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JON - This one has to deal with a simplicity of a man (poor reading skills and very poor comprehension skills). So reading scriptures his hard. His testimony is built by listening and feeling truth.
He was told by someone that his chances of getting to the Celestial Kingdom was slim because of that. That he needed to be more intellectual and more understanding of scriptures. His life is a honest, sincere and loving man. Believes what he hears at church, even when the instructor is off base. He hears Repent and he wants to, but really does not know what he needs to repent off. That is how innocent he is. Side note: The person that is telling him to repent and get to know God and the mysteries is a reader of Snuffer. How do I tell or show this man that intelligence and comprehension has nothing to do with relationships to the Celestial Kingdom. Just obeying the 1st (only commandment) Love God, Love Neighbor, Love and forgive yourself. All the rest will just fall in. Am I right?
JOEL - Obviously the man who told him he had to be able to read was out of line (a reader of Snuffer?, consider the source). God holds us accountable only for what He knows we are capable of doing. What you suggest are good points. I might add that the man needs to just remeber a few scriptures:
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8)
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation." (Psalms 24: 3-5)
"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength." (Mosiah 4: 27)
"And, again, I say unto you, that whoso having knowledge, have I not commanded to repent?
And he that hath no understanding, it remaineth in me to do according as it is written." (D&C 29: 49-50)
All this is meaning that as long as we are pure in heart, God will not hold us accountable for our lack of being able to comprehend all things.
President Boyd K. Packer said:
“all spirits while in the pre-existence were perfect in form, having all their faculties and mental powers unimpaired. Spirits which are beautiful and innocent may be temporally restrained by physical impediments. If healing does not come in mortal life, it will come thereafter. (Boyd K. Packer, "The Moving of the Water," Ensign, May 1991, 8–9)
Elder Russell M. Nelson said:
“A perfect body is not required to achieve a divine destiny. In fact, some of the sweetest spirits are housed in frail frames. Great spiritual strength is often developed by those with physical challenges precisely because they are challenged. Such individuals are entitled to all the blessings that God has in store for His faithful and obedient children.
Eventually the time will come when each ‘spirit and … body shall be reunited again in … perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame’ (Alma 11:43). Then, thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become perfected in Him.” (Russell M. Nelson, "We Are Children of God," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 86–87)
A good resource for how church members can help the learning impaired person is the LDS CES Disabilities Guide
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