JeffreyLloyd;
I would have just a few small quibbles with what you have written, but over all I think it is very fair to our perspective.
JeffreyLloyd said:
Because of Christ's Atonement all mankind may be saved, by obedience to laws and ordinances of the Mormon Church (POGP AofF 3).
We actually say "Obedience...to the Gospel". We believe that many more people will be in heaven than Mormons, and Christians for that matter, but, in my personal feelings it will be people who have led exemplary lives according to the teachings that they subscribe to. For example, just by watching how an observant budhist and christian lived their lives, without seeing how or who they worshipped, you would have a hard time telling them apart. For us part of the Gospel includes keeping Christs commandments, an important part, which is what the Budhist above would be doing. This is something Paul alluded to, I believe in Rom 2:14
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
JeffreyLloyd[font=Arial said:
]Heaven - The Mormon Church teaches that after the Final Judgment everyone who has made it to heaven will be assigned to a certain kingdom: One of three places: the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, or the telestial kingdom (GP Ch. 46)[/font]
Hell - They believe Hell is called "Outer Darkness." This place is for people who knew the truth of Christ and rejected Him. There is no forgiveness for them, for they denied the Holy Spirit after having received it. They will not have a kingdom of glory. They will live in eternal darkness, torment, and misery with Satan and his angels forever. (D&C 76:28-35, 44-48) & (GP Ch. 46)
This is right as far as it goes, but I don't think that it catches the essence of the Mormon teachings. Most people will go to a "Kingdom of Glory" only a handfull will go to "Outer Darkness". In the discription of the lowest "Kingdom of Glory", or the Telestial Kingdom, those who go there are
(These will be from Sec 76 of the D&C)
103 These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.
These are the kind of people that most christians think are going to be in hell, and in fact it says of the Telestial Kingdom
83 These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit.
84 These are they who are thrust down to hell.
So the Telestial Kingdom is actually our Hell.
So what then is Outer Darkness? Well it is that special place reserved for, as is shown in 83 above, "Those who deny the Holy Spirit." Well what does that mean? You'll get varying opinions on it but I like two statements. One from the scriptures saying
35 Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame.
As I understand this, to go to outer darkness, you would have to know, not through faith only, that Christ was indeed God, and be willing to join with the devil in assenting to his death, not as part of Gods devine plan to save mankind, but standing with the devil in trying to destroy God.
That takes a special kind of evil that only a few people can attain to. Joseph Smith said that you must be standing in the daylight and be willing to say it is dark to be cast into outer darkness.
A suggestion, if you want one, to try and catch this better would be.
Heaven -
The Mormon Church teaches that after the Final Judgment most people will be assigned to a certain kingdom: One of three places: the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, or the telestial kingdom (GP Ch. 46)
Your description of hell is quite good but with the emphasis on most people going to a Kingdom of Glory it becomes even better.
JeffreyLloyd said:
Purgatory - Living members of the Mormon Church perform ordinances in behalf of the dead who have not heard the gospel (see 1 Corinthians 15:29). Because they believe ordinances such as baptism and confirmation must be done on earth. (GP Ch. 16)
Actually Purgatory is a Catholic doctrine, Mormons say that after death you go to "Spirit Prison" or "Paradise", you don't have to be a Mormon to go to "Paradise" either because Christ told the theif on the cross that he would be with him in paradise. However, I have used purgatory to explain what spirit prison is. I don't know that Catholics have a comparable doctrine to our paradise.
JeffreyLloyd said:
Baptism - The Mormon Church also believes baptism for the remission of sins. However they believe it must be done by immersion . (POGP AofF 4) (GP Baptism)
You should probably point out that Mormons believe that you must "reach the age of accountability", which is 8 years old, to be baptized. As I understand it some religious traditions practise immersion baptism of infants.