Celestial Kingdom entrance requirements

[bboy13]

As a youth, I attended a ward of a cousin. In Sunday School we talked about the Plan of Salvation and the Three Degrees of Glory. In the class, the teacher talked about the three divisions of the Celestial Kingdom and requirements to enter each one. For the lowest part, the minimum requirement is to be baptized. For the highest part, one needs to be sealed in the temple. For the middle, one has to be endowed.

It is the last one (the middle) that I cannot find any documentation for, either scriptural or from General Authorities. I have never heard this spoken of since, probably since there is very little spoken of the middle part of the CK.

Was my instructor just speculating? Or does anybody have any scripture or GA source that states we must at least be endowed to inherit the middle part of the CK?

[pam]

http://www.askgramps.org/4867/what-are-the-three-degrees-of-glory-in-the-celestial

[Just_A_Guy]

I've never heard anything like that, bboy13. I'd venture to guess that the teacher was engaging in some well-intentioned speculation.

[pam]

Which is what Gramps does partly as well. I've never heard anything about requirements of endowment for middle level of the Celestial Kingdom.

[skippy740]

I've heard the same '3 levels' within the Celestial Kingdom. I don't know where it came from.

Sounds good though.

[Dravin]

I've heard the same '3 levels' within the Celestial Kingdom. I don't know where it came from.

Sounds good though.

I don't know where the requirement for the middle degree is coming from, but as to the idea of three degrees: Doctrine and Covenants 131:1

[bytebear]

I believe it to be speculation, but it's also my personal belief as it makes sense.

1 Telestial - Not accepting Christ

2 Terrestrial - Accept Christ

3A Celestial -Accept through covenant of Baptism

3B Celestial - More covenants through the temple

3C Celestial - Highest through covenant of marriage.

All are scriptural except 3B. I am sure others can find the exact references but I am feeling a bit lazy in finding them.

[james12]

Variations exist in all kingdoms. There are not simply three degrees or nine degrees. Jesus says there are many mansions and Paul says, "for one stars differs from another star in glory". And so each person will be glorified according to the light he would receive. That being said, there are generally three grand devisions. One the glory of the Father, one of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.

Outward ordinances are no assurance of the kingdom received, for those in the Telestial kingdom will say, "they are some of one and some of another - some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses..." (D&C 76:100). Physical ordinances mark the pathway but it is the Spirit which sanctifies. We must receive the Spirit. Whatever portion we will receive determines the kingdom/glory we obtain (D&C 88:28-31). One who is sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise obtains the Celestial kingdom.

Lastly, each kingdom has a priesthood. In order to obtain the highest kingdom one must enter into the highest order of the priesthood. In ancient days it was called the Patriarchal Order or Order of the Son of God. Today it is celestial marriage. Again, it is more than the physical ordinance. Instead, "We must so live as to receive the guarantees to which we have thus been called and the assurances that appertain to our election, and which are given on a conditional basis only in celestial marriage. ...We must press forward in righteousness until our calling and election is made sure; and this high achievement grows out of and is the crowning reword of celestial marriage" (Bruce R McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary 3:352-353)

[skalenfehl]

There are many mansions and many heavens. Salvation ranges from Telestial to Celestial and so on, which is covered in many scriptures in the BoM and D&C. The Bible also alludes to this (body of stars, moon and sun) in the NT.

[mikbone]

During a Zone meeting as a missionary in Osorno Chile 1990

Regional Rep - Lynn Alvin Mickelsen (2nd quorum of the 70 at that time, now in the 1st quorum), stated that you had to have the Melchizedek priesthood. He did not give any explanation. And I was not really impressed with him as a scholar or as a person at that time...

[ElectofGod]

During a Zone meeting as a missionary in Osorno Chile 1990

Regional Rep - Lynn Alvin Mickelsen (2nd quorum of the 70 at that time, now in the 1st quorum), stated that you had to have the Melchizedek priesthood. He did not give any explanation. And I was not really impressed with him as a scholar or as a person at that time...

Oath and covenant explains why.

