I want you to
stop and think of the comparison being made one more time. Think of how bright the stars seem to us, and
how much difference it makes for them to give their own light when the earth
can’t give light to our eyes. Again
ponder upon how much more beautiful the Telestial Kingdom must be than the
earth for it to be compared to the glory of the stars in comparison to the
earth. Think of the beauty of the earth that
surrounds you and realize that it, in all its wonderful glory, has far less
beauty than the Telestial Kingdom, just as the earth gives off far less light
in comparison to the stars.
Now think of how
much brighter than the stars the moon is.
Ponder upon how that brightness is so much more to our eyes than the
lack of light the earth appears to give, as well as the dim light the stars
give in comparison. Realize this is compared
to the difference between the beauty of the earth, the Telestial Kingdom, and
the Terrestial Kingdom. The Terrestial
Kingdom has to be incredibly more glorious and beautiful than either the
Telestial Kingdom or the earth for this comparison to be made.
But it doesn’t
stop there. Then we have the Celestial
Kingdom, whose glory is likened to the sun, to think about. Think of how much more light the sun gives
than the moon. It’s magnificent in
comparison. The moon doesn’t even come
close to the same level of light as the sun!
And the stars and the earth are even farther from the same degree of
light and glory the sun gives than the moon is.
And this represents the beauty of the Celestial Kingdom!
To me it seems
impossible to even come close to imagining the beauty of the Celestial Kingdom
when that beauty exceeds the beauty of our magnificent earth to the same degree
as the brightness of the sun exceeds the brightness of our earth. It’s impossible for my mortal mind to
grasp. Yet the Celestial Kingdom is
waiting for the faithful and righteous children of God.
How is it
possible that the Celestial Kingdom can have so much light? It can because God the Eternal Father dwells
in the Celestial Kingdom. This is His
abode. His presence is always
there. This is why those who come to
dwell there will have celestial bodies with glory like the glory of God
(Doctrine and Covenants 76:70), because they have earned the privilege of
living with God and Jesus Christ forever (Doctrine and Covenants 76:62).
Why do those who
dwell in the Celestial Kingdom earn the privilege of the presence of God and
Jesus Christ forever? The answer lies in
Doctrine and Covenants 76:51-53. It
reads, “They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his
name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the
water in his name, and this according to the commandments which he has given—that
by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their
sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is
ordained and sealed unto the power; and who 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.”
This means those
who come to dwell in the Celestial Kingdom with God are those who receive a
testimony of Jesus Christ and live it.
The exercise their faith in Him and live His commandments. They obey His laws and perform those things,
such as baptism, that He has asked of His disciples by first showing them the
way. They grow through their life
experiences and their faith in Jesus Christ to be better people, more obedient
to the will of God. They are willing to
forsake temporal pleasures manifested in unrighteous manners so they can follow
righteous eternal principles set forth by the laws and commandments of
God.
Because of this,
the Holy Spirit, the Great Testifier of All Truth, testifies of the
righteousness of these people. He seals
them to God the Eternal Father through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (which
cleanses them from their sins by their faith).
And they are allowed to enter the Celestial Kingdom and the presence of
God, where they will dwell and live for all eternity and gain access to the
blessings God has promised.
What are these
blessings? They receive of the fullness and
glory of God, to become kings and queens in His courts. They will become Gods as the sons and
daughters of The One True God. All
things will be theirs, and they will be able to overcome all things. They will come forth in the first
resurrection, the resurrection of the just, to be made perfect through Jesus
the Perfect One. They will come to Mount
Zion, the city of the Living God, to dwell with God and His Son forever. (Doctrine and Covenants 76:55-56, 58-60, 62,
64-66, 69) And as we know from the
description of the beauty of the Celestial Kingdom in comparison to the beauty
of this earth, they will dwell in beauty that defies the all description. They will dwell in beauty that the mortal
mind can’t grasp. They will dwell in the
most beautiful place of all.
What great
blessings! Who wouldn’t want to dwell in
the Celestial Kingdom, the greatest of all?
What in this world is so important that it would warrant sacrificing a
place in the Celestial Kingdom? I submit
to you that nothing is, for I know that nothing is. God has promised the Celestial Kingdom, and
all that comes with it, to all who follow Christ in faith. Following Him in faith means using His
Atonement to repent of your sins and return to the paths of God. And it is attainable by everyone. It is attainable by you. I know this to be true, and I testify of it
in the name of Jesus the Anointed One.
Amen.
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