135. Eternal life means life in the celestial kingdom of God.
139. In the celestial kingdom there are three heavens or degrees.
140. Salvation in its truest sense means exaltation in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom.
144. Those who inherit exaltation in the celestial kingdom will thereafter become gods.
145. The celestial kingdom was prepared, before the world began, to receive the faithful.
135. Eternal life means life in the celestial kingdom of God.
Eternal life is life in the highest heaven of the celestial world; it is exaltation; it is the name of the kind of life God lives. It consists of a continuation of the family unit in eternity. ("The Salvation of Little Children," EN1977Apr:5) TLDP:604
receiving the Word of the Lord
This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom; (Revelation received Dec. 27/28, 1832) D&C 88:4
receiving the Word of the Lord
Therefore, I must gather together my people, according to the parable of the wheat and the tares, that the wheat may be secured in the garners to possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory, when I shall come in the kingdom of my Father to reward every man according as his work shall be; (Revelation received Dec. 16, 1833) D&C 101:65
God's greatest gift is eternal life, but that pertains to Eternity. The greatest blessing that our Heavenly Father can bestow upon us in time, or while we are here, is the power to lay hold upon eternal life. The everlasting Gospel, through obedience to its every requirement, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, gives this power. It not only saves—it exalts men to where God and Christ dwell in the fulness of celestial glory. CR1929Oct:30
Related Witnesses:
Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power.(To the Church in General Conference—a congregation of 20,000—,"King Follett Sermon", April 7, 1844) (See HC6:302-317, also see The Words of Joseph Smith, pp. 340-62.) HC6:306
Eternal life is the quality of life which God himself enjoys. The gospel plan, authored by the Father and put into operation by the atonement of Jesus Christ, brings eternal life within the reach of every man. The Lord gave this assurance when he said, ". . . if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, . . . " CR1965Oct:20
translating the Book of Moses
For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (The Lord talks to Moses face to face) Moses 1:39
136. The aim of the gospel and the Church is to bring all people into the celestial kingdom of God (not into the terrestrial or telestial kingdoms).
The gospel has been restored in these latter days to prepare men for the celestial kingdom. This gospel has not been given to qualify men for any other kingdom, but has been given to us to prepare us that we may dwell upon this earth when it has been celestialized, when our Redeemer will dwell here and he will be our lawgiver and our king. CR1926Oct:102-03
Now the concern of the Church is to bring all men into the celestial kingdom. It has no interest in the other, lower kingdoms. Every doctrine, principle, and item of organization within the Church pertains to the celestial glory. The manner of entrance into this the highest kingdom, is therefore made clear. Any person who wishes to enter it must have faith and repent from his sins. Then he must be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by one who has divine authority to perform such ordinances. There are principles and ordinances which in their entirety belong peculiarly to the higher kingdom.
After having laid the foundation for his claim to celestial membership and association, he must, to receive all available blessings of this kingdom, comply with the many requirements of life within the Church. He belongs to "those who are valiant and inspired with the true independence of heaven, who will go forth boldly in the service of their God leaving others to do as they please, determined to do right, though all mankind should take the opposite course." All this having been done, he is qualified to enter the celestial kingdom. Indeed, he is then, even on earth, in the celestial kingdom of God. (Evidences and Reconciliations, pp. 200-01) TLDP:163-64
I think it is of great importance to us as a people to know what we shall do. Are we content to aim for telestial glory? I never heard a prayer offered, especially in the family circle, in which the family does not beseech God to give them celestial glory. Telestial glory is not in their thoughts. Terrestrial glory may be all right for honorable Gentiles, who have not faith enough to believe the Gospel and who do right according to the best knowledge they have; but celestial glory is our aim. . . .
