In D&C 138:57-59 it states:
The scripture then says that the dead who REPENT WILL BE REDEEMED, THROUGH OBEDIENCE TO THE ORDINANCES OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. I thought temple ordinances, including baptisms for the dead, were only necessary for those who are heirs to at least some degree in the Celestial Kingdom. See Doctrines of Salvation, II, p. 191. If this is so, then why does the scripture go on to say “[a]nd after they have paid the penalty of their transgressions, and are washed clean, shall receive a reward according to their works, for they are heirs of salvation.”
If they repent and are redeemed through the ordinances of the temple then why are they paying the penalty for their transgressions? I understood D&C 19:15-18 to mean if you repent then because of the atonement you do not suffer because Christ suffered for us. As I read this scripture it can only mean one of two things. First, some people who end up in he Celestial Kingdom must suffer for their own sins. Second it could mean that these people are not going to the Celestial Kingdom (“for they shall receive a reward according to their works”). So am I wrong that an “heir of salvation” (not “exaltation”) can end up in the C, T or T Kingdom, as all are kingdoms of glory and the heirs of each of these kingdoms are saved with a “resurrection of endless life and happiness”? (Mosiah 16:11) And if so then why did they need the ordinances of the temple?
1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.
There is one other group that will be in the Celestial Kingdom, the spouse’s of valiant spouses who kept their marriage covenants of complete faithfulness even though the other spouse didn’t & thus maintained the eternal sealing to their errant spouse & earned the right to save them to them in the Celestial Kingdom.
According to the Prophets, Spouses have a greater bond & power to save their errant spouse than even parents do to save their children. But it takes True Love, the kind that never ends or gives up, to be able to sacrifice & save & stay faithful to an errant spouse who may have even left you. But once the errant spouse repents & is cleansed, even if it takes til the next life, the righteous spouse can then claim them by the sealing power to come & enjoy eternal marriage with them in the Celestial Kindgom, which Brigham Young said the errant spouse will be very glad for the chance to do.
The original question in this post has brought up another question for me from D&C 76: 71-80 (This is a description of who will inherit the Terrestrial Kingdom.)
71 And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the church of the Firstborn who have received the fulness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament.
72 Behold, these are they who died without law;
73 And also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son visited, and preached the gospel unto them, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh;
74 Who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it.
75 These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men.
76 These are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fulness.
77 These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father.
78 Wherefore, they are bodies terrestrial, and not bodies celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun.
79 These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God.
80 And now this is the end of the vision which we saw of the terrestrial, that the Lord commanded us to write while we were yet in the Spirit.
My question is partially the same as the person’s question which prompted this whole post: What is the point of doing Temple Work for the dead if they are only making it at best to the Terrestrial Kingdom, where they don’t need temple ordinances anyway?
It sounds like D&C 76 isn’t allowing for anyone to make it to the Celestial Kingdom who wasn’t already on a Celestial path (like Alvin Smith apparently was) when they died. Hence, what is the point of work for the dead? Are we only doing it for the people like Alvin Smith? D&C 138: 57-59 totally contradicts this.
This has always confused me. Help!