How does God treat ignorant people/cultures?

[KingintheNorth]

Thanks for all your responses on this forum so far. Its really been enlightening. I'm about finished 1 Nephi, pretty interesting. I have a more philosophical question this time, I hope you'll oblige me.

There are many people throughout history and even currently who don't know about Jesus, either because they don't care about religion, or have a different religion. And Mormons, which claim to be the true church, only have 14 million members. So clearly if God loves all his children, then he would find a way to reach the people in the world who are Buddhists, muslims, or other. Is there any scripture or doctrine or talk which explains this?

I hope that makes sense. These thoughts probably bother me more than any other. I hope I was clear.

[Just_A_Guy]

Mormonism teaches that after a person dies, that person retains his or her consciousness and remains as a "spirit" awaiting the resurrection. Mormonism also teaches that if a person did not learn the Gospel during his or her lifetime, they can learn it in the spirit world before being resurrected. The leading section of LDS scripture that addresses this is Doctrine and Covenants, Section 138.

[Guest]

Hi KingInTheNorth,

You might want to search LDS.org for the "Light of Christ" and "Pre-mortal Life".

As a short summary, we believe that our spirits (consciousness) is eternal. That is, our spirits existed even before we were born on earth. This existence before mortality is called Pre-mortal life. In that life, God presented us with the PLAN on how our spirits can grow which is mortal probation (putting a spirit in a place with opposition so he can learn from choices and consequences). In this Plan, God chose Jesus as our Redeemer (why we need a redeemer in this plan is another lesson that I'm not going to delve in here).

Some spirits did not choose to follow God's plan, so they will not go through mortality and they will not grow in God's Kingdom. One of these spirits is Lucifer (Satan). Some spirits choose to follow the plan and so they are born into mortality. That's everyone that have ever gained mortality on earth. So, everyone of us here - including Osama Bin Laden - chose to follow God's plan in Pre-mortal life and be redeemed by Jesus.

Therefore, all of us here are born with the Light of Christ - a desire to do good (we call it conscience). Then we learn certain things precept upon precept here in mortality, and as Just-A-Guy explained above, continue to learn after death. Everyone of us then are judged according to what we know to be true and what we did with that knowledge.

Hope this helps.

[Guest]

P.S. We also believe that truth, virtue, and Godliness is found everywhere so that all people have the opportunity to experience these things.

The only thing that LDS claims is that we have the complete truth that God has revealed.

Therefore, somebody who learned about the true teachings of Jesus Christ from say, a Catholic priest, does not make that teaching false just because he did not learn it from an LDS missionary. Now, the person is then held accountable for what he does with that truth that he learned. So that, a Catholic who does good things according to what he understands of Jesus' teachings is in a better place than an LDS who does things contrary to what he understands of Jesus' teachings. Make sense?

[skalenfehl]

To the OP. You'll come to this as you read Second Nephi:

Chapter 9

23 And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.

24 And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it.

25 Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him.

26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.

27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!

Those peoples who do not have the law; who have never known of Christ, cannot sin. They are as little children and are under no condemnation.

[Guest nader]

Nice so why do you keep telling them these things that they might reject and thus condemned to spirit heaven? Isn't that a bit cruel way to treat "little children" ?

[Roseslipper]

Heavenly Father loves all of us, and He has this wonderful plan called the plan of salvation/the plan of happiness and in this wonderful plan all is taken care off all will hear His word and have the oppunity to join if they wish. Remember life is eternal that means we are eternal, that means we were before and are now and will be as time goes on. The gospel is all good. Take the time out to learn and study you can go to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints you can talk to missionaries on line, you can be brave and walk into a Lds meeting house and take the lessons thats what I

did. Search, seek, ponder and pray..and ask...

now your comment on ignorant people/cultures? No one is ignorant and different cultures are wonderful God loves all.....

[LaughingMan]

The simplest explanation that I know, is that we are judged according to our knowledge. The more one knows, the higher the standard to which they will be judged.