Class
from Laurel Lawrence 2/22/18
Only
2 years after organizing the Church, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon received a
vision of the three Degrees of Glory. There is very little spoken of them in
the Bible. Paul wrote of it in 1 Corinthians 15:40-41 - 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differethfrom another star in glory.
And
in 2 Corinthians 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
Joseph
Smith said in these verses Paul was speaking of himself.
At
this time Joseph Smith was living with John Johnson, and he had taken on the
task of re-translating the Bible. Sidney Rigdon was his scribe. When they read
this verse, John 5:20-29 29 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.
They wondered if there were
really only 2 places for people in the next life. So they prayed. They were in
a room with 12 other people, but only JS and SR saw the vision. As the others
watched, it looked to them like JS and SR were looking out a window, but they
could see what those two could see.
As they received the vision,
one would say, “I am seeing……” and describe the vision, and the other would
say, “Yes, that is what I see.” Then the other one would describe the next
scene and that one would verify. That way they were witnesses for each other.
Joseph
Smith said God touched their spiritual eyes. This means they were
transfigurated. It’s like receiving a transfusion of light, just as Moses had. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego also had to be transfigured to
survive the fire.
The
vision is recorded in D&C 76 and was divided up into segments.
1. They saw the Father and the
Son. Joseph Smith had seen them in his First Vision, and afterwards said that
he found his strength completely gone. With this vision, Joseph Smith was
accustomed to it but Sidney Rigdon was totally overcome. Phils Dibble who was
in the room afterwards recalled the JS was calm, but SR was exhausted.
2. In the 2nd vision
they saw Satan. The Lord likes to teach in contrasts. They could best
appreciate their first vision after seeing the 2nd, and they could
appreciate the rest of them more after seeing the 2nd.
a. They saw that he was once an
angel in authority in heaven. They saw his fall and that the heavens wept over
him. He became a son of the morning, meaning one of the firstborn. (Some of us
on the earth now may have been of the firstborn spirit children of God.)
b. Now he is a son of perdition.
Perdition means destruction or destroyer. He wants to destroy us by separating
us from God. Before his fall his name meant “lightbearer”.
c. His fall was because of PRIDE. This
is why we need to beware of pride. It is the biggest stumbling block.
d. He focuses on the saints. He
encircles us round about. So we need to pray always, attend Sacrament meeting
to partake of the Sacrament, study scriptures and remain worthy. He wants to
make all men miserable like himself.
Read
Ensign article – The War Goes On April 2017 by Larry Lawrence.
The War Goes On
Anyone who
follows international news will agree that we live in a time of “wars and
rumors of wars” (D&C 45:26).
Fortunately, everyone on earth is a war veteran. We have been battling the
hosts of evil in an ongoing war that began in the premortal sphere before we
were born.
Because we had
not yet received physical bodies, we fought the War in Heaven without swords,
guns, or bombs. But the fighting was just as intense as any modern war, and
there were billions of casualties.
The premortal
war was fought with words, ideas, debate, and persuasion (see Revelation 12:7–9, 11).
Satan’s strategy was to frighten people. He knew that fear is the best way to
destroy faith. He may have used arguments like these: “It’s too hard.” “It’s
impossible to make it back clean.” “There’s too much risk.” “How do you know
you can trust Jesus Christ?” He was very jealous of the
Savior.
Thankfully, God’s
plan triumphed over Satan’s lies. God’s plan involved moral agency for mankind
and a great sacrifice. Jehovah, known to us as Jesus Christ, volunteered to be
that sacrifice—to suffer for all our sins. He was willing to lay down His life
for His brothers and sisters so that those who repented could come back clean
and eventually become like their Heavenly Father. (See Moses 4:1–4; Abraham 3:27.)
The other
advantage that helped Jehovah win the hearts of God’s children was the powerful
testimonies borne by His supporters, led by Michael, the archangel (see Revelation 12:7, 11; D&C 107:54). In
premortality, Adam was called Michael, and Satan was called Lucifer, which
means the “lightbearer.”1 That may seem like a strange name for the
prince of darkness (see Moses 7:26), but the scriptures teach that Satan was
“an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God” before he fell
(see D&C 76:25–28).
