New and Improved Plan of Salvation Visual Aid

There are many diagrams, graphics and visual aids used to depict the plan of salvation including one generally used throughout the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and known to most members of the church. I used to like it and use it until I found that it often promoted some concepts that are not scripturally accurate and even some false concepts. I have found a few that are better than the traditional one but still don't want to use them to teach primary children or investigators for one reason or another.

Here is a visual aid that is both simple and scripturally accurate. There probably isn't much weaknesses in it due to its simplicity which is meant for explaining it to children and investigators. It may open a little can of worms for members of the church who have been taught some false opinions that have persisted in the church for many years and which have been detailed out in previous posts.

Below is the visual aid and an explanation for it - not how it would be explained in its simplicity to children or investigators, but how it would be explained to members to clarify how it is scripturally accurate and touch on what was intentionally left off.

Heaven

Instead of saying that we lived in a pre-earth life before we were born as spirits, it is much simpler to follow the primary song by saying, "[We] lived in heaven a long time ago." (see I Lived in Heaven) This also supports the later concept that we will return to live with God again, since this diagram does come back to the place that we left. The traditional diagram had us starting in one place that we don't really have a name for (pre-earth life just means some place not on earth) and has us ending up somewhere else in three or four different places. We started out in heaven and we end up in heaven if we are saved. Its simple, it has a name, people understand it to some degree already, and it is scripturally accurate.

Birth

This one is simple and probably needs the least explanation. The depiction of a veil was left off intentionally. When describing birth we can mention that a veil of forgetfulness exists without showing it. We are already showing a separation from God and from heaven and it is not a hard enough concept to grasp that an additional graphic is needed.

Earth

This is the portion where we describe the purpose of life here on earth and possibly the need for the Savior. There is a lot that can be explained here. Things that could have been included are a temple on the earth, pictures of Christ and His atonement, and other things, but for simplicity they were left off. For investigators, the concept of temples would be addressed later on and this visual aid was intentionally prevented from becoming too complicated too early. People learn step by step and we can't inundate them with too much information at once.

Spirit World

The separation of spirit paradise and spirit prison was intentionally left off for the same reason  temples were left off of the earth visual. That is a deeper concept and doesn't need to be explained until temples are understood, if at all. And in reality, many members don't really have a good understanding of spirit prison - why people go there, how they get out of there, or what it signifies eternally - so again, it was left off. It should not be discussed at a beginner level. The imagery of a cloud was used for simplicity to consolidate additional visuals of a grave stone or use of the word death. These are both directly implied by showing that the spirit goes up, symbolized by a cloud.

Resurrection

In this diagram, resurrection and judgement are combined and cannot be separated. The reason for this is because there is no separation between resurrection and judgement. You cannot have one without the other. They are as inseparably connected as the bread and the water for the sacrament or the water and the spirit for baptism. Also on occasion, there have been some false doctrine spread stating that those who go to the celestial kingdom don't need a judgement or that they receive a celestially glorified body before they even go to judgement therefore the judgement has already been given and they don't need to stand before the bar of God to be judged. This is a false concept and is not scriptural. It is probably from opinion sources written by members of the church and accepted as doctrine by some, but is false and contradicts the scriptures. The glory received at resurrection is received after standing before God to be judged as part of resurrection which was the case with Christ Himself who was glorified after ascending to His Father. This depiction makes it clear as the scriptures say, "all shall rise from the dead, both the just and the unjust, and are brought to stand before God to be judged..." (Alma 12:8)

Kingdom of God

Certain misinterpretations of D&C 76 have persisted in the church and they have been outlined rather extensively in previous blog posts. This depiction of the kingdom of God shows that there is one door or gate into the kingdom of God and that this kingdom includes the three kingdoms or degrees of glory. This depiction of the Kingdom of God also helps to dispel some of those non-scriptural notions that non-repentant murderers and whoremongers receive any glory at all. No one can be saved in the kingdom of God (eternal life) and receive any glory from God at all, if they are not made spotless pure and white through the atoning blood of Christ. No sinner on earth or in the spirit world will still be a sinner in the kingdom of God or receive any degree of glory from God whatsoever. This is the concept that is hard for some members of the church to grasp because of opinions and writings of certain members of the church; however, what is stated above is scripturally sound. Outer darkness (post resurrection hell) was also intentionally left off. Outer darkness is not a part of the plan of salvation. It is the place where all those who reject the plan of salvation will go; those known as the sons of perdition. It is where all those who do not receive eternal life will go and as the scriptures imply, they will be few.