JS is reported to have said:Elder Orson F. Whitney (1855–1906) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1929: “The Prophet Joseph Smith declared—and he never taught more comforting doctrine—that the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving father’s heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain."
Dande linked to an article/talk by Elder Bednar in another thread. Rather than derail the specific topic of that thread I would like to move some discussion here.“When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother.”
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/03/fait ... g?lang=eng
The topic at hand is the promises made to faithful parents of wayward children and how that squares with individual agency. The explanation is essentially that wayward and rebellious children can repent and receive the teachings and ordinances of the gospel - possibly even after death.
Elder Bednar quoted President Foust:
.Mercy will not rob justice, and the sealing power of faithful parents will only claim wayward children upon the condition of their repentance and Christ’s Atonement. Repentant wayward children will enjoy salvation and all the blessings that go with it, but exaltation is much more. It must be fully earned. The question as to who will be exalted must be left to the Lord in His mercy
Emphasis mine
If I understand correctly the Atonement of Jesus gives us the resurrection and the opportunity to be forgiven for our sins conditional upon our repentance. The atonement makes possible a learning environment where we can make mistake and learn from the without having those mistakes forever weighing us down. All souls will make mistakes but there is a difference between making a mistake to learn/turn from it and willfully and rebelliously repeating the mistake. Even rebellious souls are heirs of salvation eventually because all will be saved in a kingdom of glory after they bend the knee. It sounds like the wayward children of faithful LDS couples may end up saved in the telestial kingdom. Still, the opportunity for more glory was forever lost and the divine potential squandered.
This seems to be a possible way to bring such contradicting church teachings into alignment - however it also seems to me to rob the power and intent from the JS and Orson F. Whitney quotes?
Does anyone have any context or thoughts to share on the subject? Elder Bednar seems pretty confident. Is his perspective now church doctrine on the matter?