I was sitting in stake conference this weekend and it was a
special occasion, because we like many others stakes around the world, were receiving
a new stake presidency. Something odd stuck out to me in the talks that I had
never really thought much about, the Veil.
One of the new catch phrases that have been disseminating
down is “The work of Salvation on both sides of the Veil” Which I understand
what they are talking about, but I think the wording is actually false. What is
being conveyed in the phrase is that work of salvation that is done for the
departed, or those on the other side of the veil. My concern is that the
doctrine of the Veil is actually not well understood.
We are taught that the veil was put in place to block our remembrance
of our premarital existence. The rational being that if we remembered our pre mortal
life the test that mortality provides would fail to provide the TEST necessary,
because we would already know the answers. Faith would not be needed. In this
vain of logic this Veil is as important as agency to this phase of eternal progression.
The doctrine that is unclear is when that Veil is removed.
There really is not much by way of accepted scriptures on
this topic, nor is there much in “spoken” scripture. From what I can find the
removal of the veil cannot take place until after someone has both accepted the
gospel and satisfactorily completed the “test”, or they have been resurrected and
await judgment. The process is not an immediate event, but a slow process just
as the resurrection is a process. There are clearly example of people who have,
finished the test early, or be permitted to have some clarity given, although
only momentarily, in the scriptures such as Moses, the Brother of Jared and
Joseph Smith Jr.
Symbolically in the Temple we pass through the veil once we
have received all the knowledge, and covenants necessary to do so. This is done
at the conclusion of the Endowment, but prior to sealing ordinances. That all
being so then who are we helping on the other side of the Veil. It would stand
to reason they don’t need our help, because they have already made it as far as
us.
Perhaps I have been looking at this the wrong way. Am I doing
work to help those in Spirit prison or Spirit Paradise? From what I have read and found those in Spirit
prison are clearly not on the other side of the veil. If they were it would
invalidate the Test. The Test covers all points between birth and resurrection which
in its entirety is also known as the second Estate. Is it possible that those
in Spirit Paradise, who are those sent to preach to those in Spirit Prison, may
actually be or in process of having the veil removed from them. So am I
actually doing this work to help them? That does not feel right nor does it
make sense to me. Is this new catch phrase doctrinally in error?
