Must one be married to enter the Celestial Kingdom?

[MormonGirl02]

Must one be married to enter the Celestial Kingdom? If so, what about those who are single in this life? Will they have a chance to marry in the Spirit World?

[Justice]

No, we do not have to be married to enter the Celestial Kingdom.

Doctrine & Covenants 131:

1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;

2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and deverlasting covenant of marriage];

3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.

4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.

[Guest tomk]

Justice is correct.

Remember - we always have choice.

People talk about it like it is up to God where we end-up!!!!!!!!

Stop and think about it for a moment.

He does not decide it -- we do!

We choose it by how we choose to respond to Light and Truth as we are exposed to it. Do we rebel or obey?

It is about what we are becoming.

So ask yourself -- "What am I becoming?"

As your answer goes - so does your eternal fate.

God is already disposed to bless us with exaltation. It is His work and glory. It is all He thinks about!!! We are His full time job!

So we don't have to do good works in order to convince Him or impress Him. We just have to become willing to obey --- and He will extend His grace unto us and POWER that obedience!!! We don't have to grit our teeth and muster the obedience by strength of will. His promise is that HE will change us and HE will power our obedience. We just have to become willing. And that is no easy thing. It is hard to let go and let God.

39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

• <LI class=searchitem>3 Ne. 9: 20

  20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

  <LI class=searchitem>D&C 56: 17-18

  17 Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite, and whose bellies are not satisfied, and whose hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men’s goods, whose eyes are full of greediness, and who will not labor with your own hands!

  18 But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance; for the fatness of the earth shall be theirs.

• Ps. 34: 18

  18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

2 Ne. 9: 41

41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

For all of you out there who proclaim Him - I really hope you know Him. :)

Having a personal relationship with Christ is CRUCIAL. When you see Him it should be a comfortable experience. He should be a friend and feel like a friend. But that can only come by seeking to know Him and obeying Him, and this takes work.

2 Ne. 9: 42

42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

Also this talk:

LDS.org - Ensign Article - The Challenge to Become

[MormonGirl02]

Thanks guys!

[Palerider]

Must one be married to enter the Celestial Kingdom? If so, what about those who are single in this life? Will they have a chance to marry in the Spirit World?

always remember Heavenly Father is a kind and loving Father...

[WANDERER]

D&C 132 wrote:

15 Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me nor by my word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world.

16 Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory.

[Jenamarie]

You do not need to be married to enter the Celestial Kingdom, but you DO need to be married to recieve Exaltation. ETA: however, I do believe there are some Prophets who have said that if you do *try* to be married in this life, but just never find a suitable partner, then that will be taken care of in the hereafter. You need to remain open to the prospect of marriage though. I don't think someone who is a "sworn bachelor" who doesn't care at all about getting married would be able to recieve Exaltation, but someone who genuinly desired to be married, but just never found the right person would be given a chance later on.

[MormonGirl02]

always remember Heavenly Father is a kind and loving Father...

Yes, I try to always remember that. Thank you Palerider. :)

D&C 132 wrote:

15 Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me nor by my word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world.

16 Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory.

Is this saying that no one will get married in the Spirit World?

You do not need to be married to enter the Celestial Kingdom, but you DO need to be married to recieve Exaltation. ETA: however, I do believe there are some Prophets who have said that if you do *try* to be married in this life, but just never find a suitable partner, then that will be taken care of in the hereafter. You need to remain open to the prospect of marriage though. I don't think someone who is a "sworn bachelor" who doesn't care at all about getting married would be able to recieve Exaltation, but someone who genuinly desired to be married, but just never found the right person would be given a chance later on.

Ah okay. So that is what I was thinking of. I knew you had to be married to do something but I couldn't remember what. Thank you Jenamarie. :)

[Dr T]

You do not need to be married to enter the Celestial Kingdom, but you DO need to be married to recieve Exaltation.

I don't rememer the difference. Please tell me the difference between these two. Thank you

[WANDERER]

Jena what did the Prophets say on that exactly?

[Jenamarie]

Wanderer, I'm looking for the quote right now. :)

[Jenamarie]

From Pres. Kimball:

Unmarried young men and women

I am aware of some young men and women who seemingly have not been successful in total fulfillment. Some have been on missions; some have completed their education. And yet they have passed the period of their greatest opportunity for marriage. The time has passed, and while still attractive and desirable and efficient, they find themselves alone.

To you we say this: You are making a great contribution to the world as you serve your families and the Church and the world. You must remember that the Lord loves you and the Church loves you. To you women, we can only say we have no control over the heartbeats or the affections of men, but pray that you may find fulfillment. And in the meantime, we promise you that insofar as eternity is concerned, no soul will be deprived of rich and high and eternal blessings for anything which that person could not help, that the Lord never fails in his promises, and that every righteous person will receive eventually all to which the person is entitled and which he or she has not forfeited through any fault of his or her own. We encourage both men and women to keep themselves well-groomed, well-dressed, informed about what is happening in the world, attractive mentally, spiritually, physically, and especially morally, and then they can lean heavily upon the Lord’s promises for these heavenly blessings.

LDS.org - Liahona Article - The Importance of Celestial Marriage

[WANDERER]

So how does it get solved in the Celestial kingdom, if all else fails?

