Ask a Mormon, Part 3

[Eran of Arcadia]

I know that my fathers company (which has a plant in Utah) has this day instead of Easter off (much to the chagrin of the Italian Catholic owners). So this is more a cultural thing then religious?

Definitely cultural - Easter is a far, far bigger deal for us than Pioneer Day is. Truth be told, I had to look up on Wikipedia what date Pioneer Day is, because I never celebrate it. Except the one time one of my friends from Utah had us all over for root beer floats, which is the extent of my experience with the holiday. Whereas for us, as for all Christians, Easter celebrates the event that is the underlying reason for our religion in the first place.

 

[LucyDuke]

I'm sure this has been asked and answered, probably repeatedly, but your small print made me wonder and I'm not digging through 2800 posts for it...

Is the "official" position that salvation can only be reached through the LDS church? If no, what are the requirements? What happens to us folks who don't meet them?

Do you agree with the official position? Do most?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, first of all, there are at least 4 different things we might mean by "salvation". However, to avoid overcomplicating things I will assume you refer to the possibility of living forever with God.

This comes not through any human effort but through the grace of God and the Atonement of Christ - but it is conditional on us doing certain things. One of those things is to receive the proper ordinances (baptism, confirmation to receive the Holy Ghost, etc.) This must be done by one holding the proper authority to act on behalf of God - the priesthood - which is currently only found, on the earth, within the LDS Church. However, these ordinances can be performed by the living, on behalf of the dead, within our temples.

It is also conditional on the person accepting the Atonement - admitting that salvation comes through Christ. This, again, doesn't have to be done in this life, although it helps.

So those who never heard of us, or never joined the church, or maybe didn't even like us at all, can still be saved. But there will come a point in this life or the next when they will have to accept what has been done on their behalf (mostly by Christ, but also in temples). This has been the official Church doctrine pretty much from the beginning, and it makes a lot of sense to me. I don't know of any members who have trouble accepting it.

 

[LucyDuke]

What happens to the rest of us? Is there a hell, or a waiting room, or a replay? (Is that what you mean by "in the next"?)

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

"Waiting room" would be the best analogy, and guess what, there are going to be LDS* missionaries. Between death and final judgment those who haven't yet accepted the Gosepl or received the necessary ordinances will be in Spirit Prison, as we sometimes refer to it, until they have. Sometimes the word "hell" is associated with this, although it is neither eternal nor really the fire-and-brimstone sort of place people associate with the word.

*(Well, not "LDS", as that refers to the Church and its members here on earth. But yeah, people will be preaching the Gospel to those who didn't receive it, in the next life.)

 

[LucyDuke]

That sounds too easy. The only penalty for not signing up during this life is a stop in the waiting room? What benefit (beside the obvious peace of mind and being part of the community and so forth) is there for joining the church before you die?

I mean, if I die, and I know I'm dead, and I find myself hanging out somewhere where y'all are selling the tickets out... I'll buy one. Maybe I have the wrong impression of the situation?

What happens to the holdouts at final judgment?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

That sounds too easy. The only penalty for not signing up during this life is a stop in the waiting room? What benefit (beside the obvious peace of mind and being part of the community and so forth) is there for joining the church before you die?

Well, because if it is true, there is no reason not to. Because it will bring you happiness and help you live a better life. Because it is more certain and ultimately easier.

I mean, if I die, and I know I'm dead, and I find myself hanging out somewhere where y'all are selling the tickets out... I'll buy one. Maybe I have the wrong impression of the situation?

Well, I don't want to make assumptions, but it would take a different attitude from "well, I am here, might as well get my ticket." It requires a genuine change of heart and acceptance of Christ's mercy.

What happens to the holdouts at final judgment?

If they hold out that long, it's too late. But even assuming time works the same way, everyone will get as much of a chance as they need. Whether they take it is up to them.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

How far have the guys who are cataloguing all the people ever's ancestors gotten? Aren't they Mormon-related somehow? If so, please explain.

