Salvation For The Dead, Resurrection, And Judgment The Gospel allows for the salvation of all who take advantage of the opportunities they are given in this life to hear and accept the Savior (Rom. 10:8-15). But what of those who never had the privilege of hearing the Gospel during their lives, or have only been confronted with a false gospel? What provision has God made for their salvation? Are they condemned to remain in spiritual darkness for eternity? Some Evangelicals believe that all people receive an opportumty to be saved during their mortal lives. Romans 1:18-20 teaches that God has manifested Himself to all men through the creation, and Romans 2:14-15 indicates that the Gentiles may obey the Law by following their consciences. These passages show that all Men are presented with evidence of God’s existence in this life, and are given a basic knowledge of good and evil so that they are without excuse if they choose to do evil in this life. However, in the same book, Paul asks, “how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14). Men must believe in Christ in order to be saved, and, as Paul testifies, “faith comes from hearing” (Rom. 10:17 NASB)! It is entirely unrealistic to suppose that every person who has ever lived on earth has heard a preacher tell of Christ. Thus, many, though they know to do good, have been without knowledge essential to their salvation. Paul implies that the gospel message was taken to the entire inhabited world during his lifetime (Rom. 10:18). Unfortunately, in the two thousand years since (and for thousands of years before), whole nations have missed out on the opportunity to hear the true word of God. Vast numbers from every nation have not had “a preacher” to teach them a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. What happens to all these people-Africans who lived and died without a word about Christ; Chinese who had no contact with the Western world for centuries; aborigines in every part of the globe? According to many Evan-gelicals these people are lost, condemned forever to the lake of fire and brimstone without so much as a chance to obtain eternal life-all victims of the sovereign election of God. This would be so, even if they were eminently obedient to their consciences, if God had made no provision for them to hear of and accept Jesus Christ after death. Mormons reject the notion that a just God would be so derelict as to omit such measures from His Plan of Salvation. This chapter will examine the biblical basis for Mormon teachings about God’s Plan of Salvation for those who did not have an opportunity to learn the truth during their mortal lives, and will explore what happens to all Men after death, whether or not salvation is available to them in the grave. In so doing it will demonstrate, contrary to the claims of detractors,a that Mormon teachings regarding the nature of eternal punishment, resurrection, the Judgment, and Heaven and Hell constitute the only theological exposition consistent in every detail with biblical eschatology. The Spirit World As James 2:26 indicates, the physical body is considered “dead” when Man’s spirit leaves it. After death, that which is still sentient is the spirit.b As disembodied spirits, Men “return” to God while their physical bodies return to inanimate physical elements (“dust,” Eccl. 12:7). “The grave” is the place that spirits stay between death and the physical resurrection of the body. Mormons frequently refer to this abode as the “Spirit World.” In the Old Testament, the Spirit World was called Sheol, frequently translated “the grave” (see, e.g., Gen. 37:35; 42:38; 44:29, 31; Job 14:13; and Ps. 88:3). The Greek equivalent of Sheol is Hades. That is the word most commonly used in the New Testament to describe the Spirit World, or parts of it (see, e.g., Luke 16:23). Hades should not be confused with another place for the dead referred to in the Bible under the name “Gehenna.” Gehenna was the place in the Valley of the son of Hinnom where human sacrifices were offered anciently (2 Chron. 33:6; Jer. 7:31). Later, rubbish was burned there, continuously producing a distinctive stench. This illustrated for the Jews the nature of judgment on the wicked~±’fire and brimstone.”c Gehenna was the name associated with the ultimate punishment reserved for the wicked-the “lake of fire and brimstone” (Rev. 20:14-15). Christ described Gehenna (translated V Ii 44 “bell fire” in the KJV) as the place where “their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:4748, NASB). Much of what can be learned from the Bible about conditions in the Spirit World (as they were before Christ’s resurrection) is contained in a parable told by Jesus in Luke 16:19-31. It reads in pertinent part as follows (NASB): “Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day. “And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. “Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. “And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. “And he cried out and said “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.” “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us. After death, Lazarus was taken to “Abraham’s bosom,” obviously a good place. In contrast, the rich man went to a place of torment, described here as “Hades.” But the story does not say that the protagonists were either believers or non-believers. The rich man is portrayed simply as having been insensitive to the plight of the poor. Implied in Abraham’s kindly phrased comments is the fact that it was the rich man’s treatment of others that caused him to be consigned to torment immediately after death. No other basis for a distinction between the two spirits is given. The story describes a barrier between the rich man and Lazarus which neither side could cross. The implication is that people from both sides may have wanted to, but neither could. That condition made the place of torment a prison,” and it is referred to as such in a number of Bible passages (e.g., Isa. 14:17, KJV). It does not say that either of the two protagonists was judged or resurrected at this time. Hence, the place described could not be the ultimate resting place of either. It was the grave, or Spirit World, not Heaven or Hell in the ultimate sense. Hebrews 9:27 (NASB) reads: “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” The last phrase is not intended to imply immediacy, for Man’s ultimate judgment does not come right after death. Indeed, the final judgment will not occur until the end of the thousand- year reign of Christ (Rev. 20:6-15). Thus, for “the dead” who will be facing the lake of fire and brimstone, the judgment promised in Hebrews 9:27 will not occur for a very long time, during which they, like the rich man, will remain in the Spirit World (or spirit prison). If there were no opportunity for the dead to accept the Gospel after death, what would be the necessity for such a waiting period between death and the final judgment? Surely God’s kingdom is not like a doctor’s office. Souls do not sit in the Spirit World for centuries because of the press of God’s business or delays caused by unexpected emergencies! Most Evangelicals think Judgment and consignment to Heaven or Hell occurs immediately after death, but that is a simplification which does not accurately reflect the Bible’s teachings about life after death. Of course, Judgment and the resurrection would follow immediately after death, if God did not have reason for Men to wait in the Spirit World. The existence of a waiting period between death and the resurrection is one of many indications in the Bible that Men can still accept Christ and elect to obey Him after death (though the consequences of intentionally waiting to do so are very adverse). Second Corinthians 5:8 reads as follows: “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Some think this means that believers are allowed to by-pass the Lord’s spiritual waiting room. But the word “with” here is the Greek pros which merely denotes locality, without identifying exactly where the Lord is waiting to receive believers after death. Since the Lord may be present outside of heaven (see, e.g., Joel 2:27; and John 1:14), one cannot assume that believers will go directly to his kingdom. Where Is Paradise? Christ told the thief on the cross “to day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Christ was certainly the archetype of all believers. Where did go on that fateful day? The passage indicates His destination after death “paradise,” but where is that? Clearly it is not in Heaven, as demonstrated in Chapter 7. There are only two other references in the Bible to “paradise.” The first is Paul’s mention of his own visit there in vision (2 Cor. 12:14, NASB): Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. Iknow a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows-such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man-whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows- was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. In this passage, Paul twice says he was “caught up.” In verse 2, he was caught up to “the third heaven,” and in verse 4 he describes being caught up to “Paradise” and hearing “inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.”d The assumption of most Bible scholars is that Paul was describing a single experience here.e However, unless Paul was using the term “Paradise” here to designate a different location than the one Christ referred to on the cross, it is clear that this passage relates two different experiences, because Paradise and Heaven could not be the same location (cf, 1 Pet. 3:18-20). Evangelicals, who assume that “heaven” and “paradise” are synonymous, are as confused as the Jews were at the time of Christ, when there were extensive arguments about the location of three paradises. In Jewish thought at that time, the first paradise was Eden, and the third was believed to be the abode of God. However, the Jews were uncertain as to the second paradiseJ Mormons believe the third Heaven, spoken of by Paul, is the abode of God, and that, aside from the paradise of Eden, there is but a single location referred to as “paradise” in the Bible and it is not Heaven. That Heaven and Paradise are different locations is indicated, as noted above, by Paul’s separate reference to “the third heaven” in verse 2 and “Paradise” in verse 4. That understanding is confirmed by John 20:17, in which Christ, newly risen from the grave, said to Mary, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” According to Luke 23:43, He had been in Paradise on the day of his death, yet on the morning of his resurrection, He had not yet gone to the abode of His Father. The conclusion that Heaven and Paradise are different places is also confirmed in the following information provided in Ephesians 4:8-10 (NASB): Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.” (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descendedg into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) This passage relates to God’s plan of salvation for the waiting spirits in prison. It is describing Christ’s activities in the grave and indicates that He first descended into what is described as “the lower parts of the earth.” That would have been on the day He died and took the thief with Him to Paradise (Luke 23:43). Obviously, the phrase “lower parts of the earth” does not describe the third heaven, or abode of God, but Spirit Prison. Verse 8 indicates that He subsequently ascended “on high,” leading with Him a “host of captives.” Obviously, these captives were spirits who had been imprisoned in the “lower parts of the earth,” the spirit prison. They were