The Kingdom Of Heaven - Jay Mackley LDS Zion blog

Throughout recorded history, mankind has repeatedly sought the perfect political-social system¹ – where everyone prospers, has freedom, and is truly happy – a utopia. Wars have been fought and millions killed over the political systems which govern mankind but all of these systems have been far from perfect. However, according to Holy Scripture a “perfect” system really does exists and it is called the “Kingdom of Heaven”. The Kingdom of Heaven is where the laws of God prevail² 100% according to the free will of the people. In our pre-mortal state³ we resided in the Kingdom of Heaven before and during the creation of the earth (according to scripture) for millions of years (according to science), although few of us have any idea of what that means now. I imagine that our concept of time was different then, but still, that is a very long time. What were we doing all that time while the earth was being prepared for our visitation?

According to the Scriptures the earth was created by Jesus⁴, at the direction of God the Father, and that Jesus had others⁵ under His direct leadership⁶. Apparently at least some of us had a hand in planning and development⁷ for the plants, animals and physical environment that would exist in our future world. Afterward we then eagerly looked forward⁸ to taking our own personal step into mortality⁹. We had that grand idea of exercising full independance¹⁰, with a fully physical existance¹¹.In the Kingdom of God we learned, grew and thrived under God’s benevolent tutelage¹². Our Heavenly Father told us that we, as His children, had a potential to achieve all that He had achieved and that He wanted that for us. We knew about Gods plan for us in the “Sunday School” lessons in heaven over and over again and ours was not a superficial understanding, especially since at that time our minds were not yet constrained with the limits of mortality¹³. We were positively sure we were ready — maybe a little scared but we could hardly wait¹⁴. The goal was that we would graduate to our next class in Godhood¹⁵, and meet again on earth.

Of course, there’s always those with different ideas. Too risky, they said. Too much pain and suffering they said. There’s got to be an easier way¹⁶ they said. The pro’s and con’s were vigorously debated¹⁷. A vote was taken. In political terms it was a landslide: 67% in favor of the official plan¹⁸, 33% opposed¹⁹. The losers would not concede²⁰. They refused to go along. They rebelled²¹. So they were expelled²². Where did the losers go? To the earth²³ of course, but without the experience of physical mortality — just like they wanted it. They wanted to prove themselves right, smarter than God²⁴, our Father in Heaven. In all of recorded history, every personal philosophy and every conceivable type of governing system has been tried. Most have been dismal failures, and others have only partially succeeded but never close to perfectly except for one case in the past: The City of Enoch²⁵. And one prophesied case for the future is destined to succeed: The City of Zion²⁶.

In each case, the success comes from having the perfect form of government, the Kingdom of Heaven. And one day the two cities shall meet²⁷, become the New Jerusalem²⁸ under Christ, and commence a period of total prosperity, attainment, and peace.In the earlier days of the LDS church, the Kingdom of Heaven and the Millennial reign of our Savior were popular subjects for talks and discussion²⁹. Currently there is not as much emphasis, as least as a central theme. It isn’t that the Latter-day Saints aren’t interested or have quit believing in it, it’s rather that the time for talk passed and the time for spiritual preparedness³⁰ arrived. Currently, the prophets and apostles increasingly speak of personal worthiness, faith and trust in God, in making and keeping Holy covenants, of treating our neighbor as ourselves, of repentance through Jesus, and of putting our shoulder to the wheel in bring forth the Kingdom of God first so that the Kingdom of Heaven may come. After all, the Kingdom of Heaven WILL come, ready or not. The time is fixed³¹. It is on Gods official calendar³².

According to scripture, there are two fundamental laws on which the Kingdom of Heaven is built³³: The Law of Sacrifice³⁴ and the Law of Consecration³⁵. The Law of Sacrifice results in putting God as number one³⁶ above everything else — a willingness to sacrifice social and family allegiances³⁷, reputation and honor, and even our life — everything if necessary³⁸ — to the will of God. Think about it, all the Old Testament prophets, like Daniel, and early Christians, were willing to do this and were willing to even die rather than deny God – to face Lions, or to be otherwise executed, as martyrs in the cause of truth. Jesus of course made the ultimate sacrifice going further than we could go for ourselves — and required his followers to be willing, in their hearts, to do the same³⁹. He asks it also of us⁴⁰ today. For a Christian to really follow Christ, they must be willing to offer and sacrifice all⁴¹ on the alter of God. It’s a good deal, really, as we don’t have all that much to give. Our “all” is a very small price to pay in comparison to the promises of eternity. All it takes is commitment combined with love and faith/trust in Jesus.