How could a
spirit with so much knowledge and experience fall so far? It was because of his
pride. Lucifer rebelled against our Father in Heaven because he wanted God’s
kingdom for himself.
In his classic
talk “Beware of Pride,” President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) taught that
Lucifer “wished to be honored above all others” and that “his prideful desire
was to dethrone God.”2 You have heard too that Satan wanted to
destroy man’s agency, but that was not the only reason he fell out of favor. He
was cast out of heaven for rebellion against the Father and the Son (see D&C 76:25; Moses 4:3).
Why did you and
I fight against the devil? We fought out of loyalty. We loved and supported our
Father in Heaven. We wanted to become like Him. Lucifer had a different goal.
He wanted to replace the Father (see Isaiah 14:12–14; 2 Nephi 24:12–14).
Imagine how Satan’s betrayal hurt our Heavenly Parents. In the scriptures, we
read that “the heavens wept over him” (D&C 76:26).
After a heated
campaign, Michael and his armies prevailed. Two-thirds of the heavenly hosts
chose to follow the Father (see D&C 29:36).
Satan and his followers were cast out of heaven, but they were not sent
immediately to outer darkness. First, they were sent to this earth (see Revelation 12:7–9), where Jesus Christ was to be born
and where His atoning sacrifice would be carried out.
Why were
Satan’s hosts allowed to come to earth? They came to provide opposition for
those who are being tested here (see 2 Nephi 2:11). Will they eventually be cast into
outer darkness? Yes. After the Millennium, Satan and his hosts will be cast out
forever.
Satan knows
that his days are numbered. At the Second Coming of Jesus, Satan and his angels
will be bound for 1,000 years (see Revelation 20:1–3; 1 Nephi 22:26; D&C 101:28). As
that deadline approaches, the forces of evil are fighting desperately to
capture as many souls as they can.
John the Revelator
was shown the War in Heaven as part of a grand vision. He was shown how Satan
was cast down to earth to tempt mankind. This was John’s reaction: “Woe to the
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12).
So how does
Satan spend his days, knowing he has no time to lose? The Apostle Peter wrote
that “the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”
(1 Peter 5:8).
What motivates
Satan? He will never have a body, he will never have a wife or a family,
and he will never have a fulness of joy, so he wants to make all men and women
“miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27).
The devil
targets all men, but especially those who have the most potential for eternal
happiness. He is clearly jealous of anyone who is on the pathway to exaltation.
The scriptures teach that Satan “maketh war with the saints of God, and
encompasseth them round about” (D&C 76:29).
The war that
began in heaven continues to this day. In fact, the battle is heating up as the
Saints prepare for the return of the Savior.
President
Brigham Young (1801–77) prophesied “that the Church would spread, prosper, grow
and extend, and that in proportion to the spread of the Gospel among the
nations of the earth, so would the power of Satan rise.”3
I think all of
us would agree that this prophecy is being fulfilled as we watch evil
infiltrate the societies of the world. President Young taught that we need to
study the enemy’s tactics in order to defeat him. I share four of Satan’s
proven strategies and some ideas on how to resist them.
Satan’s Strategies
1. Temptation. The devil
is brazen when it comes to putting wicked ideas into our minds. The Book
of Mormon teaches that Satan whispers unclean and unkind
thoughts and sows thoughts of doubt. He nags us to act on addictive urges and
to entertain selfishness and greed. He doesn’t want us to recognize where these
ideas are coming from, so he whispers, “I am no devil, for there is none” (2 Nephi 28:22).
How can we
resist this direct temptation? One of the most effective tools is to simply send Satan away. That’s
what Jesus would do.
The New
Testament account of the Savior on the mount of temptations is instructive.
After each temptation the devil presented to Him, Jesus used a two-step
defensive technique: first, He ordered Satan to leave; then He quoted
scripture.
The biography
of President Heber J. Grant (1856–1945) gives insight into how President
Grant, as a young man, resisted the devil. When President Grant recognized that
Satan was whispering to him, trying to plant doubts in his heart, he simply
said out loud, “Mr. Devil, shut up.”4
You have the
right to tell Satan to leave when you are confronted with temptation. The
scriptures teach, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
The other part
of the Savior’s defense was to quote scripture. There is great power in
memorizing scripture, as Jesus did. Scriptural verses can become an arsenal of
spiritual ammunition.
