So here is one of my final posts as a Cal Arts student. Crazy no? I'm actually not sure where the days went....but there goes two more years of education and for the first time I don't feel ready to leave somewhere...but that is for another post.
This post is to discuss a play I saw last night. The MFA 2 acting students produced a play called the Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adley Guirgis. This play is the court case of Judas Iscariot who has been placed in limbo between heaven and hell after committing suicide after his earthly betrayal of Christ. The two attorneys were both trying to convince the judge he belonged in heaven or hell. They called many witnesses including saints, Mother Theresa, Judas's mother, Caiaphas the Elder, Pontius Pilot, and Satan himself. The play was a very big laugh and I thought it was over all brilliant but some points there were brought up about heaven and hell just further proved to me that the LDS religion's view of the after life makes perfect sense.
So in case any one doesn't know the Latter Day Saints believe that before we came to Earth, that Our Heavenly Father (AKA God) created a plan that gave us the ability to live as families and mortal beings on Earth but after Earth Life still have the opportunity to be with those family members again after death. We believe that all men will be judged after life by a merciful God and that he will reward everyone with a place inside his kingdom. We believe this Kingdom will consist of three degrees of Glory. Though we as saints strive for the highest of exaltation known as the Celestial Kingdom, the second and third Kingdoms (The Terrestial and the Telestial) are not considered hell. For the glory of the Telestial "surpasses all understanding". Therefore it is not considered hell. What we do consider the closest thing to Hell is Outer Darkness. The only people that go there are those known as "Sons of Perdition" and let me tell you it is harder to go to Outer darkness then it is to go to a kingdom of Glory.
Outer Darkness is reserved for those people who, after gaining a full knowledge of the Gospel, willfully deny and contend against the Holy Ghost. (Satan, his followers from the premortal life, and those who were born on earth but chose to become sons of perdition.) These individuals who inherit no glory, Although resurrected, and thus immortal, they willfully rebelled and rejected the right to salvation.
So now that you have a little background let me tell you why I loved this play that I was able to attend. .There was a point in the play where Mother Theresa discussed the idea that those in spirit prison were not there because they were awful, in trouble, or going to go straight to hell, but because they don't want to face themselves yet. I know this feeling!!! I know that might sound crazy but many don't seek forgiveness because it seems too easy or they honestly don't believe they are worthy enough to be forgiven. it was the same with this play. They portrayed Judas as in a mental prison that he did not want to leave though Christ told him he was forgiven ( and to me that didn't seem untrue but probably a little weaved together for the play's sake) He could not believe he could just be Christ's friend again after betraying him not because of what he had done but because he felt that Christ had abandoned him.
There was another moment when my favorite actor (and very close friend) in the whole world was portraying a beautiful version of Satan. He was on the witness stand for being the cause of the fall of man and being the cause of evil in the world. Satan went on to say that free agency was not something that humans should have had to deal with and that's why he and Heavenly Father disagreed. But When asked if God still loved him. He said of course. This was a whole world of mind boggling for me (see paragraph 4 - the white one) but hear him out he explained his thoughts. He said as much as he didn't agree with God, he still was made after his own image. He knew God still loved him and when the attorney yelled at him for being a liar and being cast of Heaven. Satan very calmly said something astounding. He said. I wasn't thrown from Heaven in a a blaze of fire, I left I couldn't stay because i no longer agreed with my maker but that in no way says he stopped loving me. I just stopped loving him. ( He then went on to make a joke about christmas cards and all other big holiday gift baskets...but I stopped to think about what SATAN had just honestly said and I don't think many people think Heavenly Father still loves Satan...but he is his son...so shouldn't he?)
This answer proved something to me as a daughter of God. I doubt the actor knew what kind of an impact this line had on me. Everyone on this Earth is a son or daughter of my Heavenly Father. I should love all like he loves all. As a missionary I will be teaching this love and who better to teach then someone who has been as far away from his love as I have.He loves every single one of us, even those that chose to walk away from him or disagree. That's the amazing story of the Atonement and the amazing amount of love for all of God's children. This has been one of the biggest reasons I want to serve because every single one of his children deserve to know that he loves them and that he has a plan for them and none of them no matter the magnitude of sin that they think they have committed are too far to turn around, repent and return to Christ and their loving Heavenly Father.
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