The Law of Consecration³⁵ is built upon and comes after the Law of Sacrifice³⁴. It is a requirement to give our time, talents, money, and property to the Kingdom of Heaven, as it is needed, if/when it it requested. It is an impossible to do this unless the person has total faith in God, is willing to sacrifice, and is spiritually pure. Many individuals live the Law of Consecration³⁵ today to the extent to which they are asked, by paying a tithe and whatever else is needed for missions, temples, and other worthy endeavors. A righteous people, living these two laws together, and who are in harmony⁴⁵ with God and with love for their fellow men, form the foundation⁴⁶ for the future Kingdom of Heaven – an incredible society where there is love, support, opportunity and wealth for all. It is what everybody instinctively knows is possible — but our worldly societies do not know how to get there.Some ill-informed individuals have leaped to the conclusion that the Kingdom of Heaven is like Communism, however Communism is a counterfeit for the Kingdom of Heaven. Note the important differences:

Kingdom of Heaven	Communism
1. Property privately owned	1. All property belongs to the state
2. Opt-in/Opt-out available	2. No options. Your are forcibly in.
3. Central belief and trust in God	3. Official athiesm
4. Freedom to choose	4. Coercion
5. Prosperity	5. Poverty
6. Common consent required	6. Dictator has final word

#1 on the list is the key to the whole system. How can one live the law of sacrifice and consecration when one owns nothing? One must first have, to give. When there is no private property, there is no giving, no consecration possible.

#2 on the list shouldn’t be a problem. The Kingdom of Heaven is to be so glorious and wonderful in nature that it will be a great privilege to be a part of it. Getting back in is the challenge. No one will want to leave voluntarily. But one can leave anytime one wants. Lucifer did.

#3 Trust in God. We say it on our coins. In the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who have already trusted in Him and are tried and proven are allowed to be there.

#4 The principle of freedom is little understood in today’s society. It is simply the ability and the power to choose. The wicked do not have this. They are wrapped around Lucifer’s little finger and he sifts them as wheat⁴⁷. Their habits and addictive behaviors are weaknesses exploited by lucifer and his minions to bind them down. Sin addicts are like drug addicts in a real sense. They have no freedom and are owned by their master. I met many people on my Church mission that privately expressed a desire to make positive, non-destructive behavioral changes in their life – but simply despaired of ever doing it. Those who exercise faith in Christ, on the other hand, are directly empowered by God with the ability to choose. They have power to follow God, but they can also fall at any time, easily. Power to choose = freedom.

#5 Imagine a society where everyone is honest, where there is no need for police or extensive bureaucracies to “regulate” people. How much money and resources would be saved by that alone? Imagine a society where everyone has a concerned, loving, and extended family. Imagine a society where all the leaders are honest and hardworking. Imagine a society with plentiful energy and technology far advanced over our own. Imagine having a beautiful body that never ages, is full of strength, and health — and with a mind to match. Imagine a society where there is no war or violence, and an earth with no flaws or destructive elements, and a people with no disunity of purpose. How physically and spiritually wealthy would such a society be? Beyond our comprehension!

