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This is an excerpt from an LDS doctrinal book by an LDS General Authority. It is posted here to give the reader the actual, official doctrine of the LDS Church regarding "The Law of Eternal Progression" or the LDS PLan of salvation. It has not been altered or edited.
for further LDS doctrines, visit www.lds.org
Milton R. Hunter:
Of the First Council of The Seventy
1945
Deseret Books
The Gospel Through The Ages
Chapter 3.
THE PLAN OF SALVATION
ETERNAL PROGRESSION OF MAN
The holy scriptures give an account of a great council which was held in the spirit world before man was placed on the earth. This meeting, known as the Council in Heaven, was presided over by God our Eternal Father; and those in attendance were His sons and daughters. It was one, perhaps, of many similar meetings held in the heavenly realm; but on this occasion the problems discussed and the decisions made were of such magnitude that God has seen fit to reveal to His prophets the main events that occurred there.
The principal purposes of the great gathering were to consider carefully the problem of the eternal progression of man and to present to the assembled throng the "Great Plan of Salvation." fn
The law of growth or progression is one of the eternal laws of life. All other laws contribute to it. Our Eternal Father has attained His position of exaltation and Godhood by obedience to the great law of progression. We have risen to our present intelligent state by adherence to this law and by further compliance we will advance to a state of perfection.
THE GREAT PLAN
God the Eternal Father, who was the supreme intelligence at the great council, being more intelligent and more powerful than all the rest of the group combined, desired that His spirit-children should attain the same degree of glory that was then His. Since they had filled the measure of their spirit-existence, He knew that His purposes could be accomplished only by placing them on a mortal world. After placing them there, God planned to reveal to them the Gospel and give to them agency in order that they might accept or reject its eternal truths. Each mortal being would receive rewards based entirely on valiancy, or obedience to the Gospel principles and ordinances. Thus the benevolent and Eternal Father explained to the assembled throng these and other conditions of mortality and of the great "Gospel plan of salvation."
MEANS OF OBTAINING DIVINE VERITIES
The plan proposed by God for the government of men and women in their earthly career was "based upon eternal laws that always have been and always will be operative." Since all forms of matter and energy are controlled by laws, logic tells us that a plan formulated by an eternal and intelligent being must be composed of laws. fn Many of these laws were the same as those obeyed in the spirit world, and they are basically the same as the ones we shall have opportunity to obey throughout eternity. Thus the Gospel plan was laid upon a foundation of eternal truth.
Among the laws to which all who come to earth were to be subject are faith, repentance, baptism, confirmation, love, charity, purity, industry, honesty, and many other Gospel principles, ordinances and eternal realities.
BASED ON ETERNAL LAWS
God provided the gift of the Holy Ghost as a means by which "a man may place himself in touch with the whole universe and draw knowledge from it, including the beings of superior intelligence that it contains." fn The Spirit of God was also provided to serve with the Holy Ghost as another guide for man in helping him to establish communication with the Eternal Father.
According to the Prophet Joseph Smith, all truth was to operate through the power of the Holy Priesthood. Man was to be given that Priesthood, and through it God was to reveal His will to mortals. To quote:
[The Melchizedek Priesthood holds] the keys of the Kingdom of God in all ages of the world to the latest posterity on the earth; and is the channel through which all knowledge, doctrine, the plan of salvation and every important matter is revealed from heaven. Its institution was prior to the "foundation of the earth." . . . [It] is the highest and holiest Priesthood, and is after the order of the Son of God. fn
THE FIRST SPIRITUAL DEATH
One important condition of mortal life provided in the great plan was that all spirits who come here must come in complete forgetfulness of their pre-mortal existence. The purpose of a veil being drawn over their past experiences was to start all of God's children out in mortality on as equal a basis as possible and let them live here by the principle of faith. Under these conditions each individual could face the world in faith and courage, and in vigor exercise his will in becoming acquainted with the realities that are here and in overcoming all obstacles.
Thus God's children, being placed upon a strange world and becoming mortal beings in almost complete forgetfulness of their Divine Parents, of the Gospel truths, and of all realities, would be spiritually dead. They would also be subject to physical death. In this condition God's sons and daughters would not have power to bring themselves back into His presence and thereby become glorified.
