Second Article of Faith

I teach the mission prep class in my ward. Last week I had planned on dressing up Little E in her frilliest, cutest outfit and bringing her to class as my object lesson as we talked about the power and importance of the Restoration. Well, as she was in the ICU at Primary Children's last Sunday, that didn't happen. We're still in the hospital today, so that wasn't going to happen today either.

I drove to Orem and got a collection of photos that hang in her room and brought them to class. I had everyone look at them and asked them if she looked evil. Did she look like someone who deserved torment and torture? Could you ever respect or love someone who willingly, knowingly, and uncaringly hurt her? Well, she is not baptized and has only a 50% chance of survival. According to the entire western Christian world, if she dies unbaptized she goes to the endless torment of hell.

We quoted the second article of faith: "We believe that a man will be punished for his own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." We compared that with one of the founding pilgrim ideas that "the road to hell is paved with the skulls of unbaptized children." Which god would you worship? I would not worship or love or even speak to a god who damns little children who have only taken one breath in their lives. I would spit in that god's eye. That is a god I would hate and reject. That god has no compassion, no love, no justice. What is the point of allowing children to be born - to fill hell? Then what's the purpose of hell and heaven? That is a god who created us because he was bored one day and wanted to be worshiped because his ego was low and anyone who doesn't match his arbitrary rules must be damned and he doesn't care. Given a choice between that god and atheism where at least all enter oblivion rather than innocent children going to hell, I'd chose atheism.

But this is the power of the Restoration. That is not the Christian God according to the LDS faith. Little children are loved by God and the atonement swallows up all punishment before a child is accountable and capable of sinning. Repentance is not needed by the pure. The well do not need the physician. God loves children and in mercy and justice does not condemn them for things they didn't do. Moroni chapter 8 is very powerful. How many mothers, how many fathers over the ages have ached because their child died before baptism? How much pain and sorrow has their been in the world because this truth disappeared? How much suffering could have been avoided! This idea of baptising little children arose around the same time priests charged for baptism. Those celibate priests who would never have children of their own taught a doctrine that would drive coins to their purse because it targeted parents' love for their children. It is disgusting. No wonder Mormon in no uncertain terms damns those who invented such a disgusting doctrine.

Hallelujah for the restoration. Hallelujah for a God I can respect, love, and worship. This is a God I can trust and will follow. This is the importance of the restoration - we now know who God is. And He is Love.