#6 Allegiance, support, and loyalty must be freely given if it is to have any value at all. And that means it could be withheld. It could be, but won’t be. For those who were loyal in mortality, post-mortality loyalty is no issue whatsoever. Once we all see 100% of the truth, via divine vision and understanding, we’ll be eternally grateful to The Father and His Son for their loving plan and for their incredible patience and sacrifice and loyalty to us – so that returning the same will be so natural and right that we’ll be eager and count it a privilege to mirror their example. Plus we’ll have none of the deceptions, negative draw, ignorance and plain stupidity that characterize mortality. We won’t be mortal in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Constitution of the United States was inspired by God⁴⁸ and came forth by wise men⁴⁹ that God carefully prepared, in mortality and in pre-mortality, for this purpose. So the Kingdom of God is like a Republic? In many respects, yes, in that the Priesthood pattern has always been to have a system of representative “judges”⁵⁰ so that the people could govern themselves⁵¹ according to law, and also have a prophet/priest to teach the people. Anciently, God gave the people a monarchical king only when they insisted, following the law of common consent⁵², but He also warned them⁵³ of the consequences of Kings.However, the Kingdom of Heaven is not a mortal kingdom so the counsel against kings does not apply in that context. The scriptures teach that God does not favor kings in mortality because of the damage an evil king can do⁵⁴, however, having a king is good if that king is a good and righteous person⁵⁵. In the Kingdom of Heaven the appointment as King is a permanent one and, in the resurrection, that post is an eternal and everlasting assignment. It functions in tandem with the eternal Priesthood pattern of judges.Under this system the king is a patient, loving and respected teacher who is a guarantor of rights and fairness provided by the eternal law. It is a system of maximum freedom⁵⁶. Of course, Jesus Christ will reign as the acknowledged King⁵⁷. There is no one more worthy⁵⁸ of our loyalty than Him. However, He is the King not because WE say so, but because God the Father has given this earth to Him and appointed Him the king of it. If we repent of sins through faith in Christ, we get to be with Him as our reward, and not vice-versa. Only those who freely acknowledge and live His law, and have been forgiven of ALL sins, washed clean in the blood of the Lamb⁵⁹, are worthy to remain and reside in the Kingdom of Heaven — on this earth, when it is made into a celestialized sphere⁶⁰ of unimaginable glory⁶¹.

References¹Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:609–10

The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age; it is a theme upon which prophets, priests and kings have dwelt with peculiar delight; they have looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live; and fired with heavenly and joyful anticipations they have sung and written and prophesied of this our day; but they died without the sight; we are the favored people that God has made choice of to bring about the Latter-day glory; it is left for us to see, participate in and help to roll forward the Latter-day glory, ‘the dispensation of the fullness of times, when God will gather together all things that are in heaven, and all things that are upon the earth, even in one’ (Eph 1:9-10), when the Saints of God will be gathered in one from every nation, and kindred, and people, and tongue, when the Jews will be gathered together into one, the wicked will also be gathered together to be destroyed, as spoken of by the prophets; the Spirit of God will also dwell with His people, and be withdrawn from the rest of the nations, and all things whether in heaven or on earth will be in one, even in Christ.

²Matthew 6

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven …10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

³Abraham 3

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham , the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

⁴JST John 1

1 In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God.2 The same was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made which was made.

⁵Abraham 4, Genesis 1

1 And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth.26 And the Gods took counsel among themselves and said: Let us go down and form man in our image, after our likeness; and we will give them dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

⁶Abraham 3

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

⁷Abraham 3

24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;

⁸Job 38

4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁹Jeremiah 1

5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

¹⁰Moses 7

32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;

¹¹Moses 7

26 And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten, which was with me from the beginning: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and it was so. …27 And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them.

¹²Jeremiah 1, Moses 1

4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

¹³2 Corinthians 5, Moses 1

4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.27 And it came to pass, as the voice was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the Spirit of God.28 And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore.

¹⁴Job 38

4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

¹⁵Moses 1, DC 84, DC 132, DC 76, John 10

39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.20 Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.58 Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God—34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

¹⁶Moses 4

1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.

¹⁷Moses 4

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

¹⁸Abraham 3

25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;26 And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.27 And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.28 And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him.

¹⁹DC 29, Revelation 12

36 …—for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency;4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:

²⁰Isaiah 14, Abraham 3, DC 76

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.16 They that see athee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;28 And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him.25 And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,26 And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning.

