The Plan of Salvation

As I have been studying February’s doctrinal topic, The Plan of Salvation, it made me think of the time a few years ago when my son was taking a long road trip alone. His destination was about twelve hours away, more than half of that time with nothing but wide open space. Before he left, we made sure he had enough food and money for his journey. Definitely one of the most important preparations was figuring out how many miles the car could go on a tank of gas, where gas stations were, and their hours of operation. And, of course, the mother in me asked him to call and check in every few hours—both ways.

Though very simplistic, let’s compare that experience with our earthly journey. January’s study of the Godhead helped us to more fully understand and appreciate the fact that we are the literal sons and daughters of God. He loves me, watches over me and wants me back home. Thus, Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation is also personal. It is His plan for me. With that knowledge, it should be quite easy to comprehend that a loving Heavenly Father would not send us on a long road trip alone without a plan. He would make sure that we had the information and resources necessary for our journey. He would want us to be safe and check in to let Him know where we are and how we are doing. And He would be anxiously awaiting our return home.

There are certain words and phrases we hear so often in the Church that, if we are not careful, they can seem ordinary. I believe the plan of salvation fits in that category. Yet far from ordinary, God’s plan is extraordinary! Whether it is referred to as the plan of happiness, the plan of salvation, the plan of redemption, or simply the plan, it is what a loving Father in Heaven designed that enables us to return home to Him.

When was the last time you stopped to think about what the plan of salvation actually means? And more particularly what it means to you?

David A. Bednar gives us this beautiful definition, “Our Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness includes the doctrine, the ordinances, the covenants, and the exceeding great and precious promises whereby we can become partakers of the divine nature. His plan defines our eternal identity and the pathway we must follow to learn, change, grow, and ultimately dwell with Him forever.”1

Let’s go back to my son’s road trip. Most of the time, he could choose for himself where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do. However, there was one thing that he could not neglect—gas stations! There were limitations as to how far he could go on a tank of gas. Knowing where and when to stop for gas was vital. Before he left, a plan was made. Because he understood that plan and accepted it, his trip was not only safe and successful, but also peaceful and enjoyable. We too accepted our Heavenly Father’s plan before we left His presence. The vital checkpoints on our mortal journey are the ordinances and covenants we make with Him. Like my son’s gas stops, these are not optional if we want to return home to our Heavenly Father. Covenants made and kept keep us safe in this life. And they bring us peace not only in in this life but also in the life to come. “In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life.”2

Dallin H. Oaks has taken the opportunity to teach about the plan of salvation in his last two conference talks, titled “The Godhead and the Plan of Salvation” and “The Plan and the Proclamation.” Most recently he taught, “God created this earth according to His plan to provide His spirit children a place to experience mortality as a necessary step toward the glories He desires for all His children.”3 Agency is part of Heavenly Father’s plan. And with agency, Elder Oaks reminds us “we now experience opposition. We grow and mature spiritually by choosing to obey God’s commandments in a succession of right choices. These include covenants and ordinances and repentance when our choices are wrong. In contrast, if we lack faith in God’s plan and are disobedient to or deliberately refrain from its required actions, we forgo that growth and maturity. The Book of Mormon teaches, 'This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God' (Alma 34:32)."3

Similarly, Elder Bednar teaches, “God promises His children that if they follow the precepts of His plan and the example of His Beloved Son, keep the commandments, and endure in faith to the end, then by virtue of the Savior’s Redemption, they ‘shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.’”1

I love Elder Oak’s clarification of eternal life when he says, “While there are various kingdoms and glories, our Heavenly Father’s ultimate desire for His children is what President Monson called ‘eternal life in the kingdom of God,’ which is exaltation in families. This is more than salvation. President Russell M. Nelson has reminded us, ‘In God’s eternal plan, salvation is an individual matter; [but] exaltation is a family matter.’”3

The importance of family cannot be overstated. Surely that is why our understanding of and adherence to The Family: A Proclamation to the World is so critical. “Converted Latter-day Saints believe,” Elder Oaks said, “that the family proclamation … is the Lord’s reemphasis of the gospel truths we need to sustain us through current challenges to the family.”3 When President Gordon B. Hinckley introduced this beautiful document to the Church, he began by saying, “With so much of sophistry that is passed off as truth, with so much of deception concerning standards and values, with so much of allurement and enticement to take on the slow stain of the world, we have felt to warn and forewarn.”4 Oh how we need prophets! One could have hardly imagined more than twenty years ago where we would be today! The proclamation clearly states the importance and sanctity of life, marriage, and family relationships in God’s plan. Specifically it says:

- Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and the family is central to the Creator’s

plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

- The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.

Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to

return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

- We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the

sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.2

The proclamation also warns “that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets."2

Elder Oaks testified that “the proclamation on the family is a statement of eternal truth, the will of the Lord for His children who seek eternal life. … Consider it as such, teach it, live by it, and you will be blessed as you press forward toward eternal life.”3

While the world may consider some of these truths controversial, Elder Oaks reminds us, “Every generation that has sought to follow God’s plan has had challenges. … Those who understand [God’s plan] are always commanded to choose the Lord’s way instead of the world’s way.”3 How wise we are to do so, because as Ronald A. Rasband taught, “One day, we will stand as witnesses of our whole-souled devotion to works of righteousness. No trial or calamity can derail God’s plan of happiness. … ‘I came into the world to do the will of [the] Father,’ Jesus taught. Dear brothers and sisters, so have we.”5

Another source of eternal truth that we should teach from and live by that will bless us as we “press forward toward eternal life” is the Book of Mormon. It testifies of Jesus Christ in profound and powerful ways. And the Savior, Jesus Christ and His Atonement are central to our Father’s plan. Earlier last year, Elder Oaks taught, “The Son, the greatest of all, was chosen by the Father to carry out the Father’s plan—to exercise the Father’s power to create worlds without number (see Moses 1:33) and to save the children of God from death by His Resurrection and from sin by His Atonement.”6 Nowhere is that taught more beautifully than in the Book of Mormon. Having a loved one die is without question one of the hardest things we have to deal with in life. But because of truths taught in the Book of Mormon about His Resurrection and His Atonement, we can have peace even amid heartache. We know that “the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.”7

Of the Book of Mormon, Russell M. Nelson testifies, “It contains the answers to life’s most compelling questions. It teaches the doctrine of Christ. It expands and clarifies many of the ‘plain and precious’ truths. … The Book of Mormon provides the fullest and most authoritative understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere. … These and other truths are more powerfully and persuasively taught in the Book of Mormon than in any other book. The full power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is contained in the Book of Mormon. Period. … This is the book that will help to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. … In a most miraculous and singular way, the Book of Mormon teaches us of Jesus Christ and His gospel.”8

Remember, it is from the Book of Mormon we learn that “this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God.”9 A few verses later, Amulek says, “I desire that ye should remember these things, and that ye should work out your salvation with fear before God.”9 Yes, we must work out our salvation. But the glorious truth is that Heavenly Father has given us a plan so we can know how to prepare to meet Him. One of the greatest gifts He has given us is His Beloved Son. The Savior truly “marked the path and led the way.”10 As we come to more fully understand God’s plan for us personally and follow the example of Jesus Christ, our lives will be blessed beyond measure because “His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.”11