A childs question nobody could answer.

Certainly because in the Millennium it will all be sorted out and those who could not do things now can do the extra credit necessary to get a passing grade. But if you could do in now and do not,well then you are in a heap of trouble.

Absolutely. That is the core of our temple theology – that every person will be judged charitably and based only on their effort to live according to the dictates of their own conscience and their own ability. If that man did the best he could, he will inherit the Celestial Kingdom according to our theology – no matter the details of his life.

That’s easier to accept for most members in the case of non-members and those who died without hearing about Jesus, the Christ, but it’s true even of members – active and inactive. There is no objective standard for the judgment, as much as we tend to want one. God, alone, is the judge – and we are told He judges based on the condition and intent of the heart.

It’s one of the central paradoxes of Mormon theology, Mike – the balance between motivating in this life and recognizing the complete lack of objective criteria when dealing with the dead.

We do the best we can to encourage each other to do the best we can – but, in the end, we acknowledge it’s all in God’s hands in the end.

Certainly because in the Millennium it will all be sorted out and those who could not do things now can do the extra credit necessary to get a passing grade. But if you could do in now and do not,well then you are in a heap of trouble.

I’m sorry, but this can’t be true. This seems to be the normal answer that TBM give and I can’t accept it. I can argue a bunch of “what-if” scenarios that would make this statement become confusing and hard to justify.

If God does exist and pays attention to us (still undetermined by me), then he will be the judge and there is no amount of “doing” or “not doing” according to man that will “secure” or “not secure” someone into the Celestial Kingdom.

I have to say I tend to agree with you. I don’t believe the LDS teaching that people must “work their way into heaven” by paying dues, partaking in “borrowed” Masonic ceremony’s or donning Masonic underwear. It has to do with acceptance of Christ living his gospel, and trying to do more right than wrong. But that said, what do I know? After all I’m a new convert and admit I have much to learn.

I agree that the TBM answer would be that it will all be sorted out in the millennium. We could play all sorts of “what ifs.” Ray’s point about the atonement, however, validates all of that. I know it’s widely believed, even among members, that Mormons don’t believe in grace. But we absolutely do! The atonement is all about mercy and grace, and if God really is a loving and just god, all the good that anyone does will be taken into account. I think the danger comes in the opposite – those who could have done more but chose not to. For instance, in Mike’s OP, if that guy chose not to pay tithing and chose not to go the temple even though he could have, he is probably in more danger of a harsher judgement than the guy who couldn’t. Even then, however, in the end it’s going to be up to God, and I do believe all the facets of both justice and mercy will come into play – including for the guy who could have but didn’t.

I don’t know about the church as “the church” and have had issues with some of it’s teachings.

I took a financial class from Dave Ramsey’s FPU course and once I learned this perspective I had no issues paying tithing. I look at it as this church is just as good as any other and since my family attends it makes sense.

Here is the link: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/daves-advice-on-tithing-and-giving/lifeandmoney_church/

Hopefully that helps as it isn’t a mormon thing but more of a bible thing.

Every person has a purpose in human life to learn from experiences given wherever they are in their progression. It must be a part of our faith that the people who are born in the deepest jungles in Africa, who will never hear the Gospel during this life, have as much purpose in their life to learn from their life experiences as we do; and that they will gain, thereby, an increase in light by so doing. And I tell you that it is simply true that faith in Christ is an eternally and universally valid principle and basis for knowing and experiencing truth and performing miracles. Faith in Christ is as valid a principle for Augustine as for President Hinckley and as operative in the day of Martin Luther as it was in the day of Joseph Smith. That’s our faith.

Now we may be called into question if somebody has a vision, for instance, of the Virgin Mary; because I don’t believe that the LDS believe that the Virgin Mary puts in many appearances. However I suggest that we look beyond what divides us and look to “inclusivism,” and that is, “What is it that they learned? What does their religious experience teach them?” Because God will adapt his message to any culture, and any means that He can, to increase the light of a person (see Alma 29:.

http://www.fairlds.org/fair-conferences/2007-fair-conference/2007-spiritual-experiences-as-the-basis-for-belief-and-commitment

I love this concept particularly because it doesn’t mean that his (the jungle man’s) whole life was just a preamble to the truth. His life and experiences are as meaningful for his eternal progression as mine are for me. I also expect that I will be just as surprised as he might be by how things actually work on the other side of the veil. I think it would be appropriate that we should find ourselves, as brothers seperated for such a long time, on similar footing.

We do the best we can to encourage each other to do the best we can – but, in the end, we acknowledge it’s all in God’s hands in the end.

I agree with Ray. I only wish to point out that nobody does the best they can all the time – so even if the race was only against our own potential we would fail to measure up. What does the atonement mean to you? (hypothetical) Personally I don’t think that we do a very good job teaching this or emphasizing this in the institional church but on the individual level it can make ALL the difference. One person has everything but the atonement, another has nothing but the atonement. Ultimately the atonement is God’s to give, based on whatever criteria He chooses.

Thankfully it IS all in God’s hands. We can play the role of the elder brother and complain that the prodigal son wasted away his inheritance or we can rejoice in the love and mercy of our shared father.