84:33 For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods [Aaronic & Melchizedek] of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.

34 They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.

35 And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;

36 For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;

37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;

38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.

42 And wo unto all those who come not unto this priesthood which ye have received, which I now confirm upon you who are present this day, by mine own voice out of the heavens; and even I have given the heavenly hosts and mine angels charge concerning you.

43 And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life.

84:22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.

Ties sanctification into obtaining the priesthood.

[mikbone]

Having the Melchizedek Priesthood in and of itself does not make sense to me (as the qualifying achievement for entrance into the 2nd tier of the Celestial kingdom).

If so, it begs the question... What about women?

And slacker Melchizedek priesthood holders (I have met more than a few, you have too).

As pertaining to D&C 84:22, Joseph Smith's first vision directly contradicts the verse.

I would bet that there are detailed requirements that allow souls passage from one kingdom to another...

[Traveler]

The problem I see with this thread is that - like the pilot in the conference talk by President Uchtdorf - if we are off just a tiny bit in the course we follow - over time we can be drawn far enough off course to cause disaster.

With this in mind and in attempting to communicate the course that we all need to follow I will make an observation and suggestion.

The observation is that in the priesthood that has been restored in these Last Days; we should understand that the restored priesthood and the ordinances are all given to chart our course to the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom. If we follow as we are instructed by those sent from G-d, we will be Celestial in the highest order. There currently is no other possibility being opened through the restored priesthood and ordinances.

I suggest that no one deliberately attempt to fall short of our destiny - I also suggest that no one teach any principles to encourage others to limit in any way their divine destiny possibilities.

I think if someone is going to miss their destiny that they ought to mistake in trying for the stars and if not reaching such a great goal end up stuck in the tree tops - rather than trying for the tree tops and ending up stuck in the mud.

The Traveler

[Traveler]

...

I would bet that there are detailed requirements that allow souls passage from one kingdom to another...

I would not bet on or even hope to try such a thing. I really do not see the point in such thinking - even if there is some remote obscure possibility???? Or my dad would say, "it is always easier and less effort to do something right the first time than to do it over."

The Traveler

Edited August 13, 2013 by Traveler

[NeuroTypical]

I have a hard enough time navigating through this sphere of existence, to think about my next sphere.

[mikbone]

I would not bet on or even hope to try such a thing. I really do not see the point in such thinking - even if there is some remote obscure possibility???? Or my dad would say, "it is always easier and less effort to do something right the first time than to do it over."

The Traveler

I was probably less specific than I should have been.

I believe that many saints are naive, seeking simple requirements that we believe we can fulfill to receive our eternal recompense.

For example baptism allows entrance into the celestial kingdom. Or, temple marriage is the requirement for Eternal Life.

Take the following example.

person A

A returned missionary gets married in the temple, but becomes lost. Eventually he gets a civil divorce. He routinely breaks commandments, and does his best to ignore even the light of Christ. He drinks weekly and has a poor relationship with his children.

Person B

A homely woman who is anti-social. She never marries and only had a few dates during her life. She is a hard worker. She strives to obey the commandments. When she does break commandments she feels sorrow and repents. She recognizes the Light of Christ and does her best to follow it. She has heard about the Mormons but never read the book. She has hope that Christ / God exists but is unsure.

Which of the above persons is better off?

What percent of Endowed / Sealed members are unfaithful to their covenants? (No need to answer this question out loud)

I agree the better option is to be temple married and faithful to the covenants. The best is to earn our calling & ellection...

I guess what I am trying to say is that requirements for entrance into specific kingdoms are probably a bit more complicated than is usually presented.

[ElectofGod]

I was probably less specific than I should have been.

I believe that many saints are naive, seeking simple requirements that we believe we can fulfill to receive our eternal recompense.

For example baptism allows entrance into the celestial kingdom. Or, temple marriage is the requirement for Eternal Life.

Take the following example.

person A

A returned missionary gets married in the temple, but becomes lost. Eventually he gets a civil divorce. He routinely breaks commandments, and does his best to ignore even the light of Christ. He drinks weekly and has a poor relationship with his children.