When you are
tempted, you can recite commandments such as “Remember the sabbath day, to keep
it holy,” “Love your enemies,” or “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly”
(Exodus 20:8; Luke 6:27; D&C 121:45).
Scripture power not only intimidates Satan, but it also brings the Spirit into
your heart, reassures you, and fortifies you against temptation
3.
Lies and deception. The
scriptures reveal that Satan is “the father of lies” (2 Nephi 9:9). Don’t believe him when he whispers
messages such as “You never do anything right,” “You are too sinful to be
forgiven,” “You will never change,” “No one cares about you,” and “You have no
talents.”
Another of his
oft-used lies is the following: “You need to try everything at least once—just
to gain experience. One time won’t hurt you.” The dirty little secret that he
doesn’t want you to know is that sin is addictive.
Another
effective lie that Satan will try on you is this: “Everyone else is doing it.
It’s OK.” It’s not OK! So tell the devil that you don’t want to go to the
telestial kingdom—even if everyone else is going there.
Although Satan
will lie to you, you can count on the Spirit to tell you the truth. That’s why
the gift of the Holy Ghost is so essential.
The devil has
been called “the great deceiver.”5 He attempts to counterfeit every true
principle the Lord presents.
Remember,
counterfeits are not the same as opposites. The opposite of white is black, but
a counterfeit for white might be off-white or gray. Counterfeits bear a
resemblance to the real thing in order to deceive unsuspecting people. They are
a twisted version of something good, and just like counterfeit money, they are
worthless. Let me illustrate.
One of Satan’s
counterfeits for faith is superstition. His counterfeit for love is lust. He
counterfeits the priesthood by introducing priestcraft, and he imitates God’s
miracles by means of sorcery.
Marriage
between a man and a woman is ordained of God, but same-sex marriage is only a
counterfeit. It brings neither posterity nor exaltation. Although his
imitations deceive many people, they are not the real thing. They cannot bring
lasting happiness.
God warned us
about counterfeits in the Doctrine and Covenants. He said, “That which
doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness” (D&C 50:23).
3. Contention. Satan is
the father of contention. The Savior teaches, “He stirreth up the hearts of men
to contend with anger, one with another” (3 Nephi 11:29).
The devil has learned
from centuries of experience that where there is contention, the Spirit of the
Lord will depart. Ever since he convinced Cain to kill Abel, Satan has
influenced siblings to quarrel. He also stirs up problems in marriages, among
ward members, and between missionary companions. He delights in seeing good
people argue. He tries to start family arguments right before church on Sunday,
right before family home evening on Monday night, and whenever a couple plans
to attend a temple session. His timing is predictable.
When there is
contention in your home or workplace, immediately stop whatever you are doing
and seek to make peace. It doesn’t matter who started it.
Contention
often begins with faultfinding. Joseph
Smith taught that “the devil flatters us that we are very righteous,
when we are feeding on the faults of others.”6 When you think about it, self-righteousness
is just a counterfeit for real righteousness.
Satan loves to
spread contention in the Church. He specializes in pointing out the faults of
Church leaders. Joseph Smith warned the Saints that the beginning step to
apostasy is to lose confidence in the leaders of the Church.7
Almost all
anti-Mormon literature is based on lies about the character of Joseph Smith.
The enemy works hard to discredit Joseph because the message of the Restoration
hangs on the Prophet’s account of what happened in the Sacred Grove. The devil
is working harder today than ever before to make members question their
testimonies of the Restoration.
In the early
days of our dispensation, many priesthood brethren, to their regret, did not
stay loyal to the Prophet. One of them was Lyman E. Johnson, who was
excommunicated for unrighteous conduct. He later lamented having left the
Church: “I would suffer my right hand to be cut off, if I could believe it
again. Then I was full of joy and gladness. My dreams were pleasant. When I
awoke in the morning my spirit was cheerful. I was happy by day and by night,
full of peace and joy and thanksgiving. But now it is darkness, pain, sorrow,
misery in the extreme. I have never since seen a happy moment.”8
Think about
those words. They stand as a warning to all Church members.
