Dearly Departed Ones

I often contemplate what my dearly departed family members are doing on the other side of the veil of life. Lost to the world physically, they remain in memorial images, stories, and videos. No new memories will they create, other than the connections they foster through those still in life who contemplate together their memories. God revealed that they yet exist! What are they doing? I sit pondering, what do they get to see? Is the veil thin enough from their side that get to see me in this life? Are they praying for me or helping me in some manner I am not permitted to know at this time?

These questions are built on a hope and belief, not knowledge, but something that I believe is possible.

One of the questions that plagued me for years as a Christian is:

What happens to the billions of people who never heard of Jesus Christ. Will they all go to hell?

A few ministers attempted to answer my questions with the words congealing in my mind to come to this point:

"Yes. They go to hell. God has already ordained who will go to heaven and who will go to hell. It is His will to create the damned and the saints."

I could not accept it. That did not sound like the God mentioned in the New Testament. Jesus did not sound like one who damns people for not knowing. And He is not one who damns for not knowing!

How could God be no respecter of persons yet when it comes to missionary work, there be no way to save those who never had the chance to accept His words? How is that just? How is that Not cruel?

God IS just and is Not cruel. He had a plan from the very beginning to save all of His children. All of us.

In Section 138:30-34 of the Doctrine and Covenants is written,

But behold, from among the righteous, He [Jesus Christ] organized His forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead.

And the chosen messengers went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel.

Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.

These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands,

And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

These verses reverberate with the same Plan of Salvation for the dead who never had the chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ that the Savior taught while in this mortal realm. All of my ancestors, my beloved dead who knew not the Lord in their mortal existence are being taught the acceptable day of the Lord.

What is that day? The day He suffered for the sins of humankind in Gethsemane, died for the wages of sin, and rose from death so that all of humanity also will rise from the dead as a free gift.

Christians say it so often that people are starting to tune it out. The truth of the matter is that Jesus Christ is the author of salvation. How is He the author? Jesus, under the direction of God the Father and before His mortal birth created the world. He, therefore, suffered and died for the world once He was born into it. He took up His life again so that all those in the world may also take up life again. That is the whole Gospel. Everything else is how to apply the gift that Jesus Christ gave.

Because of His sinless state, Jesus was able to create, suffer and die for, and apply His atonement to all humans born before Him and after and for all eternity.

In his communication to Titus,"Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began" wrote including in his introduction many of the truths of the eternal nature of Jesus Christ and his promises for salvation because it seemed to be common knowledge among the early Saints.

Testifying of his ministry as a servant of God Paul declared that Jesus Christ, "hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour.. Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. [Titus 1:1-4]

What was manifested unto Paul? The acceptable day of the Lord which quickens both the living and the dead. He did not at this letter explicitly state that the dead have salvation, but he did not exclude it either.

President Russell M. Nelson, the prophet to the world and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the first prophet that I know of who during General Conference addressed the Church on both sides of the veil.

This indicates that there is a real connection between the righteous dead (whom Jesus organized during His short stint in the world of spirits before His resurrection) and the righteous living as we perform our work to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ as Savior and Healer of the world.

Dearly departed, sitting hear keeping your memorial, I wonder, what are you doing?
Are you doing the work Jesus Started during His mortal ministry?
Teachings, ministering, are those the labors you're pursuing?

Jesus rose to the open arms of welcome to the realm of resting spirits.
The righteous dead wept upon His neck and wet His feet with tears, He organized.
Because of Him, the Gospel message, the dead did hear it.

Mother, father, daughter, aunt, cousin, friend and stranger.
God cares for one person the same as another according to Scripture.
Hellfire? Devils? Oh, God, because of Christ, none of you are in eternal danger.

Jesus taught the gospel to those who are physically and spiritually dead.
He set up His Church among the souls of all humanity departed or alive.
For all who die without the Gospel in this life, there is hope for salvation ahead.

Those who have passed on are still busy in the Lord as our we. They teach the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It brings me comfort to know that the Gospel does not end at death and the work continues.

The First Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel Are

1. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
2. Repentance for the Remission of Sins
3. Baptism by immersion by one who holds priesthood authority
4. Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by one who holds priesthood authority.