Teachings
Concerning
The Telestial Glory
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Version
D&C 76
81
And again, we saw the glory of the telestial, which
glory is that of the lesser, even as the glory of the stars differs
from
that of the glory of the moon in the firmament.
82
These are they who received not the gospel of Christ,
neither the testimony of Jesus.
83
These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit.
84
These are they who are thrust down to hell.
85
These are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil
until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb,
shall
have finished his work.
86
These are they who receive not of his fulness in the
eternal world, but of the Holy Spirit through the ministration of the
terrestrial;
87
And the terrestrial through the ministration of the
celestial.
88
And also the telestial receive it of the administering
of angels who are appointed to minister for them, or who are appointed
to be ministering spirits for them; for they shall be heirs of
salvation.
89
And thus we saw, in the heavenly vision, the glory
of the telestial, which surpasses all understanding;
90
And no man knows it except him to whom God has revealed
it.
98
And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the
glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in
glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world;
99
For these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos,
and of Cephas.
100
These are they who say they are some of one and some
of another--some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses, and
some
of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch;
101
But received not the gospel, neither the testimony
of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant.
102
Last of all, these all are they who will not be gathered
with the saints, to be caught up unto the church of the Firstborn, and
received into the cloud.
103
These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers,
and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.
104
These are they who suffer the wrath of God on earth.
105
These are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal
fire.
106
These are they who are cast down to hell and suffer
the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times, when Christ
shall
have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his
work;
107
When he shall deliver up the kingdom, and present
it unto the Father, spotless, saying: I have overcome and have trodden
the wine-press alone, even the wine-press of the fierceness of the
wrath
of Almighty God.
108
Then shall he be crowned with the crown of his glory,
to sit on the throne of his power to reign forever and ever.
109
But behold, and lo, we saw the glory and the inhabitants
of the telestial world, that they were as innumerable as the stars in
the
firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore;
110
And heard the voice of the Lord saying: These all
shall bow the knee, and every tongue shall confess to him who sits upon
the throne forever and ever;
111
For they shall be judged according to their works,
and every man shall receive according to his own works, his own
dominion,
in the mansions which are prepared;
112 And they shall be servants of the Most High; but
where
God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end.
From The
Poetic Version
Joseph Smith
58.
Again I beheld the telestial, as third,
The lesser, or starry world, next in its place,
For the leaven must leaven three measures of meal,
And very knee bow that is subject to grace.
59.
These are they that receiv'd not the gospel of Christ,
Or evidence, either, that he ever was;
As the stars are all diff'rent in glory and light,
So differs the glory of these by the laws.
60.
These are they that deny not the spirit of God,
But are thrust down to hell, with the devil, for
sins,
As hypocrites, liars, whoremongers, and thieves,
And stay 'till the last resurrection begins.
61.
'Till the Lamb shall have finish'd the work he begun;
Shall have trodden the wine press, in fury alone,
And overcome all by the pow'r of his might:
He conquers to conquer, and save all his own.
62.
These are they that receive not a fulness of light,
From Christ, in eternity's world, where they are,
The terrestrial sends them the Comforter, though;
And minist'ring angels, to happify there.
63.
And so the telestial is minister'd to,
By ministers from the terrestrial one,
As terrestrial is, from the celestial throne;
And the great, greater, greatest, seem's stars,
moon,
and sun.
64.
And thus I beheld, in the vision of heav'n,
The telestial glory, dominion and bliss,
Surpassing the great understanding of men, --
Unknown, save reveal'd, in a world vain as this.
69.
As the stars are all different in lustre and size,
So the telestial region, is mingled in bliss;
From least unto greatest, and greatest to least,
The reward is exactly as promis'd in this.
70.
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.
71.
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.
72.
By the order of God, last of all, these are they,
That will not be gathered with saints here below,
To be caught up to Jesus, and meet in the cloud: --
In darkness they worshipp'd; to darkness they go.
73.
These are they that are sinful, the wicked at large,
That glutted their passion by meanness or worth;
All liars, adulterers, sorc'rers, and proud;
And suffer, as promis'd, God's wrath on the earth.
74.
These are they that must suffer the vengeance of hell,
'Till Christ shall have trodden all enemies down,
And perfected his work, in the fulness of times:
And is crown'd on his throne with his glorious
crown.
75.
