“What is the test of this life for people who never hear the gospel—which is the vast majority?” New Era, June 2017
What is the test of this life for people who never hear the gospel—which is the vast majority?
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Most people who have lived haven’t had the opportunity to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ in this life. We believe they will have the opportunity to accept it in the spirit world and receive salvation because of Jesus Christ’s Atonement (see D&C 137:7–9; 2 Nephi 9:25–26). But what does this life mean for them, then?
Joseph Smith explained, “God judges men according to the use they make of the light which He gives them” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 405). This light includes the Light (or Spirit) of Christ, which “is given to every man, that he may know good from evil” (Moroni 7:16). All of us come into this world with some ability to know right from wrong, and we all will be judged by how well we use that knowledge to choose right, including eventually accepting the gospel, whether here or in the spirit world. The way we treat others, the way we respond to whatever truth we encounter—these are important for all of us in Heavenly Father’s plan, even those of us who never learn about the gospel.