. . . . All that I am on this earth for is to get celestial glory. CR1900Apr:55-56
God's greatest gift is eternal life, but that pertains to Eternity. The greatest blessing that our Heavenly Father can bestow upon us in time, or while we are here, is the power to lay hold upon eternal life. The everlasting Gospel, through obedience to its every requirement, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, gives this power. It not only saves—it exalts men to where God and Christ dwell in the fulness of celestial glory. CR1929Oct:30
The gospel of Christ is more than "the power of God unto salvation;" it is the power of God unto exaltation, and was instituted as such before this earth rolled into existence, before Adam fell, and consequently before man had need of redemption and salvation. It is the way of eternal progress, the path to perfection. . . . CR1920Apr:122
There are, of course, countless other make-fekes which the evil one dangles before us to lead us from the path of righteousness. However, our Heavenly Father has given us life and with it the capacity to think, to reason, and to love. We have the power to resist any temptation and the ability to determine the path we will take, the direction we will travel. Our goal is the celestial kingdom of God. Our purpose is to steer an undeviating course in that direction. (True to the Faith, CR April 2006)
Related Witnesses:
translating the Book of Moses
For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (The Lord talks to Moses face to face) Moses 1:39
I always have said and believed, and I believe today, that it will pay you and me and all the sons and daughters of Adam to abide the celestial law, for celestial glory is worth all we possess; if it calls for every dollar we own and our lives into the bargain, if we obtain an entrance into the celestial kingdom of God it will amply repay us. The Latter-day Saints have started out for celestial glory, and if we can only manage to be faithful enough to obtain an inheritance in the kingdom, where God and Christ dwell, we shall rejoice through the endless ages of eternity. (General conference, Oct. 9, 1874, JD17:250) TLDP:128-29
This gift of eternal life in the world to come may not, of course, be fully realized during earth life. An assurance that it will be obtained in the world to come may, however, be had in this world. As a matter of fact, the blessings of the celestial kingdom are promised only to those who have such an assurance. According to the vision, a successful candidate for these blessings must qualify on three counts. First, he must have "received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name" and have been "baptized after the manner of his burial;" second, he must have received "the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;" and third, he must be "sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise." (D&C 76:51-53(Learning for the Eternities, p. 95) TLDP:66
137. To merit the gift of eternal life in the celestial kingdom, we must be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, render obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, and endure to the end.
For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.
18. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive. 19. And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
20. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. (Nephi's writings, between 559-545 B.C.) 2 Nephi 31:17-20
And again we bear record—for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just—
51. They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given—
52. That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;
53. And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. . . .
62. These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever. . . .
70. These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical. (Vision to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, Feb. 16, 1832) D&C 76:50-53,62,70
The manner of entrance into this the highest kingdom, is therefore made clear. Any person who wishes to enter it must have faith and repent from his sins. Then he must be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by one who has divine authority to perform such ordinances. There are principles and ordinances which in their entirety belong peculiarly to the higher kingdom.
After having laid the foundation for his claim to celestial membership and association, he must, to receive all available blessings of this kingdom, comply with the many requirements of life within the Church. He belongs to "those who are valiant and inspired with the true independence of heaven, who will go forth boldly in the service of their God leaving others to do as they please, determined to do right, though all mankind should take the opposite course." All this having been done, he is qualified to enter the celestial kingdom. Indeed, he is then, even on earth, in the celestial kingdom of God. . . . (Evidences and Reconciliations, pp. 200-01) TLDP:163-64
The Lord went on to describe those who would be nourished by that simple doctrine and so endure, those who would inherit the celestial kingdom, as those who were childlike. It takes a childlike heart to feel the promptings of the Spirit, to surrender to those commands, and to obey. That is what it takes to be nourished by the good word of God. (CR 1997Oct; “Feed My Lambs”, Ensign, November 1997, p.82)
Related Witnesses:
We believe that salvation is for no select few, but that all men may be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. (Address from the First Presidency of the Church to the world, accepted by vote of the Church in general conference) CR1907Apr(Appendix)4
A man may be saved, after the judgment, in the terrestrial kingdom or in the telestial kingdom but he can never see the celestial kingdom of God without being born of the water and the Spirit. He may receive a glory like unto the moon [i.e., of which the light of the moon is typical], or a star [i.e., of which the light of the stars is typical], but he can never come unto Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, unless he becomes as a little child, and is taught by the Spirit of God. (Article in the Star, Aug. 1832) HC1:283
We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. (The third of the thirteen Articles of Faith; letter to John Wentworth, March 1, 1842) Articles of Faith :3
Not all shall obtain the blessing of eternal life who partake of the blessing of immortality. The scriptures point out very clearly a difference. Immortality is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ, to all men; by which they come forth in the resurrection to die no more, whether they have obeyed him or rebelled against him. This great gift is theirs; even the wicked receive it through the grace of Jesus Christ, and shall have the privilege of living forever, but they will have to pay the price of their sins in torment with the devil before they are redeemed.