²¹DC 29, Moses 4, DC 76

36 … for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency;3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;28 And while we were yet in the Spirit, the Lord commanded us that we should write the vision; for we beheld Satan, that old serpent, even the devil, who rebelled against God, and sought to take the kingdom of our God and his Christ—

²²Revelation 12, DC 29, Luke 10

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.37 And they were thrust down, and thus came the devil and his angels;17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

²³Revelation 12

9 … and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

²⁴Alma 28, DC 10, Helaman 3

13 And thus we see how great the inequality of man is because of sin and transgression, and the power of the devil, which comes by the cunning plans which he hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men.12 And, on this wise, the devil has sought to lay a cunning plan, that he may destroy this work;43 I will not suffer that they shall destroy my work; yea, I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—

²⁵Moses 7

15 … and there went forth a curse upon all people that fought against God;16 And from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness.17 The fear of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of the Lord, which was upon his people. And the Lord blessed the land, and they were blessed upon the mountains, and upon the high places, and did flourish.18 And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.19 And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. …20 And it came to pass that Enoch talked with the Lord; and he said unto the Lord: Surely Zion shall dwell in safety forever. But the Lord said unto Enoch: Zion have I blessed, but the residue of the people have I cursed.21 And it came to pass that the Lord showed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld, and lo, Zion, in process of time, was taken up into heaven. And the Lord said unto Enoch: Behold mine abode forever.

²⁶Moses 7, DC 97, DC 133

²⁷Moses 7

62 …and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.63 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;64 And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest.

²⁸Moses 7, Ether 13, Revelation 3, Revelation 21, DC 45, AF 1

62 And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.3 And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.4 Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land.12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.66 And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

²⁹George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, 15:207

The time must come when we must obey that which has been revealed to us as the Order of Enoch, when there shall be no rich and no poor among the Latter-day Saints; when wealth will not be a temptation; when every man will love his neighbor as he does himself; when every man and woman will labor for the good of all as much as for self. That day must come, and we may as well prepare our hearts for it, brethren, for as wealth increases I see more and more a necessity for the institution of such an order. As wealth increases, luxury and extravagance have more power over us. The necessity for such an order is very great, and God, undoubtedly, in his own time and way, will inspire his servant [the prophet] to introduce it among the people.

³⁰DC 105, DC 38, DC 97

2 Behold, I say unto you, were it not for the transgressions of my people, speaking concerning the church and not individuals, they might have been redeemed even now.3 But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them;4 And are not united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom;5 And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself.25 And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself.26 For what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter of them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one: Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other: Be thou clothed in rags and sit thou there—and looketh upon his sons and saith I am just?27 Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable, and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.21 Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—THE PURE IN HEART; …

³¹Matthew 24

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

³²DC 1

38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

³³DC 105

5 And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself.

³⁴Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith, p. 58 & Bruce R. McConkie, Conference Report, Apr. 1975, p. 74 & Psalms 51:17 & Mark 12:33 & DC 59:8 & 3 Nephi 9:20

A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary [to lead] unto life and salvation.The Law of Sacrifice is that we are willing to sacrifice all that we have for the truth’s sake—our character and reputation; our honor and applause; our good name among men; our houses, lands, and families; all things, even our very lives if need be.17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.8 Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.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 …

³⁵DC 105:29, DC 85:29, Conference Report Apr. 1975 pp. 74–76, George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, 15:207

29 For it is my will that these lands should be purchased; and after they are purchased that my saints should possess them according to the laws of consecration which I have given.3 It is contrary to the will and commandment of God that those who receive not their inheritance by consecration, agreeable to his law, which he has given, that he may tithe his people, to prepare them against the day of vengeance and burning, should have their names enrolled with the people of God.…The law of sacrifice is a celestial law; so is the law of consecration…Sacrifice and consecration are inseparably intertwined. The law of consecration is that we consecrate our time, our talents, and our money and property to the cause of the Church; such are to be available to the extent they are needed to further the Lord’s interests on earth…We are not always called upon to live the whole law of consecration and give all of our time, talents, and means to the building up of the Lord’s earthly kingdom. Few of us are called upon to sacrifice much of what we possess, and at the moment there is only an occasional martyr in the cause of revealed religion.But what the scriptural account means is that to gain celestial salvation we must be able to live these laws to the full if we are called upon to do so. Implicit in this is the reality that we must in fact live them to the extent we are called upon so to do…Now I think it is perfectly clear that the Lord expects far more of us than we sometimes render in response. We are not as other men. We are the saints of God and have the revelations of heaven. Where much is given much is expected. We are to put first in our lives the things of his kingdom.The time must come when we must obey that which has been revealed to us as the Order of Enoch, when there shall be no rich and no poor among the Latter-day Saints; when wealth will not be a temptation; when every man will love his neighbor as he does himself; when every man and woman will labor for the good of all as much as for self. That day must come, and we may as well prepare our hearts for it

