Podcasts about celestial kingdom

In this powerful, raw, and emotional conversation, Nathan Hinckley and his daughter Kayli open up about their journey through Mormonism — from deep devotion to painful disillusionment — and how faith, family, and unexpected truths collided at one of the most sacred moments: Kayli's wedding.From early seminary mornings and dreams of the Celestial Kingdom to patriarchal blessings, church culture clashes, and a heartbreaking faith crisis — this interview pulls no punches. Nathan, a once-devoted bishop and father, shares how his spiritual unraveling sent shockwaves through his family, culminating in a moment that changed everything at his daughter's temple wedding.How do you break the news to your family that you no longer believe — when your whole life has been built around it?How did Kayli handle growing up as a “perfect Mormon girl,” only to find herself questioning it all before adulthood?Topics explored:-Growing up Mormon in Tennessee-Spiritual perfectionism & scrupulosity-Patriarchal expectations vs self-identity-Leaving the Church and breaking generational cycles-Family dynamics around faith, control, and truth___________________YouTubeMormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors!Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today:One-time or recurring donation through DonorboxSupport us on PatreonPayPalVenmoOur Platforms:YouTubePatreonSpotifyApple PodcastsContact us:MormonStories@gmail.comPO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117Social Media:Insta: @mormstoriesTikTok: @mormonstoriespodcastJoin the Discord

Today, we're reviewing Immortal, a great standalone that takes place in the Celestial Kingdom but stands on its own, featuring great characters and high stakes.Follow the Author: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/suelynntan⁠⁠⁠Buy on B&N: ⁠⁠https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/immortal-sue-lynn-tan/1145542109?ean=9780063267619Buy on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/8108/9780063267619Become a Supporter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cynsworkshop⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://ko-fi.com/cynsworkshop⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cynsworkshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cynsworkshopcandles.etsy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ZLYMTKFEM5HR8⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cyns-workshopFollow Cyn's Workshop:Blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cynsworkshop.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/Reader.Writer.Critic/⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/Cyn_Novelist⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/cynsworkshop/⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tiktok.com/@cynsworkshop⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/G3phGH71Msb⁠⁠⁠

April 2025 General Conference Sunday Morning session.   David A Bednar – Joseph Smith totally restored the one true church; and other sundry sacrament meeting talking points   Steven Shumway Q70 – Do your callings, no matter how demanding they may be   Tamara Runia FC YW GP – Cry for repentance; Jesus is excited every time he sees us on our knees   Gerald Causse PB – Dude who controls the church's wealth is moved by seeing people suffering in poverty   Gerrit Gong – Jesus Wept; Easter, Palm Sunday, holy week; mortal and moral agency and alignment with Bednar   John McCune Q70 – Tithing, temple attendance, the world is ending, Rusty is a terrible dad who abandoned his daughter on her death bed   Dallin Oaks – The most flacid GC talk he's given in years; Plan of Salvation, sacrament meeting talk, returning to the Celestial Kingdom, 10 virgins, trusting in the lord will keep you safe   Other appearances: Chris Shelton interviewed us in the beginning of a series on Mormonism. Here's the most recent episode on what Mormons can teach us about organizing a cult: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDxjD7ucajI  Email: glassboxpodcast@gmail.com  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GlassBoxPod  Patreon page for documentary: https://www.patreon.com/SeerStonedProductions BlueSky: @glassboxpodcast.bsky.social  Other BlueSky: @bryceblankenagel.bsky.social and @shannongrover.bsky.social  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glassboxpodcast/  Merch store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/exmoapparel/shop Or find the merch store by clicking on “Store” here: https://glassboxpodcast.com/index.html One time Paypal donation: bryceblankenagel@gmail.com  Venmo: @Shannon-Grover-10  

Dr. Anthony Sweat continues to explore Moroni's “Curtain Call” and testify about the power inherent in the Book of Mormon to bring people to Christ and  the Father through the temple and temple covenants.SHOW NOTES/TRANSCRIPTSEnglish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM51ENFrench: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM51FRGerman: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM51DEPortuguese: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM51PTSpanish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM51ESYOUTUBEhttps://youtu.be/Z63ERQbtBz0ALL EPISODES/SHOW NOTESfollowHIM website: https://www.followHIMpodcast.comFREE PDF DOWNLOADS OF followHIM QUOTE BOOKSNew Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastNTBookOld Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastOTBookWEEKLY NEWSLETTERhttps://tinyurl.com/followHIMnewsletterSOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followHIMpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastTIMECODE00:00 Part II - Dr. Anthony Sweat01:06 Heaven isn't a location02:53 The terrible triplets07:53 Last two exhortations10:50 Grant Hardy and Moroni's Curtain Call15:58 Joseph Smith was called illiterate19:39 Exhortation to come unto Christ22:33 The sequence is important29:29 How many will make it to the Celestial Kingdom?35:41 Moroni 10:34 - Final words40:15 Where does the Book of Mormon bring us?43:53 Reflections on the last four years46:00 A marvelous work49:30 The power to change lives in this book55:13  End of Part 2 - Dr. Anthony SweatThanks to the followHIM team:Steve & Shannon Sorensen: Cofounder, Executive Producer, SponsorDavid & Verla Sorensen: SponsorsDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: Marketing, SponsorLisa Spice: Client Relations, Editor, Show NotesJamie Neilson: Social Media, Graphic DesignWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish Transcripts"Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com

We reflect on Brigham's last years before he hits the Celestial Kingdom, and marvel over just how impactful the schools he founded are to modern day Mormonism. While impressive, the colleges connected to the LDS Church have some insidious inter-workings.Know of a missing woman's case that needs attention? Contact us at someplaceunderneith@gmail.com.Some Place Under Neith produced and edited by Ryan Connor and Last Podcast Network. Artwork by Kevin Conor Keller, intro song "Subway" by Lunachicks, remixed by Devin Castaldi-Micca. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to ad-free new episodes.

This month we read and review Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. Like all of our reviews, the first part is spoiler free.Here's a little about Daughter of the Moon Goddess:Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin's magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.We hope you enjoy the episode!Do you have a book you'd like us to review on this show? Send us an email at badassliteraturesociety@gmail.comIf you don't already, follow us on Instagram and FacebookArt by Justin Miller DesignCheck us out here!

We start with an email we received from a Catholic in Quebec and a new litner from France that we met on our recent Church history tour. In this episode we discuss the following quote from Joseph Smith "If a man commit adultery, he cannot receive the celestial kingdom of God. Even if he is saved in any kingdom, it cannot be the celestial kingdom."  We discuss where this quote comes from, the context of the quote, and Gerrit shares a story about George Adams having a child through an adulterous relationship and the statement from Joseph Smith when George repents and comes back to the Church Just in case there is any confusion the Standard of Truth Podcast takes a very strong position against adultery, and we would like to refer you to President Hinckley's April 1991 conference address on the matter (in addition to the 295 conference addresses on the topic since 1850): https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1991/04/what-god-hath-joined-together?lang=eng#p1 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Join us for part 2 of our conversation with Gary Little and Ryan Bennett about the Divine Gift of Forgiveness. Learn how to overcome the bullies of fear and pride through uncompromising honesty and embracing our three friends on the path of repentance- Godly sorrow, a broken heart, and a contrite spirit. Using the story of Adam and Eve we discuss the difference between "fig leaf" repentance and "coat of skin" repentance. As we let the Lord cover us through his Divine Gift we will receive peace and joy and join what Brian calls the Hall of Fame of repenters- The Celestial Kingdom. To subscribe to the podcast and to interact with the hosts, offer topic and guest suggestions, and provide feedback, please click on the following link and become part of the podcast. https://forms.office.com/r/r7516nkf1m

While traveling through this mortal life, we pass through the telestial and terrestrial worlds. If you hold on to anuthing in those worlds, it will keep us there. If we seek the Celestial Kingdom, we must let go of everything telestial and terrestrial; as illustrated by Eustace and the dragon.

