Name: Gordon
Comments: Question: Is there eternal progression in all of Heavenly Father's kingdoms (Celestial, Terrestial, Telestial)? And if there isn't, why does Heavenly Father appoint ministers to the two lower kingdoms of glory to instruct the inhabitants of each one after the final judgment has already assigned each person to his or her respective kingdom for all eternity? For what purpose is the gospel still being taught, etc. If individuals in the lower kingdoms cannot achieve a greater station or reward in the exercise of their faith. And, if Satan is not allowed to dwell in the eternities in a kingdom of glory, how then does the agency of man come into play in demonstrating an individual's on-going repentance and obedience to the higher laws of exaltation. What is the purpose for sending ministrates or angels from one kingdom to another if there is no eternal progression after the final judgment?
Source 1: D & C 76:86-88
Name: Gordon
Comments: When has Heavenly Father ever sent angels or his representatives to just visit or observe without having the intent of providing on-going instruction to the ones he's visiting? How can the Telestial or Terrestial kingdoms be considered a kingdom of glory if there is nothing to strive for any more, no new doors to be opened...only the status quo for all eternity?
Name: Gordon
Comments: When talking about an endless or eternal judgment, are we not referring to the judgment of God, and not necessarily that the length of time of the judgment itself is endless or eternal?
I believe it is true that each of us will seek to be assigned to a place (kingdom) in the eternities where we will feel the most comfortable at first. However, I also feel that after a period of time in our so called "comfort zone Kingdom" we will begin to realize the limitations of that kingdom, and have the desire to explore the uncharted territory of the next higher kingdom of glory because of the divine birthright as children of God that will continue to burn within us.
To be confined in a room (kingdom) no matter how nice it is with all of the amenities at your finger tips, after awhile gets boring. I believe that as children of God, he has implanted within us His spirit so that eventually all of his children, who don't rebell against the Holy Ghost, will want to strive for their perfection in all of its manifest forms.
I believe with faith and the help of the Holy Ghost, residents in the Telestial Kingdom will be able to experience the blessings of the Terrestial Kingdom, and with faith and the help of Jesus Christ, residents in the Terrestial Kingdom will be able to experience the blessings of the Celestial Kingdom, while residents in the Celestial Kingdom will experience with faith and the help of Heavenly Father a new round of creation for themselves.
I think our God is a God of unconditional love and seeks to elevate all of His children throughout eternity to their highest station of responsibility and freedom which comes with that responsibility for which they seek.
Damning ourselves out of ignorance I believe will be overcome, but damning ourselves by rebelling against the promptings of the Holy Ghost will throw away all the keys that can open future doors for us in eternity for our (priesthood) progression.
Source 1: D & C 19:10-12
Name: Gordon
Comments: The question is: Is it possible to advance from a lower kingdom to a higher kingdom?
Our church teaches us that little children that die before the age of accountability will enter the Celestial Kingdom. Yet, what tests have these spirit beings been subjected to that test their agency in response to good and evil choices? Doesn't it seem unfair, that one child comes to earth and is quickly snatched up to heaven before being accountable for his actions, while the other child lives on this earth as an adult and yields to evil choices that he has been subjected to?
If the one child who dies before the age of accountability can be taught the Plan of Salvation without demonstrating "agency" or physical obedience to the Laws of God in the next life and progress, why can't the child who lived a life as a sinful adult be taught and progress as well?
If indeed we are all the off spring of God, our Heavenly Father, who wants to endow us with his divine character as well as his body; cannot God establish new parameters unknown to us, to continue the refinement of our character in each of the lower kingdoms and still be just and fair to all of his children?
Which one of us, seeing a brother or sister suffering in a lower kingdom wouldn't want to reach out and try to uplift his or her spirit?
And if God doesn't think it robbery to make us equal to Him, why should we think it is impossible for God to make a life long sinner equal to those that have already been saved?
Wickedness was never happiness. I believe that God created all of us with the desire to be happy. It is this quest for happiness which I believe that has been born within us, that will eventually change even the most sinful of beings, bringing forth their progression as children of God as long as they keep this spirit or quest alive within them.
Consequently, if we lose the Spirit or sin against the Holy Ghost we will completely lose our identity as children of God as well as our quest for happiness which I believe is key motivating desire for eternal progression.
Source 1: Philippians 2:6
Source 2: Alma 41:10
I see two questions on hand. First...can we progress in any kingdom in the life to come, and why are messengers sent to the other kingdoms?
The second can be answered by the first.
You can progress from a lower kingdom to a higher on. (Excluding outer darkness where you have no progression. How you get there is another topic that I will answer if you would like, but I generally know and also know to be virtually impossible according to Pres. Kimball.)
Let us first start with the scripture in D&C 19. Here God is talking about His endless/eternal torment. The word eternal has two meanings. One: with out end, and the other is "God's type." So if we reread the scripture knowing that...it would read just as verse 11 does. Eternal punishment is God's type of punishment. Now let me prove this...go to Alma chapter 36, and ready verse 12 "but I was racked with eternal torment" yet we know it was not without end because Alma was forgiven 3 day later and became one of the greatest Prophets of the Americans.
So all this says that our "punishment" in the life to come is endless in that it is God's type, but not endless in that it has no end.
Now I pose you a question. What is the point of getting sealed as a family if you cant be together? There is no point. Elder Packard said