As simple as possible to summarize the best way you can, first, please. Feel free to expand after, or just say whatever you want lol. Honest question.
As simple as possible to summarize the best way you can, first, please. Feel free to expand after, or just say whatever you want lol. Honest question.
So, A LOT of LDS and even other faiths make this mistake about our beliefs.
Yes, we do believe in “Kingdoms of Glory” just as we believe in God having a law, commandments, etc. That being said, the LDS faith is at its core, quite different from other faiths in that we don’t believe in your classical “Hell fire and damnation”
Just to clarify this for any other Christian denominations, aside from our other teaching’s where a lot of this comes from is this:
John 14:2:
1st Corinthians 41:
With that all being said. The biggest misconception and frankly appalling misunderstanding anyone makes in this, is that one person is valued less than another.
Our firm faith is that, by living the precepts of God you can make it to the celestial kingdom, IE. The highest degree of glory, but that that’s only provided through the Atonement of Jesus Christ ie. It’s not our works that “buy our way into heaven” it’s entirely through Christ and his Atonement.
That is paramount.
Second. We don’t believe God has a “cool kids list” or a list of rules you had to follow, and if you didn’t. Lol sucks to be you.
We believe that God judges based on the person and their intentions, not solely by their actions. IE. It’s not black and white. Otherwise, how could the Atonement claim to be all-encompassing?
Kingdoms of Glory then becomes a choice we can make to get to. Like in my other comment. Some people will prefer pepperoni, some supreme, some pineapple.
But all will be happy and in a heavenly state regardless. And no one person is left out of receiving the happoness they prefer.
Aren’t they though, by definition?
Value: An amount, as of goods, services, or money, considered to be a fair and suitable equivalent for something else; a fair price or return.
So if some people get more in return (what they get in the afterlife for accepting The Lord), they’re valued higher. I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but I think what you mean is you don’t think some people are, in essence, better. Just the degrees of glory mean some are valued more though, and that’s not going into the husband/wife aspect.
Yes, it’s a choice, but some people get nicer outcomes based on their choice, and that choice is not made any more obviously correct than the choice of any other religion.
If God is good, why would he make us make this choice and make it just a guessing game? I know the answer you’re likely to give is that it isn’t, and if we pray the answer will be made clear, but people believe with extreme faith (often more than most in the LDS have) that they’re the ones who believe the truth, and they’re certain that they’ve felt the presence of God(s) and they told them to follow this or that faith.
It’s not really a guessing game, it’s a there’s his gospel, we follow his gospel and we’re rewarded, which he will ensure everyone has an opportunity to, or they can choose otherwise and receive the level of reward they so desire. No one’s going to force somebody to live in a specific way; That’s against the point.
And God is good because he gives us a choice. Choice means we can become our own individuals, make our own mistakes, learn, and grow. Which to us is the fundamental answer to the purpose of this life. (Buddhism “Life is Suffering”) Otherwise, what’s the point of it all? We’d be hollow machines, always living in a good but un-understanding state of being with no opportunities to grow and move forward.