Adult people who were not raised in a church or those who were raised with a church background but who, later, left their church and belief system, have a difficult time coming back. The reason for this is the fear of being ridiculed or shamed by friends who feel religion is a weakness or even a mental illness. A good example of that was demonstrated a short while ago when a notable Anti-Christian person, Joy Behar, a host of the TV show, “The View”, made disparaging comments against Christianity, by stating… “It’s one thing to talk to Jesus, it’s another thing when Jesus talks to you,” Behar made that remark while discussing Vice President Mike Pence’s strong Christian faith. “That’s called mental illness if I’m correct.” She and other famous TV hosts often make critical remarks about people who have faith and are not afraid to demonstrate it by what they say publicly. Their audiences of thousands of people hear their message and many will think, as they do, that religion is silliness. A belief system that was brought forth from the middle ages into our enlightened society. Nobody wants to be associated with a group publicly believed to be mentally ill. At the same time, we are living in an age of spiritual emptiness, where many churches have closed and the people who do attend are ridiculed. As impressionable youth see their parents teachers and TV personalities treat religious beliefs as being mentally ill, that becomes their belief system as well. They have no other scale to measure it by. “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” King Benjamin proclaimed to the Nephite people that, “Christ’s blood “atoned for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgressions of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned. But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelled against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.” James E. Talmage stated in the ‘Articles of Faith’ approximately the same thing; that Christ’s blood “atoned for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgressions of Adam.” Because there are so many people no longer attending church, not studying the scriptures, and yet, listening to people like Joy Behar, religion and the teachings of the gospel seems to be faltering. Are all these people who no longer attend church, who are not taught about God and His Christ in their homes – who spend Sunday at the ballpark or at the local bar, are they saved? Saved because of their ignorance, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them? No! That is true only for the those under the age of eight, plus those who live, and have lived in areas of the world where life was primitive and the knowledge of Jesus Christ was not available to them. But those who live in an enlightened part of the world where the teachings of Christ are available, but who do not avail themselves of them, will not fall in that category. They are they that will be taught the gospel in the spirit world by those who were faithful while in life. Most, if not all will accept the Gospel there and their ordinances such as Baptism, etc. will be done on earth in the temples of God. Their eternal progress has been hampered by their willful ignorance while on earth. Those who have been faithful will be moving on ahead and will be progressing in a more enlightened realm. There is a story about a great king named Nebuchadnezzar who had a son named Belshazzar who lived during Daniel’s time. King Belshazzar and all his guests were idol worshippers and adulterous people and one night as the king and his friends feasted, a hand appeared and wrote upon the plastered wall. The writing said “Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin.” The King called for his wiseman, astrologers and soothsayers to interpret what the writing meant. No one was able to interpret the writing until someone thought of Daniel. Daniel was called and said that it came from God, he interpreted the writing to say, “Thou art weighed in the balance and art found wanting.” King Belshazzar was dead that very evening. We, too, in our day worship idols of steel, wood and marble and many adulterous type objects. The purpose of the scriptures and world histories, and the stories therein, warn us just as King Belshazzar was warned by the writing on the wall. “Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin.” Now we all know the meaning of those words and we do not want to be weighed without first re-evaluating where we stand in the balance.