Eternal life is a special blessing granted to a certain class because of their obedience to the commands of God. It is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (D&C 14:7) Those who receive it "are rich," for they obtain the riches of eternity, but it is only by traveling through the strait gate and path. (The Way to Perfection, pp. 328-29) TLDP:155-56
Thus all men—except the sons of perdition who are cast out into an eternal hell—are saved, in that they become immortal and go to a telestial or terrestrial inheritance, but only those who believe and obey become inheritors of that celestial rest which the whole body of revealed writ speaks of as salvation.
Eternal life is the name of the kind of life which God lives and is therefore "the greatest of all the gifts of God" (D&C 14:7); and because those who gain it become like God, they are one with him. (The Promised Messiah, p. 130) TLDP:154-55
138. If those who did not have opportunity to accept the gospel in mortality accept it in the spirit world, they may inherit the celestial kingdom.
All who have not had the privilege of repentance and acceptance of the plan of salvation in this life will have that opportunity in the world of spirits.
Those who repent there and believe when the message is declared to them are heirs of salvation and exaltation. The ordinances which pertain to the mortal life will be performed for them in the temples. (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:134-35) TLDP:596
There is no such thing as a second chance to gain salvation. This life is the time and day of our probation. After this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, then cometh the night of darkness where there can be no labor performed.
For those who do not have an opportunity in this life, the first chance to gain salvation will come in the spirit world. If those who hear the word for the first time in the realms ahead are the kind of people who would have accepted the gospel here, had the opportunity been afforded them, they will accept it there. Salvation for the dead is for those whose first chance to gain salvation is in the spirit world.
. . . . Those who reject the gospel in this life and then receive it in the spirit world go not to the celestial, but to the terrestrial kingdom. ("The Seven Deadly Heresies," Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year, 1980) DCSM:165
receiving the Word of the Lord
All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;
8. Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom.
9. For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts. (Vision to Joseph Smith in Kirtland Temple; Joseph sees his brother Alvin in the celestial kingdom, Jan. 21, 1836) D&C 137:7-9
Now, I wish to say to you that those who died without law, meaning the pagan nations, for lack of faithfulness, for lack of devotion, in the former life, are obtaining all that they are entitled to. I don't mean to say that all of them will be barred from entrance into the highest glory. Any one of them who repents and complies with the conditions might also obtain celestial glory, but the great bulk of them will only obtain terrestrial glory. (Sermons of Melvin J. Ballard, p. 251) DCSM:164
Millions of our fellow creatures who have lived upon the earth and died without a knowledge of the Gospel must be officiated for in order that they may inherit eternal life (that is, all that would have received the Gospel). And we are called upon to enter into this work. (At Logan, Utah, Aug. 15, 1876, JD18:213) TLDP:592-93
Related Witnesses:
Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.
33. These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands.
34. And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
35. And so it was made known among the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that redemption had been wrought through the sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross. (Vision of the Savior's visit to the spirits of the dead, Oct. 3, 1918) D&C 138:32-35
139. In the celestial kingdom there are three heavens or degrees.
In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; . . . (Instructions given by the Prophet, May 16/17, 1843) D&C 131:1
also quoting Joseph Smith
No one who rejects the covenant of celestial marriage can reach exaltation in the eternal kingdom of God.
"In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; . . ."
The Lord says further in the 132nd section of the Doctrine and Covenants:
No one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory. (D&C 132:4)
No one It matters not how righteous they may have been, how intelligent or how well trained they are. No one will enter this highest glory unless he enters into the covenant, and this means the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. ("The Importance of Celestial Marriage," EN1979Oct:5-6) DCSM:325-26
Naturally, those who enter the celestial kingdom are of various attainments. There is not absolute uniformity anywhere among the children of God. Their innate capacities and their use of the law of free agency make them different, often widely so. Therefore, the members of the highest kingdom are also grouped, according to the Prophet Joseph Smith, into three "degrees." [See D&C 131:1.] (Evidences and Reconciliations, pp. 200-01) TLDP:163-64
Related Witnesses:
Eternal life is life in the highest heaven of the celestial world; it is exaltation; it is the name of the kind of life God lives. It consists of a continuation of the family unit in eternity. ("The Salvation of Little Children," EN1977Apr:5) TLDP:604