leaving with Christ to go “on high.” But where is that? It could not be the same place as that described in verse 10~~±’far above all the heavens,” for that phrase describes the abode of God. If Christ had gone there while in the grave, He would surely have come into contact with His Father, but He did not ascend to the Father until after His resurrection and appearances to the disciples (John 20:17; Acts 1:2-3). During His post-resurrection visits, Christ gave instruction and evidence of His victory over death to those who had believed in Him. Doubtless this was what Paul referred to in verse 8 by the phrase, “He gave gifts to men.” One may therefore conclude that the term “on high” does not refer to Heaven, but to Paradise, a place above the spirit prison, but still located in the Spirit World. The last reference in the Bible to “paradise” is in Revelations 2:7. It reads as follows: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” This passage gives no indication of where “the paradise of God” is located, only that, wherever it is, a “tree of life” is located there. The name, “tree of life,” suggests something to do with the resurrection. A similar tree was in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:9), where its function related to physical immortality (Gen. 3:22). That such a tree is located in paradise suggests that paradise is an appropriate place for it. The Spirit World, where the spirits of Men await the resurrection, would certainly be the appropriate place for a tree from which “him that overcometh” can be “1givenj to eat.” Consistent with all these passages, Mormon theology teaches that the good part of the Spirit World is the place called Paradise. The bad part is referred to as “spirit prison,” or “Hades” (Luke 16:23), though the latter term may be used to refer to the entire Spirit World. Since Christ went to Paradise after He died, and not to the abode of God (the “third heaven”), one must conclude that the experience of all Men, even righteous believers, will be the same.h Salvation for the Dead Evangelieals frequently misunderstand Mormon teachings about salvation for the dead. Though there is no evidence from his writings that he knew more than an inkling about Mormon eschatology, Walter Martin describes Mormonism as a form of “universalism.”1 Like Dr. Martin, many Evangelicals think this aspect of Mormonism is a “second chance” doctrine.~ They assume that Mormon theology invites Men to ignore God in this life and repent in the Spirit World, thereby obtaining redemption after a life of sin. Hopefully, the lives of active Latter-day Saints provide ample evidence that nothing could be farther from the truth (see, The Book of Mormon, Ether 2:15). Nevertheless, it is well-established in the Bible that God gives Men many chances to accept Him (2 Pet. 3:9). A time will come, however, when Men will receive no more chances (cf., Rev. 2:20-21), but the real issue is not whether Men get a “second chance,” but when are their chances cut off? What is the time when Men will no longer be allowed to repent and accept Christ? Evangelicals say that the cut-off time is physical death, but there is no explanation for the delay between death and Man’s ultimate judgment, other than this: to give Men more time after death to repent and accept Christ in preparation for that last and final audit. Christ’s Mission to the Dead. The Bible teaches that, following Christ’s death, an opportunity for those in the Spirit World to hear the Gospel was initiated by Him. So important was this event that it was foretold by Old Testament prophets as well as by Christ. Himself. Prior to this event, the Spirit World was truly a prison. Those who died without a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ were in the position of the rich man in Luke 16-confined to hell, entirely unable to cross over to Paradise. Nor could anyone from Paradise cross over to Hades to help the spirits there (Luke 16:26; see, also, Isa. 24:22). It was foretold by Old Testament prophets, however, that these conditions would change. An example of the prophecies that tell of Christ’s mission to the spirits in prison is Isaiah 42:6-7, which reads in the NASH as follows: “I am the Loiw, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon, And those who dwell in darkness from the prison ~ The language here is metaphorical, as evidenced by the idiomatic reference to the Messiah as “a light to the nations, to open blind eyes.” Of course, Christ physically opened the eyes of the blind, but that is not the limit of this phrase. Likewise, the reference in verse 7 is not simply to occupants of a physical prison. “The dungeon” mentioned there is that portion of the Spirit World which constitutes a prison, and those who “dwell in darkness” include the spirits waiting in spiritual darkness for an opportunity to hear the Gospel. Isaiah here foretells the day when these unfortunates would be brought out of that darkness by the hand of the Lord. See also, Isaiah 49:9; 61:1 (quoted by Christ to the Jews in Nazareth, Luke 4:18-21), and Zechariah 9:11. Christ proclaimed the imminent fulfillment of these prophecies in Luke 4. However, He made the nature and intent of His mission to the Spirit World very clear in John 5:25-29 (NASH), which reads as follows: “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” While one might suppose that Christ was speaking in verse 25 of the spiritually dead amongst the Jews to whom He was sent, it is clear from verse 28 that He was referring to the physically dead in this passage. The promise given is that those who have physically died may yet obtain eternal life if they “hear His voice.” But when did the hour come that those who were in the tombs (KJV: grave) heard His voice? Peter gives the timing of this event in 1 Peter 3:18-20: For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. With the group described in this passage, the thief on the cross was given the opportunity to be saved through the preaching of Christ on that fateful day when a ministry to the dead was opened by Christ’s addressing the lost who waited in the Spirit World. It was a great boon to the thief to be admitted to that select assemblage, but it was not instant salvation for him or any other spirit in attendance. Later in the same epistle, Peter explains the efficacy of Christ’s preaching to the spirits in prison, confirming the message of John 5:25-29 and the prophecy of Isaiah. He explains (1 Peter 4:6): “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” Thus, Christ preached to the dead in the Spirit World in order to give them an opportunity to repent and start living God’s commandments there. The spirit that goes to the Spirit World is the same one that lived in its physical body here on Earth. If a man was unrepentant here, his spirit will have the same attitudes and desires there. Christ’s mission was not to force these spirits into obedience or to grant them instant salvation. He simply opened the opportunity for them to “live according to God in the spirit.” While this is a great opportunity, this passage also makes it clear that it is during their earthly lives that Men must do good rather than evil. As Peter indicates, the spirits in prison will be judged “according to men in the flesh.” They will not be judged according to their works in the Spirit World! The dead are given the opportunity to repent and accept the Gospel there, receiving justification for their past sins, but their acts while in the flesh will be the major factor in their judgment (see, also, John 5:29). Hence the significance of Paul’s statement about the Gentiles who, though they have never heard of Christ, live according to His laws through the dictates of their God-given conscience (Rom. 2:14-15). Romans 2:16 refers to “The day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” The obedience mentioned in these verses (“doing by nature the things contained in the law”) is the essence of the test that relates to this life. It is not necessary to have a perfect knowledge of theology to be judged “by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” How Men view God and treat their fellows is the essence of the test. In some ways, however, the test continues in the Spirit World. As Paul put it, Men can learn there to “live according to God.” This could include learning of Christ and the principles of repentance and obedience. It could even include making a commitment to Christ through baptism for the remission of sins. Clearly, spirits who accept Christ in the Spirit World must be baptized for their past sins, the same as Men on Earth. God has not devised one Gospel for those who hear His servants in this life, and another for those who must wait until the next (Eph. 4:5)! Water baptism, by its very nature, however, is a physical ordinance. Any attempt to immerse a spirit in water would be a sham. How then can a spirit be baptized and thereby realize Peter’s promise of living according to God in the spirit? Baptism for the Dead. The answer to that inquliy is found in an illuminating remark by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:29 (NASH): Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? This verse confirms that God requires baptism for all, even those who accept the Gospel in the Spirit World, and that He has provided a way to accomplish that end. The Greek word translated “for” in this verse is huper, which literally means “on behalf of.” Thus, the reference in this verse is to “baptism On behalf of the dead.” This is a proxy ordinance performed by a living person on behalf of a deceased individual. That is, baptisms may be performed by living believers for spirits in spirit prison in the hope they will repent and seek the benefits of that ordinance. In the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul was writing about the doctrine of resurrection. He makes several arguments to prove that there will be a resurrection of all Men. Baptism for the dead is of such great importance as confirmation of the resurrection that Paul listed it as one of the foremost proofs in his treatise. He even places it before the testimony of his own behavior, for he risked his life daily for the Gospel’s sake, a sacrifice he would not have made were it not for the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:30-32). The preaching of the Gospel to the dead makes it possible for spirits in the Spirit World to exercise their faith in Christ and make the commitment that will bring remission of their sins. Since baptism is essential for justification, and hence is a saving ordinance, Paul refers to the practice of “baptism for the dead” as a proof of the resurrection. Paul’s argument assumes that without baptism there would be no justification. Those who are not justified will only be able to come forth in the Resurrection of the Unjust described below. Through baptism for the dead, a person may receive justification in the Spirit World (providing he is otherwise prepared for that blessing), allowing him to take part in the Resurrection of the Just, also described below. Thus, baptism of the living on behalf of the dead is directly related to the resurrection of those spirits for whom the proxy baptisms are performed. If there were no resurrection, there would be no reason to perform such baptisms. Why would any living person perform baptisms on behalf of the dead if spirits could not receive a greater reward in the resurrection (see, 1 Cor. 15:40-42) as a result of that ordinance? The very existence of baptism for the dead in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proof that there is a resurrection! Paul alludes to those performing baptisms