Person B

A homely woman who is anti-social. She never marries and only had a few dates during her life. She is a hard worker. She strives to obey the commandments. When she does break commandments she feels sorrow and repents. She recognizes the Light of Christ and does her best to follow it. She has heard about the Mormons but never read the book. She has hope that Christ / God exists but is unsure.

Which of the above persons is better off?

What percent of Endowed / Sealed members are unfaithful to their covenants? (No need to answer this question out loud)

I agree the better option is to be temple married and faithful to the covenants. The best is to earn our calling & ellection...

I guess what I am trying to say is that requirements for entrance into specific kingdoms are probably a bit more complicated than is usually presented.

Ok I see what you mean now. I agree with this entirely. I do not see "a minimum or maximum point to achieve" I only see what we become versus what we WERE when we started. DID we IMPROVE our time or "un-improve" our time? More we attain in this life "the greater the advantage in the world to come" so is the best C&E? No. We should continue even AFTER to progress. However a "minimum" best I would agree .

The ordinances do not matter if we do not become anything. If we become everything without receiving the ordinances than we will be where heavenly father wants us to be. For example, with out charity ye are nothing. For charity never faileth. The ordinances are only symbolic (yet important) of Christlike attribute we should achieve and become.

“To become exalted, men must receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.” LDS.org - Melchizedek Priesthood Chapter Detail - The Purpose of Priesthood Ordinances

These type of requirements are pointless. Yet they do base them off of "what one can see" not what one cannot see about a person. So we like to compare ourselves to them. Though we cannot see if we have the MP.

What about women? The endowment (endowed with power) is given to both male and female.

I would bet that there are detailed requirements that allow souls passage from one kingdom to another...

While traveler makes a good point, our time is NOW so we should treat it as such, the sealing power is one example of how a child (wayward, like the prodigal son) can still be pulled into the CK if they eventually repent.

Edited August 13, 2013 by ElectofGod

[james12]

Having the Melchizedek Priesthood in and of itself does not make sense to me (as the qualifying achievement for entrance into the 2nd tier of the Celestial kingdom).

If so, it begs the question... What about women?

And slacker Melchizedek priesthood holders (I have met more than a few, you have too).

As pertaining to D&C 84:22, Joseph Smith's first vision directly contradicts the verse.

I would bet that there are detailed requirements that allow souls passage from one kingdom to another...

Priesthood is power and no man or woman can hope to attain a kingdom without it. For without power we could not put the enemies of righteousness under our feet. Without power they would have dominon over us and we would surely fall short of our goal. The greatest power, or highest priesthood, can only be achieved when a man and a woman work together in such a capacity.

I agree that carnal commandments and ordinances are no assurity of eternal reward. Sooner or later they must be received, but they are only promises to one who has not obtained the Spirit.

I think we would do much better to think of levels of glory or light instead of moving to one of three worlds. I believe this is much closer to the truth. We must obtain light during our sojourn here on the earth. The Spirit, light or glory we receive will determine to what extent our natural bodies are quickened. The more light we receive the greater glory we obtain.

[David Frey]

I have no idea where the "middle kingdom" criteria comes from. 

BUT, other than holding the melchizadek priesthood and a temple marriage, the dividing factor between the telestial and celestial kingdom is being valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ.

These are they who are valiant in their testimony of Jesus, who, as the Lord has declared “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 76:53.)

What does it mean to be "valiant in their testimony of Jesus."

This is from the prophets mouth.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1982/04/valiant-in-the-testimony-of-jesus?lang=eng

 

[Jane_Doe]

37 minutes ago, David Frey said:

 

Hi @David Frey, welcome to the forum!

Thanks for your post.  The OP here hasn't been on since Dec 2013, so I'm not sure he'll be responding. 

[zil]

Welcome, @David Frey.

[JohnsonJones]

All men must be baptized.  It is this ordinance that cleans and purifies. 

My understanding is all that enter the Kindom of Heaven must have this ordinance.  The Telestial Kingdom, even if it is the lower glory, is STILL a part of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Thus those who enter it, must be baptized.  However, this is just logic, and not necessarily doctrine.

