What happens if your time on earth is cut short?

[InquisitiveSoul]

I know a man in the Ward who used to drink, smoke, and party everyday for about 40 years. During this time he was an inactive member, but says he always paid his tithing and still believed the church was true. Later he after he retired, he says he had largely given up the party lifestyle because of his health and began to slowly come back to the church. It took him about a decade following his retirement, but he made it back and went through the Temple. He said the hardest part was the confession part, but because he hadn't been an active member and was only a Deacon, the Bishop and Stake President were easy on him.

It made me wonder, what happens if a person is living life following the wrong path and dies before they are able to find the right path?

I heard about another man who died in his 40's about 20 years ago who was in the wrong place at the wrong time when a nut was running around shooting random people. This poor guy who passed was a well known businessman in the area and had a wife and children, yet he was in the car with a prostitute at the time he was murdered.

Perhaps if this man had been allowed to live a long life like the first man, he would have cleaned up his life and found the right path. Obviously we don't know if he would have changed or not, but is their any doctrine or any thoughts on what happens when people are judged? Does their time being shortened matter or are they judged simply on what they have done up to that point?

Edited June 9, 2010 by InquisitiveSoul

[Vanhin]

God is perfectly just and merciful! He is in a position to truly know a person's heart. That said, until you are resurrected, do not give up. Do everything you can to repent of your sins in mortality, and also in the spirit world before the resurrection which will be your final judgement. Though, it will be much more difficult in the spirit world to overcome bad habits of the flesh, since you no longer have your body. Now is the time!

The gospel is preached in the spirit world and ordinances performed vicariously in our temples on behalf of the dead for a reason.

Regard,

Vanhin

[Vanhin]

Seek in this life, to have your calling and election made sure, that you may be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise unto eternal life, and commit not the unpardonable sin. That's the best policy. :)

Regards,

Vanhin

[applepansy]

Who can judge if someone's life is cut short? Certainly not any mortal on this earth. Only Heavenly Father can made that judgement.

When its our time to move from this life to the next it happens. How it happens sometimes seems unfair or even cruel. And sometimes it seems too soon. And then again sometimes it doesn't seem soon enough. Again...only Heavenly Father can decide.

My son was killed in a car accident at age 21. He didn't make very good choices in this life. This was not the first car accident. He was in another in at age 18 and he wasn't suppose to live. (he was a passenger in both accidents) But he was given a 2nd chance through a Priesthood blessing. When he died in the 2nd accident I KNEW that it was time. He hadn't learned to "drive" his body and make good choices so Heavenly Father took him home.... or grounded him. I know that my views on this are often misunderstood. I love my son and I'd have him back in a heartbeat if that was possible, even with all his challenges and problems. However, I know he lives. I know he's with family on the other side of the veil. I know he's warm, fed, and taken care of. To me that is a relief of sorts. For so many years I didn't know where he was, if he was being hurt or hurting someone else, or if he was cold and hungry. I know my son needed to leave this life for his sake.

I worked in Home Care and took care of a man who had given up after a broken leg and then a broken arm and then hip replacement surgery. He refused to get out of his wheel chair and then he refused to get out of bed. He didn't die right away. He lived through a horrible lingering death. His body slowly shut down. He had bed sores that were open and showing the metal from the artificial hips. He was septic. Yet he hung onto his body and cussed at anyone who wouldn't "get him out of the bed." He was asking to die. In this case Heavenly Father allowed this man his agency. This man did not pass through the veil until he decided it was ok to let go of his broken, diseased body.

I think we get to choose how we will live in this life and to some extent we get to choose when we die. But in the end its up to our Father in Heaven who loves us and knows us best.

It is just hard for those left behind. I know I probably couldn't have survivied the death of my son without my Faith in Heavenly Father and Christ, and also my knowledge that there is a life after this one. The Plan of Salvation is real.

EDIT: The following post from Justice helped me understand the Plan of Salvation better. I did the lesson alone, with my husband and with a Family Home Evening group. I learned more each time. Hopefully it will help you too.

http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/17368-plan-salvation.html

Edited June 9, 2010 by applepansy

[bl8tant]

There's a Muslim parable I read that strikes me as applicable:

"Two men live in the same house. The upstairs man was devout and had spent his life praying to God. The downstairs man went to parties, drank, and committed zina [what we'd call 'fornication']. One night, the upstairs man had the urge to try what the downstairs man was doing. At the same moment, the downstairs man decided to see what his neighbor was up to. They died at the stairs. The one going down went to hell. The one going up went to heaven."

While we don't teach or believe in "deathbed repentance" I believe the trajectory of your behavior-- whether it's headed up or down-- is just as important as the actions themselves, and I think (and hope!) that God takes that into account.

[Guest mormonmusic]

I think the Lord will look at everything - the antecedents to your behavior, as well as the trajectory, as well as the extent of your knowledge and testimony.

And if it's not clear from all that what judgment should be had -- he has foreknowledge, and knows what you probably WOULD have done had you been able to live. I'll bet He takes that foreknowledge into account when judging you.

[Blackmarch]

I know a man in the Ward who used to drink, smoke, and party everyday for about 40 years. During this time he was an inactive member, but says he always paid his tithing and still believed the church was true. Later he after he retired, he says he had largely given up the party lifestyle because of his health and began to slowly come back to the church. It took him about a decade following his retirement, but he made it back and went through the Temple. He said the hardest part was the confession part, but because he hadn't been an active member and was only a Deacon, the Bishop and Stake President were easy on him.

It made me wonder, what happens if a person is living life following the wrong path and dies before they are able to find the right path?

I heard about another man who died in his 40's about 20 years ago who was in the wrong place at the wrong time when a nut was running around shooting random people. This poor guy who passed was a well known businessman in the area and had a wife and children, yet he was in the car with a prostitute at the time he was murdered.

Perhaps if this man had been allowed to live a long life like the first man, he would have cleaned up his life and found the right path. Obviously we don't know if he would have changed or not, but is their any doctrine or any thoughts on what happens when people are judged? Does their time being shortened matter or are they judged simply on what they have done up to that point?

A person will lnot be unjustly cut off from being able to return to god.

However dying is not going to cause a person to instantly change into another person so the crazy nut who has life cut short will still have the desires and urges to be a "crazy nut".

the DOctrine and covenants have the most insight on what happens after this life (section 76 if i remember right).

Pretty much people will still get the chance to accept the gospel and repent, especially if they did not have the opportunity to do so in this life they will aslo be able to accept ordinances that will be done for them by proxy by those who perform them in temples.