2023 WEEK 52 [REVELATION 15-22] INSIGHTS NOTES“HE THAT OVERCOMETH SHALL INHERIT ALL THINGS”December 25 – December 31WEEK 52: SUMMARYIn our final week of study we'll cover Revelation 15-22. John will teach us about the conflicting forces of good and evil in the last days. We'll focus in on the allure of Babylon and study its sudden fall. We'll end with John's description of the glistening Celestial City and his timeless invitation to “Come”.On the creative side, we'll put our year of study to the test with an epic full-year Kahoot challenge. Next, we'll learn about Satan being bound with a fire snuffing experiment. Finally, we'll help our kids visualize the Celestial Kingdom by creating our own fantastic version with tech and paper.Follow Maria on:Creative Come Follow Me digital courseMeckMom.comInstagram @meckmomlifeYouTube CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST DISCLAIMER: This podcast represents my own thoughts and opinions. It is not made, approved or endorsed by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any content or creative interpretations, implied or included are solely those of Maria Eckersley ("MeckMom LLC"), and not those of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Great care has been made to ensure this podcast is in harmony with the overall mission of the Church. Click here to visit the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Yeshua (Jesus) was known in his time by three titles: 1. The Word made Flesh (John 1:14) 2. Melchizedek, King of the Celestial Kingdom of Shalem (Acts 22:14, John 18:36, i.e., The Kingdom of Heaven) 3. Melchizedek, Eternal Priest of the Kingdom of Shalem (Genesis 14:18 and Psalm 110:1-4) From Genesis 14:18 to Daniel 9:24 to Revelation 21:2-3, the message remains the same because Yeshua is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). With today's podcast, Episode 139, and Part 26 in this series about Yeshua and the House of Tzadok, we will learn more about the Qumran community of priests and what they understood concerning the coming New Covenant as it relates to Daniel 9:24 and Exodus 19:6. It is not just about maintaining an inheritance of integrity among the Sons of Tzadok. This is also about the Sons of Light who came to be called by other terms such as "Members of the Covenant," A Community of the Faithful," and "Associates of an Everlasting Society." Today, we will learn more about the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 4:17, meaning the Kingdom of Shalem), the priesthood "Crown" of Exodus 28:36-38, and the credit that we have as Sons of Tzadok through Melchizedek (Romans 4:5-6, 21-22; Hebrews 13:9-11). This 50-minute episode is jam-packed with lots of biblical references that will keep you busy in your biblical study of the History of the House of Tzadok. Join us for Real Israel Talk Radio, Episode 139, and Part 26 in my closing series of studies on the last Passover Week Chronology and Timeline of Yeshua.

Yeshua (Jesus) was known by three titles: 1. The Word made Flesh (John 1:14)2. Melchizedek, King of the Celestial Kingdom of Shalem (John 18:36)3. Melchizedek, Priest of the Kingdom of Shalem (Genesis 14:18)From Genesis 14:18 to Daniel 9:24 to Revelation 21:2-3, the message remains the same because Yeshua is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).With today's podcast, Episode 139, and Part 26 in this series about Yeshua and the House of Tzadok, we will learn more about the Qumran community of priests and what they understood concerning the coming New Covenant as it relates to Daniel 9:24 and Exodus 19:6. It is not just about maintaining an inheritance of integrity among the Sons of Tzadok. This is also about the Sons of Light who came to be called by other terms such as "Members of the Covenant," A Community of the Faithful," and "Associates of an Everlasting Society." Today, we will learn more about the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 4:17, meaning the Kingdom of Shalem), the priesthood "Crown" of Exodus 28:36-38, and the credit that we have as Sons of Tzadok through Melchizedek (Romans 4:5-6, 21-22; Hebrews 13:9-11). This 50-minute episode is jam-packed with lots of biblical references that will keep you busy in your biblical study of the History of the House of Tzadok. Join us for Real Israel Talk Radio, Episode 139, and Part 26 in my closing series of studies on the last Passover Week Chronology and Timeline of Yeshua. Support the show

Make sure to sign up for institute classes next semester myinstitute.churchofjesuschrist.org

 In Part Two of their conversation, Paul Cardall and Peter Breinholt delve into the world of Mormon music and LDS culture. A multi-million dollar industry, Mormon music is relatively unknown. As the Church expanded its membership beyond Utah's borders, so did the audience for recording artists who are members of the LDS Church or create music with Mormon themes. Both Paul and Peter have their roots in Mormonism, which adds depth and insight to this episode, particularly for those unfamiliar with mainstream Mormonism or the LDS Church. ABOUT CO-HOST PETER BREINHOLTWebsite: https://peterbreinholt.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peter.breinholt.3Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterbreinholt LISTEN TO PETER'S MUSICSPOTIFY https://rb.gy/c6evxAPPLE MUSIC https://rb.gy/5s7g0 ABOUT THE HOST PAUL CARDALLOfficial Website - http://www.paulcardall.comFacebook - http://www.facebook.com/paulcardallmusicYoutube - http://www.youtube.com/cardallInstagram - http://www.instagram.com/paulcardall LISTEN TO PAUL'S MUSICAPPLE MUSIC - https://music.apple.com/us/artist/paul-cardall/4312819SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/artist/7FQRbf8gbKw8KZQZAJWxH2 ABOUT THIS EPISODE:Paul and Peter Breinholt review episode one which included conversations about The Osmond Family, Michael McLean, Kenneth Cope, Julie De Azevedo, Lex De Azevedo, and others. They discuss Mormon commercials with how jingle music created various artists. Musicals were a big part of the culture. They go behind talking about how musicals were promoted over the pulpit which leaders have since promoting. They discuss the challenges artists face when the corporate church has no control over the message. When they've done events with artists it's always scripted and feels stiff and insincere.They talk about how artists have sold millions of records through the Church owned bookstore, Deseret Book. The actual website Deseret Book is a subsidiary of Deseret Book is a subsidiary. Deseret Book is a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation. The Deseret Management Corporation is a global operating company managing for profit entities affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was established in 1966 by Church President David O Mackay to hold already existing church assets. Subsidiaries include companies that do business in medical, dental, life, retirement and disability insurance. They have radio and TV stations and advertising agency newspaper, commercial and residential property, hospitality, properties and other divisions. The church, and this is what most people don't understand is the church is a not is not a nonprofit organization. It says the church is operated as a corporation's soul. And uses their nonprofit intellectual reserve which holds the intellectual property such as the copyrights, the trademarks and other media.

President Oaks brings the heat and shares in a very Oaksian way some Gospel Principles that members of the church needed to hear and be reminded of. Kevin and Todd discuss his message and share insights about how we can ensure we are setting our sights on the Celestial Kingdom and then doing the things we need to ensure we are becoming who we need in order to be comfortable there.

