Salvation Universal, II

Salvation Universal.

Bl JOSEPB F. SMITH, JR.. ASSISTANT CHURCH HISTORIAN.

II.

The question naturally arises, if all must accept the princi- ples of the gospel and be baptized for the remission of their sins, what of the dead who died without receiving the remission of their sins, or accepting Christ while they were in the flesh? They can- not be baptized in water now and have hands laid on their heads for the gift of the Holy Ghost, for these things of necessity per- tain to this mortal probation. Therefore, it would be impossible for them to be baptized now or even after the resurrection, for they would no longer be mortal, but subject to the laws and regu- lations of that life which is to come. These ordinances must be performed in this life, or, if for the dead, vicariously by some one who is in mortality, the living acting as proxy for the dead. Again we hear the objection raised, that this is impossible; that one man cannot stand, or answer for another's sins; but that every man must stand for himself. This is true so far as it is possible to be done. But occasions have arisen where the man guilty of trans- gressing the law was unable to redeem himself. And punishment for sin, is for the propitiation of sin, and in suchcases there is nothing in the scriptures forbidding one to stand vicariously for another when circumstances render it impossible for the first to comply with the law. In ancient Israel they had the scapegoat. On the head of this goat, Aaron placed both his hands and con- fessed over him all the iniquity of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and then sent him away ? "by the hand of a fit man

SA L '.1 TION I NI VERSA L 1 . 145

into the wilderness." And the goat bore upon him all their iniquities into the wildnerness "unto a land not inhabited:"* This was but one instance. In various ways vicarious offerings have been made and accepted. Then why should it be considered a strange thing for the Latter-day Saints to believe that the chil- dren have the privilege to stand vicariously for their dead fathers, and by proxy perform these ordinances, that belong to this life, in their behalf? The fact is, the whole plan of redemption is based on vica- rious salvation. One without sin standing for the whole human family, all of whom were under the curse. It is most natural and

just that he who commits the wrong should pay the penalty— atone for his wrong doing. Therefore, when Adam was the transgressor of the law, justice demanded that he, and none else, should answer for the sin and pay the penalty with his life. But Adam, in breaking the law, himself became subject to the curse, and being under the curse could not atone, or undo what he had done. Neither could his children, for they also were under the curse, and it required one who was not subject to the curse to atone for that original sin. Moreover, since we were all under the curse, we were also power- less to atone for our individual sins. It therefore became neces- sary for the Father to send his only Begotten Son, who was free from sin, to atone for our sins as well as for Adam's transgression, which justice demanded should be done. He accordingly offered himself a sacrifice for sins, and through his death upon the cross took upon himself both Adam's transgression and our individual sins, thereby redeeming us from the fall, and from our sins, on con- dition of repentance. Let us illustrate: A man walking along the road happens to fall into a pit so deep and dark that he cannot climb to the surface and regain his freedom. How can he save himself from his own folly? Not by any exertions on his own part, for there is no means of escape in the pit. He calls for help and some kindly dis- posed soul, hearing his cries for relief, hastens to his assistance and by lowering a ladder, gives to him the means by which he may climb again to the surface of the earth. This was precisely the

• Leviticus 16: 20-22; see also Leviticus chapters 4 and 5.

146 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

condition that Adam placed himself and his posterity in, when he partook of the forbidden fruit. All being together in the pit, none could gain the surface and relieve the others. The pit was ban-

ishment from the presence of the Lord and temporal death, the dissolution of the body. And all being subject to death, none could provide the means of escape. Therefore, in his infinite

