Questions For Non-Mormons

[altersteve]

One of the things that LDS theology has in common with the rest of Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ will judge each person according to his or her works. But what does this mean exactly to non-LDS Christians? Is a person judged immediately after death? And if a person is judged according to his or her works, then would it not logically follow that there are different degrees of glory that we can receive as a reward for our good works? I don't see a point for the Lord to judge anyone if everyone who is saved receives the same degree of glory as everyone else, and if a person simply goes straight to heaven or hell after dying, where they will remain for the rest of eternity.

I've never really understood how non-LDS Christians fit these ideas together.

[thesometimesaint]

T.U.L.I.P

[3DOP]

I have been many kinds of Christian and always understood that there are differing degrees of glory. Some groups may want to use the word reward instead of glory, but it amounts to the same thing. Dante's Paradiso is a reflection of the clear teaching of the Catholic Church in that everyone has a different and unique place in Heaven. It is thought that the new name received from God that no one else knows (Rev. 2:17), tells who we individually are in God's Kingdom. It is impossible that the citizens of heaven would be given the same name. No two souls are alike, no two souls will have identical vocations, and that is why each member gets a name that is distinctive.

As far as that goes, Hell is equally distinctive. There are Scriptures aplenty to support this and none that I know of to deny it. I would be curious to hear from the Christian who is convinced that everyone receives equal rewards or punishments.

[Flyonthewall]

I have heard others, mainly Protestants, say that being saved is being in the presence of God the Father, but then the judgement we receive only determines the reward....<scratches head>

I have a hard time understanding this since the presence of the Father would be the ultimate reward(with all that goes along with being in the presence of the Father)....what other reward could make it any better?

I asked them what were the different types of rewards that could be available... they were not sure but imagined it would be the number of things one would be put in charge of, or something like that.

I am curious too, about how it all fits together for others.

[Palerider]

19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and ^areckoneth with them.

deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

servant: thou hast been ^bfaithful over a few things, I will make thee ^cruler over many things: enter thou into the ^djoy of thy lord.

23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and ^afaithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

I think it is obvious from the scripture above that the reward isn't neccessarily based on the amount of good work produced.

See also the parable of the laborers:

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their ^bhire, beginning from the last unto the first.

10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

I think the matter of reward is judged on God's terms not ours. Only He can take into account all of the variables involved in an individual's life and make a proper judgement.

For me it becomes a matter of faith in His judgement and not to worry about other peoples rewards or degrees of glory that may or may not be inherited or if that (varying degrees) is indeed a correct doctrine and just concentrate on the conduct of my own life.

I have the feeling this scripture from Paul applies much more to Mormons than they might think:

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Edited March 13, 2012 by Palerider

[saemo]

I have been many kinds of Christian and always understood that there are differing degrees of glory. Some groups may want to use the word reward instead of glory, but it amounts to the same thing. Dante's Paradiso is a reflection of the clear teaching of the Catholic Church in that everyone has a different and unique place in Heaven. It is thought that the new name received from God that no one else knows (Rev. 2:17), tells who we individually are in God's Kingdom. It is impossible that the citizens of heaven would be given the same name. No two souls are alike, no two souls will have identical vocations, and that is why each member gets a name that is distinctive.

As far as that goes, Hell is equally distinctive. There are Scriptures aplenty to support this and none that I know of to deny it. I would be curious to hear from the Christian who is convinced that everyone receives equal rewards or punishments.

A unique place in heaven...one heaven. We are unique now, as God created us. We don't lose our uniqueness. The new name in Rev. is a reference to Christian rebirth in Christ.

[saemo]

19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and ^areckoneth with them.

deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

servant: thou hast been ^bfaithful over a few things, I will make thee ^cruler over many things: enter thou into the ^djoy of thy lord.

23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and ^afaithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

I think it is obvious from the scripture above that the reward isn't neccessarily based on the amount of good work produced.

