Almost no one obeys God. Still, among the few who do, there is a great difference in the amount of diligence exercised in learning more about God.
The justice of God requires that those who exercise greater heed and diligence receive a greater inheritance after this life than those who exercise lesser heed and diligence.
24 Behold, my brethren, do ye suppose that such an one can have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white?
25 I say unto you, Nay; except ye make our Creator a liar from the beginning, or suppose that he is a liar from the beginning, ye cannot suppose that such can have place in the kingdom of heaven; but they shall be cast out for they are the children of the kingdom of the devil. (Alma 5)
God would cease to be just and therefore cease to be God if he treated two people of differing heed and diligence in the same way.1 For example, it is not possible for God to treat someone who has given their life in sacrifice to him the same as one who has not.
Each and every individual has a unique quantity of knowledge from God that they obey. Because glory comes from what is understood and lived,2 afterlife circumstances are as numerous as characters are unique.3
Footnotes
- 1. See Alma 42:13-25 and Mormon 9:19. ↩
- 2. And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same. (D&C 88:34) ↩
- 3. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2) ↩