Section 76 defines Christ’s role in God’s plan for our salvation. Which kingdom of glory we receive depends on how we treat our Savior.
My mistake
My whole life I have thought that section 76 was simply the definitions of who would be assigned to each of the kingdoms after the resurrection. It wasn’t until I was studying the manual that I realized that the manual focuses on our assignments being based on our relationship with the Savior. Those who accept Jesus as their Savior then make and keep covenants with him go to one place, while those who reject him go to another place. That change in perspective changes how I read and perceive section 76.
Our relationship with Christ
This subject is one of my pet peeves, so please bear with me. Many people, even very popular scholars among the members of the church, speak of having a relationship with Christ like we are going to make him our best friend. They talk about having a relationship with Jesus like we talk about having a best friend with whom we share secrets, adventures, and long talks in front of the fire. I don’t believe in this kind of relationship with Christ.
Jesus Christ is our God, our Savior and Redeemer. He paid for our sins with a payment that is beyond anything we can begin to imagine. I certainly don’t want to trivialize his sacrifice on my behalf by pretending that I can be buddy buddy with the creator of the universe. I worship my Savior as the one who has paved the way back to my Father in Heaven. He opened the gates of eternal life for me by giving me covenants I can make and keep with his help. Those covenants provide me with power to become better than I currently am. His atoning sacrifice allows me to repent and find grace through his love for me.
This is the relationship I have with my Savior. It is based on love and worship, respect and reverence, not any kind of intimacy that I can have with another mortal. My relationship with God is higher and holier than any earthly bond, for I hold him in higher esteem than any earthly person. He literally is my way back to God and my eternal home. My relationship with Christ is based on love and reverence, worship and respect. It is a sacred relationship that I have with no one else, save my Father in Heaven whom I long to return to.
When we talk about building a relationship with Jesus Christ we can’t afford to think of our relationship with him as anything beyond a worshipful attitude of love and respect, loyalty and devotion. When we begin to think of turning him into one of our close “friends”, like he is one of our besties then we have trivialized his role in our life, and we have assumed a privilege that we don’t deserve to have. He is too high above us, too holy and full of grace for us to treat him with that kind of simple mortal feelings. That is my opinion on the subject. I don’t ever want to be guilty of being disrespectful of his holy calling as Savior and Redeemer of the world, and the creator of all that exists in our universe.
Dividing section 76
Section 76 begins with 10 verses of introduction about the Messiah and his power and place in the plan of salvation as given to us by God, our Father. Following that introduction Joseph Smith talks for a few verses about how the revelation was given and what he and Sidney Rigdon saw. After that we get, section by section, a description of each of the kingdoms of glory, starting with the only kingdom of no glory, followed by the celestial kingdom then the terrestrial kingdom, and ending with the telestial kingdom. There is an indication that more was seen and experienced, but they were put under commandment not to even try to communicate what they experienced with anyone else, for God forbade them from even trying to put it into words for anyone else. Some things from God are for that person witnessing it, and for no one else.
Perdition
Those who are righteous, that is those who make and keep God’s covenants become sons of God, for they follow in His ways and become His heirs. When Lucifer rebelled against God “and sought to take the kingdom of our God and his Christ”, he was cast out of heaven. He “was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him.” So those who follow in his footsteps and rebel against God, after having received His power and seek to crucify Christ “unto themselves and put him to an open shame,” these are they who become Lucifer’s sons or sons of Perdition. These are the only ones who will not be resurrected, and they will be cast into outer darkness forever to live with Satan and his angels in misery and suffering, for there is no forgiveness for them. “they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity.”
Many have been shown this kingdom, but the suffering is so great that God almost immediately shuts the vision, so no one will understand the scope and depth of suffering except those consigned to be there for eternity.
I find it interesting that Christ showed Perdition first then followed it with the vision of the celestial kingdom. I am only guessing that this was so that Joseph and Sydney were left with a sense of hope and joy, instead of a dread and foreboding when the vision closed.
Celestial kingdom
Those who hear about Christ, believe in him then make and keep covenants through baptism, according to God’s commandments, these are they who are blessed with the Holy Ghost. Through their faithfulness to their covenants and the commandments of God they become the church of the Firstborn. They are forgiven of their sins through Christ’s atoning sacrifice. These are they who become priests and kings, and receive of the fulness of God to rule and reign with Him and Christ throughout the eternities. These are they who are raised in the morning of the first resurrection. They become the sons and daughters of God and will become gods.