140. Salvation in its truest sense means exaltation in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom.
also quoting Joseph Smith
Salvation means eternal life; the two terms are synonymous; they mean exactly the same thing. Joseph Smith said, "Salvation consists in the glory, authority, majesty, power and dominion which Jehovah possesses and in nothing else." (Lectures on Faith, pp. 63-67) We have come to speak of this salvation as exaltation—which it is—but all of the scriptures in all of the standard works call it salvation. I know of only three passages in all our scriptures which use salvation to mean something other and less than exaltation. ("The Salvation of Little Children," EN1977Apr:5) TLDP:154-55
[F]or salvation consists in the glory, authority, majesty, power and dominion which Jehovah possesses and in nothing else; and no being can possess it but himself or one like him. (Lectures on Faith delivered to the School of the Prophets, 1834-35) LOF7:9
What is life and salvation? It is to take that course wherein we can abide forever and ever, and be exalted to thrones, kingdoms, governments, dominions, and have full power to control the elements, according to our pleasure to all eternity. (Special conference, Aug. 14, 1853, JD1:275) TLDP:154
Eternal life: what is it and when shall its glories and blessing rest upon the saints? It is full salvation; it is an inheritance in the highest heaven; it is exaltation. It is to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God, to go no more out. (The Mortal Messiah, 3:50-51) TLDP:154
also quoting Joseph Smith
Eternal life is the name of the kind of life which God lives and is therefore "the greatest of all the gifts of God" (D&C 14:7); and because those who gain it become like God, they are one with him.
Exaltation consists of an inheritance in the highest heaven of the celestial world, where alone the family unit continues and where each recipient gains for himself an eternal family unit, patterned after the family of God our Heavenly Father, so that every exalted person lives the kind of life which God lives and is therefore one with him.
Salvation consists in gaining—and this is Joseph Smith's language—"the glory, authority, majesty, power and dominion which Jehovah possesses and in nothing else; and no being can possess it but himself or one like him" (Lectures on Faith, cited in Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed., p. 258), and since he is one with his Father, so also are all saved beings. Truly, "There is no gift greater than the gift of salvation." (D&C 6:13)
Thus, to be saved, to gain exaltation, to inherit eternal life, all means to be one with God, to live as he lives, to think as he thinks, to act as he acts, to possess the same glory, the same power, the same might and dominion that he possesses. (The Promised Messiah, p. 130) TLDP:154-55
Thus all men—except the sons of perdition who are cast out into an eternal hell—are saved, in that they become immortal and go to a telestial or terrestrial inheritance, but only those who believe and obey become inheritors of that celestial rest which the whole body of revealed writ speaks of as salvation. (The Promised Messiah, p. 130) TLDP:154-55
Salvation means the attainment of the eternal right to live in the presence of God the Father and the Son as a reward for a good life in mortality. (Stand Ye in Holy Places, p. 334) TLDP:154
God tells us in the Doctrine and Covenants there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation. We as Latter-day Saints have all started out for the gift of salvation, and we should so order our lives that when we have finished our work we shall be worthy to go back into the presence of our Father, and be worthy not only to receive an exaltation ourselves, but also to receive our wives and our children that have been sealed unto us that we shall possess them. No amount of testimony, no amount of knowledge, even knowledge that this is God's work will ever save a man . . . but the keeping of the commandments of God will entitle him to that blessing. CR1900Oct:59
The gospel of Christ is more than "the power of God unto salvation;" it is the power of God unto exaltation, and was instituted as such before this earth rolled into existence, before Adam fell, and consequently before man had need of redemption and salvation. It is the way of eternal progress, the path to perfection. . . . CR1920Apr:122
Related Witnesses:
The meaning of complete salvation is that we become like the Savior in word and thought and deed. We can measure our progress toward salvation merely by determining how Christlike we are. If we are not becoming more like Him in our everyday living, we are not advancing toward salvation as we should.
Becoming Christlike is a matter of daily spiritual growth. As a flower develops from a seed, as a mature adult develops from a tiny child, so we can grow spiritually day by day, eventually into Christlike personalities. CR1982Oct:20
141. All people will be saved from death, but not all will receive the salvation of exaltation or eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God.
Thus all men—except the sons of perdition who are cast out into an eternal hell—are saved, in that they become immortal and go to a telestial or terrestrial inheritance, but only those who believe and obey become inheritors of that celestial rest which the whole body of revealed writ speaks of as salvation.
