2023 October General Conference, Saturday Morning Session
Kingdoms of Glory
President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency
Main Points
- Our church is different from other Christian churches because we have the fullness of the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
- The kingdom of glory we desire to inherit is manifested through our choices.
- The observation of eternal law, ordinances and covenants lead to the development of godly attributes. Godly attributes are necessary to realize divine potential.
- Eternal marriage will ultimately be available to all the faithful.
- We get to choose which kingdom we want to inherit.
- We qualify for eternal life through a process of conversion.
Gospel Principles taught
Our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ, Agency, the Atonement, Obedience, the Family Can be Eternal, Eternal Marriage, Temple Work, Millennium, Final Judgement, Exaltation
Gospel Doctrine taught
The Plan of Salvation, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Restoration, Prophets and Revelation, Ordinances and Covenants, Marriage and Family, Commandments, Three Degrees of Glory, the Plan of Salvation, Exaltation/Godhood, Agency, the Covenant Path
Scriptures
Doctrine and Covenants 88:36, Doctrine and Covenants 88:23, Doctrine and Covenants 88:22, Doctrine and Covenants 76:89, Doctrine and Covenants 76:82, 103, Doctrine and Covenants 76:79, Doctrine and Covenants 76:77, Doctrine and Covenants 76:75, Doctrine and Covenants 76:62, Doctrine and Covenants 76:56, 58, Doctrine and Covenants 76:43, Doctrine and Covenants 29:11, Doctrine and Covenants 138:57–59, Doctrine and Covenants 132:19–20, Doctrine and Covenants 131:1, 1 Corinthians 11:11, 1 Corinthians 15:40, 1 Corinthians 15:40, 1 Corinthians 15:40, 1 Corinthians 15:40, 1 Corinthians 15:41, JST, 1 Corinthians 15:40, JST, 1 Corinthians 15:40, Ephesians 4:13, Hebrews 12:2, John 14:2, John 15:4–7, 10, Alma 34:32, Moroni 6:4, Abide, The Family Proclamation
Related talks:
Works Cited:
Russell M. Nelson, Heart of the Matter (2023)
Chapter 46: Redeeming Our Dead through Temple Service
Look for Jesus Christ:
- Testimony of Christ.
- My dear brothers and sisters, I testify of the truth of these things. I testify of our Lord Jesus Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith,” whose Atonement, under the plan of our Father in Heaven, makes it all possible, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
- Description of His Teachings.
- “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” Christ taught that there isn’t just a heaven for the righteous and eternal suffering in hell for everyone else.
- the Lord’s teachings and commandments were given that we may all attain “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
- Description of His Atonement.
- Christ “glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands”
- Because of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, when we fall short in this life, we can repent and rejoin the covenant path that leads to what our Heavenly Father desires for us.
- Through Christ’s sacrifice, the dead who repent will be redeemed and are heirs of salvation.
- Description of His relationship with us.
- (At) the Final Judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ… our loving Savior… will send all the children of God to one of these kingdoms of glory according to the desires manifested through their choices.
Inspiring Words & Phrases
- It is not even enough to be convinced of the gospel; we must act so that we are converted by it. In contrast to other preaching, which teaches us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.
- We must act.
- We qualify for eternal life through a process of conversion.
- Our Heavenly Father loves all His children so much that He wants us all to live in a kingdom of glory forever. Moreover, He wants us to live with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, eternally.
- “…All the children of God… will ultimately inherit one of three kingdoms of glory, even the least of which ‘surpasses all understanding.’”
- Exaltation in the celestial kingdom—is the focus of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- The purpose of this restored Church is to prepare God’s children for salvation in the celestial glory and, more particularly, for exaltation in its highest degree.
- The mortal family relationship [is] where the most important part of our eternal development can occur.
- The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is based on the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become.
- The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.
- We have a loving Heavenly Father who will see that we receive every blessing and every advantage that our own desires and choices allow.
Lists
Unique doctrines and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
- Heavenly Father loves all His children so much that He has prepared a way for all to live in a kingdom of glory forever
- The revealed commandments and covenants that offer all the children of God the sacred privilege of qualifying for the highest degree of glory in the celestial kingdom.
