Plan of Salvation

The plan of salvation began in the pre-earth period, in heaven, which was also the place of our origin.

Premortal - PreEarth

We existed in this pre-earth time as intelligent spirits. God the Father made us in his image, as it says in Genesis 1:27, and later confirmed by the Apostles as read in Acts 17:28-29. God did not make us here on the earth; he made us in heaven. This makes us literal children of God and he is our literal and eternal Father. We are spiritual children of God, both male and female. Here on earth, God made it possible for our spirits to gain a flesh body, which refers to the "dust to body" passages in the Bible (See Genesis 2:7).

IN this pre-mortal time, God gathered us, including Adam and Eve, and spoke of his plan to us, of glory and great blessings. This plan was to enter into mortality, gain a body of flesh, obey God and his commandments, learn and choose between good and evil, learn and live God's laws and word while in mortality, benefit from the atonement and resurrection that our brother Jesus Christ would provide and then return to God the Father to stand with him for all eternity. We understood this plan and accepted it. We saw that this plan was a "merciful plan" the "plan of redemption" and the "plan of salvation".

God the Father knew that entry into the flesh subjects us to sin, and while in the mortal body, we are weak or prone to sin. This thing called sin means a lawless state, or a state contrary to God. We agreed to enter this mortal state to temper the body we obtain, and bring that body and mind into line with the laws of God. God knew that this process is not an easy one, and mistakes will occur. One of the difficult things for us occurs from the laws of God. His laws are very strict and demand restitution. By eternal standards, this restitution is large. It is far more than any one person can pay. God knew that unless he provides help with this difficulty, we would never satisfy the demands of justice (law), and end up forever spiritually dead. The plan of God the Father was to satisfy his laws and its demand for a high restitution through the act of "atonement" and "redemption".

This is where our heavenly brother, Jesus Christ, became the central and paramount element to our salvation and to God's eternal plan of Salvation. Jesus Christ is our true spiritual brother who loves us dearly and based in that love for us, accepted the responsibility to be our saviour. This meant that he would accept the burden of the law upon on his shoulders for all of us.

As I spoke of God's law, it is a perfect law, but it also has a perfect penalty for any violations. So perfect is that law that it would quickly demand justice and restitution from us the moment we broke any of them. To God's plan, this would shorten our stay in mortality and ensure a quick route to eternal damnation, with no way out. While in mortality, a state of imperfection, we would be doomed, having no way to learn and progress. In God's wisdom, he gave us the freedom and degree of help to learn by our mistakes and progress. In God's plan, he devised what is termed as the "mediator". This is where the role of Jesus Christ would come in. As the mediator, he stands between us and justice. If it were not for his stand for us, justice would shorten each of our mortal lives, and move us quickly into spiritual death for all eternity.

In this Plan of Salvation and redemption, Jesus would be responsible for the atonement and mediator between God's justice and us. Yet this plan requires we also play a part. In order for us to gain the benefits of salvation, redemption and mediation, God told us that we must repent and take the name of Jesus Christ upon us. This repentance means to change and heed to the ways of God. This change is to forsake the ways of the flesh and of the world, as we take upon us the responsibilities to obey and live the laws and commandments from God. To properly learn and progress requires that we live up to our spiritual responsibilities. This gave us the added protection from justice if we err along the way. Despite most errors, if we continue with a repentive heart and mind, Jesus would pay justice with his atonement and save us from that high payment so long as we repent and change. This is what gives us the breathing room without justice slamming us at the first turn.

God gave another great gift called, The Gift of Agency, which refers to freedom of will and choice. With this agency, we are to choose between good and evil which means that we are to choose whether we follow Jesus Christ or Satan. This agency is crucial to God's eternal plan of Salvation and redemption.

