Terrestrial Mormons
Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, pp. 392-393. Concerning those who will receive the terrestrial, or lesser, kingdom, the Lord said, "These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God" (D&C 76:79). Not to be valiant in one's testimony is a tragedy of eternal consequence. These are members who know that this latter-day work is true but who fail to endure to the end. Some may even hold temple recommends, but they do not magnify their callings in the Church. Without valor, they do not take an affirmative stand for the kingdom of God. Some seek the praise, adulation, and honors of men; others attempt to conceal their sins; and a few criticize those who preside over them. (Come unto Christ, p. 13; Conference Report, April 4, 1982, p. 89.)
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:28 ff. [Italics in original.] Who are they? [Meaning the "unvaliant."] All who refuse to receive the fulness of the truth, or abide by the principles and ordinances of the everlasting gospel. They may have received a testimony; they may be able to testify that they know that Jesus is the Christ; but in their lives they have refused to accept ordinances which are essential to entrance into the celestial kingdom. They have refused to live the gospel, when they knew it to be true; or have been blinded by tradition; or for other cause have not been willing to walk in the light.
In this class we could properly place those who refuse to take upon them the name of Christ, even though they belong to the Church; and those who are not willing when called to go forth and preach to a perverse world
They may live clean lives; they may be honest, industrious, good citizens, and all that; but they are not willing to assume any portion of the labor which devolves upon members of the Church, in carrying on the great work of redemption of mankind.
Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary 3:460-461. Good, upright, decent members of the Church who nonetheless do not put first in their lives the things of God's earthly kingdom [are lukewarm. (Rev 3:16.)] They have testimonies; they know the work is true; but they specialize, as it were, in the social gospel; that is, in that portion of the truth which seems to bless others on pretty much the same basis as people are bettered by any good concepts in any church. Their interests are largely centered in temporal things, in making a living, in the things of this world. They are not wicked and ungodly in the sense of being carnal and evil. But they are not devoting their energies to the spread of truth and the perfecting of the lives of their brethren. They are probably part tithepayers, and they likely go to sacrament meeting and perform church service when it is convenient. They seek the honors of men and the wealth of the world with more zeal than they do the honors of God and the riches of eternity. They are lukewarm and their souls will not be saved.
"These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God." (D&C 76:79.)
Lukewarm church members say: "We have testimonies, we have received the gospel, we belong to the Church; surely we shall be saved along with all the rest; what more do we need?" But the fact is (and they know it not!) they are no better off spiritually than many nonmembers of the Church; they are still poor in the things of the Spirit, are blind to the real blessings of the gospel, and have not in fact put on the robes of righteousness.
Progression Between Glories?
Spencer W. Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, 243-244. (Mel. Pr'd manual, 1979-1980, 146. See also Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 50.) After a person has been assigned to his place in the kingdom, either in the telestial, the terrestrial or the celestial, or to his exaltation, he will never advance from his assigned glory to another glory. That is eternal!
Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary 1:196. It is from these revelations which recite that resurrected beings come forth with different kinds of bodies [D&C 76; 88:16-33; 1 Cor 15:35-58; Mormon Doctrine, 1st ed., 573-579] that we learn a few of the many revealed reasons shy there is not and cannot be progression from one degree of glory to another after the resurrection.
George Albert Smith, Conference Report, October 1945, 172. There are some people who have supposed that if we are quickened telestial bodies that eventually, throughout the ages of eternity, we will continue to progress until we will find our place in the celestial kingdom, but the Scriptures and the revelations of God have said that those who are quickened telestial bodies cannot come where God and Christ dwell, worlds without end.
Joseph Smith, History of the Church 5:402. I could explain a 100 fold more than I ever have of the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them.
Bruce R. McConkie, "The Seven Deadly Heresies" (Tape Transcript), BYU, 1 June 1980. Heresy number five. There are those who say that there is progression from one kingdom to another in the eternal worlds or, if not, that lower kingdoms eventually progress to where higher kingdoms once were. This is worse than false! It is an evil and pernicious doctrine.