Eternal life is the name of the kind of life which God lives and is therefore "the greatest of all the gifts of God" (D&C 14:7); and because those who gain it become like God, they are one with him. (The Promised Messiah, p. 130) TLDP:154-55
By one degree of obedience or another, all men, in this life, develop either celestial, terrestrial, or telestial bodies (or in the case of those destined to be sons of perdition, bodies of a baser sort). In the resurrection all men receive back again "the same body which was a natural body," whether it be celestial, terrestrial, or what have you. That body is then quickened by the glory attending its particular type, and the person receiving the body then goes automatically, as it were, to the kingdom of glory where that degree of glory is found. (D&C 76; 88:16-33; 1 Corinthians 15:35-38(The Mortal Messiah, 2:80-81) TLDP:566
As eternal beings we all have to stand before him to be judged; and he has provided different degrees of glory—the celestial, the terrestrial, and the telestial glories—which are provided according to certain unchangeable laws which cannot be controverted. . . . For those who are willing to yield to obedience to his commands at all times and carry out his purposes upon the earth, and who are willing to abide a celestial law, he has prepared for them a celestial glory, that they may be with him for ever and ever. And what about the others? They are not prepared to go there any more than lead is prepared to stand the same test as gold or silver; and there they cannot go. And there is a great gulf between them. But he [God] will do with them just as well as he can. A great many of these people in the world, thousands and hundreds of millions of them, will be a great deal better off through the interposition of the Almighty that they have any idea of. But they cannot enter into the celestial kingdom of God; where God and Christ are they cannot come. (At quarterly conference of Salt Lake Stake, Jan. 6, 1879, JD20:118) TLDP:325
He has purchased us; he has redeemed us; he has bought us; and we belong to him. And now he proposed to give back these bodies glorified. To those who keep the full law he promises to give a celestial body, full of celestial power and glory and splendor; and to those who keep the terrestrial law, a body not so glorious, but still glorious and splendid; and telestial bodies to those who keep the telestial law; thus he extends to each this privilege. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for man. (Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, pp. 169-70) TLDP:50
And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.
16. And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul.
17. And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.
18. Therefore, it must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory;
19. For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father;
20. That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified.
21. And they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.
22. For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory. (Revelation received Dec. 27/28, 1832; the "olive leaf message of peace") D&C 88:15-22
Related Witnesses:
A man may be saved, after the judgment, in the terrestrial kingdom or in the telestial kingdom but he can never see the celestial kingdom of God without being born of the water and the Spirit. He may receive a glory like unto the moon [i.e., of which the light of the moon is typical], or a star [i.e., of which the light of the stars is typical], but he can never come unto Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, unless he becomes as a little child, and is taught by the Spirit of God. (Article in the Star, Aug. 1832) HC1:283
Now, I wish to say to you that those who died without law, meaning the pagan nations, for lack of faithfulness, for lack of devotion, in the former life, are obtaining all that they are entitled to. I don't mean to say that all of them will be barred from entrance into the highest glory. Any one of them who repents and complies with the conditions might also obtain celestial glory, but the great bulk of them will only obtain terrestrial glory. (Sermons of Melvin J. Ballard, p. 251) DCSM:164
142. To receive exaltation (the highest degree in the celestial kingdom) a person must be married in the new and everlasting covenant.
In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
2. And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
3. And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
4. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase. (Instructions given by the Prophet, May 16/17, 1843) D&C 131:1-4
also quoting Joseph Smith
One young man said that he expected to reach exaltation in the celestial kingdom as one of the Lord's messengers, without having to marry. He does not understand. No one who rejects the covenant of celestial marriage can reach exaltation in the eternal kingdom of God.
"In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase." (D&C 131:1-4
He cannot have an increase He cannot have exaltation
The Lord says further in the 132nd section of the Doctrine and Covenants:
No one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory. (D&C 132:4)
No one It matters not how righteous they may have been, how intelligent or how well trained they are. No one will enter this highest glory unless he enters into the covenant, and this means the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. ("The Importance of Celestial Marriage," EN1979Oct:5-6) DCSM:325-26
Naturally, those who enter the celestial kingdom are of various attainments. There is not absolute uniformity anywhere among the children of God. Their innate capacities and their use of the law of free agency make them different, often widely so. Therefore, the members of the highest kingdom are also grouped, according to the Prophet Joseph Smith into three "degrees." [See D&C 131:1.]
