LDS Freedom Forum

Why Judgements? The DIVINE PURPOSE. And what is the purpose....the Ultimate purpose of judgements? Is it Destruction? NO, a thousand times no, except insofar as destruction must at times precede reconstruction, and it is necessary to preserve what is worh preserving. The world's welfare is the object. Gods work and his glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." and if, in the process He uses the powers of destruction as well as the powers of construction...for, all power is his in the heaven and in earth. It is becouse such a course is necessary and is for the BEST. However severe his chastisements, we can rest assured of this; Hatred of humanity has no poace in the heart of him who "so loved the world" the he have his only begotten Son to SAVE the it from eternal damnation. Why CALAMITIES COME.... "Calamities do not come upon the world merely to scourge the wicked. The primal aim of divine punishment is to PURIFY and if possible save those upon whom the Great Avenger lays a chastening hand. The OBJECT is to bring sinners to repentance, to throw down the barriers that prevent men from coming to Chirst, and turn into the upward path those who are bent upon pursuing the downware road. The gospel saves all who are willing to be saved,and who show their willingness by their obedience. It also aims to save the unwilling. Wars and other woes are sen to put a stop to mens evil practices, lest they add sin to sin and pile up guilt to their greater condemnation. Omnipotence wields the powers of destruction in such a way as to make of them instruments of salvation. It may seem cruel, but in reality, it is kind. By Orson F. Whitney, saturday Night Thoughts, p. 202

I think that there are two purposes of the end of world calamities about which was spoken above. The first is to purify as was already mentioned. The second is to ELIMINATE those that live a telestial life. The reason I say this is that during the millenium, only Telestial and Celestial beings can abide the glory of a Telestial world (the state of the earth during the mellemium). Therefore the telestial beings must be removed before then through pestilence, volcanism, war, famine, etc...

This elimination doesn't occur with out precident: During the pre-existence, a 1/3 part of the host of heaven were cast out and deemed unworthy to progress to the next stage of existance. Like then, a 1/3 part of the host of the earth will be cast out because of unworthiness to progress onto the sage of the millenium. This is what John means in Revelations when he states 1/3 of the tress, grass, water is destroyed. he is using figurative language to mean people. IMHO, IF you are looking for a sign of 33% of the earth's grass to be burned, you will miss the mark so to speak.