It lulls men into a state of carnal security. It causes them to say: "God is so merciful; surely he will save us all eventually. If we do not gain the celestial kingdom now, eventually we will, so why worry?" It lets people live a life of sin here and now with the hope that they will be saved eventually.
The true doctrine is that all men will be resurrected, but they will come forth in the resurrection with different kinds of bodies-some celestial, others terrestrial, others telestial, and some with bodies incapable of standing any degree of glory. The body we receive in the resurrection determines the glory we receive in the kingdoms that are prepared.
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:31-34. [Italics in the original.] No Advancement from Lower to Higher. It has been asked if it is possible for one who inherits the telestial glory to advance in time to the celestial glory?
The answer to this question is, No!
The scriptures are clear on this point. Speaking of those who go to the telestial kingdom, the revelation says: "And they shall be servants of the Most High; but where God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end."
Notwithstanding this statement, those who do not comprehend the word of the Lord argue that while this is true, that they cannot go where God is "worlds without end," yet in time they will get where God was, but he will have gone on to other heights.
This is false reasoning, illogical, and creates mischief in making people think they may procrastinate their repentance, but in course of time they will reach exaltation in celestial glory.
Kingdoms Progress in Different Directions. Now let us see how faulty this reasoning is. If in time those who enter the telestial glory may progress till they reach the stage in which the celestial is in now--then they are in celestial glory, are they not, even if the celestial has advanced? That being the case (I state this for the argument only, for it is not true), then they partake of all the blessings which are now celestial. That means that they become gods, have exaltation, gain the fulness of the Father, and receive a continuation of the "seeds forever." The Lord, however, has said that these blessings, which are celestial blessings, they may never have; they are barred forever!
The celestial and terrestrial and telestial glories, I have heard compared to the wheels on a train. The second and third may, and will, reach the place where the first was, but the first will have moved on and will still be just the same distance in advance of them. This illustration is not true! The wheels do not run on the same track, and do not go in the same direction. The terrestrial and the telestial are limited in their powers of advancement, worlds without end.
Limitation on Celestial Progression. In section 131, the Lord has said, through the Prophet Joseph Smith: "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.] So, we see, even in the celestial, some are barred and cannot go on to exaltation.
Further light is thrown on this in section 132: "For these angels did not abide my law; therefore, they cannot be enlarged, but remain separately and singly, without exaltation, in their saved condition, to all eternity; and from henceforth are not gods, but are angels of God forever and ever." [D&C 132:17.] These angels, spoken of here, include those who enter the celestial kingdom but do not gain the highest glory in that kingdom.
In this same section the Lord says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my law ye cannot attain to this glory. For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me. But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also.
"This is eternal lives-to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law. Broad is the gate, and wide the way that leadeth to the deaths; and many there are that go in thereat, because they receive me not, neither do they abide in my law." [D&C 132:21-25.]
Now, if a man is deprived of the "continuation of the lives" for ever-and not to have these blessings is referred to as leading to the deaths, or the lack of the continuation of the lives, or increase-then he cannot "worlds without end" reach the celestial glory; for the celestial glory is "the continuation of the lives" or increase eternally; it is to be gods, even the sons of God.
Differences in Kind of Resurrected Bodies. In section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants, we are taught that there is a difference in the kinds of resurrection. Some will be raised with celestial bodies; some with terrestrial bodies, and some with telestial bodies; and yet others will be raised with bodies without any qualification or power of glory, and these will be sons of perdition. Read verses 17-33. Paul bears witness of this in [1 Cor 15:35-41.]
"The Vision" -- Joseph Smith's poetic rendition of parts of D&C 76.
And I heard a great voice, bearing record from heav'n,
He's the Saviour, and only begotten of God--
By him, of him, and through him, the worlds were all made,
Even all that career in the heavens so broad,Whose inhabitants, too, from the first to the last,
Are sav'd by the very same Saviour of ours;
And, of course, are begotten God's daughter and sons,
By the very same truths, and the very same pow'rs.As the stars are all different in lustre and size,
So the telestial region, is mingled in bliss;
From the least to the greatest, and greatest to least,
The reward is exactly as promis'd in this.These are they that came out for Apollos and Paul;
For Cephas and Jesus, in all kinds of hope;
For Enoch and Moses, and Peter, and John;
For Luther and Calvin, and even the Pope.For they never received the gospel of Christ,
Nor the prophetic spirit that came from the Lord;
Nor the covenant neither, which Jacob once had;
They went their own way, and they have their reward.
