Oh, how grateful I am for the Restored Gospel and the hope and peace it brings to me. The light it sends into the darkness is truly a blessing as we contemplate life and its mysteries.
There are those who believe that if a person dies without coming to Christ, their souls are in jeopardy. The gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints refutes this, saying that everyone will have the chance to hear the word of the Lord and to decide for themselves, and death will not keep that opportunity from them.
In 2 Nephi 9:29, we read: For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.
If a person dies without hearing the law, that is not the end of it. Isn’t it wonderful to know that our chances are never extinguished?
This is another reason why temple work is so important. We can take the names of our kindred dead to the temple and have the ordinance work done for them. They are still alive on the other side, thinking and feeling, aware of what is taking place here on the earth. They will make a choice as to whether or not they would like to accept that ordinance work. If they decide it’s not for them, no binds hold them to it. If they accept it, it’s theirs. Billions of people have lived upon the earth, most before the restoration of temples and ordinances. There is no reason to think they are condemned—they merely did not have the opportunity for temple worship in this life and will have the chance to rectify that on the other side. Likewise, baptism—anyone who did not have the chance to be baptized can accept it posthumously.
Our chances to grow and progress never end. Death is not the end. It is a portal back into the world from whence we came, and we take our knowledge, our strengths, and our desires to improve with us. No condemnation awaits those who were not properly taught. The teaching continues, even on the other side.
Related Blogs:
Temple Ordinances for the Dead
Gospel Questions: What Are Temples?
Performing the Ordinances for Your Kindred Dead