mercy, the Father heard the cries of his children and sent his Only Begotten Son, who was not subject to death nor to sin, to provide the means of escape. This he did through his infinite atonement and the everlasting gospel. The Savior voluntarily laid down his life and took it again to satisfy the demands of justice, which re- quired this infinite atonement of the Son of God and accepted it in the stead of the blood of all those who were under the curse, and consequently helpless. The Savior said, "I lay down my life for the sheep. * * * Therefore, doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it up again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This com- mandment have I received of my Father."* From this we see that he had life in himself, which he re- ceived from the Father, being his Only Begotten Son in the flesh. And it was this principle that gave him power to atone for the sins of the world, both for Adam's transgression and for our indi- vidual sins, from which we could not of ourselves get free. There- fore, Christ died in our stead, because to punish us would not relieve the situation, we would still be subject to the curse for even if our blood had been shed, and through his death we receive life and "have it more abundantly." The vicarious atonement was for all, both living and dead, for as extensive as was the fall, of necessity must be the atonement. There shall, therefore, be a resurrection of the dead, .both of the just and the unjust.f This is general salvation. Our individual salvation, which determines our standing, or glory, in the kingdom of God, besides depending on the atonement of Christ, also is on

• John 10: 15-18.

f Acts 24: 15.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL. 1 it

condition that the laws and ordinances of the gospel are accepted and lived by us, both by the living and the dead. This vicarious salvation for the dead is not a new doctrine. It is new and strange to this generation, it is true, but only be- cause of a lack of comprehension of the revelations of the Lord. The Prophet Joseph Smith said it is the burden of the scriptures. It has been taught among the Lord's | pie from the earliest times. Enoch saw in vision the kingdoms of the world and all their inhabitants down even to the end of time. The Lord told him of Noah and the flood, and how he would destroj the people of the earth- for their iniquity. Of these rebellious ones who rejected the truth and paid no heed to the preachings of Noah and the ancient prophets, the Lord said: "I can stretch forth mine bands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eyes can pierce them also, and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so much wickedness as among thy brethren. But, behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers. Satan shall be their father, and misery shall In- their doom; ami the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workman- ship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer? But behold, these which thine eyes are upon shall perish in the floods; and, behold, I will shut them Qp; a

prison have I prepared for them. And That which I have chosen hath plead before my face. Wherefore, he suffereth for their

sins; inasmuch as they will repent in tin day ///<// my ( lion /> shall

return unto me, and until that day they shall be in torment." From this we learn that the Lord has prepared a prison for the souls of all those who rejected the testimony of the antedilu- vian prophets, where they were to remain in torment until the time when Jesus should atone for their sins and return to the Father. Isaiah also says: "And it shall come to pass in that day. that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gath- ered together, as prisoners are gathered in the [.it. and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visit. -d.v

• Book of Moses 7: 36-39.

f Isaiah 24: 21, 22.

148 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

This is spoken of those who keep not the law who live in latter- days. Again, he says: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, 1m cause the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.''* This was spoken of as the mission of the Redeemer, both his work for the living and the dead, who were the prisoners that were bound. When the Savior commenced his ministry, he entered into the synagogue in the city of Nazareth — his home town— on the Sabbath day, the book of Isaiah was handed him, he turned to this passage and read, closed .the book, handed it back to the minister, and while the eyes of all the con- gregation were riveted on him, he said: "This day is this scripture fulfiled in your ears.f " But the Jews rejected him and his testi- mony, and with violence drove him from the city. Nevertheless, he continued to proclaim liberty to the captives, declaring that he came not alone to save the living but also to save the dead. We hear the objection made from time to'time, that Jesus did not come to save the dead, for he most emphatically declared him- self that there was an impassable gulf that separated the righteous

spirits from the wicked. In defense of their position they quote the words in Luke, 16th chapter and 26th verse, which are: "And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot: neither can they pass to us that would come from thence. " These words, accord- ing to the story, were spoken by Abraham's spirit to the rich man who raised his eyes and asked that Lazarus might go touch his lips and relieve his torment. Abraham replied that it could not be because there was a gulf fixed between them that the spirit of no man could pass. Therefore, say the objectors to the doc- trine oi universal salvation, "it is quite evident that the righteous and the wicked who are dead, cannot visit each other, hence there is no salvation for the dead." This was true before the days that Jesus atoned for sin, which is plainly shown in the passage from the Book of Moses previously

• Isaiah 61: l;and 42: 7. t Luke 4: 16-21.