for the dead as “they” in that verse, indicating that the Corinthians may not have been performing baptisms for the dead (or at least not all of them). Still, they were sufficiently familiar with the ordinance for Paul to use it in his argument. Mormon theology teaches that only mature and obedient believers are allowed to perform this ordinance. At the time of Paul’s epistle, many Corinthian believers were in a state of great wickedness (1 Cor. 3:1-5). Thus, the reference to “they” in this passage suggests that few, if any, of the Corinthians had as yet been given the privilege of performing baptisms for the dead. Perhaps no other passage in the Bible has caused as much controversy among Evangelicals as 1 Corinthians 15:29. It was the catalyst, in fact, for the conversion of the author’s own father, formerly a student minister, who at first thought the verse was unique to ~Mormon Bibles.” There are as many different Evangelical interpretations of this passage as there are commentaries. They can only agree on one point-that the Mormon interpretation is false, despite the fact that it is the only exegesis of the passage that respects its plain language and is consistent with all other Bible passages that teach salvation for the dead. As an example of Evangelical exposition on this passage, C. I. Scofield gives the following commentary: Paul is not here speaking of baptizing living believers in place of either believers or unbelievers who have died. There is no assignment of saving efficacy to baptism. The argument is: Of what value is it for one to trust Christ and be baptized in the ranks left vacant by the believing dead, if there is no resurrection for believers? Why place life in jeopardy and forfeit the benefits of this life, if there is no life after death?k Scofield appears to recognize the plain meaning of the passage, but rcjects it. He must therefore read into it some alternative meaning. Unfortunately, his explanation is much more than a paraphrase of the passage, it is a complete revision, an excellent example of eisegesis. Further, he refrains from giving a single reference to biblical authority for his conclusions. This is strictly his opinion, and it misses the essential character of Paul’s argument altogether. Paul was not trying to prove “life after death,” as Scofield puts it, but that the dead will be resurrected. As Scofield notes, baptism for the dead does not involve the assignment of any “saving efficacy” to the person on whose behalf the baptism is performed. It is only the performance of that essential ordinance by proxy on behalf of a deceased person. To be of any efficacy at all, the spirit on whose behalf the baptism is performed must have saving faith in Christ and express that faith through sincere repentance, the same as any living person. “Baptism for the dead,” according to Scofield, is baptism into a spot in “the ranks left vacant” by a believer who has died. At one time, variations on this explanation of 1 Corinthians 15:29 were quite popular. The problem is that such explanations suggest believers were only baptized when other believers had died. But there is no indication in the Bible that, before baptism. anyone inquired as to whether or not another believer had died. Instead, every account of a conversion is accompanied by some indication that the new believer was baptized immediately. Scofield’s explanation is no longer the most popular exegesis (actually. eisegesis) of this passage among Evangelicals. The most common theory now is that the ordinance of baptism for the dead was a false practice. probably not even a practice among the Corinthians (because of the reference to “they” I I in that verse). It is thought that Paul pointed to this “false” practice (notably without identifying it as such) to argue, in essence, that those who engaged in baptism for the dead apparently believed in the resurrection more than the Corinthians did. Not only does this interpretation strain the language of the passage, it does a gross disservice to Paul. If baptism for the dead were a false or pagan practice rather than an essential part of God’s plan of salvation, what possible connection could it have to the true doctrine of resurrection, of which Paul was trying to convince the Corinthians in chapter 15? Unless baptism for the dead were a true Gospel ordinance effectually connected to the resurrection, as indicated by Paul’s argument, he would never have raised the subject, except to condemn the practice. Notably, however, Paul never identifies baptism for the dead as either false or pagan. In other addresses and letters where Paul referred to pagan beliefs and sources, he clearly identified them as such (see, e.g., Acts 17:22-23; Titus 1: 12). Here there is not even a disparaging word against baptism for the dead, rather the practice itself is held up as the evidence of the message. Would a teacher of truth use a false or pagan practice to prove a true doctrine in this manner? The very notion is beyond reason and without parallel in any inspired writing. Another Evangelical complaint about this passage is that baptism for the dead is mentioned only once in the Bible-in this single verse. Some see this as a violation of God’s requirement that everything must be established in the mouths of two or three witnesses (2 Cor. 13:1). That instruction however is directed to the establishment of Man’s testimony, not God’s (Matt. 18:16; 1 Tim. 5:19; Heb. 10:28). In dealing with Men, God frequently provides many witnesses, but God’s testimony needs only one witness-His! In fact, a number of doctrines are taught in only one place in the Bible, the most notable being the core of the Gospel, which is specifically identified in only one passage-i Cor. 15:1-5. There is no reasonable alternative explanation of 1 Corinthians 15:29. That is a fact the author’s father had to face, and every honest scholar of the Bible must do likewise. It is not enough to say that this is an obscure passage, and dismiss the inability of Evangelical theologians to explain it on that basis. This is a significant doctrine, an essential element in God’s Plan of Salvation for the dead. It stands out as a pivotal inadequacy in Evangelical teaching. For many, this inadequacy has been the turning point in their tolerance for Evangelical theology. A word of caution is in order before leaving the subject of salvation for the dead. Those who accept Christ in the Spirit World on the same terms as those who accept Him while in the flesh will receive the same blessings, for Christ is “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). But if a man makes no effort to do good rather than evil in his mortal life, he will have failed the crucial element of the test this life administers, and will not qualify for the same rewards as those who learned to choose good over evil in mortality, no matter what their theology. Therefore, though biblical teachings about salvation for the dead give reassurance concerning loved ones who were lost before they could accept or reject Christ, the living who are exposed to the truth have no business waiting for a “second chance” after death. Mormon theology contains no reassurances for those who so foolishly procrastinate the day of their repentance (Book of Mormon, Alma 34:33-35). Men cannot knowingly resist God until the end and yet expect the same results as will be enjoyed by those who obey the Gospel in this life (or who follow their conscience in this life and obey the law without hearing the Gospel, Rom. 2:14-15). Men cannot expect to enjoy eternal life with God after spending their lives in rebellion to His message (see, Eph. 5:3-7). Eternal Punishment In his book, The Maze of Monnonism, Walter Martin claims that “[t]he largest cult embracing universalism in the United States today is the Mormon Church.”1 He defines Universalism as “the theory that at the final consum-mation of the ages God will punish in a remedial way the souls of men who have rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, reconciling them to Himself after a proper period of chastisement.”m This gross misunderstanding of Mormon doctrine is consistent with Dr. Martin’s general lack of accurate information about Mormonism, and his habit of applying labels to those doc-trines and religions with which he disagrees. Universalism teaches some doctrines that are similar to Mormonism, hence, in Dr. Martin’s mind, Mormonism is a universalist religion. In fact, however, Mormon eschatology differs materially from Universalism and is, instead, strictly harmonious with the Bible. One object of Dr. Martin’s criticism and much negative Evangelical comment, is the concept of “eternal punishment” in Mormon theology. Mormons teach that eternal punishment is a reference to God’s punishment just as eternal life is a reference to God’s life or lifestyle (see John 17:3; 2 ‘hess. 1:9; and D&C 19:4-12). The only real areas of disagreement between ~rmons and Evangelicals on this subject are the duration of such unishment, and the persons who will be required to suffer it. Evangelicals assume that the word “eternal” means that eternal punishment will last forever. Mormons believe that this is not the sense in which the was intended. God’s punishment may not last forever in the case of every person who must experience it. Instead, it will fit the crime, varying according to that which is appropriate under the circumstances (Heb. 10:28-31). In fact, God is always more merciful than Men deserve (Ezra 9:13). However, Mormon’s teach that eternal punishment will be suffered far more broadly than Evangelicals suppose. Even those whoprofess belief in Christ, but fail to do His works (Matt. 7: 22-23) will be required to suffer a measure of His wrath. Psalms 103:9 gives some information about the issue as follows: “He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever’ This verse teaches that God will not always chasten Men. That is not an entirely positive promise. God chastises those whom He loves so they will repent and be saved (see, Deut. 8:5; Ps. 94:12; Prov. 13:24). But in the context of this verse, the Psalmist is reassuring Men that their punishment need not last “for ever. An important point in this regard may be adduced from the suffering of Christ. He suffered for all the sins of Mankind so that, if any will repent, they need not suffer as He did. God “laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). But did Christ’s suffering for all Men la’st forever? No! In terms of temporal duration, it lasted no more than three days and three nights (from Gethsemane to the Resurrection). It appears, therefore, that it is not the duration of eternal punishment that is its distinctive characteristic, but its nature and source. It is God’s punishment, for God is eternal (1 Tim. 1:17), and His punishment is terrible no matter how long it lasts (Heb. 10:31). Dr. Martin claims that “Mormon theology cannot conceive of eternally punishing the infinite sin of rejecting His Son.”