Kevin and Todd attempt to review some crucial wisdom from President Nelson's years of experience. He shares the importance of intentionally living a Celestial life, with the intention of ending up in the Celestial Kingdom. Doing so elevates our lives and helps to ensure that we are doing all we can to end up where we want to be, relying on the Grace and Atonement of Jesus Christ, after all we can do.

In the book, Responding to the Mormon Missionary Message, Paul addresses LDS Missionary Lesson 3 called, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, from the missionary manual Preach My Gospel. For LDS, eternal life includes doing: faith, repentance, water baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost given by LDS priesthood, and various laws kept and temple ordinances performed as well as enduring to the end to try to reach the highest heaven (Celestial Kingdom). There is no assurance of eternal life in this life in the LDS gospel. Paul brings up some great questions. If LDS argue today their salvation is by grace, then what is the function of the LDS temple? Can anyone go in or do you have to do something to qualify? The Reformation came about when the Catholic Church offered the paying of indulgences for special privileges. Since tithing is required to enter an LDS temple where ordinances are required to strive to reach the highest LDS heaven, isn't this practice similar to what the reformers fought against? Staircases and ladders? Another difference between the LDS gospel and the gospel of the Bible is that the LDS Holy Ghost leaves someone when they sin, although his role is supposed to give one the strength to obey the commandments. But, how can a Latter-day Saint have the help of the Holy Ghost to strive to reach the Celestial Kingdom if he abandons them when they sin? Isn't that when one needs him the most? Paul discusses the LDS Holy Ghost's lack of omnipresence in Episode 46 of the Outer Brightness Podcast. His chapter in the book gives a number of dos and don'ts for witnessing to missionaries and offers scriptures they may use to teach the LDS gospel.

This scripture highlight supplements your personal study of John 14-16 and addresses the following: Jesus Christ has prepared for us a place in the Celestial Kingdom and He is our way How can we come to be where Jesus is? What truly is love? What is the connection between love and commandments? What is the Holy Ghost's role in helping us in our journey back to Heavenly Father? What does it mean to abide in Christ and how can we come to let Him abide in us? How does the sacrament ordinance fit into that? Is there any hope for peace and joy in a world of sorrow? How can we like Christ, overcome this world?

Augustine advises that the time is now for us to express the Light within us, so that the world may know we are souls that have found a valuable, powerful Truth. Jesus adds his blessing and assures us that as we continue to grow in God's Love, we are assured a place in the Celestial Kingdom.  Please visit divinelovesanctuary.com to find out more about God's Divine Love. You can also visit soul-truth.ca and new-birth.net to browse the transcripts of previous messages.

How likely is it that you'll get into the Celestial Kingdom? What would you say your chances are?    Today we're going to dive into why your chances are probably MUCH higher than you thought before!   Get our 365-day New Testament daily devotional book: https://amzn.to/3BTEQfA (affiliate link)   Get your free copy of the simplified New Testament outline here: https://kristenwalkersmith.com/new-testament-simplified/    And grab Cali's scripture study guide here: https://comefollowmestudy.com/shop/ Discount code: OMSS Or for a physical copy:  https://amzn.to/3YGCFWJ (affiliate link)

As a sixth-generation Mormon, Lisa believed that the Mormon Church was the one true church of God and that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. By age six, she was convinced that having a temple marriage and faithfully obeying Mormon laws would qualify her to spend eternity in the highest heaven—the Celestial Kingdom. There, she believed she would exalt into godhood and bear spirit children. This was Lisa's greatest dream but one day she realized this was a false message. What caused her to question her Mormon faith? How did she come out of Mormonism to faith in the true Jesus? Listen to Lisa's story as she shares how she came out of Mormonism to find the true Jesus of the Bible and the true Gospel of Christ.

As a sixth-generation Mormon, Lisa believed that the Mormon Church was the one true church of God and that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. By age six, she was convinced that having a temple marriage and faithfully obeying Mormon laws would qualify her to spend eternity in the highest heaven—the Celestial Kingdom. There, she believed she would exalt into godhood and bear spirit children. This was Lisa's greatest dream but one day she realized this was a false message. What caused her to question her Mormon faith? How did she come out of Mormonism to faith in the true Jesus? Listen to Lisa's story as she shares how she came out of Mormonism to find the true Jesus of the Bible and the true Gospel of Christ.

In this episode we have a treat! We've got Oscar Yague with us from Made Goods, which is an amazing brand that is probably one of our favorites at High Point. It's one of our vendors that we buy from and Jess describes it as the Celestial Kingdom because it's the most beautiful things on Earth, and somehow Oscar has sourced these things, created them, and we thought you guys would find so much inspiration in understanding more about his back story. We wanted Oscar to teach us how to entertain better and give us all his tips and tricks, so we hope you enjoy this awesome conversation with him today. About Oscar and how he got to Made Goods 2:05Starting great 11:41Pigeon and Poodle 14:33Blue Pheasant 17:03Nametags 21:15Tips on entertaining 24:24Making Thanksgiving more entertaining 26:47Tablescaping 29:24Self-serving/buffet setup 31:03Dishwasher or by hand? 34:14What influenced Oscar to love this beautiful life of his 35:29Dessert 37:09Key things to have on hand at any time 38:57Favorite playlist to play 40:29Tukasi 41:27Defining luxury 45:23“The experience of eating on a real plate, holding a knife and a fork with the proper weight well balanced, drinking out of proper glassware. It's part of the experience and again it's the thing that people don't understand because they go out of their way to make great meals, but then they fail to set up the table properly.” 20:24https://www.instagram.com/alicelaneinteriors/https://www.instagram.com/alicelanehome/https://alicelanehome.com/https://www.facebook.com/AliceLaneHomehttps://www.pinterest.com/alicelanehome/https://www.youtube.com/alicelanehomecollectionsaltlakecityNews Letter:https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=HZENWY&g=PFcqV5

We're continuing our conversation with Joe Jessop, LDS grandson of AUB leader Rulon Allred. This time we're going to get into sticky Mormon Fundamentalists topics. How many wives do you need to get into the Celestial Kingdom? Do they still believe in the race ban in the AUB? We'll get into more history & doctrine […]

Episode 8 is a bit of a departure from research and discussion to our two exmo hosts playing an LDS board game. Listen in as Amy and Maddie try and be the first one to make it to the end of the game aka the celestial kingdom! Music: Funk In The Trunk by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

In this lesson we introduce the 12 Thought Habits of Jesus Christ and look at Thought Habit #1, The Holy Ghost Confirming Daily That I Am On The Path. We talk about the Plan of Salvation and how the Celestial Kingdom is the easiest Kingdom for Latter Day Saints to get into. We talk about our level of hope to be raised to Eternal Life and talk about why we should all have a 'perfect brightness of hope.' We address that one of the roles of the Holy Ghost is to let us know that we are justified and to pronounce us free from guilt and blame and that we are absolved.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~View on Youtube - https://youtu.be/64SajjMJNLgView on Rumble - https://rumble.com/v1c1q4h-lesson-3-thought-habit-1-holy-ghost-confirming-daily-i-am-on-the-path.html~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Guided Meditation - https://youtu.be/PSpqEJYce7UScriptures & Sample Prayer - https://worthofsoulspodcast.com/?page_id=265~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Connect with us: https://www.facebook.com/Worth-Of-Souls-Podcast-105170965442235https://www.instagram.com/worthofsoulspodcast/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Music Credit:Song: LookArtist: Jhonny KAlbum: Break FreeLicensed to WorthofSoulsPodcast by: ©2007 Jhonny K, All Rights Reserved ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Audio Credits:© The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - churchofjesuschrist.org, All Rights Reserved