I am a convert
to the Church. I was baptized when I was a 23-year-old young single adult
attending medical school in Arizona, USA. I know firsthand how Satan works on
investigators to confuse them and discourage them when they are seeking truth.
All during my
youth, I had watched the examples of Latter-day Saint friends. I was impressed
with the way they conducted their lives. I made the decision to learn more
about the Church, but I did not want to tell anyone I was studying Mormonism.
To avoid pressure from my friends, I decided to make my search a private
investigation.
This was many
years before the internet, so I went to the public library. I found a copy of
the Book of Mormon and a book called A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, by
Elder LeGrand Richards (1886–1983) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I began
to read these books with great desire, and I found them inspiring.
While my spirit
was yearning to learn more, Satan began to whisper in my ear. He told me that
in order to be completely objective, I needed to read what was written by the
critics of the Church also. I went back to the public library and began to look
around. Sure enough, I found a book that discredited the Prophet Joseph.
Reading this
anti-Mormon book confused me. I lost that sweet spirit and influence that had
guided my investigation. I became frustrated and was about to abandon my search
for truth. I was praying for an answer while reading anti-Mormon literature!
To my surprise,
I received a phone call from a high school friend who was attending Brigham
Young University. She invited me to come visit her in Utah, promising that I
would love the scenic trip. She had no idea that I was secretly studying about
her Church.
I accepted her
invitation. My friend suggested that we go to Salt Lake City to visit Temple
Square. She was surprised by my enthusiastic response. She had no idea how
interested I was to learn the truth about Joseph Smith and the Restoration.
The sister
missionaries on Temple Square were very helpful. Without knowing it, they
answered many of my questions. Their testimonies influenced me to “doubt [my]
doubts,”9 and my faith began to grow. The power of a
heartfelt testimony cannot be overestimated.
My friend also
shared her testimony with me and invited me to pray and ask God if the Church
was true. On the long drive back to Arizona, I began to pray with faith—for the
first time “with a sincere heart, with real intent” (Moroni 10:4). At some point on that trip, it seemed
that my whole car lit up with light. I learned for myself that light can dispel
darkness.
After I had
decided to be baptized, the devil put up a final struggle. He worked on my
family, who did everything in their power to discourage me, and they refused to
attend my baptism.
I was baptized
anyway, and gradually their hearts were softened. They began to help me
research my family history. A few years later, I baptized my younger brother.
The friend who invited me to visit her in Utah is now my wife.
4. Discouragement. Satan
effectively uses this tool on the most faithful Saints when all else fails. For
me, when I begin to feel discouraged, it helps me just to recognize who is
trying to get me down. This makes me mad enough to cheer up—just to spite the
devil.
Several years
ago, President Benson gave a talk called “Do Not Despair.” In that insightful
talk, he warned, “Satan is increasingly striving to overcome the Saints with
despair, discouragement, despondency, and depression.”10 President Benson urged Church members to
be on guard, and he gave 12 realistic suggestions for fighting discouragement.
His suggestions
include serving others; working hard and avoiding idleness; practicing good
health habits, which include exercising and eating foods in their natural
state; seeking a priesthood blessing; listening to inspiring music; counting
your blessings; and setting goals. And above all, as the scriptures teach, we
are to pray always so we can conquer Satan (see D&C 10:5).11
Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his
knees.12
It is important
to know that there are limits to the power of evil. The Godhead sets those
limits, and Satan is not allowed to cross them. For example, the scriptures
assure us that “power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children” (D&C 29:47).
Another
significant limitation is that Satan does not know our thoughts unless we tell
him. The Lord explained, “There is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts
and the intents of thy heart” (D&C 6:16).
Perhaps this is
why the Lord has given us commandments such as “Do not murmur” (D&C 9:6) and
“Thou shalt not speak evil of thy neighbor” (D&C 42:27). If
you can learn to bridle your tongue (see James 1:26), you won’t end up giving too much
information to the devil. When he hears murmuring, complaining, and
criticizing, he takes careful notes. Your negative words expose your weaknesses
to the enemy.
