Plan of Salvation

John Morgan (1881)

Whence? Why? Whither?
IN the midst of the Christian world there are many conflicting theories in relation to man’s existence here and in the hereafter; also as to the duties he owes to himself, to his fellowman, and to his Creator. It is indisputable that some knowledge of (1) where we came from, (2) why we are here, and (3) where we go after we leave this probation is essential to the enjoyment and well-being of each member of the human family.

In the following pages we briefly set forth the Latter-day Saint belief on these points. While these beliefs may differ widely from the accepted ideas of the Christian world, may we suggest that the difference is not so much between the Christian sects and the Latter-day Saints as it is between those sects and the Bible. This is a fact for which we are in no sense responsible, and a fact we cannot alter or change, even were we disposed to do so.

At the outset of this investigation it is deemed proper and advisable to refer to another point, so that we may have a clear understanding. The point is: Sincerity of belief does not in any way establish the correctness of a principle. Only an unimpeachable testimony can do that. Man’s belief does not affect a principle in the least. The whole world may believe a principle, and it may be untrue; the whole world may refuse to believe a principle, and it may be true.

The unbelief of the people in Noah’s day did not stay the flood; the unbelief of the Jews did not prove Jesus an imposter; and the killing of the Apostles did not prove their doctrines false. The assassination of Joseph Smith, by itself, does not prove the divine nature of his authority; neither will the rejection of the doctrines he taught prove them wrong. If the doctrines are true—even though he was slain and his followers mobbed, driven, and persecuted—in the end they will rise triumphant over every obstacle and grow stronger and stronger, as error grows weaker and weaker.

Premortal Life
IN presenting the principles of premortal life, the first principles of the gospel, and baptism for the dead, we will simply quote scripture. We state again that if there is any difference of opinion, it is between the reader and holy writ.

The Apostle Paul’s injunction to the Thessalonians was “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

The wise Solomon asserted that to judge a matter before hearing it is not wise. (See Proverbs 18:13.)

Let us then refer to the word of the Lord, which is the end of any argument, and see what the teachings of the great Creator are.

Speaking to Job, one of the ancient writers of the Bible, he says:

“Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

“Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? . . .

“When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:2-4, 7)

Job certainly must have been somewhere when the “foundations of the earth” were laid, or why the question?

There was doubtless more meaning to the words when all the sons of God shouted for joy than one at first supposes. The reader asks, “Who were these sons of God?” Luke, in listing the genealogy of the human family, gives the necessary information on the subject: “Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God” (Luke 3:38; italics added).

But let us turn to another text. One of the ancient writers says, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7; italics added).

How would it be possible to return to a place, point, or locality that we had never visited? How could we return to God unless we had once been in his presence? The logical conclusion is unavoidable: to enable us to return to him, we must have once enjoyed his association, which must have been in a premortal state, before we became clothed with this body of flesh and bones.

Again, we find that the Apostles must have had some conception of premortal life, judging from their question to Jesus: “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2).

It is evident that the question in the minds of the Apostles was not whether a man could sin previous to his existence in the flesh, but whether this particular man had sinned or not.

Writing to the Hebrews, Paul says, “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9)

We here gain the information as to who the sons of God were who shouted for by in the beginning. We also learn the reason why we address him as “our Father, which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). This is to distinguish him from the father of our earthly tabernacles. In other words, he is the Father of spirits in the same sense that our earthly fathers are the fathers of our bodies of flesh and bones.

Nature of Spirits
WHEN death occurs, we bury the earthly body, which decomposes and mingles with the elements surrounding its place of deposit. But what of the spirit, which “returns unto God who gave it”?

When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, “they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.”

But he corrected them, saying, “Handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” (See Luke 24:36-43.)

From these words we may gather that man, while existing as a spirit, was not clothed with flesh and bones, but nevertheless existed in the exact shape and form that he now possesses. He had eyes to see, ears to hear, and many other faculties with which earthly man is endowed. Also he was doubtless in possession of intelligence and many qualities that ennoble man. He had the ability to move from place to place, to increase in knowledge, and to perform certain duties that he was called upon to do in that sphere of action.