The Creation

Once we accepted the plan from God, our Heavenly Father directed Jesus Christ to create this earth and all things on it. This earth is the place of our abode. Jesus Christ made all the things we would need to exist and live. Jesus Christ created this earth and everything on it in the spiritual realms first. God's intention was to then cause this earth to descend from its spiritual state into a mortal and temporal state. This descent would cause the earth and all of us to enter a separation from God and this descent was to occur through and by Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve

As Jesus created the earth in its spiritual state, he also created the Garden of Eden upon it. This earth was in its perfect state in the eternal and celestial heavens. God the Father placed Adam and Eve into the garden and they were the only people there. They were in a complete state of innocence, without any knowledge or memory of the pre-mortal existence and had no knowledge of good and evil. From this state of innocence, God the Father gave them a single commandment, which was not to partake of the tree of knowledge, else they would die.

Satan confronted Eve when she was alone in another part of the garden. Satan tempted Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit. Satan convinced her by mixing truth with a lie by saying she would gain the knowledge of good and evil, but would not die. Eve believed Satan and partook of that tree. Her mind opened to the knowledge of good and evil. With that experience, Eve went to Adam and convinced him to partake of that same tree. As a result, they lost their innocence. God the Father saw that Adam and Eve disobeyed his commandment and told Adam and Eve that they had to leave the Garden of Eden and spiritually die. Upon leaving the garden, Adam and Eve descended into a mortal state, which is the spiritual death or The Fall. This caused the bodies of Adam and Eve to become mortal and blood rushed through their bodies. This fall also took the earth with it, causing the earth and all on it to descend into mortality. This change into mortality from their perfect spiritual state gave Adam and Eve the ability to bear children and have a family. They could not do this in their innocent state prior to the fall.

This put God's plan into motion. If Adam and Eve did not partake of that tree, they would have remained in that garden for all eternity and would be unable to have any children. Consequently, we would not have this opportunity to gain and live in a body, to enjoy family, blessings and the wonderful nature of this world.

Did God know they would partake of that fruit? That answer is yes, he did know. It was because of their state of an innocent mind and heart. They had no knowledge of good and evil, and without that knowledge, they were not able to progress. Since they were naïve in this way, Satan found it easy to trick Eve. IF Eve had this knowledge of good and evil before the arrival of Satan, she would have rejected the tricks of Satan and remained in the garden, but nothing would have change and there would be no learning, no experiences and no progression, which would diminish the glory and works of God. Therefore, the innocence and exercise of free will and choice by Adam and Eve was important. Even though their free choice was a transgression, Adam and Eve began their lives and a learning process, which was otherwise impossible to have.

Why was it important for Adam and Eve to be that state of innocence?

To know good and evil would give Adam and Eve the knowledge of the gods (Genesis 3:5), but to obtain that knowledge required that they absolve their innocent state. To obtain that knowledge required they partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

A question one may ask is, Why didn't God simply allow them to partake of that tree, get the knowledge of good and evil and remain in the heavenly garden? The answer is that Adam and Eve would have died for all eternity, just like Satan, if they had stayed in the garden with that knowledge. Since they began in the innocent state, means that they were inexperienced with the use and responsibility of the knowledge of good and evil. Remaining in the celestial garden would subject them to a perfect celestial law. Due to their inexperience, one error and violation of any of the celestial laws would have sent them directly to hell. After all, that is how Lucifer (Son of the Morning) fell into hell. He rebelled against God and his perfect law, and the penalty was instant damnation into hell. Therefore, whether by inexperience or by direct intent, Adam and Eve would end up in hell and this earth and all mortality would never exist.

What many Christians do not realize as they quibble about the story of Adam and Eve, is that God's commandment not to partake of that tree saved Adam and Eve.

With the commandment from God, he saved Adam and Eve from the eternal death and flames of hell. This commandment allowed God to impose a penalty sufficient to satisfy the law, which was excommunication from the Garden into mortality. The existence of a commandment means that a violation of it led to a lesser penalty, because a commandment is not a law in itself, but from a law. A commandment is a direction, a charge or a mandate for a particular thing of how to obey, where a law states what we are obeying, and applies to all things. Therefore, Adam and Eve transgressed a commandment, which made that a "lesser offence", allowing God to judge accordingly. Sending Adam and Eve into mortality gave them the freedom to make free will choices and if they erred, the penalties were not absolute because it was against a lesser "light", meaning against lesser laws and commandments. This allowed Adam and Eve to learn and progress.