I have good
news for you. The armies of God are larger than the armies of Lucifer. You may
look around and think to yourself, “The world is becoming more and more wicked.
Satan must be winning the war.” Don’t be fooled. The truth is, we outnumber the
enemy. Remember, two-thirds of God’s children chose the Father’s plan.
Brothers and
sisters, make sure you are fighting on the Lord’s side. Make sure you are
carrying the sword of the Spirit.
It is my prayer
that at the end of your lives, you can say with the Apostle Paul, “I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
In the
3rd vision they saw Outer Darkenss and their misery. Outer Darkness
is a permanent hell. There is no music there. President Kimball said there is
NO LIGHT in outer darkness. To go there you have to have had a full knowledge
of God through the Holy Ghost and then deny it. You have to be standing looking
at the sun and deny that it shines. Joseph F Smith said you have to hold the
Priesthood to become a son of perdition. Women are safe from that, so why are
some women campaigning to hold the Priesthood?
The
sons of perdition will resurrect but without any glory. In outer darkness,
those with bodies will have power over Satan.
Why
did God show this vision to Joseph and Sidney? So they could appreciate the
contrast between outer darkness and the Celestial Glory. He teaches with
contrasts. Joseph assured the saints that God saves all His saints except the
sons of perdition. D&C 76:44
When this
was given to the saints, they were able to understand better than any members of
any other churches what the afterlife will be like.
People
in hell (Spirit Prison) will replay everything they have done wrong.
4. In the next vision they were
shown the Celestial Glory where we will dwell in the presence of God and Jesus
forever and ever. Eternal Life means life with God, whose name is Eternal.
In 1832 when the vision was
given, they still didn’t have a temple and didn’t know anything about the
temple ordinances.
4 years later Joseph received
more information about the Celestial Kingdom. Each time he understood the
doctrine better and was ready to pray for more information, more was given. In
this next vision he saw Alvin who had not been baptized. D&C 137. He was
assured that children are saved in the Celestial Kingdom.
Leo Tolstoy had a child who
died and everyone told him the baby was in hell. He refused to believe it. He
said the Lord is very merciful.
Joseph wanted to know all about
the Celestial Kingdom, and prayed again in 1843, which is D&C 130. He saw
that the earth will be resurrected and become the Celestial Kingdom.
All who are there will have
their own device like a Urim and Thummim. 11 And a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word.
We can ask it any question and receive an answer. It’s better than
google!
Later that year he asked another question and received D&C 131
where it explains the 3 degrees within the Celestial Kingdom. He was shown the
highest and that man has to be married in the New and Everlasting Covenant. Note:
MAN. Women will be judged according to the desires of their hearts, but men
must marry. D&C 132 we will have a
continuation of seed.
The next vision was of the Terrestrial Glory. He saw the huge
difference. The moon has no light of its own; it gets its light from the sun.
This is symbolic of the Terrestrial Glory. During the millennium, the earth
will become a Terrestrial sphere and Jesus will live here.
How to qualify for the terrestrial – those who die without the law
– the Heathen and Pagan nations like ancient China or Africa. There was no law
to break. Also those who reject the Gospel in this life but accept it later.
One of the reasons missionaries wear name tags is to show that
they are official representatives of Jesus Christ, in an eternal sense. They
may be called upon to be witnesses of those they taught, and if they rejected
the message, it will be to their condemnation.
Verse 75 – there will be the honorable (good) people who were
blinded by the craftiness of the world and those who were not valiant in their
testimony. Those in the terrestrial world are those who are guilty of sins of
OMISSION. They were good people who did lots of service and active in the
Church, but ignored the scriptures and the temple.
Read, Swallowed up in the will of the Father, Maxwell, Nov
1995
A second group of members are “honorable” but not “valiant.”
They are not really aware of the gap nor of the importance of closing it
(see D&C 76:75, 79). These “honorable” individuals are
certainly not miserable nor wicked, nor are they unrighteous and unhappy. It is
not what they have done but what they have left undone that is amiss. For
example, if valiant, they could touch others deeply instead of merely being
remembered pleasantly.
