The Divine Gift of Repentance (Part 4)

by John Draney

This is the fourth post I devote to a translation of certain portions of the October 1, 2011 General Conference address, The Divine Gift of Repentance, given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elder Christofferson:

With repentance we can steadily improve in our capacity to live the celestial law, for we recognize that “he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.” (D&C 88:22)

Translation:

The clear implication of Christofferson’s assessment of repentance, apparently synonymous with steady improvement, is that through our own efforts (perhaps aided from time to time by Jesus) we can eventually learn and master celestial law, the law to which the perfected children of God conform in eternity in his full presence and glory.

However, the apostle is again emphasizing the concept that our choice for Christ during our pre-resurrection sojourn in mortality and the postmortem spirit world is a real, substantive, enduring choice.

Do we, in fact, slowly, methodically, and systematically acquire through our own efforts and practice perfect holiness and righteousness?

This seems to be the conclusion of pop-culture and legalistic influences in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

What does the Lord mean where he teaches the Prophet Joseph that “he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom [the celestial heaven], cannot abide a celestial glory”?

Does Christ mean that we must practice righteousness until we become just like he is, and that he will help us until we get everything right?

Those who espouse this view in the church necessarily condemn all of us who seek Christ to become like Sisyphus of Greek mythology, who is sentenced to an afterlife of hard labor (except that the hill up whose slope we push the boulder of practice and effort rises to an infinite height), and assure us that Jesus will help us push our boulder up an interminable slope until we arrive at our desired destination.

If, in fact, we can “steadily improve” in our ability to attain perfection, then how long will we require to incrementally do so?

How long will we incrementally practice and labor in pursuit of an infinite perfection?

When do we reach the top of the hill?

Does the hill even have a summit?

See the problem?

How much time, practice, and help do we think we need to become as holy, righteous, and perfect as Jesus Christ?

Do we believe that we have anything to do with that hoped-for outcome, or that we can contribute anything at all to such a divine task?

Do we overcome the Fall?

Do we overcome sin?

Do we raise ourselves from the dead?

Do we elevate ourselves to ineffable, infinite realms of eternal glory?

What is it, exactly, that we think we do relative to the divine perfection and holiness of heaven?

Is our acquisition of perfection really best described as a process?

And, returning back to the original question, how do we obtain the ability to perfectly comply with “the law of a celestial kingdom”?

The answer comes from the same section of the Doctrine & Covenants that Elder Christofferson quotes:

For notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again, a spiritual body.

They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened.

Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness. (D&C 88:27-29)

So how do acquire the skill and talent to abide by “the law of a celestial kingdom”?

We acquire this windfall from “that glory by which [our] bodies are quickened,” for we must be “quickened by a portion of the celestial glory,” which quickening confers upon us a “fulness” of the marvelous grace of Jesus.

Does this sound more like an internal, ongoing process, or an external, metaphysical transformation?

Does the Lord misuse the verb to quicken?

Many of us in the restored church of Christ seem to think so. We are more comfortable with the verb “to improve” (or “to steadily improve”) to describe the mechanism by which we will ultimately find the perfection Jesus offers.

Non-Mormon Christians generally understand that their desired elevation to heaven in the presence of God has nothing whatsoever to do with their effort and innate goodness.

We Latter-day Saints generally do not come anywhere near that clarity in our own thinking.

Which view is more correct?

For a more comprehensive discussion of our desired acquisition of the righteousness available to us in Christ, see Chapter 8: Saved by Grace and Chapter 11: The Commandments of the Perfect Day in the book Redeeming Grace in the Canon of the Restoration (Amazon CreateSpace and Kindle).