Scrap Book of Mormon Literature, Volume 2 (of 2). Religious Tracts

by Unknown

The Redeemer himself was exceedingly exclusive, as witness the decisive quality of his language to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." This was a definite rule, laid down by the highest authority, to which not the slightest intimation of an exception was made. All must receive the genuine baptism of water and of the Spirit, the former administered by immersion, and the latter by the laying on of hands, or remain forever outside the pale of God's heavenly Kingdom. This is unqualified exclusiveness, based upon the laws which have been revealed from heaven, and which are eternal in their nature and effects.

But the objector, unwilling to release an apparently feasible opposing point, may say he can see where this exclusiveness might be justifiable in its application to the generations of men living when the genuine plan of salvation was upon the earth. Those living contemporaneously with the Gospel plan might respond to the invitation to come and bask in its saving sunshine. The justice, however, of placing a bar to the entrance into God's kingdom in the way of people who are not living on this earth when the oracles and Gospel of the Redeemer are upon it, is questioned. It is argued that surely a just God could not and would not exclude from the benefits of saving truth the myriads of honest souls who have lived out their "brief hour" in this sphere according to the best light they possessed, and passed along to the next. Those who raise this point "Do err, not understanding the Scriptures."

The great Gospel plan is both comprehensive and grand. It is worthy of the Great Being who instituted it for the redemption of His children. But how ignorant, because of sectarian gloom and apostasy, are the people concerning the magnitude of the Gospel scheme, and the far-reaching nature of its saving power and principles. By the magic touch of truth, aided by the scriptures, we hope to shed a ray of light upon this subject. We propose to show that the Gospel is not only applicable in the process of saving the living, but includes within its broad folds, salvation for the dead. The reader need not be startled at this proposition. It is strongly supported by the Bible, which, if he profess to be a Christian, he should surely be ready to accept as competent authority.

The preaching of the Gospel of life and salvation is not confined to this life. "Glad tidings of great joy" are also conveyed to the spirits of the dead, in the sphere in which they dwell pending the resurrection of their bodies. In addition to His mission on earth the Redeemer performed another in the spirit world. Before He consummated His mortal ministry by suffering an ignominious death, he spoke of his prospective labors in the sphere beyond, when he said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they who hear shall live." (John v, 25.)

Some will, in a contumacious spirit, contend that he spoke in a figurative sense, of the "dead in trespasses and sins." This is an untenable position, for why should he speak of a purpose to do in the future that which he was at the same moment engaged in, being then in the act of addressing the unrepentant Jews? But the 28th verse of the same chapter is sufficient to explode the flimsy subterfuge. It shows that he had reference to those whose bodies were at that time sleeping in the comb, "Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice." This was spoken too, in connection with an assertion that those who were obedient should come forth at the "resurrection of the just."

Let not the reader suppose that the subject of salvation for the dead is merely treated upon by a few passages of scripture. In Peter's 1st epistle iii chapter, 18th and 19th verses, there is a definite statement to the effect that after Christ was "put to death in the flesh," he was "quickened by the spirit, by which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison." The object of this preaching to the departed spirits of men is plainly defined in the 6th verse of the following chapter, being "That they be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit." The object was the same as that of the declaration of the words of life to the living; to bring the ungodly to repentance and newness of life.

Even the Protestant religion does not entirely ignore the visit of the Redeemer of the world to the shades of the departed, although the recognition of the important fact is given in an undefined and ambiguous way. This is because of a lack of understanding, in the absence of the spirit of revelation, of the Scriptures. The great truths of the Bible can only be comprehended by the investigator being in possession of a portion of the spirit that inspired the speakers and writers of the divine record. However, the 3rd and 4th Articles of Religion state that "Christ died for us and was buried, so also is it to be believed that he went down into hell." Also that "he rose again from death, took again his body of flesh and bones, wherewith he ascended into heaven." It will be seen that the sphere which Peter informs us is for the confinement of the spirits of departed humanity, is denominated in the "Articles of Faith," as "hell," but both point to a visit by Christ to a place or condition differing essentially from heaven or earth.

This position is borne out by the Savior's own declaration to Mary, when he forbade her to touch him, for the reason that he had not yet ascended to His Father. This shows he had not yet been to heaven. He had been engaged in the work entrusted to Him by the Father, among the intelligences that had once existed on the earth. This accounts for the remark of Jesus, while hanging upon the cross, to the thief who suffered a similar fate at the same time: "To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Some unadvisedly suppose the thief went direct to heaven. On the contrary it is evident he went to a place where departed spirits abide until the resurrection. Christ, as we have shown by the remarks of Peter, went to such a place, in the spirit, during the time intervening between His crucifixion and resurrection. The word paradise, therefore stands for such a place, for on the same day on which the promise was made to the thief, the latter's spirit was to be in the Redeemer's presence. There he could be taught of the Lord of heaven and earth and, if so disposed, "Live according to God in the spirit."

The reader may endeavor to find other objections to our proposition that the saving message and power of the Gospel reaches the dead who die in ignorance of it. He may take issue with us upon the saying of the Savior, heretofore quoted, "Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." This, being a rule devoid of exception, it may be a question as to how those who have died without a knowledge of the Gospel can possibly gain an entrance into the heavenly kingdom, in view of the impracticability of a spirit's being baptized by immersion, or "born of water." We at once admit that a spirit cannot personally comply with this ordinance, excepting in one way. A departed intelligence can have that ordinance performed by substitute, and his acceptance of that performance will constitute, according to the statutes of the Gospel, compliance with the law, and entitle him to the privileges of the kingdom of God.

We trust the reader will not suddenly, in his feelings, object to the vicarious administration of the ordinance of baptism in water. Baptism for the dead is Scriptural, and is a saving provision of the Almighty God, showing the magnitude of His mercy. Let us turn our attention to the 15th chapter of Corinthians. Paul offers strong reasoning in support of the resurrection of the body. One of the most potent of his points was that if the heretics who declaimed against that sublime doctrine were right, the ordinance of the being baptized for the dead would be a useless performance. Paul was, of course, right, for the chief object of such an ordinance must be to entitle the dead, among other blessings, to a part in the resurrection. This agrees with the announcement of Jesus, to the effect that the dead would soon hear his voice, and they who did good would have part in the resurrection of the just. Here are the words of Paul: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" Thus even the dead are not exempt from the exceptionless rule laid down by Christ, that the birth of water and of the spirit is an imperative condition of entrance into the kingdom of God. The only difference between the living and the dead is that the former are required to receive it in person and the latter by proxy.