That particular thought experiment is called “Pascal’s Wager.”
It goes something like this: “What are the consequences if you are right and I am wrong; and what are the consequences if I am right and you are wrong?”
If we limit the gedankenexperiment using standard caveats to only apply to a contrast between Mormonism and other forms of Christianity (milieu to only Christianity, assume the traditional definition of God is correct [omnipotent, omnibenevolent, rewards honest seekers, punishes the evil and those with feigned faith], God rewards the members who believe and follow their church’s teachings); we arrive at the following:
1) If Mormonism is true, righteous adherents are exalted in the Celestial Kingdom (become gods by grace). Righteous non-Mormon Christians go to heaven in the Terrestial Kingdom.
2A) If Mormonism is false, righteous Mormons go to hell for all eternity. Righteous non-Mormon Christians who belong to the true church go to heaven.
2B) If Mormonism is false, righteous Mormons go to HEAVEN for all eternity TOGETHER WITH righteous non-Mormon Christians BECAUSE what is important is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, where one accepts him as Lord and Savior, not membership in a particular church.
Thus, anti-Mormons need to be careful with their own theology since they CANNOT consistently claim a personal relationship with Christ is all that’s needed for salvation and not membership in a particular church if they say with the same breath membership in the LDS church automatically sends people to hell.
That is illogical. Both Mormons and other Christians worship and think of the same person when considering Jesus Christ. We both think of the person born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem 2000 years ago who took upon himself the sins of the world and died so we may live. We both think of him as the Only Begotten Son of God and of being God incarnate. Thus, if a personal relationship with Christ is all that’s needed for salvation; Mormons are then saved since we ALL have that relationship. Christ is the center of our lives and being.
Consequently, 1) if Mormonism is true, the righteous non-Mormon Christian will receive eternal bliss in the Terrestial Kingdom (the conventional imagery of what heaven looks like) while the righteous Mormon becomes a God by Grace, in perfect union with the Godhead.
2A) If Mormonism is false and membership in the true church is necessary for salvation (like what the Roman Catholic church taught for centuries); Mormons are then going to hell.
2B) If Mormonism is false and membership in the true church is NOT necessary for salvation, only a personal relationship with Christ (like what nearly all Protestants teach); Mormons are then going to heaven together with the other righteous Christians.
Which side has the greatest chance of being correct? Of course I believe #1 since it takes into consideration the fact there are different kinds of people in the world, the vast majority of whom lived and died without ever hearing about Christ.
Your definition of the Telestial Kingdom in which Christians would find themselves eternally separated from God and Jesus would be a definition of Christian Hell and Jewish Gehanna.
On that basis alone, your argument fails.
AHHhh, Edward, wasn't it you that made the distinction that those souls in the terrestial kingdom would not "associate with Christ"? And didn't someone dispute your interpretation of that being what Christians know as "Heaven"?
I have to leave now and don't have time to look up the posts...someone else will, I imagine.
The Bible answers this, Revelation 20:12. Your additional voodoo in unnecessary.