Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Question

 

Gramps.

I was involved in a situation that brought about the death of another person. Will I be able to be baptized still?   What will I have to do to atone for this sin?

Heather

 

 

Answer

 

Heather,

The gospel of Jesus Christ allows us to understand the depth of love our Heavenly Father has for his children — his heirs. We are his heritage, such that, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Source) This great love our Heavenly Father offers through his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, provides each and every one of us an opportunity to be cleansed (to be made perfect), “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow,” as long as we have not committed the unpardonable sin.

In our scriptures, your question, reminds me of another question once asked by a Lamanite chief (Book of Mormon) who had come to a realization of his state before the Lord and once said, “if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day.” (Source) In light of this verse Howard W. Hunter once stated:

“When we too are willing to give away all our sins to know him and follow him, we too will be filled with the joy of eternal life”

 

As such, what might Heather do to discover her standing before the Lord?

The first step would be to speak with the missionaries and let them know that you will probably need to speak with the Mission President or with one of his counselors to discuss, in detail, what happened. Once a meeting is established, I would recommend fasting and praying, and opening your heart to be frank, sincerely honest, with the individual who will speak with you. As you speak with one of these individuals, depending on your circumstance, they may need to speak with one of the local general authorities, which may even need to speak with a member of the First Presidency. Once they have received all the facts, from your sincere and honest delivery, they will make their decision.

As you experience these different interviews, you may feel some personal anxiety. This is okay, nothing to worry about, and you still have every reason to rest and allow your soul to be comforted in Christ, in his mercy and in his love. The only individuals who would be able to answer your question are those who have authority and power from God to give you any answer. In your case, it would be the mission president, general authorities, and the First Presidency. These are the Lord’s servants who love and care for you and desire the salvation of all of God’s children — even yours.

To conclude my response, I would like to turn your heart and thoughts again to the Lamanite Chief in the Book of Mormon who again declared:

“9. And behold, I also thank my God, that by opening this correspondence we have been convinced of our sins, and of the many murders which we have committed.

 

“10. And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.

 

“11. And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain—” (Source).

 

These are wonderful words Heather for you to place your trust in the Lord — his mercy, his grace, and his love.

 

Gramps

 

 

 

Copyright © 2024 Ask Gramps - Q and A about Mormon Doctrine. All Rights Reserved.
This website is not owned by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. For the official Church websites, please visit churchofjesuschrist.org or comeuntochrist.org.

Pin It on Pinterest