To enter the highest of these degrees in the celestial kingdom is to be exalted in the kingdom of God. Such exaltation comes to those who receive the higher ordinances of the Church, such as the temple endowment, and afterwards are sealed in marriage for time and eternity, whether on earth or in the hereafter. Those who are so sealed continue the family relationship eternally. Spiritual children are begotten by them. They carry on the work of salvation for the hosts of waiting spirits. They who are so exalted become even as the gods. They will be "from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; . . ." [See D&C 132:20.] (Evidences and Reconciliations, pp. 200-01) TLDP:163-64
also quoting President Brigham Young
If one is going to be in God's kingdom of exaltation, where God dwells in all his glory, one will be there as a husband or a wife and not otherwise. Regardless of his virtues, the single person, or the one married for this life only, cannot be exalted. All normal people should marry and rear families. To quote Brigham Young: "No man can be perfect without the woman, so no woman can be perfect without a man. . . . I tell you the truth as it is in the bosom of eternity. If he wishes to be saved, he cannot be saved without a woman by his side." (Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 245) TLDP:380
When we become like him you will find that we will be presented before him in the form in which we were created, male and female. The woman will not go there alone, and the man will not go there alone, and claim exaltation. They may attain a degree of salvation alone, but when they are exalted they will be exalted according to the law of the celestial kingdom. They cannot be exalted in any other way, neither the living nor the dead. It is well for us to learn something about why we build temples, and why we administer in them for the dead as well as for the living. We do this that we may become like unto him, and dwell with him eternally; that we may become sons of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. (Sermon in 1898) (Gospel Doctrine, p. 276) TLDP:162-63
Related Witnesses:
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Except a man and his wife enter into an everlasting covenant and be married for eternity, while in this probation, by the power and authority of the Holy Priesthood, they will cease to increase when they die; that is, they will not have any children after the resurrection. But those who are married by the power and authority of the priesthood in this life, and continue without committing the sin against the Holy Ghost, will continue to increase and have children in the celestial glory. (Instructions given Brother and Sister Benjamin John son, in presence of several brethren, Ramus, Ill., May 16, 1843) TPJS:300-01
receiving the Word of the Lord
For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory.
5. For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world.
6. And as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, it was instituted for the fulness of my glory; and he that receiveth a fulness thereof must and shall abide the law, or he shall be damned, saith the Lord God. (Revelation relating to the new and everlasting covenant, including the eternal nature of the marriage covenant, July 12, 1843, [1831]) D&C 132:4-6
also quoting Joseph Smith
Those who gain exaltation in the celestial kingdom are those who are members of the Church of the Firstborn; in other words, those who keep all the commandments of the Lord. . . .
The higher ordinances in the temple of God pertain to exaltation in the celestial kingdom. . . . In order to receive this blessing, one must keep the full law, must abide the law by which that kingdom is governed; for, "he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory." (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:41-42) DGSM:91
143. Those who inherit the highest degree of the celestial kingdom will have eternal increase, becoming parents of spirit offspring.
Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose
To enter the highest of these degrees in the celestial kingdom is to be exalted in the kingdom of God. Such exaltation comes to those who receive the higher ordinances of the Church, such as the temple endowment, and afterwards are sealed in marriage for time and eternity, whether on earth or in the hereafter. Those who are so sealed continue the family relationship eternally. Spiritual children are begotten by them. They carry on the work of salvation for the hosts of waiting spirits. They who are so exalted become even as the gods. They will be "from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; . . ." [D&C 132:20] (Evidences and Reconciliations, pp. 200-01) TLDP:163-64
(First Presidency)
The Council of the Twelve Apostles
So far as the stages of eternal progression and attainment have been made known through divine revelation, we are to understand that only resurrected and glorified beings can become parents of spirit offspring. Only such exalted souls have reached maturity in the appointed course of eternal life; and the spirits born to them in the eternal worlds will pass in due sequence through the several stages or estates by which the glorified parents have attained exaltation. ("The Father and the Son," IE1916Aug:942) TLDP:160
also quoting Jesus,
and President Lorenzo Snow
One of the first commandments given to Adam and Eve was to multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it. This injunction has never been revoked. When the father and mother and children are sealed together by the same divine authority as was given to Peter, celestial marriage commences an eternal family. Christ said to Peter: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt 16:19) All who are faithful to the teachings of the gospel will continue as a family into the highest degree of the celestial kingdom and will be crowned with immortality, eternal life, and eternal increase. . . .