The vast multitude of the telestial world --
As the stars of the skies, or the sands of the
sea; --
The voice of Jehovah echo'd far and wide,
Ev'ry tongue shall confess, and they all bow the
knee.
76. Ev'ry man shall be judg'd by the works of his life,
And receive a reward
in the mansions prepar'd;
For his judgments are
just, and his works never end,
As his prophets and
servants have always declar'd.
[Times
and Seasons 4:82-85]
Telestial Salvation
Joseph
Fielding Smith
Those
who enter into the telestial kingdom, where their
glories differ as do the stars of heaven in their magnitude, and who
are
innumerable as the sands of the seashore, are the ungodly, the filthy
who
suffer the wrath of God on the earth, who are thrust down to hell where
they will be required to pay the uttermost farthing before their
redemption
comes. These are they who receive not the gospel of Christ and
consequently
could not deny the Holy Spirit while living on the earth.
They
have no part in the first resurrection and are not
redeemed from the devil and his angels until the last resurrection,
because
of their wicked lives and their evil deeds. Nevertheless, even these
are
heirs of salvation, but before they are redeemed and enter into their
kingdom,
they must repent of their sins, and receive the gospel, and bow the
knee,
and acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world.
In both the terrestrial and the telestial glories the
inhabitants thereof will be limited in their powers, opportunities, and
progression, because, like the sons of perdition, "they were not
willing
to enjoy that which they might have received" (D&C 88:32). [Doctrines
of Salvation, 2:22]
Telestial for Those Who Live
After the Manner of the
World
Spencer W.
Kimball
Those who have lived after the manner of the world
shall
go to a telestial kingdom whose glory is as the stars. (The
Teachings
of Spencer W. Kimball, p.48)
Joseph
Fielding Smith
In passing it is only necessary to say, that in the
telestial
will go all those who have not been true; those who have professed and
who have not performed (D.C. 41:1), the liars, sorcerers, adulterers,
and
all who refuse to walk in ways of truth. (The Way to Perfection,
pp.205-206)
Liars, Adulterers, etc.
D&C 76:103
Joseph
Fielding Smith
Into this kingdom will go all of those who have been
unclean
in their lives. See verses 98 to 112 in Section 76. These people who
enter
there will be the unclean; the liars, sorcerers, adulterers, and those
who have broken their covenants. These people who enter there will be
the
unclean; the liars, sorcerers, adulterers, and those who have broken
their
covenants. Of these the Lord says: "These are they who are cast down to
hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times,
when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall
have
perfected his work" (D. & C. 76:106). Yet these, after they have
been
punished for their sins and having been turned over to the torments of
Satan, shall eventually come forth, after the millennium, to receive
the
telestial kingdom." (Answers to Gospel Questions, 2: 209.)
Neal A.
Maxwell
Selfishness is actually the detonator of all the
cardinal
sins. It is the hammer for the breaking of the Ten Commandments,
whether
by neglecting parents, the Sabbath, or by inducing false witness,
murder,
and envy. No wonder the selfish individual is often willing to break a
covenant in order to fix an appetite. No wonder those who will later
comprise
the telestial kingdom, after they have paid a price, were once
unrepentant
adulterers, whoremongers, and those who both loved and made lies.
("Repent
of [Our] Selfishness" (D&C 56:8)," Ensign, May 1999, p. 24)
Murderers Go To
the Telestial Kingdom
Bruce R.
McConkie
When the Lord paraphrases the language of Rev. 21:8 in
latter-day revelation (D. & C. 63:17-18 and 76:103-106) he omits
murderers
from the list of evil persons. Their inclusion here by John, however,
coupled
with the fact that only those who deny the truth after receiving a
perfect
knowledge of it shall become sons of perdition, is a clear indication
that
murderers shall eventually go to the telestial kingdom, unless of
course
there are some among those destined to be sons of perdition who are
also
murderers. (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3: 585)
Who Are Thrust Down to Hell
D&C 76:84
Joseph
Fielding Smith
- Those who enter into the
telestial kingdom,
where their glories
differ as do the stars of heaven in their magnitude, and who are
innumerable
as the sands of the seashore, are the ungodly, the filthy who suffer
the
wrath of God on the earth, who are thrust down to hell where they will
be required to pay the uttermost farthing before their redemption
comes.