See also the parable of the laborers:

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their ^bhire, beginning from the last unto the first.

10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

I think the matter of reward is judged on God's terms not ours. Only He can take into account all of the variables involved in an individual's life and make a proper judgement.

For me it becomes a matter of faith in His judgement and not to worry about other peoples rewards or degrees of glory that may or may not be inherited or if that (varying degrees) is indeed a correct doctrine and just concentrate on the conduct of my own life.

I have the feeling this scripture from Paul applies much more to Mormons than they might think:

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

I agree with you.

[Calm]

I have been many kinds of Christian and always understood that there are differing degrees of glory. Some groups may want to use the word reward instead of glory, but it amounts to the same thing. Dante's Paradiso is a reflection of the clear teaching of the Catholic Church in that everyone has a different and unique place in Heaven. It is thought that the new name received from God that no one else knows (Rev. 2:17), tells who we individually are in God's Kingdom. It is impossible that the citizens of heaven would be given the same name. No two souls are alike, no two souls will have identical vocations, and that is why each member gets a name that is distinctive.

I love the idea of a unique name. Would not be the least surprised if this was so. I think of such names as something akin to Ent names in Tolkien (which are as much a description/history as a label of the individual).

Edited March 13, 2012 by calmoriah

[Palerider]

Don't now why but occasionally when I copy from online LDS scriptures they don't completely transfer when I paste them here. The scripture below needs to be inserted in the proper place in my original post but I can't edit at this point. Hopefully this makes more sense.....

20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou ^adeliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful ^aservant: thou hast been ^bfaithful over a few things, I will make thee ^cruler over many things: enter thou into the ^djoy of thy lord.

22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

[3DOP]

The biblical passages cited above which argue for strict heavenly equality must be reconciled with passages that argue for inequality.

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then will he render to every man according to his works.

---Mt. 16:27

Now he that planteth, and he that watereth, are one. And every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labour.

---1 Cor. 3:8

One is the glory of the sun, another the glory of the moon, and another the glory of the stars. For star differeth from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.

---I Cor. 15:41, 42

I would suggest that there is an equality of duration, whereby he who begins his life in Christ at a late time is blessed with the same eternal life as he who "bore the heat of the day." No one denies that truth. But there are clearly other indications to show that there might be an advantage to not delay repentance for a late hour. In Mt. 5 and 6, Our Lord repeats several times that they who follow his precepts will have "great reward". For he who merely gives a cup of water, He will in no wise "lose his reward". It doesn't say that we get the same for giving someone a cup of water as we do for gracefully bearing persecution. It doesn't promise that he who gives a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus will have great reward too. Instead, it just promises that even the smallest things will count, will add up. This appears to imply degrees of merit/reward/glory.

I think there is a mistake sometimes made in imagining that those who believe in good works are earning our way, when we cannot earn anything. Our good works must be a reflection of God's love and our neighbor for his sake. If these works which are recommended are done without charity, and without an increase of God's love in our hearts, we merit no rewards. Ultimately, our reward will be precisely the degree of God's love in us which is decreased or increased from the time of our first grace by our obedience or disobedience to the continuous promptings of God's grace.

Speaking of those who reach heaven, there is a pretty clear definition for Catholics given at the Ecumenical Council of Florence which took place from 1438-1445:

....the souls of those...are immediately received into heaven, and see clearly the one and triune God Himself, just as He is, yet according to the diversity of merits, one more perfectly than another.

---Decree for the Greeks, Laetuntur coeli, July 6, 1439 Edited March 15, 2012 by 3DOP

[3DOP]

Far be it from me to recommend anything but the Catholic faith to anyone. But I have argued for years against the idea that because a school of thought is wrong as a whole, it follows that it is wrong in all of its parts. Not that anyone disagrees in theory, only in practice. It is unjust to assume and accuse every false church of being wrong about everything. Every murderer is not also a pickpocket and every murderer has the right to not be so misrepresented. This puts me sometimes in the awkward position of defending Baptists, Mormons, and Calvinists to those who are over-zealous against those with whom they differ.

