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Plan of Salvation
Here are some of the major events in our Salvation:
1. SPIRITUAL DEATH – when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit they brought mortality into play, and they were separated from the presence of God. From that day forth mankind has had to “walk by Faith” to prove themselves worthy to return to His presence. Thus mortal life is a “probationary state” in our eternal progression – we prove to God we can follow in without seeing Him watching us over our shoulders – that we can “walk by Faith”..
2. PHYSICAL DEATH – our physical body is laid in a grave while our spiritual being goes to a 'spirit world' to ready ourself for the resurrection and final judgement. If you've got any make-up work to do, do it now!
3. RESURRECTION – (Salvation from Physical Death) our spirits will be reunited with a perfected, eternalized physical body, never to be parted again. This is made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is a free gift to all mankind whether they want it or not.
4. JUDGEMENT – we will stand before the judgement bar of God to be judged – and on what grounds will we be judged? See Final Judgment for the details.
5. REWARD – We will be rewarded according to the judgement passed upon us – the more-righteous will receive a greater reward than the less-righteous. Obviously none of us are or can be perfect while in mortality – thus Jesus paid the price for our sins and mistakes so that if we accept him and His terms and conditions he will make up the balance on the day of Judgement – we call this the “Atonement of Christ”. If we are proved worthy, we receive this credit balance from the Savoir. The love that God and Christ has shown by providing this atonement is called “Grace” - see Faith, Grace, Works. But before you think Grace is all we need, please go back and review in this study Final Judgment, for it is our actions that prove we've accepted Christ and His terms and conditions.
As this will put us in the condition of being able to return to God and see His face again, we also call this “Salvation from Spiritual Death”. In the Latter-day Saint Church we also call this “Exaltation” - the degree of righteousness we obtain in mortal life will determine the 'degree of Exaltation' (or, 'degree of glory') we are rewarded in the day of judgement.
Those not found worthy of any degree of exaltation or glory receive what is called the “Second Spiritual Death” - they will go to a place where they will never again be able to enter God's presence but will be eternally cut off from Him, from Christ, and even from any influence of the Holy Spirit.
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