As I studied a bit more in Matthew 3, I stumbled across John’s warning to the Pharisees and Sadducees (verse 12). As many prophets have warned, those trees which fail to bring forth good fruit will be cast into the fire.
There are a variety of references to fire in the scriptures. Sometimes, the fire is used to refine; at others, it is described as torment for those who fail to follow Christ. The refiners fire is often brief, and purifies and strengthens us. Impurities are removed, and we come through it closer to our Savior. In our everyday lives, this fire is described as trials and obstacles.
I would like to focus on the second type of fire. Before I joined the Church, when I believed in a literal hell, the description of fire seemed obvious. Choose to be wicked? Off to the furnace with you!
As a Latter-day Saint, however, I’ve learned a different view of everlasting torment. I learned that there was no fire and no brimstone. When you consider a kind and loving Heavenly Father, it makes sense. He does not delight in our physical anguish. He does not inflict needless pain. He will not stop us from inflicting it upon ourselves, however.
Over and over I have heard that death by fire is the most painful death of all. It is slow. It is lingering. The pain literally covers your body; there is no escape until you finally go numb. You are in agony throughout the process. This is why so many prophets and so many of the righteous were cast into fire; the wicked likely delighted in their pain. Furthermore, it makes their resolve all the more amazing.
Compare that with the eternal spiritual pain of being separated from your God. When you have passed through the veil and realize that your choices in life have kept you from a Father who loves you, the pain and anguish you feel will be beyond measure. This pain will last an eternity, because you will have to live with the results of your actions for that long. This pain will consume and cover you, because you will recognize the value of the priceless gift you have willingly surrendered. And this pain will be just and fair, because it comes from your very own choices. It is not an arbitrary punishment but one that directly results from our actions.
Will this be the case for the wicked only? I sincerely doubt it. If you wake up in the terrestrial kingdom, you will still sorrow for what you have lost. I am sure that even arriving in the lowest level of the celestial kingdom will cause you pain, for you will realize what “could have been”.
Of course, we cannot perform our way into God’s presence. We must walk by faith, and take the power of repentance into our hearts on a daily – if not more frequent – basis. We must sincerely desire to change and become more like our Savior. We must seek to walk in His paths and follow His ways, and we must put Him first in our life. We must walk by faith to come home to Him and to avoid regrets in our afterlife. Even a little fire is far too much for me.
Related Articles:
Gospel Doctrine: Prepare His Ways and Make His Paths Straight
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RS/EQ: Ye Ought ‘Not Procrastinate the Day of Your Repentence’