D&C 76:71-80

76:71-80 - The terrestrial kingdom is one that has always been difficult for me to understand. I always imagined the celestial kingdom as difficult to get to, but now I know that it’s about doing our best to become like the Savior, that’s what is most important. I also know that any of us who are willing to repent will be given the opportunity to do so, so therefore, it only makes sense to me that those who are in the terrestrial kingdom want to be there, which I can’t understand that mindset, but I believe that that is who will be there, those who choose to be. Those in the terrestrial kingdom will not be in families, but be separate and alone, and I don’t believe that our God will not allow those who want to be with their families, and are willing to do anything, to include repenting, will not be allowed to do so and will be cursed to spend the rest of eternity longing to be with their families, but being denied to opportunity to repent for some reason. DJR gives the qualifications for those who will inherit the terrestrial kingdom:

1.       They who died without law

2.       The spirits of men kept in prison

3.       Honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men

4.       They who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus

Concerning those who died without law, DJR quotes Elder Melvin J. Ballard as teaching, “Now, I wish to say to you that those who died without law, meaning the pagan nations, for lack of faithfulness, for lack of devotion, in the former life, are obtaining all that they are entitled to. I don’t mean to say that all of them will be barred from entrance into the highest glory. Any one of them who repents and complies with the conditions might also obtain celestial glory, but the great bulk of them will only obtain terrestrial glory.” I don’t know very much about this topic, so I’m not going to say too much about it. DJR talks about the second point, saying, “In short, this appears to mean those who had a valid opportunity to ‘receive’ the gospel (to incorporate the gospel into their lives) during mortality, but who intentionally chose not to, and then ‘afterwards received it’ (in the spirit world.) Since God is completely fair, we have to consider that such people would have had a completely faith opportunity to hear and understand the gospel before rejecting it. Also, since we understand that many in the spirit world mission field will accept the gospel and (when their temple work is completed by mortals) go on to celestial exaltation, we are compelled to believe that those spoken of in verses 73 and 74, who ‘afterwards received it,’ must yet lack something that would allow them to attain celestial glory and be comfortable there. Perhaps they are not as deeply committed as those who ultimately qualify for celestial reward. We don’t know. Thus, we will have to wait for additional knowledge from authorized sources before being able to answer all the questions that come up regarding these verses.” The IM says, “Those who hear the gospel in mortality and do not accept it but lead otherwise honorable lives will inherit the terrestrial kingdom. Those who do not have the opportunity to hear the gospel in mortality but accept it in the spirit world can inherit the celestial kingdom. Joseph Smith learned through another revelation that ‘all who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God.’ Those ‘who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh’ are those who heard the gospel in mortality and rejected it. If they ‘afterwards received it,’ that is, in the spirit world, they will go to the terrestrial kingdom. Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught the foolishness of believing that a person can reject the gospel in this life, accept it in the next, and still inherit celestial glory. ‘This life is the time and day of our probation. After this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. For those who do not have an opportunity to believe and obey the holy word in this life, the first chance to gain salvation will come in the spirit world. If those who hear the word for the first time n the realms ahead are the kind of people who would have accepted the gospel here, had the opportunity been afforded them, they will accept it there… Those who reject the gospel in this life and then receive it in the spirit world go not to the celestial, but to the terrestrial kingdom.’ Elder Theodore M. Burton said: ‘There are many in this world who lived and died without ever having an opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that there are many men and women who die unbaptized, because some teacher, missionary, or leader who should have taught them was so poorly trained, so lacking in faith, and so unprepared to bear personal witness of Jesus Christ that the hearer never understood the message as he should have done. Should such people be damned forever for lack of proper instruction, because of an accident of birth, or because of the inadequacies of others? I say: ‘No!’ God is a God of justice and love and mercy. Every man is entitled to a just chance to know and accept Jesus Christ or to reject him if he feels the price of acceptance is too high.’” This is a very interesting concept and one of the major reasons why I struggle with the understanding of the celestial vs. terrestrial kingdoms. I know many people, many amazing people who have left the church because they have issues with the hypocrisy, or a misunderstanding with doctrine, or being ostracized, and I believe that if they knew the Savior and the gospel in the way that I do, then their attitudes and actions would be different, they would have an understanding and knowledge and relationship with the Savior that would change many things. When it talks about people not accepting the gospel because of inadequate teachings or having their views tainted by abuse, I think that these are where the differences are. I think that it’s very apt in the beginning when it says that it is foolishness to believe one can reject the gospel in this life and then accept it in the next life and still receive celestial glory. It goes back to motivation, are they living by a “eat, drink and be merry” mentality, or is it an “I don’t understand” or “I disagree with how this group of people are acting and I won’t be a part of it,” which is a major part of why a lot of people leave. I just think that there are so many circumstances that taint our individual views that aren’t accounted for, that it’s going to be very interesting when the time comes for judgment. I think that the Savior will personally be involved with us and helping us to obtain our highest potential, no matter what that entails. The IM quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie as teaching, “What does it mean to be valiant in the testimony of Jesus? It is to be courageous and bold; to use all our strength, energy, and ability in the warfare with the world; to fight the good fight or faith… The great cornerstone of valiance in the cause of righteousness is obedience to the whole law of the whole gospel. To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to ‘come unto Christ, and be perfected in him’; it is to deny ourselves ‘of all ungodliness,’ and ‘love God’ with all our ‘might, mind, and strength.’ To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to believe in Christ and his gospel with unshakable conviction. It is to know of the verity and divinity of the Lord’s work on earth. But this is not all. It is more than believing and knowing. We must be doers of the word and not hearers only. It is more than lip service; it is not simple confessing with the mouth the divine Sonship of the Savior. It is obedience and conformity and personal righteousness. ‘Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doesth the will of my Father which is in heaven.’ To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to ‘press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.’ It is to ‘endure to the end.’ It is to live our religion, to practice what we preach, to keep the commandments. It is the manifestation of ‘pure religion’ in the lives of men; it is visiting ‘the fatherless and widows in their affliction’ and keeping ourselves ‘unspotted from the world.’ To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to bridle our passions, control our appetites, and rise above carnal and evil things. It is to overcome the world as did he who is our prototype and who himself was the most valiant of all our Father’s children. It is to be morally clean, to pay our tithes and offerings, to honor the Sabbath day, to pray with full purpose of heard, to lay our all upon the altar if called upon to do so. To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to take the Lord’s side on every issue. It is to vote as he would vote. It is to think what he things, to believe what he believes, to say what he would say and do what he would do in the same situation. It is to have the mind of Christ and be one with him as he is one with his Father.”