As side note, this is why it is an unforgivable sin, with a penalty of hell, if a person violates the "higher light" of God in a state of full understanding and knowledge. This is the violation against the Holy Ghost. (See Matthew 12:31-32 / DC 132:27)

The Fall – caused a separation from the presence of God, which is the first spiritual death. They became subject to disease (physical corruption), pain and physical death, which is the separation of the body from the spirit. One of the grand blessings, even though they spiritually died, is that Adam and Eve were able to have children. That gave all of us, including you and me; the opportunity to enter mortality to gain a body and be tested is the only way to progress.

Life on Earth

Life on this earth is a grand opportunity. It gives us the opportunity to learn the difference between good and evil, to progress, and prepare to be in God's presence. God is a perfect and righteous man, and if we stood beside him now, we would burn because of the pureness of his being and of his light. In order to stand with him, we too must achieve pureness and that can only occur if we are willing to do our part. Doing our part means to exercise self-responsibility and willingness to obey the laws of God. If we do not do our part, to experience and show that we are willing to obey his laws, do you really think that God will allow you into his kingdom? Remember what I said about Adam and Eve if they erred while in the celestial garden. The same will happen to anyone if they enter into God's kingdom and with them exercise any unwillingness to obey his laws. Those persons would end up in hell, bypassing all other lower kingdoms. That would be a very long and hard fall. God does not want us to become as Satan.

To stand with God means we also become like him, means to be as "god"as well. Our saviour Jesus Christ stands at the right hand of God, the Father. In order for him to be there, Jesus Christ must be as God, just like his (and our) Father, exalted (Acts 2:32-33). For anyone who is not like him, meaning perfect, righteous, pure, etc would not be with him. It is a simple concept and as you investigate any church, please keep that in mind. Especially that God will not exalt anyone to be with him, who refuses to be learn his laws, and exercise them here in mortality. God will not do it for us because we are here in a spiritual testing ground, to learn and progress. To ignore God's commandments and laws shows we have no interest in standing with him. I say this with the intent to encourage you to remember what I have said if you investigate other churches. Any place that promotes idleness to God's requirements, is not God's church. Yet, when we show sincere interest, desire and willingness, God will do his part to help us along and take up those things we cannot handle ourselves. This is where his grace does its work. In short, we are to do our work to learn and obey, God will do his part, which refers to his "grace", and to take up any shortcomings we may have or make (Romans 4:4 / 2 Cor 9:8 / Helaman 12:24).

The Atonement

Entry into this mortal world meant that we as spiritual children of God had to descend or lower ourselves. In other words, we each had to suffer a spiritual death to enter this mortality. This is The Fall, and this sent us into a state of sin. Not as a punishment, but as a testing and learning ground and to make our way back to the Father's celestial heaven. This mortality subjects us to sin and it is our task to overcome sin. We cannot do this task alone because sin poses a substantial obstacle to our progression. As we attempt to spiritually progress and raise ourselves, sin grabs us by the ankles pulling us back down. This is where the atonement comes in, but there is more.

Here in mortality, we are still subject to the laws of God. Violation of these laws subjects us to penalties. These penalties are substantial, because God's laws are substantial. If there were no atonement, then all on this earth would die an eternal death and never return to our Heavenly Father. The atonement is what gives us the power to overcome the affects of The Fall and of sin. Jesus Christ established this rule of atonement by way of his crucifixion. His suffering and death satisfies God's eternal and substantial laws. God the Father sent his beloved son, Jesus Christ to overcome the obstacle of sin by suffering and death on the cross. What occurred thereafter is miraculous. By the power given to Jesus Christ from our Heavenly Father, Jesus overcame physical death through the power of resurrection. Without this resurrection, we would permanently loose our bodies upon physical or mortal death. The resurrection is a power and law from God that reunites our spiritual bodies with our bodies of flesh. Through the resurrection, which occurs after physical death, we regain our bodies of flesh to possess them for all eternity and be immortal, never to have disease, loss of limb, pain or death ever again. This immortal body is the gift and given to everyone, whether they repent and accept Jesus Christ or not. There are two resurrections, but these do not occur immediately after death, but in a time, that God the Father decrees, these resurrections will occur. The first occurs for the righteous, who will then live with Jesus Christ upon his second return. The second resurrection will occur after Jesus Christ reined on this earth for 1000 years. The second resurrection will be for the dead or for the unrighteous. Upon this second resurrection will come the final judgment.