Being gay in the church is not easy. Do I qualify for the Celestial Kingdom? Asking myself hard questions and pray for answers. A year ago, it first came to my attention when a member told me the church was... The post Be Better Christians Ep. 614 The Cultural Hall appeared first on The Cultural Hall Podcast.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://forthenovellovers.wordpress.com/2022/03/22/daughter-of-the-moon-goddess-the-celestial-kingdom-book-1-by-sue-lynn-tan-major-spoilers-ahead/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

To Know Him: Come Follow MePart 1 of this week's Christ-centered takeaways in our Old Testament, Come Follow Me study0:00 Intro0:44 Bryce Dunford2:03 Background Summary of Covered Scripture4:19 "Do you believe you will be in the Celestial Kingdom?"10:45 "Save him... because of My goodness." - Christ13:38 Keys of David19:32 Jesus is a Nail In a Sure PlaceAlso found on:Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Castbox, Podcast Addict, PodchaserCheck out our website for more Come Follow Me takeaways for the whole family!https://www.toknowhimcfm.com/https://www.facebook.com/ToKnowHimComeFollowMehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/897234920985405https://www.instagram.com/toknowhim.cfm/

Jesus will continue to teach the Truth of God's Divine Love until the Celestial Kingdom closes. Please visit soul-truth.ca and new-birth.net to read about Divine Love as well as browse the archives of previous messages.

“. . the first thing He would make sure you understand is your true identity!" President Nelson speaks against Identitarianism, against "isms". Our highest identity is that of a Child of God. Some identities do not bring us to the Celestial Kingdom. Do not honor labels over honoring each other. Full Talk - https://youtu.be/IvS5wDoKoBk?t=4904 Website - https://www.cwicmeida.com    

Click Here to Print Reading 20. IV. HEAVEN IS DIVIDED INTO TWO KINGDOMS. As there are infinite varieties in heaven, and no one society nor any one angel is exactly like any other,[1] there are in heaven general, specific, and particular divisions. The general division is into two kingdoms, the specific into three heavens, and the particular into innumerable societies. Each of these will be treated of in what follows. The general division is said to be into kingdoms, because heaven is called "the kingdom of God." [1] There is infinite variety, and nowhere any thing the same as another (see numbers 7236, 9002). Also in the heavens there is infinite variety (see numbers 684, 690, 3744, 5598, 7236). Varieties in heaven are varieties of good (see numbers 3744, 4005, 7236, 7833, 7836, 9002). All societies in the heavens, and all angels in a society, are thereby distinguished from each other (see numbers 690, 3241, 3519, 3804, 3986, 4067, 4149, 4263, 7236, 7833, 7836). Nevertheless they are all made one by love from the Lord (see numbers 457, 3986). [read more] 21. There are angels that receive more interiorly the Divine that goes forth from the Lord, and others that receive it less interiorly; the former are called celestial angels, and the latter spiritual angels. Because of this difference heaven is divided into two kingdoms, one called the Celestial Kingdom, the other the Spiritual Kingdom.[1] [1] Heaven as a whole is divided into two kingdoms, a celestial kingdom and a spiritual kingdom (see numbers 3887, 4138). The angels of the celestial kingdom receive the Divine of the lord in their voluntary part, thus more interiorly than the spiritual angels, who receive it in their intellectual part (see numbers 5113, 6367, 8521, 9936, 9995. 10124). 22. As the angels that constitute the celestial kingdom receive the Divine of the Lord more interiorly they are called interior and also higher angels; and for the same reason the heavens that they constitute are called interior and higher heavens.[1] They are called higher and lower, because these terms designate what is interior and what is exterior.[2] [1] The heavens that constitute the celestial kingdom are called higher while those that constitute the spiritual kingdom are called lower (see number 10068). [2] Interior things are portrayed by higher things, and higher things signify interior things (see numbers 2148, 3084, 4599, 5146, 8325). 23. The love in which those are, who are in the celestial kingdom is called celestial love, and the love in which those are who are in the spiritual kingdom is called spiritual love. Celestial love is love to the Lord, and spiritual love is love towards the neighbor. And as all good pertains to love (for good to any one is what he loves) the good also of the other kingdom is called celestial, and the good of the other spiritual. Evidently, then, the two kingdoms are distinguished from each other in the same way as good of love to the Lord is distinguished from good of love towards the neighbor.[1] And as the good of love to the Lord is an interior good, and that love is interior love, so the celestial angels are interior angels, and are called higher angels. [1] The good of the celestial kingdom is good of love to the Lord, and the good of the spiritual kingdom is good of charity towards the neighbor (see numbers 3691, 6435, 9468, 9680, 9683, 9780). 24. The celestial kingdom is called also the Lord's priestly kingdom, and in the Word "His dwelling-place;" while the spiritual kingdom is called His royal kingdom, and in the Word "His throne." And from the celestial Divine the Lord in the world was called "Jesus," while from the spiritual Divine He was called "Christ." 25. The angels in the Lord's celestial kingdom, from their more interior reception of the Divine of the Lord, far excel in wisdom and glory the angels that are in His spiritual kingdom; for they are in love to the Lord,

  Love God and All Men Section 2 of How 2 Qualify 4 the Celestial Kingdom Today by James B Cox

The Three Dimensions of Man, Chapter 6 of How to Qualify for the Celestial Kingdom Today By James B Cox Pages 61 to 67

Temporal & Spiritual Realities Chapter 5 of How to Qualify for the Celestial Kingdom Today  Pages 55 to 59 Fundamentally Mormon Goes Live Monday through Friday from 6pm to 8pm Mountain Time 5pm to 7pm Pacific. Guest call in number is 917-889-8827

Section 2 Love God And All Men Chapter 4 This Is The Pure Love Of Christ How To Qualify For The Celestial Kingdom Today pages 39-53

Have you ever wondered what the purpose of life is? What exactly do we need to do to get to the Celestial Kingdom? Why do so many people say so many different things about the commandments?

