heaven

last night i had an interesting experience. i was over at daniela's. we were playing bookopoly and someone knocked on the door. someone has been doing the 12 days of christmas for her family so i thought it would be them. i waited a little bit to open the door and when i opened the door there were two people standing there. they were from another church handing out fliers for their church. other members from this church had come by our house and we politely had a conversation - they asked me if i knew for sure that i was going to heaven. i can't remember what i said then but we talked a little and they went on their way.

well this time they asked me the same question and i said i hoped so. because my definition of "heaven" is going to the celestial kingdom - and not the heaven or hell that other denominations refer to. the guy asked me why i said i hoped so. i told them that i was working on doing everything that i needed to help qualify myself to go into "heaven". i told him i believed that our Savior died for us, atoned for our sins, and was resurrected so that all of us can be resurrected, but that we also had to follow his commandments and do our best to be able to return to live with him again someday. he agreed about christ dying for us, atoning for our sins, and being resurrected, but he disagreed the part where we have to keep the commandments in order to qualify to go into heaven. he believed that because christ did all those things for us that automatically qualifies us to enter into heaven - no matter what we do in this life here on earth. we went back a few times about this. i didn't really want to get into the whole there are three kingdoms and all that. anyway...it was an interesting conversation. it reminded me of my days from my mission when we had "bible bashing" sessions with people (not that we started them). the guy had quoted from several scriptures and we had differing opinions on his interpretation of what the scripturs say.

i had asked this gentleman why the lord had given us commandments if we weren't expected to keep them. he said that we were given commandments and if we broke them that we would get illness, have financial troubles, have trials, etc.

i so just wanted to spell out the entire plan of salvation but i knew he wouldn't be receptive to hearing it so i finally had to say we had to end the conversation and basically agree to disagree.

the whole conversation just made me so grateful to have the gospel in my life and for my testimony. i am thankful our heavenly father gave us free agency so that we can choose for ourself if we want to follow the lord or not. i am thankful that he has given us his savior to make it possible for us to return to live with him again someday if we remain worthy and follow his commandments to the best of our abilities. i am thankful that we have living prophets on the earth and for the scriptures to help lead and guide us and help us to distinguish truth from error.