Eternal Punishment, Part 4

Shawn McCraney argues that the book “This is my Doctrine” by Charles R. Harrell could lead to the eventual end of traditional Mormonism, due to its well-documented and unbiased critique of LDS doctrine from within the faith. Additionally, McCraney introduces the concept of "Total Reconciliation," which posits that while not all are saved, God will ultimately reconcile everyone to Him, emphasizing that His nature is love, which works in harmony with the free actions of individuals rather than through controlling means.

The teaching emphasizes that God operates through omniscient foreknowledge rather than force, allowing all beings to make free-will choices while ultimately guiding events according to His will and ensuring a good and loving outcome. Scriptures, such as Genesis 50:20 and Acts 2:23, illustrate how God's foreknowledge, rather than imposing control, integrates the free actions of humanity and spiritual beings into His grand design, exemplified through the stories of Joseph and the crucifixion of Jesus.

Shawn explains that, while God's general desire (thelema) is for all people to be saved, human free will means this is not always fulfilled, reflecting a non-coercive divine intention. However, God's purposeful will (boulema) ensures that none will ultimately perish, highlighting a distinction between God's desires and His unalterable plans.

God aims for the total reconciliation of all humanity through repentance, even using extreme conditions like hell or the lake of fire to achieve this, aligning with His love, justice, and respect for human choice. The biblical concept of "first-fruits" represents giving the best and most consecrated part of a harvest to God, symbolically reflecting how God first brings certain people or nations to Himself, starting with Adam and Eve and then the nation of Israel, as a precursor to the eventual gathering of all people.

God has a plan to use the concept of "first fruits" to achieve His purpose, with figures like Adam and Eve, the Nation of Israel, and Jesus representing initial examples in their respective contexts, who are then followed by many others. Believers are considered the first fruits of the Spirit, signifying the beginning of a larger gathering of people chosen according to God's foreknowledge to fulfill His will, with more followers to come in God's plan of total reconciliation.

God values all of His creations, not just the initial "firstfruits," and His plan encompasses a comprehensive harvest, emphasizing the importance of each soul without loss or waste. The belief that certain souls are discarded contradicts biblical teachings, as demonstrated through Jesus' compassion and inclusivity, reflecting God's loving, redemptive intentions rather than eternal condemnation.

The teaching by Shawn emphasizes three parables from Jesus about lost items—a sheep, a coin, and a son—highlighting the theme of returning and being welcomed back with love and forgiveness. Through these stories and 1 Corinthians 13, the teaching explores the attributes of God's endless love, which is patient, kind, and never fails, encouraging the belief that no one is beyond redemption and that God's love is boundless and forgiving.