These are they who receive not the gospel of Christ and consequently
could
not deny the Holy Spirit while living on the earth. (Doctrines of
Salvation,
2:22)
- All who have been filthy and who would
not receive the truth
and have not had the testimony of Jesus Christ, must suffer the
torments
of the damned until they are purged from their iniquity, for the blood
of Jesus Christ will not cleanse them from their sins without their own
individual suffering.Nevertheless they
shall come out of the prison eventually. These are the rest of the
dead,
spoken of by John, who do not live during the millennial reign, but
afterwards;
and these are assigned to a kingdom known as the telestial kingdom, and
they are denied the privilege of dwelling with the Father and the Son,
"worlds without end." The Lord will do for them the best he can under
the
circumstances, but since they have denied his power and have dwelt in
iniquity,
they cannot receive the blessings of the kingdom of God. [Doctrines
of Salvation, 2:22-23]
- These do not live during the millennial
reign, but during
that time are spending their time in torment, or anguish of soul,
because
of their transgressions. Christ has said that he suffered for all who
will
repent, but his wrath is kindled against all who will not repent, and
they
must suffer, "how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you
know
not. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they
might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent
they
must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the
greatest
of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to
suffer both body and spirit."
This suffering will
be a means of cleansing, or purifying, and through it the wicked shall
be brought to a condition whereby they may, through the redemption of
Jesus
Christ, obtain immortality. Their spirits and bodies shall be again
united,
and they shall dwell in the telestial kingdom. But this resurrection
will
not come until the end of the world. (Doctrines of Salvation,
2:298)
Glory of
Telestial Kingdom
Surpasses All Understanding
D&C 76:89
Bruce R.
McConkie
That glory granted the inhabitants of the lowest
kingdom
of glory is called telestial glory. In the infinite mercy of a
beneficent
Father it surpasses all mortal understanding, and yet it is in no way
comparable
to the glory of the terrestrial and celestial worlds. Telestial glory
is
typified by the stars of the firmament, and "as one star differs from
another
star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the
telestial
world" (D. & C. 76:81-112; 1 Cor. 15:41), meaning that all who
inherit
the telestial kingdom will not receive the same glory. (Mormon
Doctrine,
p.778)
John A.
Widtsoe
These kingdoms, though very different, are filled with
the children of God the Father. Though those of the lower kingdom have
not shown themselves worthy of the fulness of salvation, yet the love
of
the Father envelops them. Even the glory of the lowest, the telestial,
"surpasses all understanding." (Evidences and Reconciliations,
p.199)
Neal A.
Maxwell
- Each post-resurrection
kingdom is a kingdom of
glory that
is far better than this world we now know. Even "the glory of the
telestial"
will surpass "all understanding" (D&C 76:89). (If Thou Endure It
Well, p. 129).
- God thus takes into
merciful account not only
our desires
and our performance, but also the degrees of difficulty which our
varied
circumstances impose upon us. No wonder we will not complain at the
final
judgment, especially since even the telestial kingdom's glory
"surpasses
all understanding" (D&C 76:89). God delights in blessing us,
especially
when we realize "joy in that which [we] have desired" (D&C 7:8).
["According
to the Desire of [Our] Hearts," Ensign, Nov. 1996, p. 21]
Dallin H. Oaks
The lowest degree is the telestial domain of those who
"received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the
prophets"
(D&C 76:101) and who have had to suffer for their wickedness. But
even
this degree has a glory that "surpasses all understanding" (D&C
76:89).
Its occupants receive the Holy Spirit and the administering of angels,
for even those who have been wicked will ultimately be "heirs of [this
degree of] salvation" (D&C 76:88). ["Apostasy and Restoration," Ensign,
May 1995, p. 86]
Apocryphal
Statement:
If You Knew How Great the Telestial Kingdom is
You Would Kill Yourself to Get There
[An
often-repeated story associated with the telestial kingdom deals with
something Joseph Smith was purported to have said: "The telestial
kingdom is so great, if we knew what it was like we would kill
ourselves to get there." Wilford Woodruff recounted a comment by
the Prophet that may be the basis of that apocraphal story.
According to Charles Lowell Walker, Wilford Woodruff "refered to a
saying of Joseph Smith, which he heard him utter (like this) That if
the People knew what was behind the vail, they would try by every means
to commit suicide that they might get there, but the Lord in his wisdom
had implanted the fear of death in every person that they might cling
to life and thus accomplish the designs of their creator." --
From Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, "Eternity Sketch'd in a Vision," The Heavens Are Open (1992 Sperry
Sympsoium, Deseret Book, 1993), p. 155.]