An unembodied spirit is one that has not yet taken upon itself a body. An embodied spirit is one dwelling in the flesh. A disembodied spirit is one that has passed through this stage of existence and has laid its body in the grave—the spirit and body to be finally taken up and again united, never more to be separated.

Foreordination
THE word of the Lord to Jeremiah was: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

This is the sure word of the Lord relating to one of the children of men who was but an example of the rest of mankind. In this particular case, the fact is made known that for good and sufficient reasons our common Father in Heaven ordained one of his children to a certain office prior to sending him down upon the earth.

Having gained the confidence of his Father while in his first or premortal state, he was ordained to a high and holy calling previous to his life upon the earth. We learn from the scriptures that this confidence was not misplaced. We learn that in honor he filled his mission and was true to the trust placed in him. He did not turn away from the line of duty, although many obstacles were placed in his way—obstacles that would have appalled a less stout heart.

In reviewing Jeremiah’s life, the reader should be cautious not to confuse the principle of foreordination with the principle of predestination, for there is a broad distinction between the two. A man may be foreordained—set apart or commanded to do a certain work—yet he retains his agency in the matter; he has the option as to whether or not he will perform the duty assigned to him. If a man were predestined to do certain work, he would have no choice but to do that work. Not having any choice, he would not incur the responsibility for his own actions, nor could he control them; he would be controlled by the power that predestined him. While Jeremiah was foreordained to be a prophet to the nations, the scriptures do not say that he was predestined to fill the office of a prophet.

Premortal Life of Christ
THE principle of premortal life is illustrated plainly in the life of our Savior, who thus spoke to the people: “What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?” (John 6:62).

Again, he spoke: “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven” (John 3:13).

To all human appearances Jesus resembled very much the rest of the children of our common Father. The resemblance was so close that those around him failed to see any contrast between him and ordinary men. They inquired of each other: “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?” (Matthew 13:55).

Let us ask ourselves, “Is it so difficult to comprehend our own premortal life when that of Jesus is so plainly taught, and also that of many of the biblical characters of whom we read?”

Paul, the great apostle, speaking of himself, says, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2; italics added).

Here was a promise of eternal life made to Paul “before the world began”—conditioned upon obedience, as was said to Cain in former times “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:7.)

Notwithstanding this promise, Paul was under the necessity of performing certain duties to enable him to claim the promise made. After being stricken with blindness on the way to Damascus, and hearing the voice of the risen Redeemer, he was told to “arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” (Acts 9:6).

After fasting and prayer, he was visited at the end of three days by one Ananias, who had been commanded by the Lord, in a vision, to visit Paul, and was furthermore told that he was a “chosen vessel” or, in other words, one to whom the Lord had made promises before the world began and who had a mission to perform before “Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).

Ananias’s question was, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16; italics added).

Many could have been selected, but for the reader’s consideration we have presented only a few of the biblical evidences of man’s premortal life. We feel that those that have been advanced here are sufficient to show conclusively that the Latter-day Saint belief in this principle is founded upon holy scriptures. Their ideas only coincide with the prophets and servants of God in all ages who have alluded to this subject.

Having answered the question of where we came from, let us now consider why we are here.

Why We Are Here
A wise Creator must have had a great purpose in creating the earth and in placing his children upon it to pass through a time of testing. A knowledge of the Creator’s purpose enables the human family to act well their part. Let us examine what he had in view.

One object of man’s existence upon the earth is to obtain a body of flesh and bones.

It is necessary for man to learn by actual experience the difference between good and evil. As God said of our first parents, “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil” (Genesis 3:22).

When man tastes the bitter, it enables him to appreciate the sweet. When a man feels the effects of sickness, he more fully appreciates the great boon of health. By feeling the effects of pain he can enjoy the immunity therefrom. He must feel the influence and power of death before he can appreciate eternal life. He must comprehend the effects of sin before he can enjoy the rest promised to the faithful.