THE NEED FOR A SAVIOR
Knowing these facts, our Heavenly Father proposed as the center of the plan of salvation that one of His sons be appointed to be the Savior of the world. His work was to be the official revealer of Gospel truths to mortals. The Eternal Father decreed that angels should serve under the direction of this Savior as messengers to bring God's will to men. Thus His children would not be left in helpless ignorance, but they would be recipients of the Gospel. The Savior was to be endowed with power to break the bonds of death and thereby reunite the physical and spiritual bodies of men into a glorious resurrection. He was to be the light, the truth, and the life of the world. Only in and through His name could men be brought back into the presence of their Heavenly Parents. Thus He was to be a Divine Savior-God.
LEADERS CHOSEN
At the great council in heaven, God stood in the midst of His spirit-children and appointed "the noble and great ones" to future positions of leadership after they should become mortals. fn In that assembled throng there was "one like unto God." This glorious personage volunteered to be the Savior of the world, humbly declaring, "Father, Thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." fn Thereupon the Father accepted His offer and foreordained Him to this great mission. This individual, while acting as the mediator, was none other than Jehovah of the Old Testament, and when He lived in mortality He was Jesus Christ of the New Testament. Michael the archangel, commonly known to us as Adam, was appointed to be the first mortal man; and Eve, a spirit of comparable brilliance and faithfulness, was assigned to be his helpmate—the "mother of all mortals." Abraham, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joseph Smith, and others of the holy prophets were foreordained to positions of leadership in their respective dispensations, and Mary was chosen to be the mother of the Son of God. fn These brilliant children of divine parents were chosen at the council in heaven for important work in the plan of salvation because of their intellectual superiority and their righteousness. They were foreordained but not predestined to their respective positions of leadership in mortality.
LUCIFER'S PLAN
The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of the other sons of God. He was called Lucifer, son of the morning. Haughty, ambitious, and covetous of power and glory, this spirit-brother of Jesus desperately tried to become the Savior of mankind. At the great council he proposed a new plan of salvation, event, the Lord revealed the following to Moses:
[Lucifer] came before me, saying, "Behold—here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor."
But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me: "Father, thy will be done, and the glory by thine forever."
Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power, by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down. And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men. fn
FREE AGENCY
In contrast to Lucifer's plan of placing mortal beings on earth and bringing them back to God through no efforts of their own, Jesus sustained God's plan—the same one which had previously been followed in other worlds—of not interfering with the rights of intelligent beings to act for themselves. To Him free agency was basic in furthering the growth of human personality. Beginning with Adam, men were to be allowed to choose for themselves whether they learned much or little and whether they obeyed the laws of God or rejected them. In this way, and in no other, Jesus maintained, could men grow and eventually become Godlike.
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
Among the spirits assembled at that great council there were no two exactly alike. Some were more intelligent, more daring, more obedient than others. In fact, the law of individual differences operated there just as it does here in mortality. Since the Father respected man's free agency in the spirit world and since the group ranged in intelligence from God down to the least intelligent ones, it was but natural for a difference of opinion to develop over the two proposed plans of salvation. Lucifer vigorously campaigned for his plan, which was in opposition to the original Gospel pattern. His proposition, however, appealed to many of God's children, especially to the unadventurous ones. For them victory and salvation seemed to be assured if they followed Lucifer.
But not so with the great majority of the progressive spirits. They welcomed a world that offered real adventure and constant danger, where they could be agents unto themselves to cooperate with God in a great social scheme of learning and living truth—the laws of this new world. They were willing to accept God's law, as championed by Jesus Christ.
WAR IN HEAVEN
The scriptures tell us the story as follows:
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan. fn
[Again we read] The devil . . . rebelled against me, saying, "Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the host of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency; and they were thrust down, and thus came the devil and his angels. fn
The Prophet Isaiah, lamenting this tragic event, exclaimed:
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground! . . . For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. fn
Thus the plan of salvation as proposed by God and championed by Jehovah, Michael and other valiant men, was accepted by all the spirits who have been and who shall be permitted to come to this earth and take mortal bodies. Naturally some were not as valiant in the spirit world as were others; yet they all had their agency to choose for themselves. It is of importance to note that the free agency of man, as expressed in individual will, has continued in mortality as a basic principle in the eternal law of progression. That agency must be submissive, however, to the eternal laws of truth if we retain happiness and gain eternal life.
World War II, which recently came to a close, has proved once more that greater strength, power, leadership, and personal development are guaranteed to man by governments in which democracy and individual freedom are dominant principles than in governments wherein man does not have his free agency. Although all countries are more or less responsible for this terrible war, yet the fundamental principle we fought for was that the sons and daughters of God may retain their freedom of choice, just as the war in heaven was fought to preserve the same basic principle.
