Comparing reincarnation to the Plan of Salvation

Geoff has been posting regarding multiple mortal probations (MMP) again. Recently he issued a challenge to find a model that answered certain questions better than his MMP model. This post is my oversimplified response to the challenge. But first I will begin to point out that I believe some of the terms Geoff uses in his descriptions are a bit misleading. I am not sure whether this is intentional or not. This begins with this theory being called multiple mortal probations, when it is really just a modified version of reincarnation. But reincarnation would be to easy to dismiss thus the new name.


Geoff also gives the impression that there was this teaming horde of 19th century apostles who openly and clearly taught reincarnation, presumably as opposed to teaching the plan of salvation. One of the quotes he gives I will duplicate here.

We have come here to become inured to work-to build temples, and improve upon the elements that God has placed around us, that we may become more skillful tomorrow, through the experience of to-day. What I do not to-day, when the sun goes down, I lay down to sleep, which is typical of death; and in the morning I rise and commence my work where I left it yesterday. That course is typical of the probations we take. But suppose that I do not improve my time to-day, I wake up to-morrow and find myself in the rear; and then, if I do not improve upon that day, and again lay down to sleep, on awaking, I find myself still in the rear. This day's work is typical of this probation, and the sleep of every night is typical of death, and rising in the morning is typical of the resurrection. They are days labours, and it is for us to be faithful to-day, tomorrow, and every day." (Journal of Discourses 4:329) (Heber C. Kimball

My take on this quote is that it at most speaks of a series of probations, namely pre-exitence, mortality, and the spirit world. Saying that this describes a cycle of possibly endless mortal probations is a stretch that would impress plastic man.

So, in response to Geoff's indirect challenge, I would like to offer my model and compare it to his. My model can be simply outlined like this:

Preexistence
Creation and Fall
Mortality
Death
Spirit World
Judgment and Resurrection
Degrees of Salvation

Now many of you might be saying, 'Hold on there Eric. We know you are this wild and crrrrrazy guy, but this is going to far. You are thinking way outside the box here. You're making my head spin. Where do you come up with this stuff?' Okay, so I'm feeling a little sarcastic today. Of course this isn't my model. This is known as the Plan of Salvation. Perhaps you have heard of it. It is outlined in the new Preach My Gospel Book that the missionaries use on page 54, so it is pretty official.

Geoff would characterize this plan as the 'My Turn on Earth' model. Again a bit misleading. He could just as well call this plan the Plan of Salvation as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But the My Turn on Earth model is so much easier to dismiss because of the juvenile and commercial image it brings. So removing the terms Geoff chooses to use I would like to compare reincarnation to the Plan of Salvation.

One of the area's Geoff questions in the plan of salvation is what to do with the idea of God creating previous inhabited worlds. Who inhabited these worlds? Geoff speculates that we inhabited these worlds during a previous mortal probation. Apparently future inhabited worlds will also be inhabited by us during a future mortal probation.

What does the plan of salvation say of these inhabited worlds? Well nothing directly. It appears to me the most reasonable assumption would be that these inhabitants would be our spiritual brothers and sisters. Geoffs natural response might be - why split us up? Perhaps there is wisdom in limiting the number of people and duration of a world - I don't know. But spiritual siblings inhabiting these planets is a reasonable answer. Whether it is complete or true, it is reasonable.

Another one of Geoffs objections has to do with a permanent final judgment which may result in being assigned to a lower degree of glory than the Celestial Kingdom. His objection seems to be two fold, that God will make a mistake and assign someone to a lower kingdom who would have qualified for a higher degree of salvation if only given more time and opportunities, and what do you do with all these people? Geoff suggests an infinite number of penal colony planets where these exiled souls will dwell in misery with other reprobates for all eternity with no death.

In Geoffs version of reincarnation, those who are not exalted will be sent to planet after planet with a new mortal body. This process of probation after probation would continue on and on until the soul was either exalted or destroyed both body and spirit to be recycled as new intelligences. There would be no lower kingdoms per se. Geoff appears to believe that free will and time will lead someone eventually to exaltation or eternal extinction. This seems an odd result for someone who loves free will as much as Geoff. Freedom of choice and equality do not go together. In a free economy, there is a wide range of financial results mainly based on the desires, abilities and choices of those who participate. Would it not be the same in eternal things? Would not some souls choose to be average? Or above-average? Would God not allow that to be? Why force exaltation or extinction as end results?

Geoff is fond of insulting those who disagree with his theories as being deceived by creedal christianity. Perhaps turnabout is fair play. But is this result not right down creedal Christianity's alley? Heaven or Hell. 100% or 0%. Does this view not rob the beauty of revealed truth regarding degrees of salvation based on the choices of those who chose to participate?

The Doctrine and Covenants describes the Telestial Kingdom as being beyond all understanding. Brigham Young said it was beyond anything that John Wesley ever imagined (Discourses 391). The Telestial Kingdom is salvation. It is a degree of glory. And there of course is room for stars that differ in light from each other. Perhaps there is a wide range of glory that has been described in the revelations in a simplified way. Perhaps the separation and distinction between kingdoms is much less than we realize. But simply viewing the Telestial Kingdom as being somewhat better than an isolated penal colony planet is a significant answer to Geoffs objection.

I guess I answered the second part first. Oh well, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Geoff wonders if God would close the doors of exaltation on someone who would then later on repent, change, and eventually qualify for a promotion following the final judgment. Answering this is easy for some, hard for others. Those like me who view God as having perfect judgment are willing to put complete faith in this judgment secure in the belief that God will not make any mistakes there. That those who would qualify have qualified, and those who don't never will. Those who do not trust that God is capable of such perfect judgment would not be comfortable with this. The answer that God is capable of perfect judgment after the pre-exist end, mortality, and spirit world, and perhaps the experience of Jesus in the Garden (Mosiah 3) is a reasonable answer to this problem. Is God capable of perfect judgment or not?

Now a prediction. Geoff will not be swayed in the least by any of this. He will continue to claim that no model addresses these issues as well as his version of reincarnation. Perhaps he is really on to something. Perhaps he is just being stubborn. I'm sure that I am not in the least qualified to speak on this important topic. If I have screwed things up or been unfair let me know the error of my ways. But just because Geoff will dismiss all of this does not mean that there are not reasonable answers to his questions.