Man can gain many experiences in the flesh that he cannot otherwise obtain. There are ordinances to be performed and eternal unions to be perfected; in the wisdom of the great Creator these must be effected on the earth. Among the main requirements given to man during his existence upon the earth are baptism for the remission of sins and marriage for eternity. Man’s sole duty is not to care for himself alone, to selfishly neglect his fellowmen and seek worldly fame at others’ expense, but rather it is to keep God’s commandments and to love his fellowmen (see Ecclesiastes 12:13; Matthew 22:36-40).

“Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12). This is the Golden Rule, by which men should be governed in this life.

In brief, a man has to prepare himself for a future exaltation in the eternities to come. He is called upon to “work out [his] own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

The work a man does in this life will influence the life to come. By obedience to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he prepares himself for the glorious exaltation held in reserve for those who worship God in spirit and truth. As Jesus said to his apostles, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: . . . I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).

Having learned why we are here, let us next examine the nature of the duties we are called upon to perform.

Faith
A man must have faith in the ultimate result before he can diligently perform any work. No farmer would plant unless he expected to reap; no builder would build unless he expected to inhabit; no speculator would invest unless he expected to increase his means; no journey would be attempted unless there existed the hope of reaching the destination. Likewise, the commandments of God are obeyed only by those who have faith that blessings will follow their obedience.

When we understand this idea, we can comprehend the Apostle Paul’s assertion to the Hebrews: “But without faith it is impossible to please [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

We find the active workings of the principle of faith in the many cases of healing performed by our Savior.

“Thy faith hath made thee whole,” the Savior often said to those he healed (Matthew 9:22; Luke 17:19; 18:42). We also find him speaking to the Apostles in the strongest terms about their lack of faith. On one occasion they came to him with the question “Why could not we cast him out?” “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:19-20).

And again we read, “And he did not many mighty works there [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). In other words, they had no faith in his claim to being the Messiah; consequently, they were deprived of the blessings that fell to those that had faith. And men today are depriving themselves of glorious blessings through their unbelief in the divine calling of Joseph Smith, the Prophet and seer.

Faith and Signs
WE often hear the same cry today that greeted the ears of Jesus: “Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” (Matthew 12:38-39).

What was true of the generation was true of the individual; what was true then is true now. This places sign seekers in a most unenviable position, but doubtless where they justly belong. Faith is not produced by sign seeking, but in the words of Paul, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

After the death and resurrection of Jesus, he left this test of faith upon the record, to serve as a guide for all future generations:

“And these signs shall follow them that believe [that is, have faith]; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

“They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18; italics added).

But one says, “Was it not intended that these gifts and blessings be limited to the days of the Apostles, and to the Apostles themselves?” Read again—“shall follow them that believe”—and the preceding verse reads, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16; italics added).

If you limit the signs following the believer to the days of the Apostles, you must also limit salvation to that day. But it is today as it was in the day of Moses. Referring to that time, Paul wrote to the Hebrews; “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2).

The cultivation of this principle of faith is the first of our duties in this life .The second step is repentance.

Repentance
REPENT, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin” (Ezekiel 18:30; italics added).

“Let the wicked forsake his way” (Isaiah 55:7).

“Repent, . . . every one of you” (Acts 2:38; italics added).

“Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

We understand that repentance does not consist of mourning over sins committed, and then repeating the same sin or one equally bad. Ezekiel meant for the people to cease from doing wrong, to stop their evil practices, and to walk in the path of righteousness, virtue, and true holiness.

“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

We believe that the “sorrow of the world” referred to in this scripture is the practice of crying, groaning, and moaning over our wrongdoings, and then continuing the same practices.

The third step for man to take in this life to secure salvation in the eternal world is baptism.

Baptism
HE that believeth [that is, he that hath faith] and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).

This was the emphatic assertion of our Savior. Again we find that man came under condemnation by refusing obedience to this commandment: “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him” (Luke 7:30).

So the inhabitants of the world of today will in the end find themselves under condemnation for refusing to obey this principle of the gospel. “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

Paul, writing to the Hebrews, says, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands” (Hebrews 6:1-2; italics added).