Several Kingdoms Within the Telestial
D&C 76:98
D&C
76:98
And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the
glory
of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in
glory,
even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world;
Poetic
Version
69. As the stars are all different in lustre and size,
So the telestial
region, is mingled in bliss;
From least unto
greatest, and greatest to least,
The reward is
exactly as promis'd in this.
Brigham
Young
The glory of the telestial world no man knows, except
he partakes of it; and yet, in that world they differ in glory as the
stars
in the firmament differ one from the other. The terrestrial glory is
greater
still, and the celestial is the greatest of all; that is the glory of
God
the Father, where our Lord Jesus Christ reigns. (Journal of
Discourses,
6:293).
James E.
Talmage
- The three kingdoms of
widely differing glories
are organized
on an orderly plan of gradation. We have seen that the telestial
kingdom
comprises several subdivisions; this also is the case, we are told,
with
the celestial; and, by analogy, we conclude that a similar condition
prevails
in the terrestrial. Thus the innumerable degrees of merit amongst
mankind
are provided for in an infinity of graded glories. (The House of the
Lord, p.83)
- In the telestial world
there are innumerable
degrees comparable
to the varying light of the stars. Yet all who receive of any one of
these
orders of glory are at last saved, and upon them Satan will finally
have
no claim. Even the telestial glory "surpasses all understanding; And no
man knows it except him to whom God has revealed it." Then there are
those
who have lost all claim upon the immediate mercy of God, whose deeds
have
numbered them with Perdition and his angels. (Articles of Faith,
Ch.4, p.92 - p.93)
For
these are they who are
of Paul, and of Apollos
D&C 76:99-100
Joseph Smith
70.
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.
71. 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.
[Times and Seasons 4:82-85]
Bruce R.
McConkie
- Of those who suppose, in
all sincerity, that
they are following
the course prescribed by Moses or any of the spiritual giants who went
before, our revelation, identifying those who shall inherit the
telestial
kingdom, says: "These are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of
Cephas. These are they who say they are some of one and some of another
-- some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses, and some of
Elias,
and some of Esaias,
and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch; But received
the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the testimony of
Jesus,
neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant." (D&C
66:99-101.)
[The Mortal Messiah, Vol.1, FOOTNOTES, p.264]
- And those who believe in
Christ and in such of
his gospel
as is taught in the churches of the world, and who themselves continue
as a consequence to live after the manner of the world, shall go to a
telestial
kingdom. "For these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of
Cephas,
the revealed word testifies. "These are they who say they are some of
one
and some of another -- some of Christ and some of John, and some of
Moses,
and some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of
Enoch; but [who] received not the gospel, neither the testimony of
Jesus,
neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant." (D&C
76:98-101.)
[ A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.24]
- Perfect unity is a goal
the Church is still
seeking. There
are today Word of Wisdom faddists who will not use white flour or
refined
sugar; there are so-called liberals who think the problems of religion
can be solved by dialogues and discussions without reference to
revelation;
there are others who maintain the Church should follow the world's
course
of social progress; there are those who try and harmonize the
evolutionary
concepts of the day with the revealed account of the fall and
atonement;
and there are others who profess to believe that full salvation is
reserved
for those who practice plural marriage, and so on. In other words,
there
are some of one philosophy and some of another, some follow the
advocates
of this cultish view and some of that. How apt it is that the Lord
chose
to paraphrase Paul's language concerning divisive groups in the Church,
when he spoke of those who shall be thrust down to hell, and who after
their sufferings shall come forth to receive a telestial inheritance.
"These
are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas. These are they
who say they are some of one and some of another -- some of Christ and
some of John, and some of Moses, and some of Elias, and some of Esaias,
and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch; But received not the gospel,
neither
the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting
covenant."
(Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.2, p.313)
James E.