~ In fact, however, Mor-monism teaches that this is exactly the sin reserved for the kind of eternal punishment that will last forever! To demonstrate this point of Mormon the-ology, the entire issue of Man’s ultimate punishment and reward must be examined in far greater detail than Dr. Martin attempts in his Maze of Mormonism. This will show that Mormon eschatology provides the only satisfactory explanation of all the Bible’s teachings about Judgment, the Resurrection, and Man’s ultimate place in the Heavens (or the alternative). The Accountability Of All Men The Bible makes it clear that all Men will be judged at some point in time, both the righteous and the wicked (Eccl. 3:17). Paul’s incontrovertible testimony is that those guilty of gross sin cannot have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7; see, also, D & C 76:103-105). That believers too will be judged, however, is clear from the teachings of Paul to the Romans (Rom. 14:10-12, NASB): But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.” So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God. Note that Paul included hi mself in this passage by use of the first person we” in verse 10, and “us” in the statement “each one of us shall give account of himself to God” in verse 12. This is consistent with Peter’s statement that judgment begins with the “household of God” (1 Pet. 4:17). Likewise, according to Ezekiel 33:20, (NASB), God will judge all Men “according to [their] ways.” How does one prepare for such an audit? John admonished the saints to abide in perfect love. Since love is the sum and substance of all the laws of God, John knew that if Men would concentrate on that attribute they would automatically follow all the laws of God. He promised that if a man’s love is perfect, he will have confidence before God in the day of Judgment (1 John 4:17-18, NASH): By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. If Men are “perfected in love,” they will be like God, obeying His laws perfectly. They will have no fear of punishment or the loss of any reward, if they have “perfect love.” In 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (NASH) Paul indicates how he prepared for the judgment of God: Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. It was Paul’s “ambition” to please God. With such an ambition, He could rest assured that his accounting to the Lord would be satisfying. Paul’s statement demonstrates that it will be hard to enter the kingdom of God if Men work easy, but easy if they work hard. Verse 9 refers to pleasing God “whether at home or absent.” In the context of 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, the word “absent” here refers to the spirit being absent from the body and present with God in Paradise. Thus, Paul recognized that, in addition to pleasing God in this life (“at home”), Men would have some opportunity to please God after death (“absent”). However, the importance of doing good in this life is reiterated by Paul in his statement that each person will be “recompensed for his deeds in the body” (emphasis added). The Greek word translated “judgment seat” in Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10 above is bema. That word refers to the judgment or “mercy seat” of Christ before whom believers, like Paul, will be brought to give their accounting. This is the seat from which those who have part in the first resurrection (explained below) will be judged. Exactly when judgment will occur for any particular believer is not stated in the Bible. Many saints that had died were raised immediately after Christ’s resurrection (Matt. 27:52), and there will also be a significant resurrection of the righteous at Christ’s Second Coming (1 Thess. 4:17). Other than that, the bema Judgment will most likely occur concurrently with the individual’s resurrection, since the individual believer’s resurrected state is determined at that Judgment (cf., 1 Cor. 15:42). Judgment will doubtless take place whenever the individual is ready to be resurrected, though the time will not be later than the end of the Millennium, at which time the Final Judgment takes place (Rev. 20:5). The word translated “throne” in Revelations 20, speaking of the Final Judgment at the end of the Millennium is thronos, referring to the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11). The Judgment associated with the Second Resurrection (explained below) will take place in front of this throne. There is a significant difference between the thronos and the bema Judgments. The bema Judgment focuses on Eternal Life as its reward, while the thronos Judgment focuses on the Second Death as its punishment. Naturally, there will be some who do not merit eternal life at the bema Judgment, and correspondingly, some who do not deserve the Second Death at the thronos Judgment. The fact that believers will appear before the bema rather than the thronos should not be viewed as an assurance of their salvation in the Kingdom of God, as Evangelicals think. Believers are also accountable for their actions on earth. In 2 Corinthians 5:10 the recompense promised at the bema Judgment includes both good and bad. Clearly, some believers will be greatly disap-pointed to find that they are not worthy of the reward they thought they had permanently appropriated. Note the great similarity between the bema Judgment described by Paul above and the thronos Judgment described by John in Revelations 20:12 (NASB): And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne [MV: “stand before God”], and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. The basis for both judgments is the same: Man’s deeds “in the body.” This is the standard indicated in 1 Peter 4:6 and the other passages discussed above. All Men are judged on this basis, whether they accept the Gospel in mortality or in the Spirit World. Every person will be asked, “What did you do during your life on earth?” Those who sought to do good in this life, rather than evil, will be asked that question at the bema. Those who chose evil will be asked the same question at the thronos. Revelations 20:12 indicates that the Lord keeps records (“book”) of all that Men do. As to sins truly repented of, however, the Lord has promised to remember them no more (Jer. 31:34). The writer of Hebrews reiterated that promise as follows (Heb. 8: 10-12): For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. If the Lord remembers sins no more, that implies Men’s sins are erased from some record of them kept by the Lord. In fact, however, His notation process is just the opposite. Revelations 20:12 mentions “another book,” called the Book of Life. Because of its importance in the Judgment, a brief review of scriptures relating to this book, the Lamb’s Book of Life, will show the approach the Lord uses in His record keeping. The Book of Life is first mentioned in Exodus 32:31-34 (NASB, emphasis added) in the following exchange between Moses and the Lord: Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. “But now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin-and if not, please blot me out from Thy book which Thou hast written!” And the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. “But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” “Thy book,” referred to in this passage, is the Lamb’s Book of Life. Moses, as the leader of rebellious Israel, felt to take personal responsibility for their sins and asked the Lord to “blot [him] out” of the Book He had written, along with Israel. In response to his plea, the Lord indicated that Israel will be judged on an individual basis, not vicariously through the punishment of their leader. “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book” (emphasis added). Being “[blotted] out” of the Book of Life was a punishment David requested for his enemies in Psalm 69:28 (NASB): “May they be blotted out of the book of life, And may they not be recorded with the righteous.” “Righteous,” as used here by David, unquestionably meant those who “walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity” (Ezek. 33:15). From these passages, it appears that a man may have his name “blotted out” of the Book of Life if he cannot be included among the “righteous.” The Lord’s record keeping is done from the positive direction. He is primarily interested in Man’s positive accomplishments. Thus, the Book of Life contains the names of those who are righteous. It is called the Book of Life because The Book Of Life it contains a continuously updated and current list of all who are entitled to receive eternal life. Consistent with that understanding, Revelation 3:5 (NASB, emphasis added) explains how Men can avoid having their names “blotted out” of the Lamb’s Book of Life: He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. The Greek word translated “overcomes” means to “gain the victory.” Since it is unrighteousness, or sin, that results in a man’s name being blotted out of the Book of Life, it is obviously sin over which Men must be victorious in order to keep their names from being taken out of that record. Men overcome sin in their lives through justification, and learn to maintain righteousness through the process of sanctification (see Chapters 6 and 7). Hence, those who gain victory over sin, whose names will not be blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life, are those who learn to obey the laws and ordinances of the Gospel, and do His will. Universal Resurrection The Bible indicates that resurrection involves not simply the restoration of Man’s spirit to an immortal body, but a determination of the fate to which that resurrected body will be consigned. The distinction between receiving a resurrected body that is immortal but consigned to the Resurrection of the Unjust, for example, and receiving a body that will be gloriously resurrected to eternal life with God, is very significant. Nevertheless, the distinction has somehow escaped Evangelical critics of Mormonism. In fact, because they misunderstand this point, some Evangelicals reject the idea of a universal physical resurrection altogether. Their view is expressed as follows: Satan is deceiving the Latter-day Saints to think that salvation by grace constitutes a general resurrection for all; “that which comes to all men irrespective of belief in Christ” (Doctrines of Salvation 1:134). It is true that Christ died to provide a sacrifice through His blood for “all” men, and His sacrifice is sufficient for the sins of “all” men, but the justification of life to all men was supplied only on the condition of acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. John 3 explains that God “gave His only begotten Son” so that “the world through Him might be saved?’ Therefore he who accepts this sacrifice has “everlasting life” while he who does not believe “shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”0 It is not Mormons, but their critics who are being deceived by Satan on this point. The Bible clearly teaches a physical resurrection of all Men. Some are resurrected to good, while others receive a resurrection of damnation. On this point, even that lion of Mormon criticism, Dr. Walter Martin, agrees. Though he seems entirely unaware that his teachings are in complete harmony with Mormon theology, he interprets 1 Corinthians 15:22 in The Maze of Mormonism as follows: The context is clearly one of resurrection-physical resurrection for judgment. To capture the sense of the Greek properly it should be rendered, “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be raised to life, or resurrected.” This we know to be true, because there will be a resurrection of the just and of the unjust (Acts 24:15).P Paul’s earlier remarks in 1 Corinthians 15 also support this conclusion. He taught that physical resurrection from the grave (salvation from Physical Death) is a “free gift” to all (Rom. 5:14-15), and that all Men will be resurrected regardless of their spiritual condition. Paul includes both believers and unbelievers when he refers to “the dead” in 1 Corinthians 15:16-18 as follows: For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. In this passage, Paul states unequivocally that all Men who pass from this lifr (“the dead”), both good and evil, will be resurrected. He even declares that, if the resurrection were not universal, Christ would not have been raised either. (Why? Because in this respect He is like all other Men-a spirit child of God the Father!) Paul reasons that, if Christ were not raised, Christianity would be false (verse 17), and all who have died in reliance on Christ would be lost (verse 18). Thus, the gift of salvation from Physical Death must come to all Men, or there is no salvation in Christ. Mormonism teaches there will be a Resurrection of all Men. But being resurrected is not the same as enjoying eternal life with God. Even the terminally wicked, who will be cast into the “lake of fire,” will be resurrected, but their resurrection will be to eternal death, not eternal life (see Book of Mormon, Alma 41:2-6, contrasting these two ends of the judgment spectrum). Judgment And Resurrection While judgment is left to the Son (John 5:22), the Bible provides a clear indication of its outcome, lest any man should complain that he was surprised at the last day. Nevertheless, few teachers outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have adequately analyzed the Bible’s messages about this all-important subject. Most think only in terms of Heaven and Hell, even when they understand that there are two separate Judgments (bema and thronos). Dr. Walter Martin, for example, in his Maze ofMormonism supplies a chart entitled “Mormon Plan of Eternal Progression,” which he describes as a “‘revelation’ of the Mormon prophets.”