Is this all? Nay, there is more.

The resurrection means a person's spirit will reunite with his or her flesh body and remain joined forever, which makes each person immortal. It is necessary to give us the blessing of immortality, returning our bodies. It is necessary because God must execute his final judgement and to do that, means we must have our immortal bodies. God bases his final judgment on many things. What he tells us is that he considers "our works" while in mortality. Not worldly works as our status in society or how much money we earned, it is spiritual works. How obedient we were to God's commandments and laws. How much we listened and worked out our salvation (Philippians 2:12) with him. Whether or not we truly followed the path given by Jesus Christ and if we obeyed his commandments and whether we repented to remove our sins. No one can return to the presence of God and live with him unless he or she has had their sins removed by the process of repentance, obedience to the commandments, and worked out their salvation with due diligence and faith. This is the pattern set out by Jesus Christ and taught by his Apostles of old. No man has the power or right to alter that pattern.

When I spoke of sin, I refer to our personal sins, the ones we each do ourselves. We are not responsible for the original sin or the fall of Adam and Eve. We are responsible for our own sins. The atonement made by Jesus Christ overcame the "original sin" or the fall of Adam and Eve, but since their fall made this mortality, we need the atonement and resurrection to exit out of it and overcome death.

Are all of the benefits of the atonement automatic to us, requiring nothing from us at all? This is not so. There are requirements we must fulfill in order to gain the full benefits of the atonement.

Belief and Acceptance of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the corner stone of our salvation. We must accept and believe in him in order to have the full affects of the atonement to overcome our sins. Refusal of him in any degree negates any chance of forgiveness of sins.

Faith

This is in the Father and in Jesus Christ. Faith is the acceptance that Jesus is our saviour, even if the entire process is not yet clear to you. Faith is the willingness to obey Jesus and his commandments. It is the willingness to remain true to him, his ways, and endure to the end. Faith is a trust in him and a trust in what he can do for us. Faith is an acceptance that he will do his part, even if we do not see it. His part is to forgive us our sins if we do our part in repentance and obedience. This "doing our part" is a covenant or a spiritual agreement with him. Without faith there is no belief and with no belief faith dies.

Repentance

Without this, we cannot hope for God to forgive our sins. Repentance means a choice to forsake all that is sinful. Refusal or lack of repentance means a choice to retain those things and ways that are sinful. God will not allow anyone in his kingdom that refuses to repent.

Baptism by water

This is a requirement as set out by Jesus Christ himself. It is a commandment. A person who believes and is faithful enters a covenant with God by this process. Baptism by water is the beginning of the repentance process, and is a blessing upon a person that his actions of repentance will bring him forgiveness. This is why baptism by water is for "meet for repentance" (Matthew 3:8 / Acts 26:20) . This "meet for repentance" means actions and works that are worthy of repentance. If a person refuses baptism by water, his or her works of repentance would not be worthy. Their actions remain unclean because of the absence of baptism by water. Refusing to accept baptism by water means that person does not accept a covenant with Jesus Christ and that is a denial of Jesus Christ, for his death was to bring us this process and covenant.

Meet for repentance involves a sincere intent and desire to forsake the ways of sin, of the world, and take on (learn) the ways of God. A person must have the conviction of guilt, a godly sorrow for sin and a contrite spirit. A person must be willing to confess his or her sins, to change him or herself and forgive those who have trespassed against them. A person must willingly accept the cleansing power of the blood of Christ on the cross, which is what the water of baptism offers. If a person denies the process of baptism by water, he or she has refused to bring any meet for repentance.

Authority to Baptize

What are the dangers when a person or persons take it upon themselves an authority that God did not assign? Simply look in society and see where it is necessary for a person to have the authority assigned to them before he or she can perform certain tasks and duties properly. WE get upset when we suffer from those who exercised an authority they did not have, because when someone does something without proper authority, they do harm to others and cause disorder.

