thrown into them. He loves us, and wants us to be better, not worse. He makes rules and asks us for our obedience because he knows that we can be so much more... so much less selfish. So much more loving. So much more confident, happy, and good. And so he asks us to let go of whatever it is that is making us so preoccupied and insular. He asks us to forget ourselves, forget what we want, and start serving and loving others. And it's then that we learn what the ideal of Zion is about. Community, harmony, love... and not letting anyone fall through the cracks. And, amazingly, when we let go of ourselves, that is when we find ourselves... better, stronger, more loving versions of ourselves, willing to give and share and celebrate the success of other people.
Today, let's try to be the kind of people who desire and work towards the happiness of others... which is God's plan too. To help everyone choose to be as happy as they possibly can be. :)
Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;
For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts."
Doctrine and Covenants 137:7-9
I really like the fact that God has a plan. He didn't just throw us all down here to sink or swim, with little chance of making it. He not only works with us every day and is constantly available through prayer, but he also has a larger plan to save everyone who is willing to come to him. *No one* falls through the cracks.
We are judged for our works and for our desires. Actions and thoughts, decisions and yearnings. And in some cases that helps us, as in these scriptures. People who die without knowing the gospel, if they would have accepted it... if they desired the truth but just didn't know about it, then they get credit for that. :) Not really "credit," because it doesn't work like that, but good people who are doing everything they can to be good, aren't going to be condemned because they didn't know about the church. Only people who knowingly choose otherwise will be responsible for that choice.
Sometimes being judged for our desires isn't that good, because we still want something badly that isn't good for us, and is against God's will. Those things we have to clear out of our lives. God loves us, and sometimes we think that means he should accept us as we are, but God isn't going to bend and say "okay, okay, I accept your heroin addiction." ... He knows that we are going to become worse people if he allows us our addictions, no matter how much of ourselves we have thrown into them. He loves us, and wants us to be better, not worse. He makes rules and asks us for our obedience because he knows that we can be so much more... so much less selfish. So much more loving. So much more confident, happy, and good. And so he asks us to let go of whatever it is that is making us so preoccupied and insular. He asks us to forget ourselves, forget what we want, and start serving and loving others. And it's then that we learn what the ideal of Zion is about. Community, harmony, love... and not letting anyone fall through the cracks. And, amazingly, when we let go of ourselves, that is when we find ourselves... better, stronger, more loving versions of ourselves, willing to give and share and celebrate the success of other people.
Today, let's try to be the kind of people who desire and work towards the happiness of others... which is God's plan too. To help everyone choose to be as happy as they possibly can be. :)
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