It is speculation that those who are baptized are those who enter the Celestial Kingdom. 

Prophets stated otherwise as well as apostles, but this is not doctrine either.

According to what they stated, there are two groups that fall in the third degree of the Celestial Kingdom.  The first were the children that died before the age of accountability.  The second group were also children born in the covenant who were not righteous enough to get to the Celestial Kingdom.  If their parents were righteous enough to obtain exaltation, the Lord would not forget the sealing bonds of the Covenant and they would be able to bring their Children with them to the Celestial Kingdom, though these children if they warranted it would NOT obtain the Celestial bodies others had.  They would still need to pay the price (if they would normally go to the Telestial Kingdom) but eventually they would be able to be saved.

They also commented that those in the Second degree of the Celestial Kingdom are those that were not sealed in an eternal marriage.  These would obtain their glory but serve those who were in the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom.  Some have speculated that most of these would be men and women in general would be mostly in the Highest degree, but that is even more speculative than what the Prophets and Apostles stated on this various degrees within the Celestial Kingdom.

The Highest degree is for those who have entered into the Patriarchial order and triumphed over all things. 

Brigham Young discussed this, as did Wilford Woodruff and Lorenzo Snow.  Most of our normal sources today however are more statements given by Joseph F. Smith (who also expanded upon what the Spirit World would be like and was in a vision of his which eventually became canon), and Joseph Fielding Smith.  These were further expounded upon by Bruce R. Mckonkie.

We have gone away from these ideas in the past few decades, and none of their statements ever became doctrine (except for Joseph F. Smith's portion of a vision where he talked about the Spirit World). 

Thus we see it more as their own personal speculation (though the speculation of prophets and apostles may be something to consider).

The idea that Baptism is the step to the lowest degree of the Celestial Kingdom probably gets it's origins from (Wilford Woodruff?) a prophet I cant recall off the top of my head right now.  However, he said it in reference to Blacks and the Priesthood.  Because Blacks could not hold the Priesthood, they could not participate in the temple.  Hence the Prophet at that time commented that they could still get to the Celestial Kingdom (they were baptized) but only in the lowest degree of it thereof.  This also led to the idea that you needed the Temple ordinances that the Blacks could not obtain at the time to get into the higher degrees within the Celestial Kingdom.  Hence the idea of the endowment for the Second degree of the Celestial Kingdom (but this has never actually been clarified or specified as far as I know regarding that this is indeed what they thought or inferred).

This, again, is not doctrine and hence could be listed as the prophet's speculation on the matter.  In regards to what we know now and that Blacks can hold the Priesthood, it may shed a very different view on the matter.

Edited June 1, 2018 by JohnsonJones

[Rob Osborn]

I honestly wish we just had amore simplistic approach to the plan of salvation like the ancient Nephites had. We get so caught up in requirements and degrees of faithfulness and wickedness that we end up making this socially tiered heaven that in reality sounds more like hell than heaven.

[wenglund]

3 hours ago, Rob Osborn said:

I honestly wish we just had amore simplistic approach to the plan of salvation like the ancient Nephites had. We get so caught up in requirements and degrees of faithfulness and wickedness that we end up making this socially tiered heaven that in reality sounds more like hell than heaven.

I hear you. The ten commandments are pretty simple, though not as simple as the two great commandments. Why did Christ have to go and complicate things with the whole spirit.letter tiered distinctions, and the added layers of beatitudes and parables, not to mention the confounding figurative speaking?

Why did Paul and the other apostles have to stump us with, among many things, the faith and works conundrum?

Why is the Church, then and now, trying to increasingly feed us meat? Why can't we just have gospel 

?

 

All this new light and knowledge is just way too hard.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[NightSG]

14 hours ago, Jane_Doe said:

Thanks for your post.  The OP here hasn't been on since Dec 2013, so I'm not sure he'll be responding. 

Give him time.  I just checked in on a site I hadn't visited in a while. 

Last login: 16 years ago.

Guess I really haven't checked it in a while.