Even this, the lowest kingdom of glory, is so glorious that it “surpasses all understanding.” These are those who would not receive the gospel of Christ or the testimony of Jesus. The Telestial Kingdom can be compared to the glory of the stars (which appear dimmer than the moon in the night sky). “These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father.” Some are those who were not valiant in the testimony of Jesus while they dwelled on earth. They are the honorable men of the earth, who were “blinded by the craftiness of men.” These are they who receive of the glory of God and Christ in heaven, but not of their fulness. They are those who were preached to in the Spirit World, and who, though they did not receive the testimony of Jesus while on earth, were willing to receive it in the Spirit World. They are those who inherited spirit prison rather than spirit paradise in the Spirit World. The people who inherit the terrestrial kingdom may have died without learning the laws of Christ. The Terrestrial Kingdom can be compared to the glory of the moon. They will “come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people.” They shall have part in the first resurrection. These are they whom Christ shall bring with Him when He comes in His glory. They shall dwell in the presence of God and Christ forever. In heaven, they are priests and kings and receive of His fulness, and of His glory. They have 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.” The Father gives them all things. Their names are written in the books of heaven. People who inherit celestial glory are those 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.” They have kept the commandments of God and have been cleansed from all their sins. The Celestial Kingdom is to be compared to the glory of the sun and is where God dwells. This is how Joseph Smith described the kingdoms of glory: The only people who will inherit this kingdom are those who commit the unpardonable sin, which is called “the sin against the Holy Ghost.” The sin against the Holy Ghost is to have a perfect knowledge of Christ (such as the prophets have, because of their visions) and then to deny Him, crucifying Him anew. The kingdom which most people would call “hell” is called by the Lord “outer darkness.” This is the only kingdom without glory and is where the devil and his angels will be cast out to after the Millennium.The lowest degree is called the “Telestial Kingdom.”.The middle degree is called the “Terrestrial Kingdom.”.The highest degree is called the “Celestial Kingdom.” The Celestial Kingdom is where God Himself dwells.In the Lord’s house there are many mansions, but there are three main divisions in heaven, or three degrees of glory.The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery the following truths: Joseph said, “By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God-Even those things which were from the beginning before the world was, which were ordained of the Father, through his Only Begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the beginning Of whom we bear record and the record which we bear is the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:12-14). He has recorded this vision in the Doctrine and Covenants, one of the volumes of Mormon scripture. We know there is an afterlife, and most Christian faiths preach that there will be a resurrection and judgment, and that the righteous will dwell with God.įortunately, we have the testimony of a Latter-day Prophet, Joseph Smith, who saw in vision the three degrees of glory. But for most of Christendom, information regarding the nature of heaven is vague. We have a few writings from ancient prophets who were “caught up” to see in vision the realms of glory. The Lord has revealed to His prophets something regarding heaven and what we can expect to find there. The Plan of Salvation: The Degrees of Glory
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