. . . . President Lorenzo Snow gave an intimation of what eternal marriage meant: "A man and a woman in the other life, having celestial bodies, free from sickness and disease, glorified and beautified beyond description, standing in the midst of their posterity, governing and controlling them, administering life, exaltation and glory, world without end." CR1966Oct:103-04
The Lord has blessed us with the ability to enjoy an eternal life with the Gods, and this is pronounced the greatest gift of God. The gift of eternal life, without a posterity, to become an angel, is one of the greatest gifts that can be bestowed; yet the Lord has bestowed on us the privilege of becoming fathers of lives. What is a father of lives, as mentioned in the Scriptures? A man who has a posterity to an eternal continuance. That is the blessing Abraham received, and it perfectly satisfied his soul. He obtained the promise that he should be the father of lives. (In Tabernacle, May 20, 1860, JD8:63) TLDP:159
also quoting Joseph Smith
How sublime, comprehensive, significant, and important the endowment becomes when we understand it. When one has been endowed according to the order of temple rights and ordinances, then he or she is prepared for eternal sealing of husband to wife, wife to husband, and children to both, by men authorized and possessing the keys of this sealing power. Families thus united may go on to perfection, exaltation, and eternal happiness together.
We learn this from the writings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, found in both the 131st and 132nd sections of the Doctrine and Covenants. The Lord, speaking to the Prophet, said,
"In the celestial glory there are three heavens, or degrees;
And in order to obtain the highest a man must enter into this order of the priesthood, [meaning the new and the everlasting covenant of marriage];
And if he does not he cannot obtain it.
He may enter into the others, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase." (D&C 131:1-4
Those who do not enter this order of the priesthood, that is, the eternal covenant of marriage, become angels of God in a separate and single state forever and ever, and thus are without increase of posterity in the eternal world; therefore without posterity they have no need of a kingdom. CR1955Apr:67
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
Except a man and his wife enter into an everlasting covenant and be married for eternity, while in this probation, by the power and authority of the Holy Priesthood, they will cease to increase when they die; that is, they will not have any children after the resurrection. But those who are married by the power and authority of the priesthood in this life, and continue without committing the sin against the Holy Ghost, will continue to increase and have children in the celestial glory. (Instructions given Brother and Sister Benjamin John son in presence of several brethren, Ramus, Ill., May 16, 1843) TPJS:300-01
As sons and daughters of God, we are required to purify and perfect ourselves in righteousness, otherwise, we cannot be with him nor enjoy eternal lives and glory in his kingdom. To become like God we must possess the powers of Godhood. For such preparation there are important covenants, obligations, and ordinances for mankind to receive beyond the requirement of baptism and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost. Every person is to receive his or her endowments in the house of the Lord which permit them, if faithful and true, to pass by the angels who stand as sentinels guarding the way to eternal glory in the mansions of God. The everlasting covenant of marriage ordained of God for man and woman, also is to be entered into and the marriage contract sealed eternally by the authority of the Holy Priesthood of God. Otherwise, the highest degree of the celestial kingdom cannot be attained nor Godhood acquired, which exalted condition assures continuation of the lives forever. CR1961Apr:66
Related Witnesses:
We understand that we are to be made kings and Priests unto God; now if I be made the king and lawgiver to my family, and if I have many sons, I shall become the father of many fathers, for they will have sons, and their sons will have sons, and so on, from generation to generation, and, in this way, I may become the father of many fathers, or the king of many kings. This will constitute every man a prince, king, lord, or whatever the Father sees fit to confer upon us.
In this way we can become King of kings, and Lord of lords, or, Father of fathers, or Prince of princes, and this is the only course, for another man is not going to raise up a kingdom for you. (In Bowery, Provo, Utah, July 14, 1855, JD3:265-66) TLDP:159
If I have children; if I have a wife, I shall have them in eternity. I shall preside over that family no matter how small it may be, or how large it may extend. They will be my kingdom; for this is the promise of God. What is there that is more delightful in the contemplation of the future than this thought, that those with whom we are associated here, with whom our lives and happiness is entwined, who give unto us the greatest pleasure, because of the love we have for them and they have for us; that that union shall be perpetuated throughout eternity, and that there shall be an increase of that love and of that union and an increase also of that power, because the power of procreation is promised—the greatest power that man possesses on earth. That is promised unto those who are faithful. . . . Therefore, it can be said of us as it was said of our Lord and Savior, "to the increase of His kingdom there shall be no end." Why? Because of this principle that I spoke of—the principle of procreation. By it, and through that principle the worlds are peopled. The planetary orbs which stud our heavens so gloriously are peopled by that principle—the principle of procreation. God possesses it, and we as His children inherit the power. If we do what is right He promises to bestow it upon us. CR1899Apr:20
144. Those who inherit exaltation in the celestial kingdom will thereafter become gods.
There are a few individuals in this dispensation who will inherit celestial glory, and a few in other dispensations; but before they receive their exaltation they will have to pass through and submit to whatever dispensation God may decree. But for all this they will receive their reward—they will become Gods, they will inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities and powers through the endless ages of eternity, and to their increase there will be no end, and the heart of man has never conceived of the glory that is in store for the sons and daughters of God who keep the celestial law. (Funeral services of two young children, Wanship, Utah, JD18:39) TLDP:130
And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.
