Is it possible to progress from one kingdom to another?
Gramps,
A newly returned missionary said that his mission presisdent told him that there was no place in the scriptures or Church doctrine that said one couldn’t progress from on kingdom to another. It was always my understanding that whatever kingdom you went to that was it. You could progress with in that kingdom but that was all. Could you clear this up for all of us. Thank you.
Allison, from Oregon
Dear Allison,
Although it may be true that one cannot find in the scriptures a definitive statement that one may not progress from one degree of glory to another, there is certainly nothing in the scriptures that states that such progression is possible. In fact, we may interpret from 2 Nephi 9:16, that those who are remanded to Satan as sons of perdition, will never escape from that condemnation.
And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away, that they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still; wherefore, they who are filthy are the devil and his angels; and they shall go away into everlasting fire, prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end.
However, there is no equivocation on the subject in the writing of the Brethren. Here are a few examples-
James E. Talmage, The Vitality of Mormonism, p.269
“Progression in eternity is to be along well defined lines; and thus the inheritors of any specific order or kingdom of glory may advance forever without attaining the particular exaltation belonging to a different kingdom or order.”
Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.31 – p.32
“If in time those who enter the telestial glory may progress till they reach the stage in which the celestial is in now-then they are in celestial glory, are they not, even if the celestial has advanced? That being the case (I state this for the argument only, for it is not true), then they partake of all the blessings which are now celestial. That means that they become gods, have exaltation, gain the fulness of the Father, and receive a continuation of the ‘seeds forever.’ The Lord, however, has said that these blessings, which are celestial blessings, they may never have; they are barred forever!”
Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.287
“Those who receive the exaltation in the celestial kingdom will have the ‘continuation of the seeds forever.’ They will live in the family relationship. In the terrestrial and in the telestial kingdoms there will be no marriage. Those who enter there will remain ‘separately and singly’ forever.”
Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.1, p.196 – p.197
“At the end of the millennium, and in the morning of this second resurrection, those shall come forth who merit telestial bodies, and they shall be rewarded accordingly. Finally, in the afternoon of the second resurrection, those who ‘remain filthy still,’ those who having been raised in immortality are judged and found wholly wanting, those whom we call sons of perdition, shall be cast out with Lucifer and his angels to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire forever. (D. & C. 76:25-49, 81-113; 88:101-102; 2 Ne. 9:14-16.)”
Milton R. Hunter, Conference Report October 1949, p.74
“All who have inhabited this earth will stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ and will be assigned to their future world in which to live forever. Some will be assigned to terrestrial glory, some to telestial glory, and others even to perdition.”
Sterling W. Sill, BYU Speeches, January 20, 1960, p.11
“Supposing, therefore, that we get together the literature about the telestial kingdom and find out what kind of a place it is, with sufficient consideration for the suffering required to purge away the sins of those who go there. How would you like to be a telestial person and live forever in the telestial kingdom? That would mean that you had a telestial body, a telestial mind and a telestial personality. I do not know what any of these will be like, I only know that they will be less fine, less pleasant, than those that we might have obtained.”
Melvin J. Ballard, Three Degrees of Glory, p.31
He who enters the celestial glory has the advantage over all others. He dwells in the presence of the Father and the Son. His teachers are the highest The others will receive all they learn from the celestial to the terrestrial, from the terrestrial to the telestial. They get it second hand and third had, and how can they ever hope to grow as fast as those who drink from the fountain head. Again, those who come forth in the celestial glory with celestial bodies have a body that is more refined. It is different. The very fibre and texture of the celestial body is more pure and holy than a telestial or terrestrial body, and a celestial body alone can endure celestial Glory . . . When we have a celestial body it will be suited to the celestial conditions and a telestial body could not endure celestial glory. It would be torment and affliction to them. I have not read in the scripture where there will be another resurrection where we can obtain a celestial body for a terrestrial body. What we receive in the resurrection will be ours forever and ever.