This is the same concern with the authority to baptize. God did not give a blanket authority to humanity. The Bible is not an automatic authority because if it were, wicked and selfish people who merely say they believe will carry God's authority. It is obvious that such is wrong. This means people cannot self-assign the authority. God must assign the authority to men to exercise a proper baptism by water, and this only occurs in God's church. To be proper, his Church must have the proper laws and the fullness of the priesthood to perform baptisms acceptable to God. This priesthood and all its powers and rights does not exist in "any" church. It only exists in the Church God has built and ordained. This means that God must be the one that instructs guides and commands, having an active role as the head of the Church. In this way, God is not silent, or a subdued entity or merely a figurehead that grants occasional blessings. Without this authority from God to baptize, God rejects those baptisms. Even in God's true Church, if someone improperly performs a baptism, God will not accept it. This means that any repentance performed by those in other churches are not "meet for repentance" and will not receive the full benefits of the atonement. They will not go to hell, but they will not enter the kingdom of God either.

The only church that carries God's full authority and priesthood, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Gift of the Holy Ghost

This is the second part of the repentance and atonement process. By this gift, baptism by the Spirit can occur. This is where the rebirth occurs. To receive this gift, requires those who have proper authority in God's holy priesthood. Again, God did not give this to any church, only the Church he built, endowed and ordained which is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Jesus commanded that we are to enter baptism by water and by the Spirit, else we cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). Complete baptism must include both baptism by water and baptism by the Spirit. Baptism by water establishes us in the covenant that we agree to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, always remember him and keep his commandments. Baptism by the Spirit is known in the Bible as baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 3:11) . A priesthood member with the proper authority must lay his hands upon the head of the one baptized by water to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is through that gift, the baptism by the Spirit occurs.

Baptism by Fire (Spirit) –allows us to receive a remission of our sins. This fire actually burns out of us dross, iniquity, carnality, sensuality, and every evil thing that we carry as a result of entering mortality. This fire does not come by baptism by water alone, and neither can it come in the absence of baptism by water. Without the agreement to take on the name of Jesus Christ, baptism by the Spirit will not occur and this is irrespective of the authority of the church. Yet, the proper authority gives us the power to exercise baptism. Therefore, proper authority in God's church and both baptisms completes a triangle for the "meet for repentance".

A person can then carry on his or her life with the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. This means a person can receive the guidance of the Holy Ghost in their lives, and this usually occurs by the power the Holy Ghost, rather than his actual presence within a person.

What if a person rejects this call to repentance and refuses to enter baptism. Will he or she enter God's kingdom as claimed by other churches?

The answer is no. Such a person will receive their bodies after death in the second resurrection, to live forever, but they will not enter the kingdom of God, but will enter any one of the lower two kingdoms. To be in God's kingdom, which is the celestial heaven, means a person is righteous, obedient, followed the commandments. Especially the commandment of baptism in God's true Church, and worked out his or her salvation with God.

Endure to the End

Once a person accepts Jesus Christ, enters a covenant with Jesus through proper baptism and receives the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, that person is on a strait and narrow path. A person must repent and continue to repent to receive the baptism by the Spirit. The spiritual rebirth will only occur after completing this initial process. Too many Christians believe in a false doctrine that belief is the only thing they need do, and spiritual rebirth is automatically given. Yet they deny the powers and laws of God, act unrighteously, albeit trying to do good. This is because they have no covenant with God, where they are bound to certain requirements. In order to overcome sin, avert temptations, do good works, serve others, a person must follow the Saviour's example, word and commandments. Christ-like attributes do not come by belief alone. A person must follow the pattern set by Jesus Christ, and follow the commandments he has given. This pattern holds important principles that will shape and govern a good and faithful life. A person following this pattern shows at least he or she is willing to abide in laws, principles and practices that maintains a holy spiritual stature. This is exactly what God wanted people in the Old Testament to learn.

This entire process and practice involves a life long principal, which is to endure to the End. To follow all that I have said above and to listen and abide in the guidance from the Holy Spirit. It is that process, the true spiritual walk that renews a person each day (Romans 12:2 / 2 Corinthians 4:16). That walk will send a person into the kingdom of God in the end.

Amen