Section 137

The word gospel, as many know, literally means good news. There could not be a more fitting meaning for the gospel and teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Throughout my life as a member of this church there have been countless times where possessing the knowledge and testimony the gospel has given me hope, comfort and joy. But the joy the gospel gives does not just apply to me, it is rather a gospel of universal good news. It is a source of hope for every man, woman, and child who has ever lived on the earth.

I believe that Section 137 of the Doctrine and Covenants is one of the most hopeful and comforting revelations in all doctrine. In this revelation, the prophet Joseph Smith has a vision of the Celestial Kingdom. In this vision of heaven he sees his mother and father, who were both alive at the time, and to his great surprise he also sees his older brother Alvin in the Celestial Kingdom. Joseph was not surprised because Alvin was not a good person, because he certainly was. Joseph was shocked because Alvin passed away at a fairly young age and had never been baptized. Everything that Joseph had learned in his previous religious education had suggested that in order to be saved, baptism was an absolute necessity. Without it, Christians simply believed that a soul was damned. 

In this marvelous vision, however, Joseph learns an entirely new concept-that it is possible for those who have died without being baptized to still receive salvation. He further learns that if a child dies before reaching the age of accountability, that they will be exalted as well, even though they were not formally baptized. Both of these ideas were completely novel to religion during the time period of this revelation.

I absolutely love section 137 and the revelations it holds. Not only do I love them, but they make perfect sense to me! One thing that I have learned to be an absolute truth during my life and experiences is that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me, knows me and wants me to return to live with him again. I also know, however that he loves every one of his children just as much as he loves me, even those who were not as lucky as I was to be born into his true church or to accept the gospel during their lives. Because of this great love he possesses, of course he provided an opportunity for every single one of them to be receive eternal life, nothing else would be fitting!  This glorious fact should most certainly be a piece of "good news" to every child of god, but it should also install a deep sense of responsibility into those privileged enough to have heard it. That profound and responsibility is to do the necessary work so that the dead will indeed have that joyful opportunity.