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| Front Garden - South Jordan Utah |
What Happens After Death
And How Much Do I Really Need To Know
The allegory of The Plan of Salvation is as elaborate as it is inspiring. Prophets, general authorities, and church scholars have been expounding on it for more than one and a half centuries now. There’s a lot more to take in than what appears within the pages of The Principles of the Gospel, that’s for sure. But after all that has been said and done, it does still boil down to the same familiar story; three general epochs; pre-existence, mortal life, and immortality... all designed for one end; the perfection of humankind.
Contemplating a simplified analogy for what is generally understood of the plan, I guess the pre-existence can be thought of as grades K-12. Mortality would be the SATs. And immortality, naturally, is everything there after. We’d receive our mortal “SAT score” which determines the eternal “college” or graduate program admitting us. We then spend eternity reaching our potential within the measure of that assigned glory. Now, I don’t know about you but this seems like a complete waste of eternity if those in the lower glories were unilaterally prevented from progressing at some point.
As perfect offspring of the divine, we all have the same end potential and the same end capacity. Allowing for our unique personalities and talents, it’s sensible to conclude we may not all progress at the same rate. Given the awesome length of eternity, I don’t think that should be a problem.
Perhaps we have misunderstood the true nature of the separate degrees of glory. Instead of limiting progress by being some “final reward,” they cultivate progress by being part of our next evolutionary step. Divisions of advanced, average, and remedial students would be allowed to continue their progression unimpeded in an environment expressly tailored for their success. Far from being a “final” anything, they are simply transitory opportunities of continued growth. The end goal still being, after untold eons, the absolute perfection of humankind... all humankind.
The final judgment, said to occur after this life, isn’t as “final” as some would like us to believe. Perhaps it’s more of a debriefing/goal setting session prior to the next round.
There is a cyclical nature to existence and learning... like the refiner’s fire where you heat and cool metal over and over to temper it making it stronger and more flexible. I believe our lesson plan is personally tailored to each individual and life is a repetitive process of slow advancement that keeps on repeating until all of life’s lessons are finally learned.
Now, I’m not willing to espouse a belief in reincarnation as commonly understood. I prefer the term “multiple” or “plural probations” as it was occasionally referred to in some early writings among the saints. How that actually works is probably infinitely more complex than I can or care to understand. Equally irrelevant is knowing if this is my first probation or not. All I know for certain is this is far from being my last.
Beyond an understanding of our infinite opportunity, concerns regarding the mechanics of progression need to remain focused on our current condition. The staggering feat that remains ahead of us requires our constant and active participation. Perfection doesn’t just happen. It requires an eternity’s worth of knowledge and practice.
“Mindfulness is the aware, balanced
acceptance of the present experience.”
~ Sylvia Boorstein