~ In fact, the chart is nothing more than a Sunday School teaching aid intended to give investigators and new members a summary overview of an enormous body of knowledge, from Man’s pre-existence through the Final Judgment. No attempt is made by Dr. Martin to analyze the chart or any of the issues it raises. (In fact, he fiulsely alleges that Mormons view the position of African- Americans on the chart as somehow different from that of other children of God, though not a word on the chart or in official Mormon Doctrine, implies any such distinction.) Having thus failed to examine Mormon eschatology, even in summary, as depicted in the chart, Dr. Martin declares that Mormon theology on “judgment, and everlasting life (universalism) has been examined in the light of the Holy Bible and found sadly wanting.”r What is really wanting is a complete and rational analysis by Evangelicals of biblical teachings on the Judgment and the Resurrection. In his book, Essential Christianity, all Dr. Martin does is categorize and number various “judgments” referred to in the scriptures.s Despite the fact that he identifies both the bema and thronos Judgments,t Dr. Martin does not even acknowledge the fact that the bema Judgment has the potential of both a good and a bad outcome (2 Cor. 5:10). Accordingly, the most obvious of conclusions seems to have escaped him, as it has all other Evangelical scholars: the Judgment must result in Men being divided into four major categories, two established in the bema Judgment and two at the thronos Judgment, not the traditional two (Heaven and Hell). In the analysis of Bible passages about judgment and the Resurrection that follows, reference will occasionally be made to passages in D&C 76, which provides the definitive statement of Mormon eschatology regarding the Judgment and Resurrection. These references demonstrate that Mormonism contains the only systematic theology that agrees fully with all the teachings of the Bible on this subject. The Resurrection of the Unjust. Paul mentions the Resurrection of the Unjust in Acts 2415 (NASB) as follows: “having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous [KJV: “just”] and the wicked [KJV: “unjust”].” The terms “righteous” (KJV: “just”) and “wicked” (KJV: “unjust”) are from the Greek dikaios, which, as dikazcxi, is translated ‘justify” in the Bible. This description of the Resurrection is clearly based on a division between those who have been justified and those who have not. The unjustified certainly do not appear in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and hence, cannot live with God eternally. But, by the end of the Millennium, when the thronos Judgment occurs, the justified will include, not only those who heard the Gospel on earth and accepted it, but spirits who learned to live like God in the spirit-i.e., the dead who, through faith in Jesus Christ, real repentance, and baptism by proxy, receive justification during their waiting period in the Spirit World. It is clear, from all the passages regarding salvation for the dead, that Men will not recall their pre-existence during their sojourn in the Spirit World. Thus, the test of this life will continue there, at least in some respects. Even those who were evil all their days on earth will have an opportunity to repent and receive remission of their sins in the Spirit World, though as noted before, repentance in the Spirit World after a life of evil will not make a man worthy of eternal life (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7; D & C 76:103-105). Still, it might save him from the ultimate punishment in the Resurrection of the Unjust! The ultimate punishment associated with that Resurrection will only be meted out to those so profoundly depraved that they have done evil in this life and resisted Christ’s message of salvation both in this life and in the Spirit World. Thus, though God is more patient than Evangelicals have supposed, the ultimate condemnation does await those who commit the ultimate sin, and that sin is the very one Dr. Martin identified as “the infinite sin of rejecting His Son.”u The scriptures speak of the “son of perdition” (see, John 17:12; 2 Thess. 2:3), being bound for this punishment, which is also referred to as “perdition” (1 Tim. 6:9; Heb. 10:39; 2 Pet. 3:7). Those Men whotruly resolve to choose Satan over Christ, including, for example, those mentioned in Hebrews 6:4-6, will be subjected to the ultimate punishment in the Resurrection of the Unjust. With Satan and his angels, they will suffer the unquenchable fire of the Second Death forever (Rev. 20:10-15; D&C 76:32-38). Since the Final Judgment, and with it the Resurrection of the Unjust, is reserved for the very end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:5), those bound for it are utterly without excuse, having been given every opportunity to choose Christ, here and in the Spirit World. This Resurrection is identified in Mormon theology as the Second Resurrection. It is so named because it occurs after the resurrection associated with the bema Judgment, called the First Resurrection. How many Men will be condemned in the Second Resurrection is a mat-ter of pure conjecture. Some believe that, in view of the opportunity to be justified in the Spirit World, the number of those who will be subjected to the Second Death forever will be few. Certainly that would be consistent with God’s desire for His children as expressed in 2 Peter 3:9. But no one can be sure how Men will react to the Gospel message in the Spirit World after their lives have been spent in evil, and, if they had a sufficient opportu-nity in this life to accept the Gospel, they may not be given another chance in the Spirit World (see Rev. 2:21). Only God has sufficient knowledge to make these determinations. Those who will face this judgment and resurrection are described by Paul in Ephesians 5:3-6, and by other prophets similarly. All who have done evil while on earth will face the thronos Judgment and will be in danger of the Second Death. God will judge their hearts at the last day, and those who have not turned from evil to Christ, whether in this life or in the next, will receive a punishment appropriate for the truly rebellious. For God has decreed that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Christ (Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10). Permanent consignment to the Second Death is only one outcome of the last, or Final Judgment, however. Their are other possibilities. Not everyone who is subject to the Resurrection of the Unjust belongs in the same category as the Sons of Perdition and the Devil and his angels. Some Men may have done evil in this life, but accepted Christ, repented, and received a remission of their sins through baptism for the dead while in the Spirit World. Others may conceivably have chosen good in this life, but stubbornly refused to accept Christ even in the Spirit World. Then there is the issue of how well those who have accepted Christ actually learned to obey His commandments. Clearly, there are individuals who may not end up permanently consigned to the Second Death at the thronos Judgment, but who are precluded from receiving eternal life with God and Christ (see, e.g., Eph. 5:5). This is the most poorly defined group in the scriptures because God has focused on the two extremes in His dealings with Men: eternal life as the goal and the Second Death as the antigoal. He gives some information about those who just miss eternal life, so that Men will not be deceived and thereby fall short of that goal, but the Bible contains no definitive explanation of how Men may be wicked, but not quite bad enough to spend eternity with Satan and his hosts. Still, it is clear that some of those who have been evil on this earth will not suffer the same wrath as the Devil and his angels in the Resurrection of the Unjust. The Resurrection of the Just. The Resurrection of the Just consists of righteous believers in this life, and those who followed their consciences, behaving righteously in the flesh, even without the law, and thus showing “the work of the law written in their hearts” (Rom. 2:14-15). The latter group will have the same opportunity to receive Christ and be saved “to the uttermost” (Heb. 7:25) as those who accepted the Gospel and learned to obey God in this life. All these individuals will receive eternal life, the greatest reward of all, and become like God (1 John 3:2; 2 Cor. 3:18; see Chapter 4). They will receive this Resurrection at the bema Judgment. However, as noted above, that Judgment also has a downside. That downside will be felt by a category of spirits whom Christ will reject because they cried “Lord, Lord” but did not do the will of the Father (Matt. 7:21). They will also include those whom Christ rejects at “that day7 saying “I never knew you,” despite their protestations of wondrous works in His name (Matt. 7:22-23). “That day” refers to the Judgment, but not the Judgment of the wicked, for the wicked do not make such protestations. The description in Matthew 7:21-23 is clearly an appearance at the bema Judgment. The Men described in Matthew 7: 21-23 obviously think they led good lives. They openly profess belief in Christ, and would like to think they have been working for Him. When they learn that they were acting entirely without His knowledge and that the extra effort necessary to learn real obedience to God’s commandments was crucial, they will be at the mercy seat of Christ. Those who give only lip service to righteousness, who profess to love Christ but do not follow in His footsteps, who are not valiant as a result of their testimonies of Him, and others will all know the downside of the bema Judgment, (see D & C 76:71-80). Three Degrees of Glory. Christ said that there are many different rewards in His Father’s house (John 14:2). As noted above, everyone will fall into one of four main categories depending on whether they pass or fail one of the two judgments. In 1 Corinthians 15:3642, Paul said there will be three categories of glory in the resurrection. He describes these three “glories” by comparing them to different types of bodies: Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial [NASB: “heavenly”] bodies, and bodies terrestrial [NASH: “earthly”]: but the glory