Commit Suicide to get to the telestial kingdom?
Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 14:228-229. It is not wisdom for us to understand the future, unless upon certain principles. Those principles are divine, and when we understand the future and eternity upon divine and holy principles, we are satisfied with our own existence, for we understand the object of it.
But take the human family, the great mass of human beings who swarm in creation, and convince them that their state would be better when the step from this to the next world, and let them have no knowledge beyond this, and the crime of self-destruction [suicide], which has been mentioned here today, would be far more prevalent than it is now, especially among the wicked.
How many there are who say, "I wish I was better off, for I am in a sad condition!" Is this the case with most of the human family? It is, and the majority say in their hearts, if not with tongues, "I wish I was in different circum-stances; I am poor, I am afflicted, I am sorrowful, I am without friends and home, am here on the earth like a lost one and know not what to do"; and make them understand that their condition would be so much better when they pass the veil, and many of them would be guilty of self-destruction [suicide]. The Lord has, therefore, wisely hidden the future from our view.
Can other degrees of glory be visited?
Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:5-6. Higher Kingdoms Minister to Lower. Yet, through his abundant mercy, the Lord will do for all the best that can be done, and therefore he will give to all a place somewhere-if not within the gates of the Holy City, then it must be on the outside-where those who are not entitled to the fulness of blessings may be ministered to by those who have greater glory. For we read also here in this vision, where the glories are spoken of, that those who dwell in the celestial kingdom shall minister unto those of the terrestrial kingdom; those in the terrestrial kingdom shall minister to those of the telestial kingdom.
The Son may go to the terrestrial, but they who enter into that kingdom shall not receive the fulness of the Father; they will not see the greatness of his glory. He withholds that from them. They never come back again into the fulness of his presence. Those who enter into the telestial kingdom will not receive the fulness of the Father or of the Son. They will not visit there but will send messengers to visit the inhabitants of that glory and instruct them.
Those in the terrestrial kingdom shall visit those in the telestial kingdom, and those of the celestial shall visit those in the terrestrial kingdom. Where the Father is these cannot come, for the Lord has said: "Where God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end." [D&C 76:112.] Yet in this very same section it is written that notwithstanding this fact, so great shall be the blessings that come to those who enter there that it is beyond our comprehension. Such is the great mercy of the Lord. He will endeavor to save all his children and exalt as many as he possibly can.
Melvin J. Ballard, "The Three Degrees of Glory," (Excerpts from sermon delivered in the Ogden Tabernacle, Ogden, Utah, on September 22, 1922); N. B. Lundwall, comp., The Vision (SLC: Bookcraft Publishing Co., n.d.), 50. We must not overlook the fact that those who attain to the higher glories may minister unto and visit and associate with those of the lesser kingdoms. While the lesser may not come up, they may still enjoy the companionship of their loved ones who are in higher stations. Also we must not forget that even the least degree of glory, as the Lord has expressed it, is beyond all our present understanding. So that they are in the presence of glorious conditions, even though they attain unto the least place, and we must not forget either that these are our Father's sons and daughters, and he has other sons and daughters who do not even attain unto the Telestial Kingdom. They are sons of perdition out with the devil and his angels and though the Father has grieved over them, He still has not the power to rescue and save them because He gave them free agency and they used that in such a manner that they have shut themselves out from His presence. But He is justified. He has performed His full duty by them and that is the condition which we ought to be in to feel justified, though we may be so unfortunate as to have some of our own children in the lesser kingdoms, if we have done our full duty by them, we may be sad at the thought of their not being with us, but we will not have the sting or remorse of conscience. If we have failed, however, to do our duty, then naturally we feel to regret their situation and censure ourselves in part for the same.