Answers to Celestial Kingdom Questions, Chapter 3 of Section 1 A Perfect Brightness of Hope of How to Qualify for the Celestial Kingdom Today 

How to Qualify for The Celestial Kingdom, Ch 2 of A Perfect Brightness of Hope, Section 1 of How to Qualify for the Celestial Kingdom Tod

Section 1 of How To Qualify For The Celestial Kingdom Today 

Xingyin could be described as the girl whose never met a rule she didn't challenge. An unsurprising turn of events given she is the daughter of two big rebels in their own rights: Chang'e, the Moon Goddess, and Houyi, the mortal archer who brought down immortal sunbirds. So, when she flees the moon only to end up stranded in the Celestial Kingdom, was anyone really surprised that she ended up entangled with the son of her parents (im)mortal enemy? And, because she's lucky, there's also another cute guy she ensnares. Oh, yeah and some other adventures but, let's be real, the guys are the important part. So, join us on our book talk over Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Natalie Naudus narrates Sue Lynn Tan's sweeping, romantic saga inspired by Chinese mythology. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile's Emily Connelly discuss Naudus's skill at bringing this fantasy to life for listeners. Xingyin was raised on the moon by her mother Chang'e, but makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom to try and earn her mother's freedom. Naudus captures Xingyin's blossoming confidence and continued determination, even as she faces down mythical creatures and myriad threats in battle. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile's website. Published by Harper Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com Today's episode of Behind the Mic is brought to you by Oasis Audio, publisher of The Phantom Stallion series by Terri Farley, and more. Visit oasisaudio.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, continues to reflect on the passing of famous individuals—specifically, John Madden and Harry Reid (both died December 28, 2021). Madden might be called the high priest of football. NFL games are highly ritualized and liturgical, and for many people, the NFL has become an object of worship—their idol. Madden, who won a Superbowl in 1976 with the Oakland Raiders and became the face of a videogame empire based on the NFL, was a coaching phenomenon and football's greatest evangelist. But he now has passed from this life into eternity. And then there is Harry Reid, who led the Senate from 2007–2015. The Democrats grumbled about his ban on partial-birth abortion and his opposition to Roe v. Wade—and he was a died-in-the-wool Mormon. Thus, Reid passed from this life believing that “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens” (Joseph Smith). He believed that Jesus Christ is not the self-existent Creator of all things but is, rather, the spirit-brother of Lucifer, conceived in heaven by a celestial Mother and then came in flesh as a result of the Father having sex with the virgin Mary. He believed that “the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion” (Joseph Smith). He held to the four Mormon standard works—the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price. It's worth noting that Doctrine and Covenants is a compilation of divine revelations that includes the doctrine of polygamy. Not until the Mormons were threatened by the federal government did Mormon president Wilford Woodruff receive a revelation relegating polygamy to the afterlife. And Pearl of Great Price is notorious for having been used by Mormonism to prevent those of African heritage from entering the priesthood and from being exalted to godhood. Reid believed that Temple Mormons will make it to the Celestial Heaven, but only those who are sealed in secret Temple rituals will make it to the third level of the Celestial Kingdom and become gods of their own planets. Because of such teachings, and many others, Mormonism has little to do with true Christianity. What is vitally important for all of us to recognize is that there is a true faith—the true faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Everything else is a corruption of the true faith. Consider how important it is to be in the true faith, because no one gets out of this world alive. Let us glorify God in all that we think, say, and do. For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, “Is Jesus Christ the Spirit Brother of Satan?” https://www.equip.org/article/is-jesus-christ-the-spirit-brother-of-satan/; Hank Hanegraaff, “Mormonism And Polygamy,” https://www.equip.org/hank_speaks_out/mormonism-and-polygamy/; Eric Johnson, “Plural Marriage and Joseph Smith: A PR Nightmare in Mormonism,” https://www.equip.org/article/plural-marriage-joseph-smith-pr-nightmare-mormonism/; Bill McKeever, “Unexplaining the Mormon Priesthood Ban on Blacks,” https://www.equip.org/article/unexplaining-mormon-priesthood-ban-blacks/; Eric Johnson, “Mormonism, Afterlife, and Striving after Godhood,” https://www.equip.org/article/mormonism-the-afterlife-and-striving-after-godhood/; Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson, “The Mormon View of Salvation: A Gospel That Is Truly Impossible,” https://www.equip.org/article/mormon-view-salvation-gospel-truly-impossible/. See David Colton, “Hank Aaron, Bob Dole, Cicely Tyson, John Madden: Remembering Notables Who Died in 2021,” USA Today, December 19, 2021 (updated December 31, 2021), https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/12/19/famous-people-who-died-2021/6496794001/.

Today I talked to Sue Lynn Tan about her new book Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Harper Voyager, 2022). The immortal Xinyin lives a quiet life on the moon with her mother the Moon Goddess, and a devoted servant. When an innocent Xinyin ignores her mother's warning, her actions raise the suspicion of the Empress of the Celestial Kingdom, who swoops in for an unannounced visit. Xinyin has never questioned her isolation, but now her mother reveals that her existence is a secret which would lead to punishment for them both, if it were known. Xinyin is forced to flee her home before the Empress returns, but her travels are interrupted by a storm. She ends up in the last place where she would want to be—the court of the Celestial Kingdom itself. No one suspects her true identity. Xinyin must keep her secret safe, even as she becomes closer and closer to the Empress' own son, Prince Liwei, who is as compassionate as his mother is cruel. When their growing love for each other threaten the path each should take, Xinyin decides the best course of action is become an archer in the Emperor's army. But not all the danger will come from the monsters she faces on the battlefield. You can follow Gabrielle on Twitter to get updates about new podcasts and more @GabrielleAuthor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/fantasy

Today I talked to Sue Lynn Tan about her new book Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Harper Voyager, 2022). The immortal Xinyin lives a quiet life on the moon with her mother the Moon Goddess, and a devoted servant. When an innocent Xinyin ignores her mother's warning, her actions raise the suspicion of the Empress of the Celestial Kingdom, who swoops in for an unannounced visit. Xinyin has never questioned her isolation, but now her mother reveals that her existence is a secret which would lead to punishment for them both, if it were known. Xinyin is forced to flee her home before the Empress returns, but her travels are interrupted by a storm. She ends up in the last place where she would want to be—the court of the Celestial Kingdom itself. No one suspects her true identity. Xinyin must keep her secret safe, even as she becomes closer and closer to the Empress' own son, Prince Liwei, who is as compassionate as his mother is cruel. When their growing love for each other threaten the path each should take, Xinyin decides the best course of action is become an archer in the Emperor's army. But not all the danger will come from the monsters she faces on the battlefield. You can follow Gabrielle on Twitter to get updates about new podcasts and more @GabrielleAuthor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Today I talked to Sue Lynn Tan about her new book Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Harper Voyager, 2022). The immortal Xinyin lives a quiet life on the moon with her mother the Moon Goddess, and a devoted servant. When an innocent Xinyin ignores her mother's warning, her actions raise the suspicion of the Empress of the Celestial Kingdom, who swoops in for an unannounced visit. Xinyin has never questioned her isolation, but now her mother reveals that her existence is a secret which would lead to punishment for them both, if it were known. Xinyin is forced to flee her home before the Empress returns, but her travels are interrupted by a storm. She ends up in the last place where she would want to be—the court of the Celestial Kingdom itself. No one suspects her true identity. Xinyin must keep her secret safe, even as she becomes closer and closer to the Empress' own son, Prince Liwei, who is as compassionate as his mother is cruel. When their growing love for each other threaten the path each should take, Xinyin decides the best course of action is become an archer in the Emperor's army. But not all the danger will come from the monsters she faces on the battlefield. You can follow Gabrielle on Twitter to get updates about new podcasts and more @GabrielleAuthor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

The Glory of the Heavens, and the Redemption of the Dead (Come Follow Me Doctrine and Covenants 137-138) We will examine the beautiful description of the Celestial Kingdom including God's throne, and will find out what Jesus Christ did during the three days in which He was dead prior to His resurrection. For baptism: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/missionary-visit Come increase your testimony of Jesus Christ through the expository preaching of Dr. D. Todd Harrison. With more than 550,000 followers on Facebook alone, Dr. Harrison is one of the most well respected and followed Church Leaders/Teachers in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Thousands have reached out to the missionaries for baptism or for further study after hearing his videos or having read his written messages. Come join us for his Spirit filled preaching. Please join Dr. Harrison on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrDToddHarrison/

D&C 137 – 138. In this week’s deep dive, Jason remembers a few more connections between Joseph Smith and the …

In this vision that Joseph Smith has of the Celestial Kingdom we get the opportunity to get a glimpse into the eternal glory that God has in store for those who are willing to be refined by Christ.

