IF GOD IS A GOD OF AGENCY, THEN HOW WILL EVERY KNEE BOW, AND EVERY TONGUE CONFESS?

Will there be use of force to get His wayward children to get to that point, even though they might not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior?

I have crunched on that one for years - and I think I finally arrived at a conclusion tonight that is satisfactory to my mind - and that brings in a little of Spencer's "strange doctrine" to get to the heart of the matter.

The way I understand it, a person can make it into the lowest kingdom just by having a body (anyone who passed through mortality, by default, is in).  Also, anyone who gets any glory, will confess that Jesus is our Lord and Savior - even though they may not accept their part of the Atonement, nor its potential saving effects on their eternal lives.  But, this confession will not come by force - or God would cease to be God.  So how will that detail come off?

I believe it will come off as the unrepentant soul is delivered up to the buffeting of satan and his minions.  There are only two choices in this life - two plans.  Each act defines who we are and whom we choose to follow.  So, if we categorically reject Christ, we have made an overt move into the waiting arms of satan and his minions.  Now, the enticements to move that direction may come off as quite sweet, but the fruit which that lifestyle begins to bear will be coarse and bitter and will lead to hate, darkness, bitterness, bondage, pain, suffering and all things negative.  Over time, even the most hardened of people will be repulsed and will try to escape it - for it is no existence at all.  This will eventually propel the person to the knowledge of God's plan and eventually, His love.  The contrast will be unmistakable, and the person will be compelled, not by person or by physical threat, but by reason and circumstance, to declare that God's plan is much better than the opposite plan they had set out to embrace through evil acts.

I am always amazed at the stupidity of people.  My wife invited a neighbor of ours to a local Stake activity where the whole community is involved.  I love it.  Each Christmas, the Stake is filled with decorated trees, nativity scenes and local school choirs and musicians singing inspired music.  People of all faiths are invited to attend.  While standing in the building where this amazing spirit-filled event is taking place, our neighbor runs into a non-member friend who asks about her relative who is living in Utah and engaged to someone from Utah.  The concerned friend of our neighbor, within earshot of my wife, asks if her relative is engaged to a Mormon (since she is in Utah).  The response is horror - perish the thought that this could ever be the case.......  Yep, my wife was embarrassed.  How could our neighbor be so biased?  Really so deflating for my wife.

So here is the rub - and the Spencer connection.  In Visions of Glory, Spencer said that there would be two camps in the world.  Those who were at war, and those who were at peace or wanted peace - with the LDS at the heart of those who were at peace.  Even though people may be horribly biased against the Saints, they will still gather to the places of safety and light, in order that they and their families not fall victim to rampant gang activity, war activity including rape and torture/murder.  In the most vile of scenes, those things that the Book of Mormon lightly treads around will occur with human sacrifice and cannibalism, etc.  It will be more than most could even mentally fathom - so regardless of their biases, these will be driven towards those who are filled with warmth, light and love in order to have a semblance of peace - for no weapon formed against Zion and those who occupy her, shall prosper.  When the Priesthood is properly wielded in righteousness, it will be a mighty thing.  All things will be done by revelation.  If there is a future thing planned by evil men (or women), it will be rooted out of its dark hiding place by revelation.  If a sickness is present in the body, it will be detected and commanded to flee by a righteous priesthood holder.  There will be no bounds or constraints, including time. 

So these survivors, as Spencer pointed out, will work their way closer - not because there is any force to the equation, but simply because the opposite would be unthinkable.  Once the giving spirit takes hold, then they will slowly become integrated into the Zion model and they will upward move to a terrestrial state of being and living.  They will declare that Jesus is the Christ - and the only Begotten Son of the Living God.

Whether you or I can remember it, or not - we all agreed to this plan.  We agreed that, if we chose not to keep the commandments, we would be subjected to the buffetings of malevolent beings as we departed from the presence and love of God.  This, naturally, would shepherd us back into the waiting arms of a patient God.  If we did not willingly do it while in the flesh, the natural reward of a higher glory would be lost, but at least there would be glory.  Just not as much as there might have been, had we made the steps back to God under our own power and love for Him, and not as a function of having done so due to circumstance (being buffeted by evil beings to drive us back).

So, the choice is ours and ours alone to make.  Salvation is a very personal victory or failure.  When we have loved ones who stray, we have to allow them their agency so that they can make the journey on their own.  We state where the boundaries are and then allow all men to make their own choices - while making them aware of the consequences.  This is Father's plan.