Here are four principles—all classed together, all equally important, all equally necessary, and all required at our hands by those fixed and eternal laws of truth and justice by which the worlds are governed and by which we may return back into the presence of God and dwell with the just and true and pure of all ages.

The fourth step necessary for man to take while in this state of probation is to receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands.

The Laying on of Hands
THIS principle, to a great extent ignored by the Christian world, is plainly taught in the scriptures.

Peter and his brethren of the Twelve Apostles had doubtless all been baptized, and endeavored to lead holy lives during their association with Jesus. Yet we find Christ, just previous to his ascension to heaven, telling them, “Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them” (Luke 24:49-50; italics added).

And we find a still further explanation of the manner of obtaining this gift and blessing in the Acts of the Apostles, where he commanded them “that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:4-5; italics added).

Turning to the account of the ministry of Philip in Samaria, we learn that, after the Samaritans had exercised faith sufficient to cause them to repent, they had been baptized under the hands of Philip.

“Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

“Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

“(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

“Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost” (Acts 8:14-17; italics added).

We also call attention to the account of Paul’s visit to the baptized Saints of Ephesus. He inquired of them; “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. . . . They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:2-6; italics added).

Sufficient has been said to clearly establish the fact that the gift of the Holy Ghost was formerly obtained by the laying on of hands by those who held the authority to do so. Nowhere do we find that the order formerly laid down has been supplanted or annulled. On the contrary, the Apostles spoke in the strongest terms against any innovation in the established forms that Jesus taught them.

Paul, writing to the Galatians, speaks of those who “would pervert the gospel”—doubtless teaching such things as the laying on of hands was not necessary or else that it was done away with—and says, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-8).

We have examined the fourth step in man’s advancement in the probation in which we are now living, and in the words of our Savior, “He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1).

We have traced man from a premortal state, where, before this world began, he dwelt in the presence of the Father and of our elder brother, Jesus, and mingled with the spirits who have or will come into this world, through his mortal probation.

Man’s divine origin is beautifully expressed by Eliza R. Snow in one of the songs of Zion:

O My Father

O my Father, thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place,
When shall I regain thy presence,
And again behold thy face?
In thy holy habitation,
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood,
Was I nurtured near thy side?

For a wise and glorious purpose
Thou hast placed me here on earth,
And withheld the recollection
Of my former friends and birth,
Yet ofttimes a secret something
Whispered, “You’re a stranger here”;
And I felt that I had wandered
From a more exalted sphere.

(Hymns, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, no. 139.)

This is certainly a grander and nobler conception of man’s origin than that of some philosophers, who advocate the idea that man evolved from a lower scale.

Having described the nature of the duties (have faith in God and his promises, repent of sins, be baptized for the remission of sins, and receive the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost) that man must perform in this life to lay a foundation of future exaltation, we now turn to the consideration of man’s future.

Future Existence
REGARDING the subject of a future existence, there is a great diversity of opinion, and from time to time, almost every possible conjecture has held the attention of the human family. Judging by the accepted creed of the Christian world, there is an almost universal belief in future punishment.

The fear of future punishment is used as a mighty power to influence the mind of man in a religious sense. The fearful horrors of the never-ending punishment of the guilty are portrayed in the liveliest colors from Christian pulpits. The horrors are so clearly defined that in many instances the love and justice of God are lost in the description of the punishment he inflicts, not so much upon believers as upon those who reject the creeds and discipline whereby men seek to know God.

Let the reader lay aside preconceived notions, tradition, and prejudice, and examine this subject with a desire to know the truth.

We shall refer again to holy scriptures and ask for the reader’s candid attention to the proofs we place before him.

If we had the history of two persons—one good and one bad—after they left the earth, or laid down their bodies in death, it would serve as a guide to the destiny of the whole human family. Fortunately there is such a record, and by it we can determine this all-important question.

Few dispute the assertion that Jesus of Nazareth was appropriately termed “the Just One,” a pure and holy person.