With that in mind, it is time to speak up for the Calvinists. In answer to the question in the opening post regarding what non-Mormons teach about degrees of glory or reward in heaven, sometimesaint replies as follows:

T.U.L.I.P.

Some might wonder what that is supposed to mean. For those who are unfamiliar, this is an acrostic of five foundational principles of the teachings of John Calvin regarding salvation.

1) Total Depravity

2) Unconditional Election

3) Limited Atonement

4) Irresistible Grace

5) Perseverance of the Saints

It seems to me that many modern modern Christians have a particular emotional disregard for these doctrines which are considered to be harsh and condemnable. Unfortunately, I think there is an assumption among many that only those who hate mankind in general could be congenial towards such monstrous beliefs. Unless he wants to clarify, sometimesaint's enigmatical reply seems intended to indicate that Calvinism is somehow the source of, or at least in support of, yet another false doctrine which is at odds with Mormonism in regards to differing degrees of glory.

I reject all five of the "tulip teachings" myself. But If T.U.L.I.P. is a horrendous teaching, we must be careful to not falsely accuse those who believe it of lesser errors, especially when it happens that they are in agreement with us! Whatever was intended by citing the questionable acrostic associated with John Calvin, we who hold that God rewards every good effort should all be happy to know that followers of John Calvin are not among them who believe everyone is equally rewarded and glorified in heaven:

The doctrine of Scripture on the subject ought not to be made the ground of any controversy, and it is that as God, in the varied distribution of gifts to his saints in this world, gives them unequal degrees of light, so when he shall crown his gifts, their degrees of glory in heaven will also be unequal. When Paul says, "Ye are our glory and our joy," (1 Thess. 2:20), his words do not apply indiscriminately to all; nor do those of our Savior to his apostles, "Ye also shall sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel," (Mt. 19:28). But Paul, who knew that as God enriches the saints with spiritual gifts in this world, he will in like manner adorn them with glory in heaven, hesitates not to say, that a special crown is laid up for him in proportion to his labors. Our Savior, also, to commend the dignity of the office which he had conferred on the apostles, reminds them that the fruit of it is laid up in heaven. This, too, Daniel says, "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever," (Dan. 12:3). Any one who attentively considers the Scriptures will see net only that they promise eternal life to believers, but a special reward to each.

---Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin, Book Three, Ch. 25, art. 10 Edited March 17, 2012 by 3DOP

[3DOP]

I love the idea of a unique name. Would not be the least surprised if this was so. I think of such names as something akin to Ent names in Tolkien (which are as much a description/history as a label of the individual).

Hey cal yes. That is EXACTLY how I was picturing it without thinking of the Ents! It is a unique name because it is a distinctive description or maybe even history. It is speculation to be sure, but I think a very likely one. My authority for saying it was, "it is thought..." Heh. I could be wrong. I know I didn't think of this myself. I wish I could remember my source. Anyway, a lovely thought. Who would want to be someone else? I think we all love who we are. Really. I don't think there will be any envy over higher degrees in heaven because we will be perfectly satisfied with who we are and the name that God has given us. Like the song says, "I gotta be me, I gotta be me..." Hah. Wonderful!

(So anyway, Mom and baby are great...very very happy. I've been down with a stomach virus the past few days and they are an hour away so I haven't seen them yet. But soon.)

[Calm]

(So anyway, Mom and baby are great...very very happy. I've been down with a stomach virus the past few days and they are an hour away so I haven't seen them yet. But soon.)

We have seen our new grandbaby born middle of January and who only lives 15 minutes away three times due to us or them being sick. Makes me very, very annoyed. They grow so fast. I hope you can see them soon.