A verse-by-verse study of Doctrine and Covenants 137-138, Joseph Smith's 1836 vision of the Celestial Kingdom and Joseph F. Smith's 1918 vision of the redemption of the dead. This lesson focuses on God's surprising generosity, the salvation of children, the fate of the unevangelized, pondering the scriptures, multiplying time by multiplying messengers, God's "paternal regard" and "ample provision," and more. Time stamps:    - Historical background - 3:10    - Study of D&C 137 - 6:33    - Study of D&C 138 - 35:11

A verse-by-verse study of Doctrine and Covenants 129-131, revelations about discerning heavenly messengers, miscellaneous items of instruction, and the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom. This lesson focuses on studying plural marriage, discerning truth from error, glorified sociality, the Urim & Thummim, knowledge and intelligence, exaltation, having your calling and election made sure, and more. Time stamps:    - Studying Plural Marriage - 2:08    - Study of D&C 129 - 11:50    - Study of D&C 130 - 35:55    - Study of D&C 131 - 1:39:24

Is plural marriage a requirement in the Celestial Kingdom? As Joseph has a few moments of respite in Nauvoo, he has more time for theological reflection and as these sections reflect. Dr. Kate Holbrook shares her research regarding marriage.Show Notes (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese): https://followhim.co/episodes/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followhimpodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FollowHimOfficialChannelThanks to the followHIM team:Steve & Shannon Sorensen: Executive ProducersDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: MarketingLisa Spice: Client Relations, Show Notes/TranscriptsJamie Neilson: Social Media, Graphic DesignWill Stoughton: Assistant Video EditorSpanish Transcripts: Ariel CuadraFrench Transcripts: Krystal RobertsPortuguese Transcripts: Igor Willians"Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com/products/let-zion-in-her-beauty-rise-pianoPlease rate and review the podcast.

Embebete en la generosidad, es un caudal que te imprime con suavidad te mantiene en un flujo continuo del dar es donde verdaderamente le crees a Dios cuán tan abundante es el Reino Celestial, y hablar de la abundancia del Reino Celestial que llevas impresa en tu Ser es la manera que tienes de Ser ante la vida, te digo así tan grande y abundante será tu Reino como tan grande es tu generosidad, porque es aquí en donde en verdad pones en práctica tu Fe de creerle a Dios como un Ser en expansión y abundancia total, te vuelves daidor de vida, la das cuando te das a los demás, no se trata de que tanto estas dispuesto a soltar de tus poseciones, se trata más bien de tu capacidad de generar amor en el otro, que tanto eres capaz de brindarle paz a otro Ser vivo, que tanto eres capaz de amar al que tú llamas mi enemigo, la generosidad no es la reciprocidad, no es dar y recibir, porque entonces tu pago ya se te a devuelto por el favor que hiciste, Ser generoso es tener la capacidad de darte a los demás, a un cuando te ignoran, escuchar al que hace ruido, abrirte de corazón con el que permanece cerrado, entregarle tu amor al que te odia, es darle el perdón al que no te lo ha pedido, es ser humilde ante el soberbio, Ser suelto ante el codicioso y usurero, es ser comprensivo ante el apático, es llevar en donde no te han traído, es sonreír al enojado, y ser amable con el que te a hecho daño, eso es ser generoso porque te abriste con el único propósito de amar, porque confías en que tu favor ya a sido bendecido y lo que recibirás no vendrá de a quien se lo diste, tu favor viene multiplicado directamente de la Fuente más bella y amorosa, regocijate porque cada vez que eres generoso en la tierra se abre un caudal de bendiciones para Ti y los tuyos, Dios no solo te bendice a Ti si no también a tus generaciones venideras, de hecho ahora mismo si estás siendo bendecido no es solo por tus hobras si no por todo aquello que ya hicieron tus ancestros, así que no te preocupes quien recibirá los regalos resultado de tu generosidad, pero si ten la seguridad de que serán esparcidas como brisa ante los que amas, serán regalos no solo para el cuerpo si no para el alma, amor, salud, paz y bienestar no solo físico si no espiritual porque ya habrás aprendido que la abundancia se expresa en aquel que le creyó a Dios y soltó, sabía que mientras él estaba siendo generoso su Padre Celestial estaba multiplicando como un flujo Divino que no cesa para él y los suyos con amor Uriel...❤

One of our most requested guests Bridger Winegar joins us today for a Latter Day Saints symposium and a bevy of the best advice questions under this here ol' sun! Bridger is a superstar writer who's penned jokes for Jimmy Kimmel, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Corporate, Single Parents, Black Monday and more, and his podcast I Said No Gifts!, is just a darn delight! Today we learn the secrets of the Celestial Kingdom, hear about Bridger's late blossoming, the worst roommates he's ever had and SO MUCH more! PLUS, of course, we answer YOUR advice questions! If you'd like to ask advice questions, call 323-524-7839 and leave a VM or just DM us on IG or Twitter! Also, support the show on Patreon or with a t-shirt (or a Jewboo shirt) and watch us every once in a while on Twitch or check out clips on YouTube! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Show Notes: D&C 93 Quotes and Notes To enroll in an institute class, go to https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/si/institute?lang=eng 00:26 – Section 93 answers deep theological questions about the nature of God and His children. 01:42 – One step at a time, grace for grace, we will make it to the Celestial Kingdom.Continue Reading The post Ep 117 | D&C 93, Come Follow Me (August 23-29) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

DOCTRINE AND KEYS OF THE KINGDOM, Chapter 14 of Holy Priesthood Volume 6   Program for 08-11-2021 at 8pm mountain time. Call in Number is 917-889-8827   Pages 233 to 242   And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom. (D & C 88:77) The doctrines of the kingdom are the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are the keystone to exaltation and the pathway to the Celestial Kingdom. They should be valued as one of the greatest treasures on earth. The problem with learning “the doctrine of the kingdom” is that it requires much searching, study, and faithful obedience to the commandments. There are so many false doctrines of devils, contending doctrines of modern Christianity, and changed doctrines in the Church of Jesus Christ, that God's true doctrines are not easy to find. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ have always had difficulty in accepting and learning and maintaining the doctrines of the kingdom. Since most of them are not popular with the world, Church members are often persuaded to substitute more accepted policies for difficult doctrines. There is a significant difference between policy and doctrine. Policy is not an eternal truth, and it frequently changes with the times, conditions, opinions, social life, and wishes of its members. When the doctrines of the Priesthood are treated in the same manner, apostasy has begun its work.  Policy changes frequently; doctrine remains fixed. In matters of true doctrine, there is no conflict between living and dead prophets. Truth is consistent, and doctrines of the Priesthood are eternal. Keys of the Priesthood seldom have anything to do with policies, but rather with the doctrines of the Kingdom.