The confession of guilt by one of the men who were crucified beside Jesus is testimony enough to convict him of being a bad man. “We receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss” (Luke 23:41). These were the words of the malefactor, admitting that death was the proper penalty for the many crimes of which he was guilty.

These two persons were born, lived a certain number of years upon the earth, and then laid down their lives, their bodies becoming cold and inanimate in death; while their spirits, freed from their earthly tenements, passed into another state of existence, leaving their physical remains to be cared for in the ordinary rites of burial.

While suffering the agonies of crucifixion, these two carried on a conversation that will serve our purpose in opening an investigation: “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).

The thief’s request was so favorably received that Christ promised him that he could accompany him to a place that he designated as paradise. He could not have consistently granted the thief the privilege of entering into his kingdom, when he had already explained to Nicodemus that “except a man be born at water [baptized] and of the Spirit [receive the laying on at hands for the gift at the Holy Ghost], he cannot enter into the kingdom at God” (John 3:5).

The thief, not having attended to these ordinances, could lay no claim to that privilege; but says Jesus, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

We are aware that the majority of those who believe the Bible are of the opinion that the thief was permitted to enter heaven and enjoy the presence of God; but is this idea a correct one? Let us candidly examine it, for on it hangs a great principle of truth.

Christ Visits the Spirit World
AFTER the body of Jesus had lain in the tomb for three days, the spirit again entered into his body. The angels rolled the stone away from the mouth of the sepulcher, and the resurrected Redeemer at the world walked forth, clothed with an immortal body of flesh and bones.

Mary Magdalene, who seemed to have some special interest in the Savior, came early to the tomb, and weeping, discovered that the body at the Master was not there. A voice spake to her, saying, “Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:16-17; italics added).

Here Jesus has declared that during the three days immediately subsequent to his crucifixion, while his body lay in the tomb, his spirit did not go into heaven or to the presence of his Father. Logically, it must follow that neither did the thief’s spirit. The generally accepted idea, therefore, of the thief being saved must inevitably fall. Jesus asserted that “to day shalt thou be with me in paradise,” and upon his return to earth he informed Mary that he had not ascended to his Father.

The question naturally arises: Where had he been during these three days? We are not left in doubt upon this point; scripture plainly points out the character of the duties he was called upon to perform while his body rested in peace in the newly made tomb of Joseph.

Jesus had transferred the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter, who also stood at the head of the Twelve Apostles. He would certainly be accepted as a competent witness in this matter. By turning to Peter’s epistles we gain this information:

“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: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:18-19).

Here we have an account of what Christ was doing during the three days absence from the body: preaching in the spirit world. We also have a clear explanation as to where the thief went. It was to a spirit prison where he would have an opportunity to hear the gospel of deliverance preached to the captive spirits, “which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah” (1 Peter 3 20).

We now understand what Isaiah, the prophet, meant when, speaking of Jesus, he says, “That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth” (Isaiah 49:9).

And again: “He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isaiah 61:1).

And again: ”To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house” (Isaiah 42:7).

How appropriately do these passages coincide with and support the assertion of Peter relative to Jesus preaching in the spirit world. These were men who in the days of the flood failed to obey the commandments of God and for two thousand years had suffered the penalty of their wrongdoing and who had been fulfilling the principle so clearly enunciated by our Savior when he said, “Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing” (Matthew 5:26).

“And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

“But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes” (Luke 12:47-48).

Gospel Preached to the Dead
THESE long-suffering spirits, who had been held in confinement, must have received with great joy the everlasting gospel. Through the gospel the prison doors could be opened and the obedient spirits could be delivered from the grasp of Lucifer, the son of the morning, who is appropriately described as one who “made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; “That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners” (Isaiah 14:16-17).