Talmage
- We learn further that the
inhabitants of this
kingdom are
to be graded among themselves, comprising as they do the unenlightened
among the varied opposing sects and divisions of men, and sinners of
many
types, whose offenses are not those of utter perdition: "For as one
star
differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in
glory in the telestial world; for these are they who are of Paul, and
of
Apollos, and of Cephas. These are they who say they are some of one and
some of another -- some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses,
and some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of
Enoch; but received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus,
neither
the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant." (The House of the
Lord,
p.82)
- The telestial state is for
those who have
failed to live
according to the light given them; those who have had to suffer the
results
of their sins; those who have been of Moses, of Paul, of Apollos, and
of
any one of a multitude of others, but not of the Christ. (The Story
and Philosophy of "Mormonism", p.132)
- We learn further that the
inhabitants of this
kingdom are
to be graded among themselves, comprising as they do the unenlightened
among the varied opposing sects and divisions of men, and sinners of
many
types, whose offenses are not those of utter perdition: "For as one
star
differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in
glory in the telestial world; For these are they who are of Paul, and
of
Apollos, and of Cephas. These are they who say they are some of one and
some of another -- some of Christ, and some of John, and some of Moses,
and some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of
Enoch; But received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus,
neither
the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant." (Articles of Faith,
pp.407 - 408)
Telestial
Inhabitants as Innumerable
as the Stars
in Heaven
D&C 76:109
James E.
Talmage
Evidently a considerable part of the human family will
fail of all glory beyond that of the telestial kingdom, for we are
told:
"But behold, and lo, we saw the glory and the inhabitants of the
telestial
world, that they were as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of
heaven,
or as the sand upon the seashore." They are thus not wholly rejected;
their
every merit will be respected. "For they shall be judged according to
their
works, and every man shall receive according to his own works, his own
dominion, in the mansions which are prepared; And they shall be
servants
of the Most High, but where God and Christ dwell they cannot come,
worlds
without end." (Articles of Faith, p. 408)
Every Knee Shall Bow and Tongue Confess
D&C 76:110
Joseph
Fielding Smith
- I want to call attention
to something that is
stated frequently
in the scriptures, and I think very often misunderstood, and that is
the
statement that, "every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess."
I wonder how many of us have an idea that if a knee bows and a tongue
confesses,
that is a sign of forgiveness of sin and freedom from sin, and that the
candidate is prepared for exaltation? If you do, you make a mistake. It
does not mean that at all.
The time will
come when
"every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess," and yet the
vast
majority of mankind will go into the telestial kingdom eternally. Let
me
read these verses: "The time shall come when all shall see the
salvation
of the Lord; when every nation, kindred, tongue, and people shall see
eye
to eye and shall confess before God that his judgments are just."
It is a wonderful
thing
when men reach the stage when they will be willing to confess that the
judgments against them are just, and they will bow the knee and will
understand
"eye to eye." But see what this prophet says further: "And then shall
the
wicked be cast out, and they shall have cause to howl, and weep, and
wail,
and gnash their teeth; and this because they would not hearken unto the
voice of the Lord; therefore the Lord redeemeth them not." And yet they
confess.
"For they are
carnal and
devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent
that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall;
which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish,
knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil.
"Thus all mankind were lost; and behold, they
would have
been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people from their
lost and fallen state" (Mosiah 16:1-4).
So do not get an
idea
that because they bow the knee and confess with the tongue, or as it
reads
in the other scriptures, see eye to eye, that this is going to exalt
them
in the celestial kingdom of God, because they are going to be judged
according
to their works and receive their dominion according to the plan that
has
been appointed and prepared according to the justice, and tempered by
the
mercy, of the Lord. (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:30-31)
- The time will come when "every
knee shall bow to me, and
every tongue shall confess to God," that Jesus is the Christ,4 and all
who are worthy of a place in any of the kingdoms of glory will have to
learn to be obedient to the divine laws by which they will be governed.
All who refuse will have to go with the devil and his angels into
perdition.
This group will be composed of those who have known the light and have
had a testimony of the truth and who have sinned against the light
beyond
the power of repentance. (Answers to Gospel Questions, 1:77)
Brigham Young
- I most assuredly expect
that the time will
come when every
tongue shall confess, and every knee shall bow to the Savior, though
the
people may believe what they will with regard to religion. (Discourses
of Brigham Young, p.112)
- When all nations are so
subdued to Jesus that
every knee
shall bow and every tongue shall confess, there will still be millions
on the earth who will not believe in him; but they will be obliged to
acknowledge
his kingly government. (Discourses of Brigham Young, p.115)
Telestial
Resurrection Comes at the End Millennium
D&C 76:85
D&C 88
100
And again, another trump shall sound, which is the
third trump; and then come the spirits of men who are to be judged, and
are found under condemnation;
101 And these are the rest of the dead; and they live
not again until the thousand years are ended, neither again, until the
end of the earth.