THE GOSPEL ORDINANCES
Operating in addition to and as part of natural laws are the Gospel ordinances. They were instituted by God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ before man was placed on this earth, for the purpose of assisting in bringing the sons and daughters of God back into Their presence. Such ordinances as baptism, confirmation, temple ordinances, priesthood ordinations, marriage, and others, are all part of the Gospel plan of salvation. All of these principles and ordinances of the Gospel are eternal. They were instituted before man was placed on the earth and are applicable to all human beings that live here. If any change or variation takes place in the Gospel plan of salvation, that change can be made only by the Father and His Only Begotten Son—the eternal Authors of that plan. Through the course of this study, these Gospel principles and ordinances will be discussed somewhat in detail.
As evidence of the truth of the facts just presented, the Prophet Joseph Smith declared:
If men would acquire salvation, they have got to be subject, before they leave this world, to certain rules and principles, which were fixed by an unalterable decree before the world was. . . .
The Gospel has always been the same; the ordinances to fulfill its requirements, the same, and the officers to officiate, the same; and the signs and fruits resulting from the promises, the same. . . .
He [God] set the ordinances to be the same forever and ever, and set Adam to watch over them, to reveal them from heaven to man, or to send angels to reveal them. . . . These angels are under the direction of Michael or Adam, who acts under the direction of the Lord. . . .
The ordinances, instituted in the heavens before the foundation of the world, in the priesthood, for the salvation of men, are not to be altered or changed. All must be saved on the same principles. fn
Regarding the Gospel and its holy ordinances, the Lord has declared:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that receiveth my Gospel, receiveth me; and he that receiveth not my Gospel receiveth not me. And this is my Gospel: repentance and baptism by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which showeth all things, and teacheth the peaceable things of the kingdom. fn
OBEDIENCE NECESSARY
From the beginning of history down to our day, God—even Jesus Christ—has been declaring through the mouths of His prophets that obedience to the Gospel plan is necessary for all who would attain eternal life. When the Man of Galilee was living among mortals, He definitely declared: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven." fn Following are excerpts from the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith on this subject:
The question is frequently asked, "Can we not be saved without going through with all those ordinances ?" I would answer, "No, not the fullness of salvation. . . . Any person who is exalted to the highest mansion has to abide a celestial law, and the whole law, too. . . ."
To get salvation we must not only do some things, but everything which God has commanded. fn
Jesus Christ, the only perfect man who has lived on this earth, was perfect because He obeyed all the principles and ordinances of the Gospel in order that He "might fulfill all righteousness." He thereby set a pattern of life for mortals to follow. If they obey all the principles and ordinances of the Gospel, as did the Master, their growth will continue until they attain eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS—CHAPTER 3
1. Bible: Isaiah 14:12-19; Revelation 12:7-12; Matthew 7:13-29.
2. Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 2:17-18; 9:8-10; 24:12-19; Mosiah 3:17; 4:6-8; 18:13; Alma 12:25, 30, 32; 18:39; 40; 41; 42; 3 Nephi 27:5-25, 33.
3. Doctrine and Covenants 76:25-38; 29:36-41; 39:1-6; 63:5; 82:10; 89:18; 101:43; 130:19, 21; 132:37.
4. Pearl of Great Price: Abraham 3:22-28; Moses 4:1-4; 6:26-29, 50-67; 7:11-12; 8:19-30.
5. Lowell L. Bennion, The Religion of the Latter-day Saints, pp. 53-57, 82-86.
6. B. H. Roberts, The Seventy's Course in Theology, Second Year, pp. 13-27.
7. Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection, pp. 28-38, 49-54, 178-186.
8. Joseph Fielding Smith (Compiler), The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 348-350, 308, 324, 168, 264, 138, 331-332, 199, 16.
9. John A. Widtsoe, Rational Theology, pp. 19-42.
Footnotes
1. Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 138, 354; Abraham 4:1-30.
2. Doctrine and Covenants 88:34-47; 130:20-21; 132:5; Abraham 3:1-15.
3. John A. Widtsoe, Rational Theology, pp. 38-42.
4. Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 166-167.
5. Abraham 3:22-24.
6. Ibid., 3:24.
7. Ibid., Jeremiah 1:4-5; 2 Nephi 3:6, 15; 1 Nephi 11:13-21; Mosiah 3:8.
8. Moses 4:1-6.
9. Revelation 12:7-9.
10. Doctrine and Covenants 29:36-37.
11. Isaiah 14:12-13.
12. Smith, op. cit., pp. 324, 264, 168, 308.
13. Doctrine and Covenants 1:5-6.
14. Matthew 7:21.
15. Smith, op. cit., pp. 331-332, 199, 16
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