The Creator has ordained a grand and glorious plan of salvation for his children, a plan that reaches from eternity to eternity and covers every emergency. It guides and directs their footsteps while in a premortal state, teaches them while upon the earth, and extends beyond the grave into the spirit world. In this latter state, their hearts rejoice and gladden under the Savior’s benign influence. They grow and increase in might and majesty, power and glory, as the ages roll by, until the inspired words of our divine Master be fulfilled: “Every knee shall bow . . . , and every tongue confess” (Romans 14:11).

Well might Jesus say to the Apostles just previous to his death: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. . . . Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice” (John 5:25, 28).

Turning again to the epistle of Peter, we find this assertion: “[You] shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 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” (1 Peter 4:5-6).

Forgiveness of Sins
ON one occasion, when explaining the gospel to the Apostles, Jesus said, “Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Matthew 12:32).

This explains that there is a class of sins that can be forgiven in this world and a class that cannot; also that there is a class of sins that can be forgiven in the world to come and a class that cannot.

Peter, speaking of the patriarch David, says, “For David is not ascended into the heavens” (Acts 2:34).

But David himself, knowing full well that the mercy of the Lord endureth forever, says, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell” (Psalm 16:10).

If the present generation desires to know what will be the result of their disobedience to the principles of the gospel and their contending against the servants of God who proclaim those principles, let them read what Isaiah says: “The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; . . . And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited” (Isaiah 24:20-22; italics added).

In accordance with divine law, men are judged “according to their works” (Revelation 20:13; italics added).

The Lord will not indiscriminately consign all classes of sinners to the same punishment, their punishment to continue forever. The judgment will be meted but according to men’s works, some men receiving many stripes and some but few.

Would it not be a mockery of justice if a judge, presiding over one of our ordinary courts, should award the same punishment to every criminal brought before him?

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things unto them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11).

Certainly the law of poor, weak, mortal man is not superior to that of the Judge of all.

Paul beautifully and aptly expressed the principle in writing to the Corinthians: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19).

Knowing that the gospel would be preached to the spirits in prison, and that untold numbers of those who failed to accept the gospel here would do so there, he felt to rejoice in his heart instead of being the most miserable of men.

He was fully aware that there was but one way to be saved: “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).

He knew that it was positively necessary for man to pass through the door to enter into the sheepfold; that the many devices whereby men sought to save themselves must of necessity fail, for God’s house is a house of order.

Paul knew there was only one name under heaven whereby men might be saved, and that obedience to Christ’s law was necessary for salvation.

Salvation Offered to All
KNOWING these facts, the life of every good and true man, as was Paul, would be rendered miserable at the thought that so many of the human family must irretrievably perish and be subject to torture throughout all the eternities to come; but understanding the great principle of the mission of our Savior to the prison world, one can rejoice in the fact that the plan of salvation is a complete plan. He can have hope that not only in this life, but in the life to come, the gospel will be preached and men will be taught its precepts.

God being no respecter of persons (see 1 Peter 1:17), it would be manifestly unjust for one portion of the human family to have the privilege of hearing the gospel in this life, while a great proportion never heard it and lay under condemnation for the fact. No, the plan of salvation is complete; it reaches from our premortal state, applies to our present condition, and extends to our future state, until every son and daughter of father Adam has had ample opportunity to embrace its tenets and live in accordance with its spirit.

We have now examined the gospel proof of premortal life and quoted the testimony of Jesus and many of the servants of the Most High. We have gone over the duties that pertain to this life—those connected with faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost—and have examined the scriptures relative to preaching to spirits in prison.

We now take one more step in our investigation and will endeavor to learn if there is a way prepared for the deliverance of the prisoners bound and captive in the grasp of Satan.

The fact that they are being preached to is one evidence that something could be done to mitigate their condition. It would be intensely cruel if, after being taught the gospel, they were informed that there was no deliverance.

Salvation for the Dead
THE word of the Lord through the prophet Malachi was: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).

Here was a work for the translated prophet (Elijah) to perform at some future time. The fearful consequence of not complying with his word was placed before us: the Lord would “smite the earth with a curse.” The nature of that work is briefly set forth as turning the heart of the fathers to the children and that of the children to the fathers.