Consider three examples of how honorable people in the Church
keep back a portion and thus prevent greater consecration (see Acts 5:1–4).
A sister gives commendable, visible civic service. Yet even with
her good image in the community, she remains a comparative stranger to Jesus’
holy temples and His holy scriptures, two vital dimensions of discipleship. But
she could have Christ’s image in her countenance (see Alma 5:14).
An honorable father, dutifully involved in the cares of
his family,
is less than kind and gentle with individual family members.
Consider the returned missionary, skills polished while serving
an honorable mission, striving earnestly for success in his career. Busy, he
ends up in a posture of some accommodation with the world. Thus he forgoes
building up the kingdom first and instead builds up himself. A small course
correction now would make a large, even destinational, difference for him later
on.
These deficiencies just illustrated are those of omission. Once
the telestial sins are left behind and henceforth avoided, the focus falls ever
more on the sins of omission. These omissions signify a lack of qualifying
fully for the celestial kingdom. Only greater consecration can correct these
omissions, which have consequences just as real as do the sins of commission.
Many of us thus have sufficient faith to avoid the major sins of commission,
but not enough faith to sacrifice our distracting obsessions or to focus on our
omissions.
Most omissions occur because we fail to get outside ourselves.
We are so busy checking on our own temperatures, we do not notice the burning
fevers of others even when we can offer them some of the needed remedies, such
as encouragement, kindness, and commendation. The hands which hang down and
most need to be lifted up belong to those too discouraged even to reach out
anymore.
Actually, everything depends—initially and finally—on our
desires. These shape our thought patterns. Our desires thus precede our deeds
and lie at the very cores of our souls, tilting us toward or away from God
(see D&C 4:3). God can “educate our desires” (see Joseph F.
Smith, Gospel Doctrine,5th ed., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book
Co., 1939, p. 297). Others seek to manipulate our desires. But it is we who
form the desires, the “thoughts and intents of [our] hearts” (Mosiah 5:13).
The last vision for Joseph and Sidney was of the Telestial
Kingdom. Those who do not accept the Gospel in this life of the next.
TELESTIAL KINGDOM —- SINS OF
COMMISSION
D&C 76:103 LIARS, SORCERERS, ADULTERERS, WHOREMONGERS
1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10
FORNICATORS, IDOLATERS, ADULTERERS, MALE PROSTITUTES: (”EFFEMINATE ABUSERS OF SELVES"), THIEVES, COVETOUS, DRUNKARDS, REVILERS - verbal abusers, EXTORTIONERS – robbers
REVELATION 21:8
UNBELIEVING, MURDERERS, WHOREMONGERS, SORCERERS, IDOLATERS, LIARS
3 NEPHI 24:5
SORCERERS, ADULTERERS, FALSE SWEARERS, THOSE THAT OPPRESS:
*THE
HIRELING
*THE
WIDOW
*THE FATHERLESS
THAT TURN AWAY:
* THE STRANGER
THAT FEAR NOT GOD
MALACHI 325
SAME LIST AS 3 NEPHI 24:5, ABOMINABLE
Even the Telestial Kingdom glory surpasses our understanding. It
is not a BAD place. The problem is that people have to pass through Hell to get
there. – D&C 76:84 These are they who are thrust down to hell. D&C
19: If you don’t repent, you will have to pay for your own sins because they
reject the Atonement. They will be of the last resurrection because it takes
time to repent. When the scriptures speak of a lake of fire and brimstone, it is
a metaphor for what you feel for what you lost out on because of your choices.
The Celestial Kingdom will have the presence of the Father and the Son
The Terrestrial Kingdom will have the presence of the Son
The Telestial Kingdom will have the influence of the Holy Ghost
Outer Darkness will have the presence of Satan and his angels.
The most populated will be the Terrestrial.
People cannot progress
beyond their kingdom, but people can visit down to the kingdom below and
minister. (Minister means to teach, bless, and serve) Parents can visit and minister
to their children in lower degrees.
Melvin J Ballard wrote a pamphlet called the 3 Degrees of Glory.
81% of people believe there is a heaven but have no idea what it
is like. We are grateful we have this knowledge restored.