Joseph
Fielding Smith
Will the earth go back to the telestial order after the
millennium? No, but the people on the face of the earth, many of them,
will be like the Nephites who lived 200 years after the coming of
Christ.
They will rebel against the Lord knowingly, and the great last struggle
will come, and the devil and his forces will be defeated; then the
earth
will die and receive its resurrection and become a celestial body. The
resurrection of the wicked will take place as one of the last events
before
the earth dies. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:87)
Bruce R.
McConkie
When the Lord comes, those who died in him and who were
true and faithful in the gospel cause, who took the Holy Spirit for
their
guide, and who were sanctified by obedience to celestial law -- all
these
shall rise from the grave with celestial bodies. These bodies qualify
for
celestial glory found only in a celestial kingdom. They are Christ's,
the
firstfruits. Theirs is an inheritance of glory everlasting. After the
Second
Coming, those who lived a terrestrial law shall be called forth; their
glory and kingdom shall be terrestrial. Then after the Millennium the
residue
of men, including those who lived a telestial law, will conte forth.
Those
who have lived a telestial law shall gain telestial bodies and shall
merit
and gain a telestial glory found in a telestial kingdom. The sons of
perdition,
after their resurrection, will be cast out eternally with the devil and
his angels. (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, pp.
651-652)
Suicide and the Telestial Kingdom
M. Russell
Ballard
The
act of taking one's life is truly a tragedy because
this single act leaves so many victims: first the one who dies, then
the
dozens of others--family and friends--who are left behind, some to face
years of deep pain and confusion. The living victims struggle, often
desperately,
with difficult emotions. In addition to the feelings of grief, anger,
guilt,
and rejection which the victims of such a family feel, Latter-day
Saints
carry an additional burden. The purpose of our mortal lives, we know,
is
to prove ourselves, to eventually return to live in the celestial
kingdom.
One who commits suicide closes the door on all that, some have thought,
consigning himself to the telestial kingdom.
Or
does he? What is the truth regarding suicide?
The
prophets have taught us some important principles
about suicide, but it is possible that many of us have misunderstood.
Let's
review some of the fundamental teachings of the prophets on this matter.
First,
President George Q. Cannon of the First Presidency
made a clear statement about the seriousness of suicide when he said:
"Man
did not create himself. He did not furnish his spirit with a human
dwelling
place. It is God who created man, both body and spirit. Man has no
right,
therefore, to destroy that which he had no agency in creating. They who
do so are guilty of murder, self-murder it is true; but they are no
more
justified in killing themselves than they are in killing others. What
difference
of punishment there is for the two crimes, I do not know; but it is
clear
that no one can destroy so precious a gift as that of life without
incurring
a severe penalty." (Gospel Truth, 2 vols., Salt Lake City:
Zion's
Book Store, 1957, 1:30; italics added.)
President
Spencer W. Kimball made an equally strong statement
in 1976. "It is a terrible criminal act for a person to go out and
shorten
his life by suicide," he said. (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball,
ed. Edward L. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982, p. 187.)
Those
statements on their own might seem to leave no room
for hope. However, although they stress the seriousness of suicide, the
statements do not mention the final destination of those who take their
own lives.
The
late Elder Bruce R. McConkie, formerly of the Quorum
of the Twelve, expressed what many Church leaders have taught: "Suicide
consists in the voluntary and intentional taking of one's own life,
particularly
where the person involved is accountable and has a sound mind. …
Persons
subject to great stresses may lose control of themselves and become
mentally
clouded to the point that they are no longer accountable for their
acts.
Such are not to be condemned for taking their own lives. It should also
be remembered that judgment is the Lord's; he knows the thoughts,
intents,
and abilities of men; and he in his infinite wisdom will make all
things
right in due course." (Mormon Doctrine, Salt Lake City:
Bookcraft,
1966, p. 771; some italics added.)
