AboutHannah Expertise I can answer questions concerning standard doctrines, scriptures, curiousities, Mormon culture and society. I will not respond to debates. I'm sorry, but there are some things that I simply will not answer, not because I don't want to, but there are some things that the LDS people do not discuss casually--it's only talked about within the temple. Though I am a member, I do not believe that anyone could convert anyone to a religion over something as impersonal as the internet. So I won't even try to.
Experience I have been a member of the LDS church for 8 years. Though I'm still a young person, I can answer most things about the church.
Question Do you believe even people such as Hitler and Stalin will be resurrected? Do LDS believe that everybody will get a chance to change after death?
Thank you for your time.
Answer Thanks for asking this. It's a good question.
All right, I have a disclaimer and an answer. The disclaimer is that I'm not an official spokesperson of the church. Also, understand that the after-life is a somewhat hazy area. But I will answer with everything I can give you.
Yes, everyone will be resurrected. Even Hitler and Stalin. Everyone is resurrected, as that is a free gift. However, this is where we must draw the line between resurrection and salvation.
Resurrection is the reunition of the spirit with the body, into an immortal state. Every will gain immortality. But not everyone will gain eternal life. This is where we draw the line between life, and the act of living.
Everyone will get the chance to change, inside Spirit Prison. However, some crimes need to be paid for, even though Christ died for the sins of men. A great example of this is David. For killing Uriah, David was told that though he was forgiven, that sin would keep him from obtaining the highest degree of glory, and thus entering back into the prescence of Heavenly Father.
I think it's important to point out that we LDS do not have two options after life. A lot of denominations of Christianity have two places: Heaven and Hell. The LDS have at least four, if not more: Celestial Kingdom, Terrestial Kingdon, Telestial Kingdom and Outer-darkness. Each of these places have aspects, and presumably different levels of glory within them. Those who "inherit" (meaning, "go to") the Celestial Kingdom are the very righteous who will, among other blessings, live in the prescence of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Those who inherit the Terrestial Kingdom were righteous, but they weren't quite there as well as those who were not really righteous, but they weren't really bad either. They will live in the prescence of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, but NOT in the prescence of Heavenly Father. Thirdly, the Telestial are those who were not righteous as well as some levels of wicked. They will live in the prescence of The Holy Spirit, but not in the prescence of Jesus Christ or Heavenly Father.
Fourth, Outer-darkness, which is a nice way of saying Hell. This is where Satan and his followers reside. Even if you have been resurrected, you can still be sent to Outer-darkness. However, Outer-Darkness is for those who deny the Holy Spirit or Jesus Christ when they had testimony of them, as well as those who commit serious sins that they refuse to repent of.
I am not a judge of heaven, so I cannot say what has become of Hitler and Stalin, but I'm just assuming that if they were/are lucky (who knows if they've been judged yet), the best they got was Terrestial.
Sorry for the long answer, it's a rather complicated subject. If I confused you, ask again specifying what it was that confused you.
