"Every man, woman , and child of every nation, creed, or color--everyone, no matter where they live or what they believe or what they do--has within them the imperishable Light of Christ. In this respect, all men are created equally. The Light of Christ in everyone is a testimony that God is no respecter of persons (see Doctrine and Covenants 1:35). He treats everyone equally in that endowment with the Light of Christ."
He continues:
"The Light of Christ is as universal as sunlight itself. Wherever there is human life, there is the Spirit of Christ. Every living soul is possessed of it. It is the sponsor of everything that is good. It is the inspirer of everything that will bless and benefit mankind. It nourishes goodness itself."
President Packer then adds,
"It should not be difficult, therefore, to understand how revelation from God to his children on earth can come to all mankind through both the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Ghost."
God has blessed many nations, and has given them all the truth "that he seeth fit that they should have." (Alma 29:8).
In 1978 the First Presidency of the Church stated:
"The great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucious, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God's light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals. The Hebrew prophets prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, who should provide salvation for all mankind who believe in the gospel. Consistent with these truths, we believe that God has given and will give to all peoples sufficient knowledge to help them on their way to eternal salvation, either in this life or in the life to come. We also declare that the gospel of Jesus Christ, restored to His Church in our day, provides the only way to a mortal life of happiness and a fulness of joy forever..."
Statement of the First Presidency regarding God's Love for All Mankind, Feb. 15, 1978.
(My thanks to Eric-Jon K. Marlowe for bringing these quotes to my attention, through his article "The Only True Church: Boldness without Overbearance".)
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