In this episode, Adam and Tanner wrestle with the mainstream interpretations of what Celestial Glory will look like, who will be there, and what it will consist of - along with trying to better understand the inherent mercy in both Telestial and Terrestrial assignments. Like many other episodes, about halfway through both realize something they've been doing something wrong for years and feel called to repent and do better.

I love verse 67, it makes me feel like when we enter the Celestial Kingdom there will be no shortage of people who have made it. Sometimes I think we loose sight of the idea that God created this plan to exalt His children, and that means to exalt you as well. It isn't just a perfect plan to redeem others, it is a perfect plan to redeem you!

What is the celestial kingdom like?

A verse-by-verse study of Doctrine and Covenants 76, the vision of the degrees of glory. This lesson focuses on peeking into heaven, taking off the blinders, balancing Calvinism and Universalism, foregrounding Jesus in the Plan, marveling and meditating, worlds without number, Sons of Perdition, the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial Kingdoms, and more. Time stamps:    - Historical Background of the Vision - 6:59    - Promises - 16:06    - Processes - 30:43    - Vision of the Father and the Son - 51:55    - Vision of Lucifer's Fall - 1:07:27    - Vision of the Sons of Perdition - 1:18:37    - Near-Universal Salvation - 1:35:18    - Vision of the Celestial Kingdom - 1:51:08    - Vision of the Terrestrial Kingdom - 2:09:55    - Vision of the Telestial Kingdom - 2:20:10   Poetic Version of D&C 76 - http://mldb.byu.edu/jsmith1.htm Side-by-side comparison of D&C 76 and Poetic Version - https://faculty.cs.byu.edu/~clement/rel325/vision-poem.pdf

In this episode we discuss: - The Ephraim Temple "revelation" - Does our podcast have a file at Church Headquarters? - Sheri Dew's talk on our perfect leaders - A Dune quote about "narrative" - The problem with centralized authority - How are spirit children made in the Celestial Kingdom?

China in the nineteenth century: a proud and ancient empire forbidden to foreigners. The West desires Chinese tea above all other things but lacks the silver to buy it. Instead, western adventurers resort to smuggling opium in exchange. The Qing Emperor will not allow his people to sink into addiction. Viceroy Lin is sent to the epicentre of the opium trade, Canton, to stop it. The Opium Wars begin - heralding a period of bloody military defeats, reparations, and one-sided treaties which will become known as the Century of Humiliation. From Hong Kong to Beijing to the Great Wall, from the exotic wonders of the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City, to squalid village huts, the dramatic struggle rages across the Celestial Kingdom. This is the story of the Chinese people, high and low, and the Westerners who came to exploit the riches of their ancient land and culture. We meet a young village wife struggling with the rigid traditions of her people, Manchu empresses and warriors, powerful eunuchs, fanatical Taiping and Boxer Rebels, savvy Chinese pirates, artists, concubines, scoundrels and heroes, well-intentioned missionaries and the rapacious merchants, diplomats and soldiers of the West. Fortunes will rise and fall, loves will be gained and lost. This is an unforgettable tale told from both sides of the divide. The clash of worldviews, of culture and heritage, is shown in a kaleidoscope of jaw-dropping set pieces. China is a feat of the imagination that will enthral, instruct and excite, and show us how things once were, and how the turmoil of the nineteenth century led to modern China's revolution and rebirth.

As a sixth-generation Mormon, Lisa believed that the Mormon Church was the one true church of God and that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. By age six, she was convinced that having a temple marriage and faithfully obeying Mormon laws would qualify her to spend eternity in the highest heaven—the Celestial Kingdom. […]

Elder Evan A. Schmutz, a General Authority Seventy for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his wife Cindy L. Schmutz gave this week's BYU-Idaho devotional. Sister Schmutz's talk, titled "Remembering Our Baptismal Covenants," expressed the importance of always striving to be worthy of our baptism and how we can keep the promises made during that day. Elder Schmutz's talk, titled "Great Shall Be Their Reward," discussed how being obedient to the commandments of God can help us return to the Celestial Kingdom.

- Are you going to be in good company in the Celestial Kingdom? - Going to church post COVID - Will the church move away from missions? - The only acceptable calling is one you are paid for

For more than a quarter century, Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Kirby poked fun at Mormon history, practices, culture and members themselves, including one particular member: Robert Kirby. His brand of comical commentary brought not only winces and complaints but also personal insights and even community healing. He reached out to crime victims and those who had lost loved ones. He officiated at LGBTQ weddings. Mostly, though, his musings elicited laughter. He brought a lovable irreverence to reverent things. A former police officer, he joked about being a beat cop in the Celestial Kingdom. He boasted that he could “beat up”an aging Gordon B. Hinckley. And his piece about “five kinds of Mormons” is seen as a classic of Latter-day Saint satire. Now, after thousands of columns and millions of chuckles, Kirby is calling it quits. He’s retiring. So brace yourselves, listeners, as he joins us today via Zoom from his holding cell in Herriman to talk about his career as the nation’s only religion humor newspaper columnist.

Percy Hayes was one of the early founders of the Divine Love community in British Columbia. He shared the good news that he is now a member of the Celestial Kingdom, a goal he had aspired to on both the earthly and spiritual planes. For more messages, visit soultruth.ca.

Continuing our sword belt month, Lord Sir Dalos of the Golden City, of Tori-Mar Defender of the Celestial Kingdom, talks to us about equipment choices, inventing spin shots, teaching and so much more on this episode of WAK! 0:00 - 8:45 - intro 8:45 - 12:00 Differentiating between warlord and sword knight. Also bobs, torches and Chosen are the same thing. 12:00 - 15:45 Teaching 15:45 - 19:00 The 512 19:00 - 22:00 Leg on death and knees 22:00 - 36:30 Equipment choices 36:30 - 45:00 Footwork 45:00 - 58:00 Fighting styles also Jiu Jitsu 58:00 - 70:00 Shots vs Threats 70:00 - 79:00 On Knighthood. 79:00 - 82:00 On teaching and video 82:00 - 89:00 Combat Computer and video review (Dalos throws his Squire under the bus) 90:00 - end Storytime and wind-down Be sure to check out Sir Dalos's content at OneGrind Nation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/onegrindnation/ And definitely check out Sir Dalos's YouTube channel at the link below! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6PQY5Xx4oQOcX7lEn8Wq7Q --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wak-podcast/support

In this week's episode we dish on the Celestial Kingdom, Mary's marriage, and Jen and Shariff's "pep" talks.

Joseph shares that those who are sincere in their prayers and efforts to reach God to receive His Divine Love have at their disposal the support of the entire Celestial Kingdom.  For more messages, visit soultruth.ca.