54. They are they who are the church of the Firstborn.
55. They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things—
56. They are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory;
57. And are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son.
58. Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God—
62. These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever. 70 These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical. (Vision to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, Feb. 16, 1832) D&C 76:53-58,62,70
To enter the highest of these degrees in the celestial kingdom is to be exalted in the kingdom of God. Such exaltation comes to those who receive the higher ordinances of the Church, such as the temple endowment, and afterwards are sealed in marriage for time and eternity, whether on earth or in the hereafter. Those who are so sealed continue the family relationship eternally. Spiritual children are begotten by them. They carry on the work of salvation for the hosts of waiting spirits. They who are so exalted become even as the gods. They will be "from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; . . ." [See D&C 132:20.] (Evidences and Reconciliations, pp. 200-01) TLDP:163-64
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
How consoling to the mourners when they are called to part with a husband, wife, father, mother, child, or dear relative, to know that, although the earthly tabernacle is laid down and dissolved, they shall rise again to dwell in everlasting burnings in immortal glory, not to sorrow, suffer, or die any more; but they shall be heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. What is it? To inherit the same power, the same glory and the same exaltation, until you arrive at the station of a God, and ascend the throne of eternal power, the same as those who have gone before. What did Jesus do? Why; I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into existence. My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I will take his place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that Jesus treads in the tracks of his Father, and inherits what God did before; and God is thus glorified and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all his children. It is plain beyond disputation, and you thus learn some of the first principles of the Gospel, about which so much hath been said. (To the Church in general conference—a congregation of 20,000—"King Follett Sermon", April 7, 1844) (See HC6:302-317, also see The Words of Joseph Smith, pp. 340-62.) TPJS:347-48
Related Witnesses:
Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power. (To the Church in general conference—a congregation of 20,000—"King Follett Sermon", April 7, 1844)(Full Sermon: HC6:302-317, also see WJS:340-62) HC6:306
receiving the Word of the Lord
And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb's Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.
20. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them. (Revelation relating to the new and everlasting covenant, including the eternal nature of the marriage covenant, July 12, 1843 [1831]) D&C 132:19-20
Now, the sealing for eternity gives to you eternal leadership. The man will have the authority of the priesthood, and if he keeps his life in order he will become a god. . . . The Lord created this earth for us and made it a beautiful place to live. He promised us that if we would live the right way we could come back to him and be like him. ACR(Sao Paulo)1975:43
Man can transform himself and he must. Man has in himself the seeds of godhood, which can germinate and grow and develop. As the acorn becomes the oak, the mortal man becomes a god. It is within his power to lift himself by his very bootstraps from the plane on which he finds himself to the plane on which he should be. It may be a long, hard lift with many obstacles, but it is a real possibility. (Sermon at Brigham Young University, Sept. 1974) (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 28) DGSM:52
It is well for us to learn something about why we build temples, and why we administer in them for the dead as well as for the living. We do this that we may become like unto him, and dwell with him eternally; that we may become sons of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. (Sermon, June 12, 1898) (Gospel Doctrine, p. 276) TLDP:162-63
145. The celestial kingdom was prepared, before the world began, to receive the faithful.
recorded in Matthew
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: . . . (Jesus gives the parable of the sheep and the goats; the sheep are placed on his right hand at the Lord's Second Coming) Matthew 25:34
quoted by Nephi
But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever. (Jacob teaches the people of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2 Nephi 9:18
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; (Letter to his companion Titus, about A.D. 64) Titus 1:2
Related Witnesses:
The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell.
2. I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire;
3. Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son. (Vision to Joseph Smith in Kirtland Temple, Jan. 21, 1836) D&C 137:1-3
The gospel of Christ is more than "the power of God unto salvation;" it is the power of God unto exaltation, and was instituted as such before this earth rolled into existence, before Adam fell, and consequently before man had need of redemption and salvation. It is the way of eternal progress, the path to perfection. . . . CR1920Apr:122