&47,1 ATION I VIVERSAL. in

quoted. And it was at this period this event occurred. However, Christ came, and through his death bridged that gulf, proclaimed liberty to the captives, and the opening of this prison door to those who sat in darkness and captivity. From that time forth this gulf is bridged so that the captives, after they have paid the full penalty of their misdeeds, satisfied justice, and have accepted the gospel of Christ, having the ordinances attended to in their behalf by their living relatives or friends, receive the passport that entitles them to cross the gulf. The Lord speaks of this himself in the fifth chapter of John, beginning with the twenty-fourth verse: "Verily, verily. I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him tha* sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemna- tion; but is passed from death unto life. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live." And the Jews marveled. Perhaps they thought lie meant those who were "dead in trespasses and sins" should hear hid voice. At any rate they marveled. He perceived it and said: "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." Peter tells us that Christ did this very thing:

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,

that he might bring us to God,being put to death in the flesh, but quick-

ened by the spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison: Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering "t God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved.*

Why did he preach to these disobedient spirits'.' Surely not

to increase their torment, to taunt them for not accepting of his

truth in the days of the prophets! To tantalize them, and make

• I Peter 3: 18-20.

1 r,0 IMPRO VEMENT ERA

them more miserable because of the blessings they had lost! Jesus was a merciful Redeemer, who suffered as no other man suffered that he might save the children of his Father. He would take no pleasure in the suffering of the wicked. It was his nature

to plead for them, to entreat his Father for mercy in their behalf.

Therefore, whatever his mission was, it was one of mercy and comfort to those prisoners. Peter tells us that the object of his visitwas that the gospel might be preached also to the dead, "that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."* What good reason can be given why the Lord should not for- give sins in the world to come? Why should man suffer through- out the countless ages of eternity for his sins committed here, if those sins are not unto death? There are many good, honorable men who have wilfully wronged no man, have lived to the best of their opportunities, righteously; yet have not received the gospel^ for one reason or another; where would be the justice in condemn- ing them forever in hell, "where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched?" We learn from the Doctrine and Covenants, that eternal punishment, or everlasting punishment, does not mean that a man condemned will endure this punishment forever, but it is everlasting and eternal, because it is God's punishment, and he is Everlasting and Eternal. Therefore, when a man pays the penalty of his misdeeds and humbly repents, receiving the gos- pel, he comes out of the prison-house and is assigned to some degree of glory in the kingdom of God, according to his worth and merit. There are three degrees of glory in this kingdom, the celes- tial, into which those who keep the whole law shall enter; the ter- restrial, in which arefound the honorable men of the world, and those who were blinded by the craftiness of men, and were over- come by the things of the world, and also those who have accepted Christ but were not valiant in his cause, and those who died with- out law among the heathen: the third, or telestial, is that glory which contains the great majority of mankind who differ in their glory as the countless stars of heaven. These are the inhabitants

• I Peter 4: 6.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL. 151

of the earth who have been unworthy, unclean, unfit for an exalta- tion in the other kingdoms. And still there will be some who, because of their filthiness and abominations in the flesh, will be unworthy of a kingdom of glory at all. The sons of perdi- tion, those who are lost, having rejected the atonement of Christ and crucified him afresh to themselves, these will

be cast out of the kingdom into outer darkness. All the i

shall be saved some degree of glory in one of the three grand in

divisions of the kingdom of Cod. A full discussion of this is found in Doctrine and Covenants, section 76. That sins are forgiven in the world to come, we need only refer to the words of the Savior: "All manner of sin and blas- phemy shall be forgiven unto men: but tin- blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy < Uiost, it shall not !"• for-

given him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come;"*

thus showing that some sins will be forgiven in the world to

come. We are also informed in First Corinthians, fifteenth chap- ter, that "if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." But we have hope in Christ both in this

life and in the life to come. Salvation does not come all at once; we are commanded to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. It will take us ages to accomplish this end, for then-

will be greater progress beyond the grave, and it will he there

that the faithful will overcome all things, and receive all things, even the fulness of the Father's glory. (To BE CONTINUED.) Salt Lake City, Utah.

*Matt. 12: 32. f Doc. and Cov. 84: 3d.