[Jenamarie]

I don't rememer the difference. Please tell me the difference between these two. Thank you

Everyone who qualifies for the Celestial Kingdom will have the blessing of living Eternally in the presense of the GodHead (God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost). Those who qualify for Exaltation will live in their presense and be granted the blessing of gaining our Father in Heaven's knowledge. Not all at once, but learning it over the Eternities. :)

[Jenamarie]

So how does it get solved in the Celestial kingdom, if all else fails?

The Lord will take care of it. That's all we really know of the "how".

(but someone correct me if I'm wrong)

[Dr T]

Sorry, need some more information on the above. The OP asked does someone need to be married to enter the "celestial kingdom." Would you ultimately have to say "yes" based on what you said above? Maybe I'm just not understanding what you said. Can you please tell me more about that? Thank you

[WANDERER]

I'm a bit confused on this one too, but I have been studying and thinking...the baptism of the dead thread lead me to take a deeper look at the plan of salvation and to find out more.

[Guest tomk]

There are 3 levels WITHIN the Celestial Kingdom.

To enter the highest level, you must be married.

The other two are for those who are worthy of the Celestial Kingdom, but have chosen not to marry. They are not denied entrance, because they ARE worhy -- but because they have choice, and choose not to marry, they cannot enter the highest level.

[Jenamarie]

You can enter the Celestial Kingdom but not recieve Exaltation. You can have one without the other. But to recieve Exaltation, you must be Sealed to your spouse.

Here's the chapter from the Gospel Principles book about Exaltation:

LDS.org - Family Chapter Detail - Exaltation

[WANDERER]

What about those that choose to marry and are divorced and can sealings be absolved?

[Dr T]

Not everyone will get married and I don't think everyone really has that as a choice/opportunity.

[VisionOfLehi]

If you don't get sealed in this life, you can't in the next.

However, you can get sealed by proxy when you die.

When we're sealed, we're not always sealed to someone who will attain the same degree of glory as we will. I do not belief that the sealing will force us to spend eternity with someone that won't be up to our standard. If I gain Exaltation, but my spouse does not, I do not believe they will be fully comfortable around me. Or vice versa.

I believe, also, that the LORD will fix this. I will be sealed, but I believe that the LORD can "rearrange" this bond, transferring it from my spouse that didn't achieve the same level as I did to one that did. The LORD, knowing me perfectly, will know exactly who I should end up with in this regard.

[WANDERER]

Would that mean that you would be sealed to more than one person?

[tubaloth]

Message boards cause confusion.

I’m sure this was quoted already.

(Doctrine and Covenants 131:2-4.)

1. In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;

2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];

3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.

4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.

We learn from other scriptures that ENTERENCE into the Celestial Kingdom is Baptism. As long as we are baptized, and live the gospel to its fullest we are in the Celestial Kingdom. But that would be the end our progress in the Celestial Kingdom.

We don’t know what it is that qualifies for the Second level (I believe it is priesthood for men, but there hasn’t been anything reveled on that matter).

And to gain access to the third level is being sealed.

That is the understand, but sense we all like to speculate on the ifs and how comes, we need an extra scripture here.

(Doctrine and Covenants 137:1-10.)

1 The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell.

2 I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire;

3 Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son.

4 I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold.

5 I saw Father Adam and Abraham; and my father and my mother; my brother Alvin, that has long since slept;

6 And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins.

7 Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: 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;

8 Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;

9 For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.

10 And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.

So in a way this scripture goes against the first one. Because now we have an example of some body going to the Celestial Kingdom with out being baptized. But as it explains, God knows our hearts and knows what we are capable of. This is where the gray area comes in. Some people can go to the highest Level of the Celestial Kingdom if they would have had that chance to marry but never did in this life (those that die before that time). But also Woman that never had that chance. For men, the chance is more there, so we don’t know how much that well give them a free ride.

What about those that choose to marry and are divorced and can sealings be absolved?

That would be tough. I don’t think we have enough reveled to understand every situation. It probably would come down to why was the sealing absolved. (Whos fault)

The key is to know that if we are faithful, then we gain the blessings that we in a way should have qualified for. We can only be judged on how we followed the gospel.

If you don't get sealed in this life, you can't in the next.

However, you can get sealed by proxy when you die.

So isn’t that the same as being sealed? I do know what you are getting at, but I don’t think its that strict. We do know that those that never have that chance to get married (mostly Little children) well still have a chance to get married (to gain the blessings they missed in this life). Now I don’t know if that is still called a sealing. Because we have two people who have been saved/exalted, do they need the sealing power as we do? I don’t know. But, point is that there are chances for people to get married in the next life that doesn’t have it here. Proxy sealing is one, there COULD be others.

[nannysherri]

This is an area of Doctrine we have to be very careful in our judgment. It is personal and one between your Eternal Companion and your Savior. It is like a triangle one that must be whole to be part of Eternal Life. Many will find that here in the chapter of the Plan of Salvation but not all. People may want this triangle with all there heart but some it may now happen at all and others their mate may change and take a different path. What I feel the prophet tells us is that anyone with a desire to be married and fullfill the everlasting covenant and for some reason if that dosent happen will recieve the same glory as if they had it here. The answer to the question is do you have to be married to recieve the highest glory the answer is yes, you must enter into the everlasting covenent. My question is who wouldn't want that, to be with the one you love for eternity why would you chose not to want that.