- We know from modern revelation that “all kingdoms have a law given” and that the kingdom of glory we receive in the Final Judgment is determined by the laws we choose to follow in our mortal journey.
- We teach that “gender is an essential characteristic” because eternal marriage is between a man and a woman
- The process of measuring up to the stature of the fullness of Christ requires more than knowledge
- Missionary work, repentance and redemption continue in the Spirit world.
- The Millennium will be a time to perform ordinances for those who didn’t receive them in mortality.
The Plan of Salvation:
- Gives us the teachings and opportunity to make choices that assure us of the destiny and life we choose
- Provides “many mansions”: three kingdoms of glory
- Is God’s plan of happiness for His children
- Begins with our life as spirits before we were born
- Reveals the purpose and conditions of our chosen journey in mortality
- Reveals our desired destination after our mortal journey
- Enables all of God’s children to inherit a kingdom of glory where they will be comfortable
- Is founded on eternal truth
- Requires that exaltation can be attained only through faithfulness to the covenants of an eternal marriage between a man and a woman in the holy temple
- Prepares kingdoms of glory that are suited to the laws individuals choose and can comfortably keep
- Is a plan that completely honors your agency
Truths we know about the premortal spirit world, mortality and the next life:
- Salvation is an individual matter
- Exaltation is a family matter
- We have a loving Heavenly Father
- He will give us every blessing & advantage our desires and choices allow
- Heavenly Father won’t force anyone into a sealing relationship against their own will
The Celestial Kingdom:
- Is likened to the glory of the sun
- Contains three levels; the highest level is “exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom”
- The inhabitants of this kingdom:
- Receive the fullness of God the Father
- Are gods
- Are faithful to the covenant of eternal marriage
- Have chosen to keep the law of a celestial kingdom
- Is the focus of the commandments and ordinances of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Terrestrial Kingdom:
- Is likened to the glory of the moon
- Is comparable to the popular concept of heaven
- The inhabitants of this kingdom:
- Receive the presence of the Son, Jesus Christ
- Were honorable in mortality
- Were blinded by the craftiness of men in mortality
- Were not valiant in the testimony of Jesus
The Telestial Kingdom:
- Is likened to the glory of the stars
- Is where the wicked abide, after they have suffered for their sins
- The inhabitants of this kingdom:
- Have rejected the Savior
- Have observed no divine limits on their behavior
Equations
- Obedience to eternal laws, ordinances and covenants = development of godly attributes
- The development of specific godly attributes = realization of divine potential
- Divine potential = exaltation in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom
- Conversion = a profound change of nature
Invitations/Challenges
- The proclamation on the family clarifies the requirements that prepare us to live with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Blessings/Promises
- Eternal marriage will ultimately be available to all the faithful.
- The mortal family relationship [is] where the most important part of our eternal development can occur.
Apologetics:
- The 1995 proclamation on the family is not a changeable statement of policy but is founded on irrevocable doctrine.
- There is much we do not know about the three major periods in the plan of salvation and their relationship to one another: (1) the premortal spirit world, (2) mortality, and (3) the next life.
- We also know that He (Heavenly Father) will force no one into a sealing relationship against his or her will. The blessings of a sealed relationship are assured for all who keep their covenants but never by forcing a sealed relationship on another person who is unworthy or unwilling.
Application Ideas
- Find new ways to bond with members of your family to make sure Exaltation becomes (or stays) a family matter.
- At the end of every week, reflect on and journal things you’ve done to continue your conversion process, and list new things you can do in the next week to continuously improve.
- List the ways you’ve used the Atonement in your life and look for patterns that help you strengthen your understanding of and appreciation for our Savior’s mercy.
- Spend time in the temple or working on preparing family names for temple work. Consider how this time will bless both you and them in the eternities.
About the Author
See also, Elder Melvin J. Ballard, “The Three Degrees of Glory”:
https://archive.org/details/threedegreesofgl00ball/page/2/mode/2up
(Of his noble grandfather, President M. Russell Ballard said, “From humble beginnings in Logan arose one of the most mighty apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ to ever live upon the earth.”)
President Benson taught: “The eventual resurrection of every soul who has lived and died on earth is a scriptural certainty, and surely there is no event for which one should make more careful preparation.”