Questions People Actually Ask

Question 1

I struggle to feel worthy of blessings. How do I accept them without guilt?

Accepted Answer

Worthiness doesn't mean perfection. Elder Uchtdorf taught that God's grace is sufficient for the humble. The Savior's Atonement covers our shortcomings when we sincerely try. Accepting blessings is an act of faith in His mercy, not a claim of personal perfection.

Question 2

Does God take mental health into account during final judgement?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Church teachings affirm that God judges perfectly and mercifully. He alone understands every factor — including mental health, trauma, and circumstances beyond our control. The Atonement of Jesus Christ accounts for all things that impair our agency and understanding.

Question 3

How do I know if I've truly been forgiven?

Accepted Answer

President Packer taught that the very fact you feel concern about past sins may itself be evidence the Spirit is working in your life. Forgiveness often comes as peace — a quiet assurance rather than a dramatic moment. Mosiah 4:3 describes those who received a remission of sins and were 'filled with joy.'

Question 4

Is there repentance after death?

Accepted Answer

Doctrine and Covenants 138 describes the Savior's visit to the spirit world, where the gospel is preached to those who did not have the opportunity in mortality. The spirit world is a place of learning and progression, and the ordinances of the temple make those blessings available to the dead.

Question 5

Can a single parent be sealed to their child?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sealing policies allow children to be sealed to a living parent. Handbook guidance provides for a range of family situations. The Lord's plan ensures that no righteous desire for eternal family bonds will go unfulfilled.

Question 6

What happens to babies who die before being blessed?

Accepted Answer

The Church teaches that little children who die before the age of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (see D&C 137:10 and Moroni 8:12). They need no baptism or other ordinance — they are innocent and redeemed.

Question 7

Does God actually cause the trial, or just allow it?

Accepted Answer

Scripture and modern prophets distinguish between trials God sends for growth and those He permits as part of mortality's conditions. Elder Bednar has taught that some adversity is 'consecrated for our gain' while other suffering results from living in a fallen world. In all cases, God promises to be with us.

Question 8

Scriptural examples of finding comfort in sorrow

Accepted Answer

The scriptures offer many: the Psalmist's declaration 'though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death' (Psalm 23), Alma's plea in prison answered by divine assurance (Alma 36), and the Savior's own invitation to 'come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden' (Matthew 11:28). Each shows that God meets us in our grief.

Question 9

How do I keep faith when prayers go unanswered for years?

Accepted Answer

Elder Holland has spoken powerfully about holding on when answers seem delayed: 'Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying.' The scriptures teach that God's timing is not our own (see Isaiah 55:8-9), and that patient endurance itself develops the faith we seek.

Question 10

How can parents show love and support to a child that has left the church?

Accepted Answer

Church leaders consistently counsel unconditional love. Elder Christofferson said the role of parents is to love without condition while maintaining personal standards. The Savior's parable of the prodigal son teaches that the father never stopped watching for his child's return — and neither should we.

Question 11

Temple covenants and wayward children — are they still covered?

Accepted Answer

Prophets from Brigham Young to President Nelson have taught that the sealing power reaches far. Orson F. Whitney recorded a teaching attributed to Joseph Smith that faithful parents who have been sealed to their children have a claim upon them, and that the Lord will use every righteous influence to bring them back.

Question 12

My spouse doesn't believe anymore. What does the gospel say about mixed-faith marriages?

Accepted Answer

The Church teaches that marriage covenants are sacred and that love, patience, and respect should be the foundation of every marriage. Leaders have counseled couples in mixed-faith situations to focus on shared values, to respect each other's journey, and to trust that the Savior's grace covers difficult family circumstances.

Question 13

Is there forgiveness for murder?

Accepted Answer

Doctrine and Covenants 42:18 teaches that murder is a serious sin. The scriptures distinguish between 'shedding innocent blood' and other forms of taking life. While the path to forgiveness is more constrained, the Atonement's reach is taught alongside the reality that some consequences endure. Only God fully judges such matters.

Question 14

What is the Holy Spirit of Promise?

Accepted Answer

The Holy Spirit of Promise is the Holy Ghost acting in His role as the ratifier of righteous acts, covenants, and ordinances. As taught in D&C 132:7, all covenants and performances must be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise to have efficacy in the eternities. It confirms that a person has been faithful to the covenants they have made.

Question 15

Why would any spirits follow Satan if they were in God's presence?

Accepted Answer

Agency has always been central to God's plan. Even in God's presence, individual spirits had the ability to choose. Satan's plan appealed to those who feared failure or preferred guaranteed outcomes over growth through risk. Moses 4:1-4 and Abraham 3:27-28 describe this premortal conflict over the principle of agency.

Question 16

Did His atonement and resurrection cover all worlds?

Accepted Answer

Doctrine and Covenants 76:24 teaches that by the Son, 'the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.' Moses 1:33 speaks of 'worlds without number.' While full details are limited, the scope of Christ's Atonement appears to extend to all of God's creations.

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