Not
long ago I was asked to speak at the funeral of a
dear friend who had committed suicide. Knowing the person and the
circumstances
as I did, and researching the doctrine on the subject, I had some
difficult
moments in preparing for my remarks. I know that any fully rational
person
who contemplates suicide must realize what a terribly selfish act this
is. Peace came to me only when I recognized that only the Lord could
administer
fair judgment. He alone had all the facts, and only He would know the
intent
of the heart of my friend. I was reconciled with the idea that a
lifetime
of goodness and service to others must surely be considered by the Lord
in judging the life of a person. In the Lord's mercy, perhaps the words
of Alma will apply:
"The
plan of restoration is requisite with the justice
of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their
proper order. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power
and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to
its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself.
"And
it is requisite with the justice of God that men
should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good
in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they
should
also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good." (Alma
41:2-3.)
I
feel that judgment for sin is not always as cut-and-dried
as some of us seem to think. The Lord said, "Thou shalt not kill." Does
that mean that every [page 8] person who kills will be condemned, no
matter
the circumstances? Civil law recognizes that there are gradations in
this
matter--from accidental manslaughter to self-defense to first-degree
murder.
I feel that the Lord also recognizes differences in intent and
circumstances:
Was the person who took his life mentally ill? Was he or she so deeply
depressed as to be unbalanced or otherwise emotionally disturbed? Was
the
suicide a tragic, pitiful call for help that went unheeded too long or
progressed faster than the victim intended? Did he or she somehow not
understand
the seriousness of the act? Was he or she suffering from a chemical
imbalance
that led to despair and a loss of self-control?
Obviously,
we do not know the full circumstances surrounding
every suicide. Only the Lord knows all the details, and he it is who
will
judge our actions here on earth.
When
he does judge us, I feel he will take all things
into consideration: our genetic and chemical makeup, our mental state,
our intellectual capacity, the teachings we have received, the
traditions
of our fathers, our health, and so forth.
We
learn in the scriptures that the blood of Christ will
atone for the sins of men "who have died not knowing the will of God
concerning
them, or who have ignorantly sinned." (Mosiah 3:11.)
Thus,
a person who has never heard of the Word of Wisdom,
for example, and who becomes an alcoholic will be judged differently
from
one who knows the Word of Wisdom, and understands it, and then chooses
the course that leads to alcoholism.
President
Kimball's The Miracle of Forgiveness gives us
insight into the accountability of some who commit suicide. "A minister
acquaintance of mine, whom I knew rather well, was found by his wife
hanging
in the attic from the rafters," President Kimball wrote. "His thoughts
had taken his life. He had become morose and despondent for two or more
years. Certainly he had not come to suicide in a moment, for he had
been
a happy, pleasant person as I had known him. It must have been a long
decline,
ever steeper, controllable by him at first and perhaps out of hand as
he
neared the end of the trail. No one in his 'right mind,' and especially
if he has an understanding of the gospel, will permit himself to arrive
at this 'point of no return.' " (The Miracle of Forgiveness,
Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969, p. 106; italics added.)
Thankfully,
the Prophet Joseph Smith taught this enlightening
doctrine:
"While
one portion of the human race is judging and condemning
the other without mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon
the
whole of the human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard. …
He
is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the
narrow,
contracted notions of men, but, 'according to the deeds done in the
body
whether they be good or evil,' or whether these deeds were done in
England,
America, Spain, Turkey, or India. … We need not doubt the wisdom and
intelligence
of the Great Jehovah; He will award judgment or mercy to all nations
according
to their several deserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the
laws
by which they are governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining
correct
information, and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human
family;
and when the designs of God shall be made manifest, and the curtain of
futurity be withdrawn, we shall all of us eventually have to confess
that
the Judge of all the earth has done right." (Teachings of the
Prophet
Joseph Smith, ed. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book
Co., 1938, p. 218.)
I
draw an important conclusion from the words of the Prophet:
Suicide is a sin--a very grievous one, yet the Lord will not judge the
person who commits that sin strictly by the act itself. The Lord will
look
at that person's circumstances and the degree of his accountability at
the time of the act. Of course, this gives us no reason to excuse
ourselves
in committing sins, nor will the Lord excuse us, if I understand
correctly.
We must constantly strive to do our best in emulating the Savior in
every
aspect of our lives. At the same time, however, let us remember that
spiritual
growth comes "line upon line," that the key--in the spirit world as
well
as in mortality--is to keep progressing along the right path. (
"Suicide:
Some Things We Know, and Some We Do Not," Ensign, Oct. 1987,
pp.7-8)