 

[Gooblah]

Probably been asked before, so I apologize in advance..
How much of Mormon history do you learn in (assuming you have one) your equivalent to Sunday school? In history, we go over Mormonism in some level of detail (the founding story, the westward migration), and its contribution to westward expansion.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

How far have the guys who are cataloguing all the people ever's ancestors gotten? Aren't they Mormon-related somehow? If so, please explain.

I think people have gotten back several hundred years; yes, it is generally people who have Mormon descendants, but a large fraction of the people who lived several hundred years ago will have an LDS descendant.

Probably been asked before, so I apologize in advance..
How much of Mormon history do you learn in (assuming you have one) your equivalent to Sunday school? In history, we go over Mormonism in some level of detail (the founding story, the westward migration), and its contribution to westward expansion.

In school, we only ever focused on Mormonism in the context of Western expansion, which I always thought a shame.

Our adult Sunday School is on a 4-year cycle; Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants(revelations given to Joseph Smith and the other modern prophets). Along with Doctrine and Covenants we are taught Church history, although we focus on the years between the Church's founding in 1830 and the arrival in Utah in 1847.

 

[holy king]

yeah, it's a "whoa, where did that come from" factoid.

Well, we have believed it for going on 180 years or so now, and it's not like we have been the only group ever to have such a doctrine. If you literally mean "where did it come from", the answer is "it came from revelations that God gave to His prophets, especially Joseph Smith, as well as his successors."

i mean when i look at various religions and what they believe in, i come across mormons believing they'll be gods of their universes after death and think "whoa, holy crap, where did that come from?".

 

[LucyDuke]

Well, I don't want to make assumptions, but it would take a different attitude from "well, I am here, might as well get my ticket." It requires a genuine change of heart and acceptance of Christ's mercy.

I'd love to embrace the god stuff, and in the face of compelling evidence (such as dying and finding myself in the Mormon Waiting Room), I wouldn't hesitate to.

If anybody's right about Jesus, I hope it's you guys. I'd definitely rather end up in a waiting room than a pit of fire.

What does "Elder" mean?

 

[_random_]

We* will still be subject to God's power, though exactly what this means for us I cannot say. We do also believe that God was once like us and progressed to where He is now.

Do you believe He is subject to somebody else's power in the same manner those who attain Godhood are subjected to his?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I'd love to embrace the god stuff, and in the face of compelling evidence (such as dying and finding myself in the Mormon Waiting Room), I wouldn't hesitate to.

If anybody's right about Jesus, I hope it's you guys. I'd definitely rather end up in a waiting room than a pit of fire.

Well, I certainly hope we are right too . . .

What does "Elder" mean?

It refers to those who hold a specific office in the priesthood - since the average member of the congregation holds a lot more responsibility in our church compared to a lot of other religions. It is thus somewhat analogous to elders of other religions. It is also a title used by male missionaries (who are often referred to collectively as "the elders" - yes, I know how weird it is to address 19 and 20 year old guys that way.)

Do you believe He is subject to somebody else's power in the same manner those who attain Godhood are subjected to his?

We don't know; God has not told us anything about that.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

In my previous question about those dudes that do the genealogical stuff, I think you misunderstood me. I meant that aren't they somehow connected to the Mormon church.

 

[Methos]

I'm curious as to your "Waiting Room" belief. It is my understanding according to the Bible that you must make the Choice in this life, not after, or between. Can your belief be found in the Bible, or is it first mentioned in the BoM?

 

[Nylan]

Well I'm sure ignoring the opportunity in this life isn't exactly the best idea. You'll also still be the person you were in this life afterwards.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

This is the life to choose what sort of person you are going to be, certainly.

 

[El_Machinae]

What do you need to 'bless' a dead person?

 

[downtown]

What do you need to 'bless' a dead person?

"proxy" services for the dead (like baptisim) are only performed inside LDS temples by priesthood holders