70 These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.
There is an important point I think should be made here. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints no other kingdom is really discussed. All of our priesthood ordinances point to this kingdom. The lower kingdoms require no covenants to obtain. The focus of the church is to return us to the throne of God, not to see us cut off from His presence for eternity, which all other kingdoms will be. So when you hear of nothing but celestial pursuits in the scriptures, in the church manuals, and over the pulpit, that is why. Why would we want anything less than to be the happiest we can be? The celestial kingdom is the only kingdom that offers unlimited progression for eternity. Why would we offer to anyone something less than the best, especially when the best is so readily available? This is why our whole focus is on obtaining the celestial kingdom. We don’t want the lesser options, no matter how glorious they may be in and of themselves.
Terrestrial kingdom
In this section Christ describes the differences between being resurrected to be a celestial person, versus being resurrected to be a terrestrial person. The same is true for those being resurrected to be a telestial person. Those going to the terrestrial kingdom can abide the presence of the Son of God when he visits them, but they cannot abide the presence of the Father, for they are cut off from His presence forever. Their bodies are capable of glory comparable to how the moon is compared to the sun. It has glory, but not the same kind or amount of glory.
Those who are assigned to live in this kingdom were blinded by the craftiness of men, but were good and honorable people during mortality. This kingdom also has those who made covenants, but did not honor those covenants in mortality.
It is important here to emphasize that the specifics of judgment are known only to God and to Christ. We can look at all our friends and relatives and ask, “but what about … ?” There is so much we don’t know about Christ’s mercy, how far it extends, what influence specific influences and circumstances has on the judgment, etc. We have general categories in these verses, but must leave the actual judgment up to the judge to decide. We can only be held accountable for our own behavior and where that takes us. We need to keep our focus on where our personal choices are leading us, for Satan will try to lead us away from the celestial kingdom any chance he gets.
Telestial kingdom
An important distinction of the telestial kingdom is that it appears that the bulk of God’s children will go here. Their individual glory will be as diverse as the brightness of the individual stars of heaven. The glory of this kingdom surpasses all understanding, and only those who have it revealed to them can understand how glorious it is. Yet this is where the liars, murderers, and all the evil people go. They are sent to this kingdom after Christ has finished all his work. Theirs is the last resurrection to take place. They will spend time in hell until this resurrection releases them.
These people never accepted the testimony of Christ. They rejected his atoning sacrifice in their behalf. The glory of this kingdom is the promise made by the Father in the premortal life that if they kept their first estate they would be added upon. Look in Abraham 3:26. This promise is mentioned in the first line of the verse, but isn’t emphasized. This verse is where we were all promised to have a resurrected body of some sort if we kept our first estate, and an even better body if we kept our second estate, which we hadn’t yet received. The promise was made before Satan rebelled against God and tried to take His kingdom. This earth life is our second estate. So it doesn’t matter what people do here, because they will still receive a resurrected body. The gospel of Christ just offers them more than what they can get any other way in the eternities. If they are satisfied with the original promise then they don’t need to repent in this life to receive their reward. They’ll pay for their sins during their time in hell.
Final Thoughts
Each of the kingdoms of glory are described based on the relationship their occupants have with the Savior of mankind. Those who basically reject him and his role in saving us go to the lowest kingdom of glory, the telestial. But even then the Savior’s sacrifice for us all saves everyone from having to live in hell forever. Those in this kingdom will be governed by the Holy ghost and by ministering angels.
Those who are good people, but who didn’t embrace the truths and covenants of Christ’s gospel according to his priesthood go to the terrestrial kingdom. Even those who make covenants, but don’t keep them go to this kingdom. There is a lot about this kingdom we don’t have answers for, but the main principle here is that good people who didn’t want to do the work of repenting and obeying are they who live in this kingdom. They will have the presence of the Savior, but will never see the Father again.
Only those who embrace the belief in Jesus as the Savior and Redeemer of the world, make and keep covenants according to the Father’s requirements then are faithful to the end of their lives will be forgiven of their sins and exalted as sons and daughters of God, to live and rule with God and Christ in the eternities. Only those who inherit the celestial kingdom as sons and daughters of God will be allowed to have mates, and children, for only gods have families in the eternities.
It is important to remember that much has been revealed in the 200 years since this revelation was given. We are still learning one piece at a time. That process doesn’t change, but the principles behind what Joseph Smith learned that day are still so important. The central role of Christ in the whole plan of salvation is evident as we look at the degrees of glory available to us after this life. Each kingdom of glory is based upon the degree to which we accept Jesus and his role in our lives to save us and help us return to our Father in Heaven.
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