But Few Will Be Lost.
My friends, the great truth is declared in this revelation that Jesus Christ will ultimately save ALL mankind, except a few who are called the sons of perdition, "who deny the Son after the Father has revealed Him." This is a very different idea of the plan of salvation to that which is entertained by most if not all our "Christian" friends, who say that we are very illiberal. They have an idea that the Latter-day Saints are very exclusive and illiberal in their religion. I wish to say here that there is no creed in Christendom which is so liberal as that which is believed in by the Latter-day Saints. We do not hold that all who differ with us in regard to the principles of salvation will be irretrievably lost. We do not consign our "Christian" friends, as they do us, to an everlasting hell, to frizzle and fry in brimstone and fire while eternity comes and goes; not at all. We do not believe that our Eternal Father will condemn any person who acts according to his sincere belief and who endeavors, as far as he can, to understand and practice what is true. The understanding and the practice of truth is that which exalts; and the time will come—according to our faith—when everybody who dwells on the earth, and those who have dwelt here and have gone away, will hear the sound of this one Gospel; for, as I said, there can be but one Gospel, one way of salvation, and all those who do not get into that one way are in the broad way.
There are millions and millions of heathens who never heard the name of Jesus Christ. What is to become of them all? There are millions of Jews who reject Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. Are they all to be lost eternally? They will be, according to the doctrines of some of our very liberal "Christian" friends. According to their doctrines, no one will be saved who does not believe in Jesus Christ. And they have warrant for that in the Scripture; for "there is none other name given under heaven whereby men can be saved, than the name of Christ Jesus." That being true, all who do not hear the name of Jesus Christ and believe in Him will be condemned. If, therefore, only while men dwell in the flesh they may hear the name of Christ and have the privilege of obeying His Gospel, then the vast majority of the human race, the sons and daughters of the Eternal God, will be doomed to everlasting punishment, according to the modern creeds. But according to what the Lord has shown to this Church by revelation, this Gospel will be preached to every creature. If people do not hear it while they dwell in the flesh, they will hear it after they leave the body. That is contrary to the doctrine of modern Christendom, I am aware. It comes right in contact with one of the tenets of faith of all "Christian" sects. They do not believe in the doctrine of preaching to men after they are dead. They do not believe that there is salvation for mankind after they leave this body. To use expressions common with them, "As the tree falls, so it lies;" "as death meets us, so judgment finds us;" "There's no repentance in the grave, or pardon offered to the dead." That is modern "Christianity."