The plan of salvation is one of the very first
things the missionaries teach an investigator. It is a simple basic
understanding that every person who has lived on the earth has a capacity to
understand because it is truth and it has been ingrained in our human culture
from the beginning of time. It permeates our cultures in many ways. The basic plan teaches of the
creation, the fall, redemption, and man’s journey through life.
Most cultures have a creation myth that explain
how this world was brought into existence and teach elements of the truth. Included in many of
them are God or gods, 7 periods of time, creation coming out of unorganized
matter, man being created for some purpose, conflict between the Gods, and
chaos being brought into order.
We can look at a comparison of the Enuma Elish
from Mesopotamia and the Genesis creation account from the bible for an
example. Both stories have a council of the
gods that took place before the heavens and the earth were known. They both
have a son of god who rebelled and led a war where many of the sons and
daughters were lost. In each story, creation is an act of divine speech where
chaos is brought to order through a series of steps. There is also correlation
to what happens in each step. In the first step there is a division of the
waters and in the fourth the sun, moon, and stars appear. Finally man is
created to serve God and there is a sacrifice of one of the gods so the sins of
mankind can be forgiven.
This brings us to the fallen state
of man and the need for redemption. Most cultures recognize the fallen state of
man, but they miss a key element of understanding brought back to us in the
restoration of the gospel. The common belief is that man’s disobedience
thwarted God’s plan and therefore men must be punished. The missing piece: providing
opposition is a necessary part of the plan. It is only through opposition that
man can achieve the wisdom to become as God. It was part of Heavenly Fathers
plan for us so we could progress to become like Him and inherit all that he
wanted to give us.
We see this misunderstanding
represented in the art work throughout history. Many of the art pieces
representing the fall of man show Adam and Eve being cast out of the garden
into a dark threatening world. God’s finger is pointing at them to shame them.
Eve is represented as a seductress and is connected to a snake representing
Satan. She is hanging her head in shame. Adam is looking back at the garden
with regret. We contrast this to a painting by an LDS artist that shows Adam
and Eve walking out into the world hand in hand and with confidence in being
able to face the challenges ahead. The Spirit guiding them is represented by a
dove overhead.
Redemption can be defined as being
saved from sin or returning to grace. The need for redemption by tradition
becomes a Band-Aid approach God had to apply because of the wickedness of men. In
many cultures, you are chosen by the gods as one being special enough to
deserve redemption. The fate would determine the outcome and there was not
anything you could do to change fate. In contrast, as LDS, redemption is
possible for all of us and comes because of the sacrifice Christ made for us.
All of us will be resurrected, but only those who are willing to pay the price
will return to live with God and inherit all that He wants to give us. Because
Christ paid the ultimate price to fulfill the demands of justice, he can extend
mercy to us and tell us the price he expects in return. That price is possible
for all of us and everyone will eventually have the chance to accept or reject
Christ’s offer.
The story of Oedipus is a classic
example of not being able to change your fate. There was nothing the players in
the story could do to reverse the eventual outcome that condemned Oedipus. This
is still a common theme in some Christian cultures. In the movie God’s Not Dead, one
of the Christian women basically told her brother, God doesn’t call out to you
because some people aren’t worth saving. The Catholic practice of baptizing
infants comes from a child being born into original sin as reflected in the
choices Adam and Eve made that caused all of us to be fallen. If a child dies
before they are baptized, there is no hope for them. As LDS believe, every
person on earth will receive the unconditional redemption of resurrection and
those who fulfill the requirements will receive the conditional redemption of
exaltation.
The background knowledge of
creation, the fall, and redemption, helps us understand the heroic journey each
of us undertakes in our mortal life.
Many legends and myths as well as ancient and modern story telling
express the monomyth cycle. It is also represented in symbolism in the many
sacred places we find on earth and especially in the temples. The monomyth
cycle includes: the call to be something greater, a journey with tests and
trials, the threshold crossing that changes who we are, mentors and companions,
the supreme challenge, the return or resurrection, and the final mastery of the
two worlds (physical and spiritual).
Each one of us has embarked on a
heroic journey. The journey we are called to take is the mortal life on earth.
We have left our heavenly home, will go through many tests and trials, and if
we are successful will become a master of our two worlds and receive
exaltation. The sacred places on earth give us connection to our ultimate
destination and remind us of home. The circle in the square is symbolic of that
connection between heaven and earth. Our journey is symbolically represented in
the Egyptian temples, the tabernacle in the wilderness, Solomon’s temple,
cathedrals, and our LDS temples.
Throughout the history of time we have been
shown the way in these temples. They each point to Christ as the central figure
and the way of salvation. All of them include our beginning in creation, a way
to overcome the fall, and ultimately receive redemption.
We can see from the many examples in
our human history how the plan of salvation has been carried through the ages.
It has been distorted and restored several times. The basic purpose of why we
are here on earth is taught symbolically through many sources. The truth comes
through in many ways. Heavenly Father does not leave us alone to figure it out
for ourselves. We have mentors, companions, and instruction through symbolism.
It is our most important heroic journey and one that each one of us can achieve
with the help given if we will accept it.
