Ether 4 – Come Unto Me

For quite some time I have been pondering the thought that there have been so many people who come to earth, get their body, have lives and then they died without ever hearing the gospel.  I know they will be taught in the Spirit World the things of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be given an opportunity to accept or reject.  I have no problem with that.  What I struggle with is the mass elimination of a society.  Surely there is someone within these societies that was good.  Why did they have to be eliminated as well?  Okay, in writing it, I have answered my own question a little.  So really, the purpose in coming to earth is to gain a body.  Everything after that is just for our experience.  We can have a good one or a bad one.  Some of this is because of our choices; some is because of the choices of others.  We’ve been told in the Doctrine and Covenants that:

D&C 130:18-19:  Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

That doesn’t mean we can’t learn after this life.  So what is lost if we “choose” not to learn in this life or to at least be a good person?  Will we be given the opportunity to do so in the next?  We have been told that we will rise with the same . . . – - Alma says it best in Alma 41:13-15 when he speaks to Corianton about resurrection:

 13 O, my son, . . . . the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful.

 14 Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.

 15 For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all.

To me, this paints a picture of what we call “Spirit Prison” as maybe a bit of a frightening place.  Even though we rest from our labors and the burdens of this world we have left, we’ll be dwelling with some wickedness if we have not attended to the ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, i.e. faith in the lord Jesus Christ, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.  To me, that would be hell in itself and I would be waiting ever so anxiously for my ordinance work to be done by some merciful saint who is still living.

Another thought from this scripture is to be sure I’m who I want to be when “the music stops” (aka death). 

Am I satisfied that I know what happens to the good people who lived at the same time and same place as the wicked who died in their sins?  Well, I know what becomes of them.  My concern is the same though.  Does the Lord turn on an entire civilization?  Well, yes He does.  But he has provided a Savior for us to do for us those things we did not have the opportunity to do for ourselves.  This is a blessing that goes so much deeper than what I can comprehend.  If I had never heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it would be huge!  Because I don’t fit in that category and have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life, the responsibility is even greater for me to continue in righteousness and endure to the end.  If I missed my mark and somehow wound up in Spirit Prison because of poor choices after I had had the Gospel in my life, where would I be then?  I guess I would still be in Spirit Prison because “no unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God”.

Alma is speaking to Corianton again in Alma 40:26:

26 But behold, an awful death cometh upon the wicked; for they die as to things pertaining to things of righteousness; for they are unclean, and no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God; but they are cast out, and consigned to partake of the fruits of their labors or their works, which have been evil; and they drink the dregs of a bitter cup. 

There is much more in Alma Chapter 41 about the resurrection, but I won’t bother to quote it.  Suffice it to say; I must watch carefully that I don’t fall into the category of wickedness.  I don’t think I would be happy when I reach my next life.

So what does all this have to do with Chapter 4 of Ether?  Maybe I’ve gone on a tangent.  But Christ himself is the author of verses 6 through the end of the chapter.  Moroni is quoting them, of course.  He asks us to “Come unto [Him] me”.  The invitation is to the Gentiles and all the house of Israel – everyone!  All of God’s children.