These are questions the LDS church claims to have answers to. In fact, I even parroted those answers when I was a full-time missionary.

The thing is though, the LDS church doesn’t answer those questions.

Well, at least not in a meaningful way. Sure, it proposes that we are children of heavenly parents as an answer to the first question and that we came here to learn and get a body as an answer to the second.

But that’s the same answer for everyone. It doesn’t actually answer the questions “Who am *I*?” or “Why am *I* here?”

It doesn’t tell me what *my* purpose is or how *I* am to make a difference in the world.

My purpose must be more than learning. I must be able to apply that learning. And not just in checking off items on a checklist. We don’t change the world by overcoming the temptation to drink coffee or watch porn or swear. We have to apply that learning in ways unique to us, in ways not covered in temple recommend interviews, in ways that change our character and positively affect the world around us.

To be fair, I’m not convinced that any institution or ideology has answers to those questions. I think the answers can be found only within us.

Do you envision heaven and hell as two different places—one for the righteous and one for the wicked—as the traditional Christian belief tends to be?

Perhaps you interpret “heaven” as it appears in the scriptures to mean the paradise in the Spirit World.

Or maybe you think “heaven” equates with Celestial Kingdom.

Here’s what I think, and let me know if you happen to believe this, too.

When I hear the word “heaven”, this is what comes to mind. To me, “heaven” refers to all the degrees of glory: celestial, terrestrial, and telestial.

The way I see it is that if the vast majority of people who have lived on this earth will inherit one of the degrees of glory, then it seems they will be better off than life here on earth.

Defining “heaven” as including all three degrees of glory also makes the concept of heaven more universal, and a universal heaven is something I can get behind.

How about you? How do you define “heaven”?

For example, our old Bishop and his wife had a farewell on Saturday night, as they are leaving for a mission. When the person conducting started the proceedings, hubby pokes me, hands me the camera, and asks me to take pictures, as he doesn’t have a clear shot. I take the first shot, and as the flash went off, a “light bulb” moment went off in my head, and I knew I had done this exact thing before.

I was sitting in the front row, had been early as usual, and others had filed in behind me. Without turning around, I knew exactly who would be there and what they would be wearing. The food for the refreshments were in the kitchen. I leaned over at the end and told Keith exactly what would be on that counter and in what order. I told him who was going to come up to him to tell him something important and that at one point, someone was going to try taking the baby out of his arms.

As the evening progressed, everything happened as I told him 2 hours prior.

Explain that if you will.

How great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God,save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit . . .

What do you think it means that Jesus was resurrected “by the power of the Spirit”?

It is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless torment. . . . it is written eternal damnation

On the surface, this doesn’t make sense. Jesus is saying that the scriptures don’t say there shall be no end to the “weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth” of those consigned to damnation (see verse 5). Yet he also says the scriptures say there will be endless torment.

How can it be with an end and endless at the same time? It seems like a mystery.

Luckily, he says in verse 8: I will explain unto you this mystery. The explanation follows in verses 10?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú12:

I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore, eternal punishment is God?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s punishment. Endless punishment is God?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s punishment.

It seems then that Jesus is saying there’s no such thing as unending punishment in the afterlife. In other words, punishment in the afterlife has an end.

This is interesting when we take verses 16?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú17 into consideration:

I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; but if they would not repent they must suffer even as I.

All this brings a question to mind.

If Jesus’s suffering redeemed those of us who repented, does that mean the suffering of the unrepentant will eventually redeem them since the suffering will have an end? If so, will they have the opportunity to change kingdoms after they are redeemed?

Can someone who is consigned to the Telestial Kingdom for murder redeem himself through his own suffering and then go on to inherit the Celestial Kingdom?

the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.

The gospel doctrine instructor asked if salvation really is free. There was an audible, collective “no”. I disagreed with this. After all, did that make Lehi a liar?

I put forth that salvation from death is free. The instructor countered with asking if that was the salvation Lehi meant.

If we look at the footnote, we will see that the salvation mentioned here is what Jude referred to as “collective salvation” (see Jude 1:3). Harold B. Lee referred to this as a general salvation:

“Herein is defined ?¢‚Ǩ¬¶ individual salvation, which comes to each, dependent upon his own conduct and his own life. But we [also] have what we call ‘general’ [salvation], that which comes upon all mankind, whether they are good or bad, rich or poor, when they have lived?¢‚Ǩ‚Äùit makes no difference. All have the blessings of the Atonement and the blessings of the resurrection given to them as a free gift because of the Savior?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s atoning sacrifice. . . .” (?¢‚Ǩ?ìChapter 3: The Lamb Slain from the Foundation of the World,?¢‚Ǩ¬ù Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 18)

I argued that we must remember that the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms are all kingdoms of glory, albeit of different levels. Those who are resurrected to one of those kingdoms are resurrected to glory, which in my opinion is a type of salvation. In that respect, salvation is free to all. Even Rick.

the choices made in this life determine one?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s station and activity in the eternities, where God reserves a unique place for all of his children.

A unique place? That makes it seem as if there are more than three places prepared for the eternities. Is this article suggesting that the post-Judgement life isn’t spent in one of three kingdoms? Could it be that the kingdoms aren’t concrete, that their borders are blurred?

A friend, son of a former temple president, once shared something with me his father suggested to him, and I still mull over the implications.

“You know how before we came to this earth, we were all brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father?”

Uh-huh.

“We were brothers and sisters to our parents, our grandparents and our children.”

Right.

“Well, once our missions on earth are over and we go back, do you think that dynamic has changed? That suddenly we’re parents and children to our brothers and sisters?”

Um . . . I don’t know.

“Well, this isn’t official, but doesn’t it make sense that once we go back, remembering everything, we’ll be brothers and sisters like before?”

What about families are forever?

“Let’s put it this way: In this earth life, we need each other to get back as close to Heavenly Father as we can ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù you can’t get there alone. But when you die, it’s going to be just you and the Lord there when you’re looking at your life.”

Okay.

“I don’t know. Just don’t be surprised if you’re still close to your parents and ancestors and children, but that the family structure you understand here might not be the same there.”

Every once in a while, a curve ball like that whizzes past me and makes me stop and think. Do I believe what he told me? I know him well enough to believe that’s what his father told him, and I believe if his father’s dwelling on it, there might be something to it. Does it affect my testimony? Not detrimentally. Does it change my opinion of the Plan of Salvation? A little, but not in such a way that it alters my behaviour or direction. When my friend first told this to me it was almost as if my perception was re-focused to a stronger clarity. I’m not saying I had a revelation, but I felt “empowered” and that feeling strengthened my testimony.

This is what the gospel does to me. Not often enough for my liking, and not causing me to go off into evangelical callisthenics (see “chicken dance”). But every once in a while, it provides me with a little surprise that edifies me and reaffirms my loyalty.