Why is conversion only available before death?

[Katzpur]

Well the title is fairly clear about my question but allow me to elaborate on it. While I don't believe in god one thing has always felt off to me about Christianity, if God is all loving and genuinely wants to save everyone from hell than why not, after people die, allow them to repent and go to heaven?

According to Mormon doctrine, repentance following death is entirely possible. There have been billions who have lived and died without ever having had the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ. A loving Father would not consign them to an eternity of torture for having had the misfortune to have been born at the wrong time and in the wrong place. Many Christians will argue that God doesn't give second chances. When they say that, they're really arguing that God doesn't even give a lot of people a first chance.

You, on the other hand, have had a chance. You could have taken that leap of faith and decided that there probably really is a God and that Jesus Christ really is your Redeemer. It would be pretty presumptuous of me, though, to say that you've had your chance and that's it. Every single solitary one of us is the product of our his unique environment. Each of us has his own personality, his own worldview, his own biological makeup. For some, faith in something which can't be proven really isn't as easy as it is for others. God knows that. He knows each of us and He loves each of us and He doesn't want to condemn any of us. He's going to make sure that each of us gets the opportunity to hear, understand and accept His Son's gospel -- either during our lifetime or during the period of time when our spirit and physical body are separated and awaiting the resurrection.

Having said that, I probably should add that the spirit which gives you life and which will leave your body when your body dies is going to be essentially the same as it is right now while you are awaiting the resurrection. You are still going to have to accept certain things on faith, and if your mind is absolutely closed to the possibility of the existence of God, that probably won't change after you die.

 

[JR Miller]

Well the title is fairly clear about my question but allow me to elaborate on it. While I don't believe in god one thing has always felt off to me about Christianity, if God is all loving and genuinely wants to save everyone from hell than why not, after people die, allow them to repent and go to heaven?

I think you will find that Christians' feelings on this matter vary across the spectrum of denominations. Some will use the Bible to justify their position, but not everyone believes the Bible to be infallible. We have to remember that the authors of the New Testament we shown often to err and disappoint Jesus, even after his arrest and death. They didn't just suddenly become perfect, did they?. And how much sense would that make? God made them perfect to spread the word, but the rest of us have to work at it? God can see the future, because it's predetermined, so he knows what we're going to do, but somehow we still have a choice?

I am not trying to do battle with orthodox Christians. I am just pointing out that the tent of Christianity is very big. Remember Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Before God, the tax collector admitted he was a sinner and begged forgiveness. Does that story sound like the tax collector suddenly stopped sinning after that prayer? It doesn't read that way to me. But Jesus said that because he humbled himself before God, the sinner would be exalted, despite his sin. Does that sound to you like a God that would ever decide it's too late?

Far too many people, especially non-believers, look at sin as an offense against God, which it most certainly is. But more than that, it is an offense against yourself. If you commit a sin, you are not living your life to its fullest potential. The businessman who cheats may be rewarded monetarily and if he escapes the law he may believe that he does not suffer his sin, but he will never know a life of honor, righteousness, and true faith in God. You may see him enjoy his ill-gotten wealth, but he behind closed doors he will stress himself and worry for his future. He will fear the loss of his earthly wealth. He will have replaced God with that wealth and worship it only. Would you envy such a man?

Keeping your faith in God can be hard work sometimes, but there isn't much that is truly good in this life that doesn't require some kind of effort. And faith in God; If you do not have that, you suffer the worst kind of poverty. It would be like a food that you had always refused to try and then one day you relented only to find that it was greatest thing you had ever had. And that is how our faith in God is rewarded, with a special kind of nourishment, one without which the soul shall perish. But with it, the soul truly does flourish. I hope that you can find that kind of faith some day. But, I caution you that not everyone, who says they have it, truly does. For many of us, myself included, it is not uncommon to for us to slip, often without even noticing it. We have to rein ourselves in occasionally. And that's okay.

 

[Salek Atesh]

While a little convoluted ...
1 John 5:

16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.​

... could be interpreted that after death it is too late.

I can see how this one would be interpreted.

Hebrews 9:27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
... implies die, then judged ... no temporary waiting room full of gospel tracts.

Doesn't necessarily state that judgment will occur immediately after death. Every person will be born and after that die, but that doesn't mean they die immediately after birth.

Matthew 25

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”​

While a parable, thus potentially not literal ... it doesn't sound good.

Hmmm. This doesn't seem to state judgment will happen to an individual at the exact moment of death, but seems to state that judgment will occur "When the Son of Man comes in his glory" which would mean that the dead would have up until the day of judgment to repent.

Anyways, thanks for sharing your interpretations.

 

[atpollard]

Hmmm. This doesn't seem to state judgment will happen to an individual at the exact moment of death, but seems to state that judgment will occur "When the Son of Man comes in his glory" which would mean that the dead would have up until the day of judgment to repent.

Those condemned were condemned for acts done to/for others while they lived.
Nothing particularly supports the view that after you die you will have lots of opportunities to

• give food to the hungry
• give a drink to the thirsty
• invite a stranger in
• clothe someone in need
• look after the sick
• visit people in prison

My point in Matthew 25 was that the dead have no opportunity to do any of these things (that I am aware of).
As I said, not a smoking gun, but hardly something indicating a second chance after death.