[coolrok7]

One of the things that LDS theology has in common with the rest of Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ will judge each person according to his or her works. But what does this mean exactly to non-LDS Christians? Is a person judged immediately after death? And if a person is judged according to his or her works, then would it not logically follow that there are different degrees of glory that we can receive as a reward for our good works? I don't see a point for the Lord to judge anyone if everyone who is saved receives the same degree of glory as everyone else, and if a person simply goes straight to heaven or hell after dying, where they will remain for the rest of eternity.

I've never really understood how non-LDS Christians fit these ideas together.

As a Christian (Protestant/Evangelical of the Lutheran, Missouri Synod tribe) I’m looking forward to this promise of God together with all believers in Jesus as the only way to the Father for salvation from an eternal punishment (in light of this recently past Easter week/Resurrection Day).

I think I can adequately provide you with an understanding from my perspective in answering your inquiry of how these ideas fit together (Biblically speaking, not preaching at you).

Judgment Day is coming:

For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. (John 5:21-23)

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:24-28)

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. (Acts 17:24-32)

The apostle Peter:

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. . . .The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3:5-7, 9-13)

What one receives at the future Judgment Day is sealed at death based on the heart condition of the individual (as all “second chances” so to speak are in this life, not the next):

Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:25-28)

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Romans 10:8-11)

On Judgment Day, one is either a “sheep” (with “eternal life”) or a “goat” (with “everlasting punishment/resurrection of damnation”):

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28-29)

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, [Come, ye blessed of my Father, [nherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: . . .Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: . . .And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46)

The idea behind all this (when it comes to the world’s religions) is that non-Christian belief systems cannot deliver on Biblical salvation. Also, claiming to be Christian while holding to critical non-Biblical teaching also can undo/neutralize the faith one claims to have as a Christian:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

Paul in the context of 1 Corinthians 15, is arguing for the reality of the resurrection to eternal life, not necessarily the place of residence of the glorified body of believers:

But some man will say, how are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . (1 Corinthians 15:35-57)

The distinction being made here is between the “glory of the resurrected body to immortality as contrasted with the already corrupted with sin mortal body. This is only being compared to the difference in glories of the celestial (sun, moon, stars)/terrestrial (other planets in our solar system that we can see in the sky). It’s not talking our future place of residence in a glorified body.

In the book of Revelation John is talking about our future residence as believers:

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:1-4)

Here in Colossians, relating to the idea of “glory” (which is Christ working in Paul mightily which also works in all other believers):

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. (Colossians 1:24-29)

This glory, given to all believers as a gift to eternal life, is what the Gospel is all about:

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me,you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:29-30)

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

I see also in the Bible there is teaching concerning being judged by one’s works along with how one is saved which is “Not of works” (the gift being identified as “eternal life”):

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. (Acts 16:27-33)

Yet good works are an integral part and product of the faith given to us by God. The “working out” of one’s salvation in life is not the same as “working for it”, a major distinction to be made and understood as not being in conflict at all with what Paul says concerning grace and works. Paul here is talking about the way of thinking about these things as Christ Jesus did (not His Deity):

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Phillipians 2:5-13)

It’s an inward change of the heart brought about by a direct encounter with the Holy Spirit which is cleansed by the blood of Jesus (from which the good works come from). Jesus is here speaking of the Holy Spirit (Who came on the day of Pentecost):

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (John 16:7-11)

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:37-39)

[seriously honestly]

One of the things that LDS theology has in common with the rest of Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ will judge each person according to his or her works. But what does this mean exactly to non-LDS Christians? Is a person judged immediately after death? And if a person is judged according to his or her works, then would it not logically follow that there are different degrees of glory that we can receive as a reward for our good works? I don't see a point for the Lord to judge anyone if everyone who is saved receives the same degree of glory as everyone else, and if a person simply goes straight to heaven or hell after dying, where they will remain for the rest of eternity.

I've never really understood how non-LDS Christians fit these ideas together.

Well, by "degree of glory" we are not referring to a different levels of heaven, but rather different rewards (lets say status, for example) in one heaven.