The Apostle Paul asserts that “they without us should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:40). In other words, their salvation was necessary to our happiness or perfection.

Jesus, speaking to Nicodemus, said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

The reader asks, “But how can a spirit be born of water, or be baptized in the water?”

Great numbers of those who have gone into the spirit world have never submitted to the ordinance of baptism, while vast numbers of those who were baptized had the ordinance administered by one who held no rightful authority and whose acts God will not recognize.

They stand in the same position to the kingdom of God as does a man who, as an alien to the government of a country, has received his papers of citizenship from someone who held no office under the government and, as a consequence, had no authority to confer these rights upon anyone.

Paul, writing to the Hebrews, speaks of baptism in the plural: “Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms” (Hebrews 6:1-2; italics added).

Many have supposed this passage to sanction different modes of baptism; but, by turning to another of Paul’s epistles, we learn clearly his meaning. We also learn how we may be instruments in the hands of a wise Creator in doing a work for the dead.

“Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?” (1 Corinthians 15:29).

Here is an explanation of how their prison doors may be opened and they may be set free: by the ordinance of baptism for the dead. Those that are in the flesh do vicarious work for their dead and become “saviors upon Mount Zion.”

We insert an account of Elijah’s visit to the earth, in fulfillment of the promise of the Lord through Malachi.

The Coming of Elijah
ON the third day of April, 1836, the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, while in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio, had the vision of heaven opened and Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before them and said: “Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:14-16).

Since Elijah the prophet has come and conferred the authority to baptize for the dead, the Latter-day Saints are assiduously engaged in erecting temples wherein this ordinance may be performed. The object of Elijah’s visit was partially accomplished by causing the hearts of the fathers who were dead and gone to turn to the children here on earth; now the children are seeking their fathers, to open their prison doors and bring them through the door of baptism into the sheepfold.

Not only are the elders of Israel traveling, preaching the gospel, and baptizing people by the thousands, but the Saints are flocking to the temples of the Lord to redeem their dead from the grasp of Satan. They are performing a great and mighty work for the human family who have lived upon the earth in the different ages of the world’s history and who, in some instances, manifest by revelation to their children or friends that they have accepted the gospel in the spirit world.

The patriarchs and prophets of former days, Peter, James, and the Apostles who lived in the meridian of time, and Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and other prophets of the “dispensation of the fulness of times” in the latter days are earnestly engaged in directing the preaching of the gospel in the spirit world.

Associated with our Father in Heaven, the angels, and the good and true of the earth, we will not be dissuaded by the puny efforts of man to overthrow the works of God.

Can the designs that have been in the process of fulfillment since the world began now be stayed in their onward progression because they do not meet the approval of the people of the day?

What Is Eternal Punishment?
IN conclusion, let us examine another question that has doubtless crossed the mind of the reader—the question of future punishment. If preaching to the spirits, bringing them to a knowledge of the truth, and being baptized for them releases them from their prison, it logically follows that there must be an end to future punishment.

We hear the question: “Do not the scriptures say that it is ‘eternal punishment’ and ‘everlasting punishment’?” Yes, but let us not put a private interpretation on these terms. Let us correctly understand their meaning.

Eternal punishment is God’s punishment; everlasting punishment is God’s punishment. In other words, it is the name of the punishment God inflicts, he being eternal in his nature.

Whosoever, therefore, receives God’s punishment receives eternal punishment, whether it is endured one hour, one day, one week, one year, or an age. “And they were judged every man according to their works” (Revelation 20 13).

Some shall be beaten with few and some with many stripes. (See Luke 12:47-48.) Here we have plainly set forth the fact that all men are not punished alike, that some receive a greater punishment than others.

As their works are, so shall be the punishment awarded them: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them” (Revelation 20:12-13; italics added).

These were the words of John upon the isle of Patmos, and most impressively he adds, “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:19).

Enough has been said to establish the principles we have advanced. We call upon all to whom these words shall come to exercise faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, to repent of their sins, to be baptized for the remission of their sins, to receive the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then to serve God with all their might, mind, and strength.