There's something called the Plan of Salvation. It's also known as the Plan of Redemption. The Plan of Mercy. The Plan of Happiness. It has a lot of names, but it's all exactly the same plan--Heavenly Father's plan for us.
Before we came to this earth, we lived somewhere else. We didn't have bodies yet; we were just spirits that God had created. Our inherent traits and talents were the same there as they are here. We were with Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I was there. So were you.
This place is referred to as the pre-mortal life. For our purposes here, let's represent it by this simple picture (the arrow will have a purpose later on in the post, I promise! For now, you may ignore it):
In the pre-mortal life, God presented His plan for us (the one I'm describing right now). Everyone on earth (every single human being, that is) chose to follow that plan. That's how we ended up here.
Good stuff, right?
So, why don't we remember it?
Another great question. I'm pretty sure we've all found out by now that life isn't all sunshine and sparkles. In fact, it can be SUPER difficult sometimes. A lot of times, that's because our mortal minds can't remember what Heavenly Father told us before we were sent to earth. That's because this earthly life is a test. We need to do our best here, walk by faith, and prove that we want to return to live with God and our Savior. So, we passed through, so to speak, something called the.....
And, of course, one step in life is death. The death of a loved one can be really hard to get through. But we are comforted by the knowledge that death is not the end.
When we die, our bodies and spirits separate; our bodies are dead, but our spirit lives on. We, as spirits, go to what is called the spirit world (heaven).
One part of the spirit world is for the people who accepted God's plan and did their best to follow it while on the earth (remember, everyone who's come to earth had already accepted it once, in the pre-mortal life). That's called spirit paradise.
The other part of the spirit world is called spirit prison, and that's for those who did not accept and follow God's plan--whether intentionally, or they simply never had the chance to learn about it. In the spirit prison, these individuals are taught God's plan and have the opportunity to accept it or reject it.
Remember how I mentioned our inherent traits and talents were the same in the pre-mortal life as they are now? Well, we're stuck with 'em after this life, too. And that can be a fantastic thing. However, if we're stubborn, willfully ignorant, or something along those lines right now, it's gonna be even harder to change that in the next life. That's why we want to learn humility, patience, tolerance, and all that good stuff ASAP.
The spirit world is kind of like a waiting room. That's where we wait for our final judgment. But before that, our bodies and spirits are reunited again. Our bodies will be in their perfect forms. This occurrence is called the resurrection. Christ was the first to be resurrected; He made it possible for us to be, as well.
NOW, it's time for final judgment. We will be judged according to our faith and works (James 2:17-18). Christ will be our Mediator. God will judge all men with justice and mercy, and He will award each of us with an appropriate place in His kingdom.
There are three glories or kingdoms in heaven. The highest is the Celestial Kingdom. This is where God and Jesus Christ reside, and it's where families can be together forever. This is where we strive to go. It's the happiest place of all. We compare the glory of this kingdom to the light of the sun.
The next kingdom is the Terrestrial Kingdom. Its glory is compared to the grandeur of the moon. It's not the lowest kingdom, but it's not the Celestial Kingdom--remember, we want to live with Heavenly Father and the Savior again; to prepare for that time is the whole purpose of this life.
Finally, there is the Telestial Kingdom. This is the lowest of the three kingdoms, and its glory can be compared to that of a star.
That is the Plan of Salvation. I know it's true, and I strive to live according to that knowledge. I'm so grateful for this knowledge and faith, and I cannot even tell you how wonderful the plan is. We don't have to live in the dark. Because of a loving Savior--Jesus Christ--we can return to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again. How great is that?
Here is the whole plan, all put together (now follow the arrows!):
As always, I would encourage you to pray about this and find out for yourself if it's true. If you pray to God sincerely, faithfully, and in the name of Christ, I promise you can know for yourself. God is our loving Heavenly Father, and He will never reject the humble prayer of a sincere seeker of truth.
Thank you for reading :) If you have any questions, of course you may contact me, or simply go to http://mormon.org/. To go directly to the section that discusses God's plan, go to http://mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation. And, as always, feel free to roam about on that website. There's some really great stuff on it.
I'd like to...
Learn more about Jesus Christ: http://mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ
Learn about God's commandments: http://mormon.org/beliefs/commandments
Request a free copy of the Book of Mormon: http://mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon
Request a free copy of the Bible: http://mormon.org/free-bible
Meet with Mormon missionaries: http://mormon.org/missionaries
Locate a meetinghouse: http://mormon.org/worship
Find a family history center: https://familysearch.org/locations/centerlocator
Chat with Church representatives: http://mormon.org/chat
Read frequently asked questions: http://mormon.org/faq
All of the (non-paint) images were found at google.com.
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