Degrees Of Glory

[Dale]

I came to believe the popular church definition of eternal life is based on scriptures that do not support the definition. I decided the definition is a creation of people's imagination. The idea only exalted persons have eternal life is a bad definition. Eternal life applies to any person saved from eternal death in outer darkness.

[mom_of_jcchlsm]

Then why, Dale, the distinction made between immortality and eternal life? Immortality is what you seem to mean by eternal life, while the more accepted LDS view of eternal life includes exultation.

[Dr T]

Just my opinion here but I agree with you mom_of_jcchlsm eternal life is not synonymous with exaltation in my mind. From my belief, because can be eternally separated from God-that is not exaltation.

[CrimsonKairos]

The D&C defines eternal life and salvation as both meaning exaltation. That doesn't mean you have to mean exaltation every time you use the word eternal life, but in terms of the Church and official doctrine, eternal life and salvation are both words meaning exaltation:

D&C 6:13

If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation.

D&C 14:7

And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

In D&C 14:7, receiving eternal life is based on obedience to commandments. We know resurrection and immortality are free gifts to all who have been born, so eternal life in this case doesn't mean just living forever. This reference also establishes that eternal life is the greatest of all of God's gifts. I think being made perfect through Christ and being married forever are a wee bit better than just being resurrected...so again, it is exaltation that is the greatest of God's gifts, which D&C 14:7 says is eternal life, which D&C 6:13 says is salvation. So:

Salvation <=> Eternal Life <=> Exaltation

They all mean the same thing in the D&C, unless explicity stated otherwise.

[CrimsonKairos]

Ostler's treatment of this theory of redemption in his second volume...

This is the second time I've heard reference to this author. Do you know his first name by any chance?

[Outshined]

I believe his name is Blake.

http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/display.ph...view&id=608

[CrimsonKairos]

Thanks Outshined. I've read a FARMS review of some of Ostler's work. Much of it seems good and some of it I reject utterly.

His view of God's "present omniscience" seems unsciptural to me. But his views of the atonement (at least what I gleaned from the review) are in line with mine, which have changed in the last year.