Mormon Dilemma 110

Salvation of the Dead and the Living

New Era, Aug. 2009, 5; “If we can look back through the generations, we see those who helped us to get where we are now—those who forged the way before us, whether they were members of the Church or not. And in the restored gospel we realize even more deeply our responsibility to link them to us through the ordinances of the temple. In a letter from the Prophet Joseph Smith to the members of the Church, we read: ‘These are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over. . . . For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, . . . they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect’ (D&C 128:15; see also verse 18).” – Neil L. Andersen, Looking Back and Looking Forward

Phil. 1:6; “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Luke 20:38; “For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.”

Isaiah 8:19-20; “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?  20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

The first thing that comes to my mind with this LDS quote is the scripture in Philippians from the apostle Paul.  Jesus is the one that does the good works in and through us.  The salvation of others has nothing to do with us other than if/when we’ve shared the word of the Lord with someone – that’s it.

God is the one who saves – not us.  God is the one that provides – not us.

The 2^nd thing that comes to mind is the last two verses mentioned here.  God is not the God of the dead, but of the living and we’re not to have anything to do with dead people, dead spirits or familiar spirits.  God strictly condemns it!