Before we were born on the earth, we lived in the presence of our Heavenly Father as His spirit children and participated in a council with Heavenly Father’s other spirit children. Heavenly Father presented His plan and the premortal Jesus Christ covenanted to be the Savior. We used our agency to follow Heavenly Father’s plan prepared to come to earth to continue to progress. Lucifer, another spirit son of God, rebelled against the plan and became Satan. He and his followers were cast out of heaven and denied the privileges of receiving a physical body and experiencing mortality. Jesus Christ created the heavens and the earth under the direction of the Father. Christ organized worlds without number from existing matter. The earth was essential to God’s plan and provided a place where we could gain a physical body, be tested and tried, and develop divine attributes. We are to use the earth’s resources with wisdom, judgment, and thanksgiving. Adam was the first man created on earth. All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Adam and Eve were not to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The consequence of doing so was spiritual and physical death. The Fall is an integral part of Heavenly Father’s plan with a downward yet forward direction. Because Adam and Eve transgressed God’s command, they were cast out from His presence and became mortal. Physical death is the separation of the spirit from the mortal body. Spiritual death is separation from God. Adam and Eve and their posterity could experience joy and sorrow, know good and evil, and have children. As descendants we inherit a fallen condition and are separated from the presence of the Lord and subject to physical death. We are also tested by the difficulties of life and the temptations of the adversary. Mortal life is a time of learning to prepare for eternal life and prove that we will use our agency to do all that the Lord has commanded. During this life, we are to love and serve others. On earth our spirits are united with our bodies, giving us opportunities to grow and develop in ways that were not possible in the premortal life. Our bodies are an important part of the plan and should be respected as a gift from our Heavenly Father. When we die, our spirits enter the spirit world and await the Resurrection. The spirits of the righteous are received into a state of happiness called paradise. Many of the faithful will preach the gospel to those in spirit prison a temporary place in the postmortal world for those who die without knowledge of the truth and for those who are disobedient on earth. Their spirits are taught the gospel and have the opportunity to repent and accept ordinances of salvation that are performed for them in temples. Those who accept the gospel will dwell in paradise until the Resurrection. Resurrection is the reuniting of our spirit bodies with our perfected physical bodies. After resurrection, the spirit and body will never again be separated and we will be immortal. Every person born on earth will be resurrected because Jesus Christ overcame death. The righteous will be resurrected before the wicked and will come forth in the First Resurrection. The Final Judgment will occur after the Resurrection. Jesus Christ will judge each person to determine the eternal glory that he or she will receive based on each person’s obedience to God’s commands. There are three kingdoms of glory: The highest is the celestial kingdom. Those who are valiant in the testimony of Jesus and obedient to the principles of the gospel will dwell in the celestial kingdom in the presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. The second of the kingdoms is the terrestrial kingdom. Those who dwell in this kingdom will be the honorable who were not valiant in the testimony of Jesus. The telestial kingdom is for those who chose wickedness rather than righteousness during their mortal lives. These individuals will receive their glory after being redeemed from spirit prison. seminary.lds.org/mastery/basic-doctrines/plan-of-salvation?lang=eng
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 21:29:04 +0000
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