³⁶DC 59:6, Mark 12:30, Deuteronomy 6:5, DC 20:31

5 Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, saying thus: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.31 And we know also, that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength.

³⁷Matthew 19:29

29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

³⁸Deuteronomy 6, Mark 12

5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

³⁹John 16

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

⁴⁰DC 12

12 For after much tribulation, as I have said unto you in a former commandment, cometh the blessing.

⁴¹DC 122

5 If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;6 If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

⁴⁴DC 105:29, DC 85:29, Conference Report Apr. 1975 pp. 74–76, George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, 15:207

⁴⁵DC 97

I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.\r\n\r\n21 Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—THE PURE IN HEART; …

⁴⁶DC 105

5 And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself.

⁴⁷3 Nephi 18, Luke 22

18 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

⁴⁸DC 101

77 According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles;

⁴⁹DC 101

80 And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.

⁵⁰Exodus 18

17 And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

⁵¹John Taylor, Millennial Star, Nov. 15, 1851, 339

Some years ago, in Nauvoo, a gentleman in my hearing, a member of the Legislature, asked Joseph Smith how it was that he was enabled to govern so many people, and to preserve such perfect order; remarking at the same time that it was impossible for them to do it anywhere else. Mr. Smith remarked that it was very easy to do that. “How?” responded the gentleman; “to us it is very difficult.” Mr. Smith replied, “I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.”

⁵²1 Samuel 8

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

⁵³1 Samuel 8

9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.10 And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king.11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.19 Nevertheless the people refused to aobey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;20 That we also may be like all the nations; …

⁵⁴Mosiah 23

6 And the people were desirous that Alma should be their king, for he was beloved by his people.7 But he said unto them: Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king.8 Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings it would be well for you to have a king.9 But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests; and I myself was caught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore repentance;.

⁵⁵Mosiah 29

11 … let us appoint judges, to judge this people according to our law; and we will newly arrange the affairs of this people, for we will appoint wise men to be judges, that will judge this people according to the commandments of God.12 Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just.13 Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments, yea, if ye could have men for your kings who would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people—I say unto you, if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you.

⁵⁶DC 98, John 8, 4 Nephi 1, Helaman 14

8 I, the Lord God, make you free, therefore ye are free indeed; and the law also maketh you free.36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.3 And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift.30 And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.

⁵⁷Philippians 2, Romans 14, DC 76, DC 88, Mosiah 27

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.110 And heard the voice of the Lord saying: These all shall bow the knee, and every tongue shall confess to him who sits upon the throne forever and ever;104 And this shall be the sound of his trump, saying to all people, both in heaven and in earth, and that are under the earth—for every ear shall hear it, and every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, while they hear the sound of the trump, saying: Fear God, and give glory to him who sitteth upon the throne, forever and ever; for the hour of his judgment is come.31 Yea, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God; then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall quake, and tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye.

⁵⁸Revelation 5

11 … and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

⁵⁹1 Nephi 12:11, Mormon 9:6

11 And the angel said unto me: Look! And I looked, and beheld three generations pass away in righteousness; and their garments were white even like unto the Lamb of God. And the angel said unto me: These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him.6 O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day.

⁶⁰Revelation 2:17, DC 130

17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.6 The angels do not reside on a planet like this earth;7 But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord.8 The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim.9 This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ’s.10 Then the white stone mentioned in Revelation 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms will be made known;

⁶¹DC 137, DC 76

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.92 And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all things—where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever;93 Before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and give him glory forever and ever.94 They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace;

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