“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)God's work is to provide the information, knowledge, or truth to each person according to their desires. He does this through servants who serve at all levels. Let’s look at the levels of gifts that are available to every person.
Kingdoms of Glory
The work of God is to save His children from death and Hell. The work goes on at all levels. There are many levels in Heaven.“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)
Jesus Christ has made gifts available to all. We receive the gift we desire. The work of God is to give these gifts to his children, to bring them into Heaven. Heaven has three basic levels that are called Telestial, Terrestrial, and Celestial. Each of them is wonderfully greater than the one before, surpassing in knowledge, power, and glory in all things. The way I like to think about it is like life on Earth. The plants are living, and beautiful, and amazing, but animals far surpass the plants in glory, having a brain, being able to learn, and move, and grow continuously. However, mankind far surpasses animals in ability, growth, knowledge, and glory. Man can grow continually and forever, increasing in knowledge and power. This is like the three degrees of Heaven.
The Apostle Paul describes these glories as the sun, moon, and stars.
“Also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial, and bodies telestial; but the glory of the celestial, one; and the terrestrial, another; and the telestial, another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:” (JST 1 Corinthians 15:40-42)
The entrance fee into Heaven is simple, quick, easy, and free: confess Christ. Heaven is free for the asking. Just say the word, and we’re in, that is the only condition.
“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” (Romans 14:11)
Once we confess Christ, each of the various levels of glory in Heaven have different requirements.
Telestial
The lowest level of Heaven is for those who are not faithful, who live selfish lives.
“These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.” (D&C 76:103)
Even after living unethical lives, they are saved in a kingdom of Heaven, if they meet the one requirement of confessing Christ. God is so kind!
“These all shall bow the knee, and every tongue shall confess to him who sits upon the throne forever and ever; 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;” (D&C 76:110-111)
The “mansions” of Heaven include even the immoral people of the Earth. God is so merciful to His children, that He brings them all into Heaven, if they will but confess His name.
He gives those in the lowest kingdom work to do.
“And they shall be servants of the Most High;” (D&C 76:112)
However, in this lowest kingdom of Heaven, they do not experience the glory of Christ or the Father.
“but where God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end.” (D&C 76:112)
This is the end of their glory. Like a plant, they are rooted in the ground, and don’t move, or go on. However, they do have work to do; they still serve God, and have a measure of joy, singing the praises of God.
Terrestrial
The next level of Heaven is “the glory of the moon.” These mansions are prepared by Christ for those who are moral and honorable, who live lives of service and love others. However, they do not accept or listen to the word of God while on the Earth. They don’t live by faith. They listen to men instead of to God. They live out their lives morally, but don’t walk the path to Eternal Life.
“These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men.” (D&C 76:75)
The requirement for entrance into this glory is to accept the testimony of Jesus Christ after they die, in the spirit world before the resurrection.
“Who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it.” (D&C 76:74)
They receive much more glory than those who bow the knee to escape their suffering. As an animal is to a plant, or the moon to the starts, they can move and learn to a certain extent, but a hawk is always a bird. It doesn’t become something greater.
Celestial
The highest glory of Heaven is reserved for those who live by faith in this life, or would have if they had it available to them; God is so merciful! This is the Kingdom of God. These have the glory of the sun compared to the moon or stars, or the glory of man compared to the animals. The requirement for entrance into this highest kingdom is simple, but requires covenants and ordinances. Baptism by water, and by the Holy Ghost, or being born of the water and the Spirit, are essential. The next part is to remain faithful, enduring in the Spirit, until the end, or the resurrection, living by every word of God.
“They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given—That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power; And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.” (D&C 76:51-53)
These people live with God, the Father. They have peace, love, and joy. They have an inheritance with Christ, and receive “all that the Father hath.”
“Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's. And they shall overcome all things. ...These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever.” (D&C 76:59-62)
Eternal Life
There’s more.