of the celestial [NASH: “heavenly”] is one, and the glory of the terrestrial [NASB: “earthly”] is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.. After his analogies in verses 36-39 (and no matter how the terms are trans-lated in verse 40), Paul indicates in verse 41 that the resurrection will in-volve one glory comparable to the Sun, another comparable to the Moon, and a third comparable to the Stars (in which he specifically notes vast diver-sity). That he is speaking only of those who will not be permanently consigned to the Second Death is evident from the fact that he uses the term “glory” in identifying each division. The Sons of Perdition will surely receive nothing that could be described as “glory.” Theirs is the fourth, the lowest category. At the bottom end of Paul’s spectrum of glories are those whose ignominy was insufficient to justify permanent consignment to the Second Death. These individuals obviously were not all bad on earth, or they made some major improvements in the Spirit World so as to avoid becoming Sons of Perdition. They will receive a “glory” which Paul compared to the object of lowest magnitude in the heavens-the Stars. Mormons refer to this “glory” as the Telestial Kingdom. At the other end of the spectrum are those who have done good and over-come sin so that their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. These are they who will enjoy eternal life with God and Christ (John 17:3). This “exceeding great reward” (Gen. 15:1) is compared to the object of greatest magnitude in the heavens-the Sun. This is the ultimate salvation of Man, and is synonymous with the Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of God. Mormons refer to this “glory” as the Celestial Kingdom. In the “glory of the Moon” are those who lost their full reward at the bema Judgment. Strictly speaking, these souls do not come forth in the Resurrection of the Just, for having failed the bema Judgment, they were not found to have been justified in the final analysis.” They will pay a price for their brand of wickedness, as indicated below. But there still is much good in them, and they will receive a greater glory than those who openly choose evil in this life. Mormons refer to their “glory” as the Terrestrial Kingdom. The Resurrection of Life. John testifies of the resurrection also. John 5:28-29, quoted above in regard to salvation for the dead, contains John’s description of the resurrection as follows (emphasis added): Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. While Paul focuses on justification, referring to the Resurrection of the Just (Acts 24:15; see, also, Luke 14:14) at one end of the spectrum, and the Resurrection of the Unjust (Acts 24:15) at the other, John’s description is from a different perspective. He focuses on the attainment of eternal life, the Resurrection of Life. All other resurrections are part of what he calls the Resurrection of Damnation. “Damnation” is translated from the Greek word krisis, which actually means ‘judgment.” The implication is that the resurrection of all who do not receive eternal life will involve some element of judgment or condemnation. The Resurrection of Life refers to the ultimate salvation of Men who are resurrected to eternal life with God and Christ. It is the same as the Resurrection of the Just or the glory Paul describes as comparable to the Sun. John includes all the other glories, along with permanent consignment to the Second Death, in the Resurrection of Damnation. The Resurrection of Life is referred to by John as the “first resurrection” in Revelations 20:4-6. This passage is quoted (with some emphasis added) as follows: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. The statement in verse 5 that the rest of the dead “lived not again” means they were not resurrected during the Millennium. The reference in verse 4, “and they lived;’ referring to those described in that verse, means that these individuals were resurrected during the Millennium. Thus, the statement inverseS, “This is the first resurrection,” refers to those who are found worthy of eternal life at the bema. They will be resurrected first, while the bema Judgment is on-going during the Millennium. All who are not so rewarded must await the Second Resurrection which occurs in connection with the Final Judgment. The Resurrection of Damnation. All who are subject to any form of condemnation receive what John describes as the Resurrection of Damnation. This includes those who fail the bema Judgment and receive the glory of the Moon. The rest of Mankind will take part in the Final or thronos Judgment. They consist of the Sons of Perdition, and also those who are not permanently condemned, but receive instead the glory of the Stars. Revelations 20:10 states: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. This passage indicates that Satan, and all who have followed him, either in the pre-existence (Rev. 12:4), or on Earth, will be consigned to the lake of fire and brimstone permanently. However, Revelations 20 mentions another group in connection with the Second Resurrection who are called, simply, “the dead” (Rev. 20:12-14). The righteous will already have been resurrected by the time the thronos Judgment occurs. So “the dead” will include all other Men-the Sons of Perdition, those who will receive the glory of the Stars, and those who failed the bema Judgment. Of this group, Revelations 20:12-13 (with some emphasis added) says: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Revelations 20:14 states that “death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.” “Hell” can only refer to those who have associated themselves with Satan and his minions-the Sons of Perdition. “Death;’ therefore, must refer to the other two categories-those who will receive the glory of the Moon, and those who are destined for the glory of the Stars. Revelations 20:15 says that “whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Since that will include everyone who did not come forth in the Resurrection of Life, it is clear that those who come to the thronos Judgment, along with those who failed the bema Judgment, will all be cast into the lake of fire for some duration (cf., D & C 76:103-105, and 36-39). Revelations 20:10, states that the devil and his followers (the Sons of Perdition), will be cast into the lake of fire forever. The same is not said of “the dead” generally (see Rev. 20:14-15). The inescapable conclusion is that those who will receive the glories of the Moon and of the Stars must expect to spend some lesser period of time in hell fire. Revelations 21:7-8 supports this conclusion as follows: He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. “He that overcometh” (verse 7) refers to those Men who are found worthy of eternal life. In contrast, John describes several very different types of people inverse 8. Heincludesthe “fearful,” from theGreek, deilos, meaning “timid” (those who have been timid or hesitant about Christ), and the “unbelieving;’ from the Greek, apistos, meaning “disobedient,” or “not faithful.” He also lists specific groups of more wicked individuals. All of these will have “their pan” (Greek: meros, meaning “division”) in “the second death.” This passage confirms that there will be different “divisions” in the Second Death. Revelations 20:10 refers to one such division (the Sons of Perdition), and specifically states that those consigned to that division will remain subject to the second death forever. It follows that the other divisions will not be subject to the same duration of punishment.w Those Evangelicals who teach only of Heaven and Hell have failed to discern this more complex outcome described by the Bible. Since there will be two major Judgments associated with the two Resurrections described in scripture, there must, of necessity, be four major divisions in the Resurrection, corresponding to those who pass and those who fail each of the two Judgments. For those who wish to compare these teachings to the chart in Dr. Martin’s book,x Mormons call the three highest divisions the Celestial Kingdom, the Terrestrial Kingdom and the Telestial Kingdom (the three degrees of glory). The lowest division is the Second Death which refers to the place where the Sons of Perdition, with Satan and his angels, will be permanently consigned. Conclusion The Lord has given all Men who have lived upon the earth an opportunity to know good from evil, either through the teachings of His prophets, or through the promptings of their consciences. He will give all Men the opportunity to hear the Gospel and receive justification, either in this life or in the Spirit World. All Men will be judged according to their deeds in the flesh. Hence, they must learn to do good rather than evil in this 1ife. The Spirit World provides an opportunity for Men to turn to Christ and have their sins forgiven and forgotten by the Lord. The extent to which the Lord will grant this opportunity lies in His wisdom and knowledge only, but there is strong reason to believe He is generous and patient with Men in this regard. However, some who think they are saved may be turned away fmm the Resurrection of Life if they refuse to accept the necessity of obedience to God’s commandments. In the bema judgment (associated with the First Resurrection), the Lord will decide whether or not believers will receive the gift of eternal life, the glory Paul compared to the Sun. Those who do will live with God and become like Him. Those who do not, will receive a glory comparable to the Moon. The wicked, who are not even in the running for eternal life, will face the thronos Judgment. At that Final Judgment, the Lord will decide whether the dead who remain subject to this most terrifying of audits will receive permanent consignment to the lake of fire and brimstone, the Second Death, or will come forth, after some finite time, in the glory of the Moon or the glory of the Stars. (Even those who fail the bema Judgment will be consigned to the Second Death for a time.) Thus, Mormons do not teach that Men will be punished until they accept Christ, as some Evangelicals claim.Y Rather, they teach that all Men will be punished, according to God’s wisdom and justice, to the extent they refuse to accept Christ or follow His teachings. God’s punishment will be based on their deeds in the flesh, with due consideration being given to whether or not they accept Him in the Spirit World before the end of the Millennium. God has made it clear throughout the scriptures that Man’s deeds here on Earth are accounted for in the Judgment. Those who reject the Gospel, who choose to do evil instead of obeying God’s commandments, no matter what they profess to believe, must suffer the most dire of consequences for at least a finite period. The punishment they will endure if they do not repent is described by Christ in the most sobering of terms as follows (D & C 19:15-20): Therefore I command you to repent-repeflt~ lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore-how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit-and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink- Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men. Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power; and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit. Mormons sincerely pray that all who hear the biblical truths taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will repent of their sins and seek justification through faith, repentance and baptism by those having authority to administer that saving ordinance. Those who do, and who seek to remain on the strait and narrow path, may be assured that they will be saved from the lake of fire and brimstone which is the Second Death, and will abide forever in the Kingdom of God. All who currently teach or believe otherwise are invited to reconsider, and turn the righteousness taught in biblical Mormonism. Appendix A An Overview of External Evidence for the Accuracy of Current Old and New Testament Texts The tedious process of higher criticism employed to review Old and New Testament texts is not appropriate for inclusion in this work. (It is also fraught with much controversy at this time, the nature of which need not concern the beginning student.) Reference may be had to the works cited in Chapter 1 for further information on textual criticism of the Bible. This Appendix, however, will explore the external evidence for the texts of the Old and New Testaments as it is available to Bible scholars today. A basic familiarity with this material will give the Mormon apologist an essential foundation for Bible- based discussions. The Old Testament So exact was the process used by Jewish scribes to copy the Old Testament texts that, for example, some words in the manuscript have odd marks over them which are not understood by any scholar. These are possibly the result of an accidental splutter of the pen by some long dead copyist, which is now faithfully repeated in every copy. Even the size and placement of letters in the text is copied precisely, without regard to the fact that such variations have no effect on the meaning of the text. The texts have been critically examined over the years, and a few errors have been noted. But even known errors in the text are copied, with the corrections appearing only in marginal notes or through the insertion of vowels. The vowels were not considered part of the Hebrew text itself. Therefore, the insertion of vowels was not considered tampering with the text. If a word in the text was considered superfluous, it was copied, but was not supplied with vowels; if a word was to be inserted, its vowels were written without consonants; and if a word was changed, the consonants were left in tact, but were provided with the vowels of the word to be substituted. In addition to the texts themselves, there are huge collections of Masoretic notes which deal with such matters as how often each letter of the Hebrew alphabet occurs in the Old Testament, how many verses contain all the letters of the alphabet, and the number of words in the text and the middle word. All this minutia attests to the extreme care exercised in copying the Old Testament texts.a The Masoretic tradition did not allow any text of the Old Testament to remain until it was so worn by use that it could not be accurately deciphered. Once copied, older versions were destroyed. Hence, until the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in Qumran in 1947, there were no texts of the Old Testament, or any portions thereof, from a date earlier than 916 A.D. The accuracy of current Old Testament texts was confirmed by discoveries in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Scrolls include fragments from every book of the Old Testament except Esther. Comparison of the Isaiah scrolls (c. 200 B.C.) to the Masoretic text indicates that deviations are minor, even after 1100 years of copying!b However, comparisons with the Book of Samuel suggest that the Qumran texts followed the Septuagint version (“the LXX”) more than it did the Masoretic texts. The LXX is a Greek version of the Old Testament compiled by seventy-two Jewish scholars at Alexandria in approximately 285-275 B.C. By the time of Christ, Hebrew had ceased to be a spoken language. (It was largely lost during the Babylonian captivity.) Aramaic and Greek were the dialects of the day, and the Septuagint was written in Greek for common use. Most New Testament quotations of the Old Testament are from the LXX. The LXX is highly regarded, but modern critics note that it contains many Greco-Egyptian words; that the five books of Moses (the Pentateuch) are translated with much more accuracy than the other books; that the Book of Job, the Psalms and the Prophets, especially Isaiah and Daniel, are believed to be inferior; and that the historical books are often translated inaccurately. The use of the Masoretic text, on which scholars are almost entirely dependant for the purity of the Hebrew original, in the Qumran text of Isaiah confirms some of these criticisms. However, the closeness of the Qumran text of Samuel to the LXX suggests that a slightly different, and possibly older, Hebrew text than the one finally adopted by the Jews in the Masoretic text may have been available to the translators of the LXX. The existing Greek manuscripts of the New Testament are divided into two principle categories, uncial and cursive. Uncial manuscripts are the older manuscripts written entirely in capital (majuscule) letters. Later documents were written in the smaller script popular in commerce. These are the cursive (or minuscule) manuscripts. There are a total of 101 uncial manuscripts of the four Gospels (127 if smaller fragments are counted); 22 of Acts and the nonPauline Epistles; 27 of the Pauline Epistles; and six of Revelations. C Of the cursive manuscripts, there are 1,420 of the Gospels; 450 of Acts and the non-Pauline Epistles; 520 of the Pauline Epistles; and 194 of Revelations.d All the important manuscripts, besides being specifically named, are designated by a letter or symbol. The chief uncial manuscripts are as follows: Aleph (first letter of the Hebrew alphabet), or Codex Sinaiticus, was discovered in the Convent of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai in 1859 in a waste basket. It dates from the fourth century, and contains the apostolic epistles, the prophecies of Jonah, and the fifth book of Moses. It is written in coptic. A, or CodexAlexc~ndrinus, dates from the middle or end of the fifth century. It contains the Old Testament in Greek, and the New Testament beginning with Matthew 25:6, omitting John 6:50-8:52, and 2 Corinthians 4:15-12:6. It also contains the First Epistle of Clement of Rome and a small portion of the Second. B, or Codex Vaticanus, dates from the fourth century. It contains the Old Testament in Greek (with omissions), and the New Testament down to Heb. 9:14. It also contains the General Epistles, but does not contain the Pastoral Epistles of Paul, Philemon, or Revelations. C, or Code.x Ephraemi , contains twelfth-century copies over an older text. Fortunately, the ink of the later scribe proved less durable than that of the earlier copyist, who wrote in the fifth century, probably in Egypt. C contains fragments of the Old Testament, and all the books of the New Testament (with large omissions), except 2 Thessalonians and 2 John. D, known as Codex Cantabrigiensis or Codex Bezae, was probably written near the beginning of the sixth century in Greek and Latin parallel columns. It contains the Gospels and Acts (with omissions), and is remarkable for its deviations from the ordinary text and for its additions. D2, or Codex Claromontanus, was written in the sixth century, approx. 550 A.D., and is also in Greek and Latin. It adds to D the Pauline Epistles (with omissions) and the Epistle to the Hebrews. The New Testament In addition to the foregoing, there are about 170 papyrus uncial fragments dating from the second through the seventh century. The cursive manuscripts date from the ninth to the sixteen century. Three- quarters of these texts contain only the Gospels and one third of those are fragmentary. The vast majority of these manuscripts comprise the Byzantine Texts from which the KJV was derived. In addition there are about 1,678 lectionaries. These are collections of the Gospels and the Epistles which were used for reading in the Greek Church. They were copied with extreme care and in large clear characters. The texts are divided into three classes according to the locale in which they were popular. The Western Texts are so called because they contain the form of text found in the writings of the early Church Fathers at Rome, especially Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine. The most important manuscripts of the Western Text available today are D and D2. Two other documents of importance in regard to the Western Texts are the Old Latin and Old Syriac versions of the New Testament. The next category is the Alexandrian Texts, which contain the version used by Origen and the other early Church Fathers who lived at Alexandria. The most Important texts of this class are Aleph and B. The NASB was derived from a text that relies heavily on the accuracy of these, the oldest texts. The remaining texts, which constitute the vast majority of the texts available today, are the Byzantine Texts. They contain the Greek New Testament in general use throughout the greater part of the Byzantine Period (312-1453 A.D.) This was the text of the Greek or Eastern Orthodox Church, and for three centuries after the Protestant Reformation this text ~vas used by the entire Protestant movement. The Byzantine Texts are generally designated with the letter K (Common) and variations to designate individual families of texts. The K1 class contain the earliest form of the Byzantine Text, of which Omega (eighth century), V (9th century), and S (tenth century) are the best examples. The Kr class of texts are considered to be revisions of the K texts made in the eleventh and twelfth centuries to exhibit the scripture lessons that were read in Greek Church services. The Kx class contain miscellaneous manuscripts, the x indicating that the small differences which distinguish them from each other have not been thoroughly studied.e While the older texts, Aleph and B, are preferred by most scholars, Dr. Edward E Hills makes a convincing argument in favor of the Byzantine Texts in his book The King James Version Defended! (Des Moines: The Christian Research Press, 1956). He indicates that the second and third centuries were not favorable to the accurate transmission of New Testament texts. This was due, in part, to the extreme persecution of the early Church by Rome. That persecution began in the reign of Nero (64-68 A. D.), which resulted in the martyrdoms of Paul and Peter at Rome, and continued in the second officially sanctioned persecution of Christians during the reign of Domitian (c. 93 A.D.). John was banished to the isle of Patmos during the latter persecution. There were additional persecutions under Trajan (98-117 A.D.), Marcus Aurelius (161-180 A.D.), Severus (193-211 A.D.), Maximin (235-238 A.D.), and Decius (249-251 A.D.). The worst Roman persecution of Christians, however, occurred under the reign of Diocletian (284-305 A.D.). This persecution was so severe that it was believed to have resulted in the entire annihilation of the Christian religion. Most significantly for the New Testament texts, Diocletian ordered a general destruction of Christian books and decreed the death penalty for any who kept such works in their possession. During this period of Roman persecution, numerous errors crept into the few copies of the New Testament that survived in Rome. Many arose through carelessness, but some variant readings were introduced by editors and revisors (readily apparent in D and D2, as noted above). The rewritten text, however, became popular in the early Roman Church. It is generally regarded as inferior, however, containing many additions, deletions and errors. An extensive effort was made during the third century in Alexandria to correct the errors of the Western Texts using techniques of textual criticism which were then in vogue at the library there. In their zeal to delete spurious additions, however, these early