Gramps
Gramps,
You wrote: “However, there is no equivocation on the subject in the writing of the Brethren.” Actually, there is a lot of equivocation on the subject in the writing of the Brethren. You answered the question only giving voice to the opinions/statements of those opposed to the idea of progression between kingdoms. Many of the brethren have made statements in support of progression between kingdoms (e.g. from telestial to terrestrial to celestial), not just progression from the lower degree of one kingdom to the higher degree of the same (e.g. the lower terrestrial to the upper terrestrial). Some quotes in favor of progression are below:
Brigham Young
“None would inherit this earth when it became celestial and translated into the presence of God but those who would be crowned as Gods — all others would have to inherit another kingdom — they would eventually have the privilege of proving themselves worthy and advancing to a celestial kingdom but it would be a slow process.” (In the journal of Wilford Woodruff, 5 Aug 1855)
Franklin D. Richards (Quorum of the Twelve)
The Savior tells us that the terrestrial glory, or kingdom, is likened unto the glory of the moon, which is not of the brightness of the sun, neither of the smallness nor dimness of the stars. But those others who have no part in marrying or giving of marriage in the last resurrection, they become as stars, and even differ from each other in glory; but those in the terrestrial kingdom are those who will come forth at the time when Enoch comes back, when the Savior comes again to dwell upon the earth; when Father Abraham will be there with the Urim and Thummim to look after every son and daughter of his race; to make known all things that are needed to be known, and with them enter into their promised inheritance. Thus the people of God will go forward. They will go forward, like unto the new moon, increasing in knowledge and brightness and glory, until they come to a fullness of celestial glory. (Journal of Discourses Vol. 25:236, 17 May 1884)
Wilford Woodruff (Quorum of the Twelve)
In conversing upon various principles President [Brigham] Young said none would inherit this Earth when it became celestial and translated into the presence of God but those who would be crowned as Gods and able to endure the fullness of the presence of God, except they would be permitted to take with them some servants for whom they would be held responsible. All others would have to inherit another kingdom, even that kingdom agreeing with the law which they had kept. He said they would eventually have the privilege of proving themselves worthy and advancing to a celestial kingdom, but it would be a slow progress. (Journal of Wilford Woodruff, 5 Aug 1855)
Joseph F. Smith (President)
Once a person enters these glories there will be eternal progress in the line of each of these particular glories, but the privilege of passing from one to another (though this may be possible for especially gifted and faithful characters) is not provided for. (Improvement Era 14:87, November 1910)
J. Reuben Clark, Jr. (First Presidency)
I am not a strict constructionalist, believing that we seal our eternal progress by what we do here. It is my belief that God will save all of His children that he can: and while, if we live unrighteously here, we shall not go to the other side in the same status, so to speak, as those who lived righteously; nevertheless, the unrighteous will have their chance, and in the eons of the eternities that are to follow, they, too, may climb to the destinies to which they who are righteous and serve God, have climbed to those eternities that are to come. (Church News, p. 3 , 23 April 1960)
B.H. Roberts (Presidency of the Seventy)
These are the great divisions of glory in the world to come, but there are subdivisions or degrees. Of the telestial glory it is written: “And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one, for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world” [D&C 76:98]. From this it is evident that there are different degrees of glory within the celestial and the telestial glories; and though we have no direct authority for the statement, it seems but reasonable to conclude that there are different degrees of glory in the terrestrial world also. It appears but rational that it should be so, since the degrees of worthiness in men are almost infinite in their variety; and as every man is to be judged according to his works, it will require a corresponding infinity of degrees in glory to mete out to every man that reward of which he is worthy, and that also which his intelligence will enable him to enjoy.
The question of advancement within the great divisions of glory celestial, terrestrial, and telestial; as also the question of advancement from one sphere of glory to another remains to be considered. In the revelation from which we have summarized what has been written here, in respect to the different degrees of glory, it is said that those of the terrestrial glory will be ministered unto by those of the celestial; and those of the telestial will be ministered unto by those of the terrestrial–that is, those of the higher glory minister to those of a lesser glory. I can conceive of no reason for all this administration of the higher to the lower, unless it be for the purpose of advancing our Father’s children along the lines of eternal progression. Whether or not in the great future, full of so many possibilities now hidden from us, they of the lesser glories after education and advancement within those spheres may at last emerge from them and make their way to the higher degrees of glory until at last they attain to the highest, is not revealed in the revelations of God, and any statement made on the subject must partake more or less of the nature of conjecture. But if it be granted that such a thing is possible, they who at the first entered into the celestial glory–having before them the privilege also of eternal progress–have been moving onward, so that the relative distance between them and those who have fought their way up from the lesser glories may be as great when the latter have come into the degrees of celestial glory in which the righteous at first stood, as it was at the commencement. Thus: Those whose faith and works are such only as to enable them to inherit a telestial glory, may arrive at last where those whose works in this life were such as to enable them to entrance into the celestial kingdom–they may arrive where these were, but never where they are. (New Witnesses for God, 1:391-392)
Wilford Woodruff (Member of the Quorum of the Twelve)
If there was a point where man in his progression could not proceed any further, the very idea would throw a gloom over every intelligent creature. God himself is increasing and progressing in knowledge, power, and dominion, and will do so, worlds without end. It is just so with us. We are in probation, which is a school of experience. ( Journal of Discourses, Volume 6:120, December 6, 1857)
Hyrum Smith (Assistant President of the Church, Church Patriarch, Member of the Quorum of the Twelve)
Hiram [Smith] said Aug 1st [18]43 Those of the Terrestrial Glory either advance to the Celestial or recede to the Telestial [or] else the moon could not be a type [viz. a symbol of that kingdom]. [for] it [the moon] “waxes & wanes”. Also that br George will be quickened by celestial glory having been ministered to by one of that Kingdom. ( August 1, 1843, transcribed by Franklin D. Richards; Words of the Prophet, pg. 24; CHO Ms/d/4409/Misc Minutes Collection)
There are many more out there. Ultimately, the church’s official position is that it has no official doctrine on the matter. See the below statement.
Secretary to the First Presidency in a 1952 letter; and again in 1965
The brethren direct me to say that the Church has never announced a definite doctrine upon this point. Some of the brethren have held the view that it was possible in the course of progression to advance from one glory to another, invoking the principle of eternal progression; others of the brethren have taken the opposite view. But as stated, the Church has never announced a definite doctrine on this point.