“In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;” (D&C 131:1)
In the highest glory of Heaven, the glory of the sun, there are three basic levels of life. The requirement of baptism, keeping the commandments and enduring to the end are enough to get us to the lowest level of that kingdom, but what about those who want more? After we are baptized, we can learn about what comes next. It is found in the Priesthood, which is received by faith after receiving the ordinances and making the covenants. We can prepare ourselves to go to the temple and receive instruction on how to attain the highest gift of God, Eternal Life.
“you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.” (D&C 14:7)
This gift is promised to those who are faithful, and stay on the path that leads to it. Only those who desire more will be able to receive it. This greatest gift is given to those who get on the path, and continue without stopping, or veering off in other directions. We must keep this goal continually before us, and endure all the sacrifices needed to receive it. The path is not generally given, but rather specifically to each person who desires this gift. We are guided by the Holy Ghost individually on our own straight and narrow path. Paradoxically, the path is the same for everyone -- take the Holy Spirit as your guide. This occurs after we are baptized by water, and then by the Spirit, or by fire.
The work of God
The work of God, that is going on all around us constantly, is disseminating this knowledge. The work is to give options to everyone so each can choose a level. Those who serve the Lord do so on every level.Telestial work
Some are servants to minister to those who choose a telestial glory. They’re simply telling those who have lived in ignorance and selfishness to confess the name of Christ so they can enter into Heaven at the lowest level.
Terrestrial work
Many servants of the Lord are teaching people to live moral and ethical lives so they can receive the Lord after they die and enter into the middle kingdom.
Celestial work
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is seeking out those who are willing to be baptized and receive the highest glory. Members and missionaries traverse the entire Earth, asking people if they want more than they have. Without the Church, the best they can do is a terrestrial existence, being ethical, moral, and honorable. The Church offers baptism by water with the authority of God to make the covenants and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This is the ticket into the Celestial glory of Heaven.
Exalted work
And, ultimately, there are those in the Church who are seeking the few who desire Eternal Life, “the greatest gift of all the gifts of God.”
“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:14)
These are called to minister to those who have already been baptized, and need instruction on how to move forward. They need to know that there is more, and that they can choose it. They need to know how to choose it to prepare themselves to receive this “greatest gift of all!” They are the few, but the gift is made available to all. Everyone can choose this gift, if they desire it more than any of the others. Most desire other gifts. Thus, the servants who are working with the few work one-on-one in a mentor relationship, showing them how to take the Holy Ghost as their guide, always pointing them to God. It is a higher calling, and an exalted work.
The Real Choice
Now we know what happens after this life. Now we understand what Heaven is and all the options available, we have the ability to choose. The work of God is to give all of His children the choice. Among all these gifts, we can choose. We are choosing. When I offer my daughter a gift of a new car, I tell her to go out and choose among all the cars available. She can choose a used Yugo or a brand new Tesla or a Rolls Royce convertible. Everything is available to her. It is my gift, I pay for it, but the choice is hers; it is her preference; she gets what she wants, what fits her. Either way she will be happy with her new transportation. Likewise, we have all things available to us. We are choosing every day; every choice we make is taking us to one or the other. In the resurrection, our choice will be final -- we will receive the gift we desire, and those who don’t desire any gift will receive nothing.“Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.
And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.
For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.” (D&C 88:29-33)
You choose. What is your goal? What is your desire? Which gift do you want? They are all out there for the asking. All are available to all. None have no choice. Nobody is forced into any part of Heaven. Those who don’t desire a gift can reject them all, and be completely outside of Heaven forever. This is pure choice. It defines us forever. Our choice defines our eternity. We can choose any gift -- any gift we want. We just read the options, the basic gifts, what they are, and what it takes to receive them. Choose.
The servants of God are doing the work to give everyone a choice. Whichever you choose, the servants for that gift will find you, and/or you will find them. We are everywhere, doing the work of the Lord, “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
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