textual critics omitted much that was genuine in the Western Texts. Fortunately, most of the original autographa of New Testament books were kept at the Church in Antioch, in Asia Minor, which was somewhat removed from the influence of Rome and Alexandria, and was even a little antagonistic to those regions (because of an early controversy over the date of Easter- the Quartodeciman controversy in the last half of the second century). Having the originals, they were not dependant upon importing their texts from distant regions, and were doubtless more careful in copying them. Beginning in the fourth century, the texts from the Asia Minor region came to be preferred over the Western and Alexandrian texts. They were read and copied so frequently that they were worn to tatters and lost, but not before they had spawned a host of fresh and highly accurate copies. Thus, the fact that there are no old copies of the Byzantine Texts is a reflection of their accuracy. Being recognized as the most accurate text, they were worn out by use, but not before true and accurate copies were made, from which, ultimately, the majority of remaining texts are derived. From this argument, it follows that the reason Aleph and B survived to the present day is that they were not in active use and may have been regarded as inferior. It was no wonder to Dr. Hills that Aleph was found in a waste basket! However compelling this theory, even Dr. Hills recognizes that over the centuries some errors crept into the Byzantine Texts. Using other texts as well, such errors were largely corrected by Erasmus in his compilation of the Text us Receptus. All the texts are useful in arriving at the most accurate text possible, and the oldest texts, Aleph and B, are highly regarded for that purpose by modern scholars. With this wealth of textual evidence, LDS scholars may be confident of a text that is extremely close to the original. Appendix B Lost Scripture Evangelical theology opposes the possibility that any of God’s revelations to Man has ever been lost. Their position has been stated thus: “To say that there are scriptures missing is to claim that Christ lied when He said, ‘Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matt. 5:l8).’~a This analysis presents a grossly flawed interpretation of Matthew 5:18, which has nothing to do with the canon of scripture. The Bible was not even compiled at the time the Gospel of Matthew was written. Matthew 5:18 relates to “the law;’ the Law of Moses, and Christ’s fulfillment thereof. The Law of Moses was contained in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. Thus, if the Evangelical position on Matthew 5:18 were correct, it would require that the scriptures be limited to the Pentateuch (a view which was apparently adopted by the ancient Sadducees and certainly by the Samaritansb). What Christ is saying in Matthew 5:18 is that not one dot of an “i” or cross of a “t” in the Law of Moses would be changed until it was all fulfilled by Him. Far from teaching that the Law would never change, it is implicit in this statement that the law would “pass~~ once it was fulfilled. The Law of Moses was fulfilled by Christ, and did pass away (Heb. 7:18), but the scriptures, the word of God, did not. The Evangelical interpretation of Matthew 5:18 is based on an assumption that is not specifically identified in their exegesis. It is thatthe word “scripture” is the same as the word “law” in that verse. If that interpretation were correct, it should make sense when the word “scripture” is substituted for the word “law” in the passage. In fact, however, such a substitution changes the entire meaning of the passage. Clearly, Matthew 5:18 does not teach that there have been no lost scriptures, and cannot be used as a basis for that thesis. There are a number of references in the Bible to works that have apparently been lost, or at least are not available in any recognized form today. Table 2, Lost Scripture, below, lists these works. The context of the references indicates that many, if not all, were inspired. Of course, Evangelicals earnestly deny this possibility. Instead, their argument is, “The Bible does not say that these are scriptures.”c While that may be so, it should also be noted that Christ did not always say the writings of Isaiah, from which He quoted extensively, were scripture (see, e.g., Matt. 13: 14-15). Still, in support of their argument, Evangelicals note that sacred writers have occasionally cited non-saci~d works. Paul quotes a Cretan identified in the passage as “a prophet of their own” in Titus 1:12. The problem with that argument is that Paul makes it perfectly clear in the same verse that he is not citing scripture. He specifically identifies his source as being secular. See also, Acts 17:23, 28. But there are no similar indications in any of the references listed in Table 2. The reference in Matthew 2:23 has proven particular~y thorny for Evan-gelicals. Matthew 2:23 (NASH) explains that Christ and His family went to Galilee, “and came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.”’ Apparently. Matthew is quoting directly from a prophetic work available to the Jews of his time, but not included in the Masoretic Text. His quotation from “the prophets” is generally recognized by Bible scholars as being of unknown origin. However, C.I. Scofield, argues that it may have come from Isaiah 11:1, which prophesies that Christ will be a “shoot [Hebrew: netzer] . . . from the stem of Jesse:’d While the Hebrew word netzer may have a vague similarity to the word “Nazarene,” the citation in Isaiah hardly contains the language, “He shall be called a Nazarene’ quoted by Matthew. Hence, this explanation fails. An alternative theological context in which these “lost scriptures” may be viewed is suggested by Dr. Angus. He states: Abook may have had a long literary history before its admission into the Canon. This is perhaps most obvious in regard to the Book of Psalms. Many of those inspired songs were certainly held to be of Divine authority before all were written, and therefore before the Psalter as a whole was ‘canonized.’ In other books we may clearly discern the inclusion of fragmentary material, venerable for its antiquity. In the Pentateuch are imbedded separate codes of Law which in all probability are older than the books in which they appear. A store of national religious poetry is indicated by the Song of Deborah, the Song of Moses and the Children of Israel after the crossing of the Red Sea, the Dirge of David over Saul. The titles of two such collections are preserved in ‘The Book of the Wars of the Lord,’ Num. 21:14 and ‘The Book of lasher’ (the Upright) los 10:13,2 Sa 1:18. History was preserved in the same way: the historical books contain references to such earlier chronicles as ‘The history of Samuel the seer and the history of Nathan the prophet and the history of Gad the seer’ 1 Ch 29:29 R.V.: ‘The Book of the Acts of Solomon’ 1 Ki ll:41, ‘The histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer’ 2 Cli 12:15, and others. The prophetical books, again, are obviously collections of utterances separately spoken and separately preserved. Behind the books of the Old Testament we may frequently discern an earlier literature, the primitive records in song, law, history, prophecy, of the nation’s life and the nation’s faith. And we may recognize in the making of an Old Testament book the three stages-the primitive material, the editing into present literary form, and the canonization or final acceptance as Scripture. It need hardly be added that to acknowledge this principle of literary growth neither impairs the Divine authority of the books nor involves the extravagant analysis of some modern imaginative criticism.e Mormons should be familiar with the process described above. It is similar to that used by the ancient American prophet Mormon in abridging the Book of Mormon (see, e.g., The Words of Mormon 3-11). It is also reminiscent of the process by which additions have been made to the modern canon of scripture during the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as witnessed by the recent addition of Sections 137 and 138 to the Doctrine and Covenants. These new sections contain inspired writings which have, over the years, become recognized by the Church as inspired revelations. The fact that inspired works which are part of today’s canon may have been based upon earlier inspired works should instill confidence in the accuracy and importance of the final product. The significance of the records listed in Table 2 is not that they represent some deficiency in God’s word as contained in the Bible. Rather, they are supporting evidence for the process by which inspired writings have always become part of the scriptural canon. Table 2 Notes Lost Scripture Chapter 1 Reference: Numbers 21:14 Joshua 10:13 & 2 Samuel 1:18 1 Samuel 10:25 I Chronicles 29:29 & 2 Chronicles 2:29 1 Kings 11:41 2 Chronicles 9:29 & 2 Chronicles 13:22 2 Chronicles 12:15 2 Chronicles 20:34 2 Chronicles 33:19 Matthew 2:23 1 Corinthians 5:9 Colossians 4:16 Jude 3 Jude 14-15 Lost Scripture: The Book of the Wars of the Lord The Book of Jasher (the real one, not the apocryphal version we have today.) Another Book of Samuel The Book of Nathan the Prophet and The Book of Gad the Seer The Book of the Acts of Solomon The prophecy of Abijah the Shilonite and the visions of Iddo the Seer The Book of Shemaiah the Prophet and the Book of Iddo the Seer The Book of Jehu The Sayings of the Seers (NASB The Records of the Hozai) The book containing the prophecy that Christ would be called a “Nazarene.” Another epistle to the Corinthians Paul’s epistle to Laodicea Another epistle from Jude The book from which Jude quotes the writings of Enoch. a. This is true of the Thai language, for example. b. Joseph Smith, Jr, from Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith (1970 reprint, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1938), 119. c. Cary Trivanovich, “Speaking the Truth in Love” (Ephesians 4:15): What Every Mormon Should Know (Orange: Promise Publishing Company, 1988), 10. Though Trivanovich is not himself a Bible scholar, his pamphlet, cited frequently in this work, summarizes the positions of several noted Evangelical scholars, making it a convenient resource. d. Trivanovich, Speaking the Truth in Love, 14. e. Joseph Smith, Jr., The Holy Scriptures: Inspired Version (Indepen-dence: Herald Publishing House, 1974). f. Paul Maas, Textual Criticism, trans. Barbara Flower (Oxford: Univer-sity Press, 1967), 1. g. Trivanovich, Speaking the Truth in Love, 6. If Trivanovich is serious about this criticism, he must reject the entire inspired record on the same basis! There are similar textual variations in all biblical texts. h. For more about the canon of the New Testament, see Bruce M. Metzger, The Canon of the New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987). i. Joseph Angus, The Bible Handbook: An Introduction to the Study of Sacred Scripture, rev, by Samuel G. Green (New York: Fleming H. Revel Company, n .d.), 76. j. Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict San Bernadino: Here’s Life Publishers, 1979), 43-46. k. Joseph Smith, Jr, History of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2d ed. rev., 7 vols. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1978), 6:364. 1. Edward F Hills, The King James Version Defended!: A Christian View of the New Testament Manuscripts (Des Moines: The Christian Research Press, 1956), 127. m. Hills, The King James Version Defended!, 109. n. Trivanovich, Speaking the Truth in Love, 12. o. Angus, The Bible Handbook, 43. p. Angus, The Bible Handbook, 44 252 253