Brr . . . it’s cold in here . . . there must be new housewives in the atmosphere! RHOSLC Premiere week has arrived! Tom is joined by his co-host, and resident Mormon, Bradley Gibson (Power Book II: Ghost); as well as Dan Rosales to break down both Potomac and Salt Lake! They touch on Dan’s Wendy’s orders, Mary’s grandpa hubby, where Tom belongs in the celestial kingdom, and ask Bradley the question . . . how many holes? Expect new Housewives recaps on Fridays, and Bach recaps on Sundays! Rate, review, and subscribe to Dumpster Dive on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere podcasts are heard! Tom Hamlett Instagram: @thetomhamlett Bradley Gibson Instagram: @bradgibson13 Dumpster Dive Instagram: @dumpsterdivepod Dan Rosales Instagram: @danrosales --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dumpsterdivepod/support

What does shopping on Rodeo Drive have to do with the Celestial Kingdom?     Well today we’re going to find out!   I’d love to study the scriptures with your daughter!  If you have a girl between the ages of 9 - 12 you need to check out One Minute Scripture Study for Girls!  Find out more at the link: https://rubygirl.org/oneminutescripturestudyforgirls/

If you want to go to heaven, look no further than a one-way ticket straight to the Celestial Kingdom. The only catch is… you have to marry Brigham Young. Join Bryan and Lindsay as they begin to discuss the practice of plural marriage in Nauvoo.

If you want to go to heaven, look no further than a one-way ticket straight to the Celestial Kingdom. The only catch is… you have to marry Brigham Young. Join Bryan and Lindsay as they begin to discuss the practice of plural marriage in Nauvoo.

If you want to go to heaven, look no further than a one-way ticket straight to the Celestial Kingdom. The only catch is… you have to marry Brigham Young. Join Bryan and Lindsay as they begin to discuss the practice of plural marriage in Nauvoo.

If you want to go to heaven, look no further than a one-way ticket straight to the Celestial Kingdom. The only catch is… you have to marry Brigham Young. Join Bryan and Lindsay as they begin to discuss the practice of plural marriage in Nauvoo.

In our church culture, we have this idea that most people will not enter into the Celestial Kindom. But is this true? Yes, God is both a God of justice and of mercy. But which one will apply more in the afterlife? In this podcast, we explore the atonement and the judgment at the last day.

This question and answer session followed the talk given at the St. George conference on March 19, 2017. Transcript This is based upon both email and written questions I have received. “Please explain Brigham Young.” (Well, there is the period there.) Answer: No. “Why would Brigham Young be seen in the Celestial Kingdom with Joseph Smith by […] The post St. George Conference Q&A – 3/2017 appeared first on Restoration Archives Blog.

What are some of the differences between LDS theology and that of Mormon fundamentalist theology? Lindsay Hansen Park will answer that question, and we’ll talk about how many wives a man must have in order to inherit the highest degree in the Celestial Kingdom. Lindsay:  Within Mormon doctrine and still on lds.org, the top level […] The post Mormon Fundamentalist Theology (Part 3 of 8) appeared first on Gospel Tangents.

Church of Jesus Christ Study Session seeks to generate reflection about areas in the Restored Gospel. Whether it's Come Follow Me, a General Conference talk or a recent Gospel Topic, hopefully you'll find something to keep the Spirit of Christ in your life. Twitter - @mattsroberts90 ldsstudysession@gmail.com You can also join the discussion in the Facebook Group 'Church of Jesus Christ Study Session with Come Follow Me'. Today we begin the study of the insightful sections at the end of 2 Nephi about the doctrine of Christ. We reflect on the importance of these teachings and consider just how the Saviour modelled the way towards the Celestial Kingdom.  Joseph Fielding McConkie: Nephi, to dramatize the importance of baptism, wrote that the Savior had to be baptized to ‘fulfill all righteousness’ . . . Nephi identified four ways in which Christ fulfilled all righteousness through his baptism: (1) he humbled himself before the Father; (2) he entered a covenant relationship with the Father, promising obedience in keeping the commandments; (3) he opened to himself the gate to the celestial kingdom; (4) he set a perfect example for all to follow.

What are the loopholes that allow us Pleasure in this world, and access to the Celestial Kingdom in the next? Storyteller, Comedian & ex-Mormon Emmett Montgomery & a few self-taught friends work it out in a story that involves Soaking, chocolate sauce, butt stuff, intercoursing and a nostalgic (2 person) first blowjob on Pioneer Day that shows him what Heaven can be. Plus Jefferson Bergey takes a familiar Bawdy adage & turns it into a filthy, filthy song #HappyHolidays #TheProvoFloat #CostcoHotDogOfCunnilingus   So see Emmett live! https://www.emmettmontgomery.com/   Song: ‘Wipe your Dick on the Drapes’ (Jefferson Bergey) Website: http://www.jeffersonbergey.com/ On Patreon (he’ll even write you a custom song, TOO):  https://patreon.com/jeffersonbergey   Want to enjoy this episode ad-free? Join our Patreon at the $10/month or up level at  www.Patreon.com/Bawdy   Thank you to our Sponsors: manscaped.com: Manscaped is the #1 brand in men’s below the belt grooming; they offer precision engineered tools for you or your partner’s family jewels. Don’t use the same trimmer on your face AND your balls -  use the Lawn Mower. 2.0 and protect yourself or the balls of a loved one. It has proprietary skin safe technology, and it won’t nick your nuts! Plus you can help defeat ballsweat with their Crop Preserver anti-chafing deodorant and moisturizer. Go to Manscaped.com & use the promo code DIXIE and get 20% off and FREE shipping! Hashtag Open:  Are you ready for a sex-positive dating app that’s committed to a truly diverse community? Meet Hashtag Open, an app for the open-minded. That means if you identity as LGBTQIA, straight, disabled, monogamous, polyamorous, swinger, kinky, or body-positive, there is a place where you can truly be yourself. Maybe you are gender non-conforming or heteroflexible? No problem. Hashtag Open has more than 20 options for gender and sexual orientation to choose from or you can write in your own. You can create a solo profile, a partnered profile or both. Find friendship, dating, hook ups, relationships...whatever you want! The point is they want you to be you. Go to hashtagopen.com/BAWDY to download the app today. And Hashtag Open will donate $1 to Planned Parenthood for for every new profile created. So don't wait, go to hashtagopen.com/BAWDY and start making authentic connections today.   BRAND NEW! Bawdy Storytelling now offers a new line of fragrance & lube for your favorite podcast fan: #BawdyGotMeLaid perfume, Bawdy Butter, hair & bawdy oil, #BawdyGotMeLube & more. It’s at BawdyStorytelling.com/Merchandise #BestGiftEver   Join Us: Your support on Patreon means that the Bawdy Storytelling podcast can continue, and can grow. We’ve recently added: Access to Ad-free episodes, Patron only conversation streams, an invite to our private Facebook group, free tickets to live shows, private or group storycoaching sessions with Dixie - heck, even a private live Bawdy Storytelling show, created especially for you and your friends. And you becoming a patron means that our award-winning podcast can GROW. Ready to make the world a better place? Join us at  https://www.patreon.com/Bawdy Or you can also make one-time donations via Paypal or Zelle at BawdyStorytelling@gmail.com Check out our Bawdy Storytelling Fiends and Fans group on Facebook - it’s a place to discuss the podcast’s stories with the storytellers, and share thoughts with your fellow listeners. It’s at https://www.facebook.com/groups/360169851578316/ And in 2020, I want YOU on the podcast. Make a voice recording, and attach it to an email or share it with bawdystorytelling@gmail.com (this podcast is about stories, so tell me YOURS - and Thank you) Upcoming Bawdy Storytelling LIVE Events:   San Francisco: Theme: ‘Ritual’ Thursday, January 9th, 2020 Verdi Club 2424 Mariposa San Francisco, CA 94110 Tickets at http://bit.ly/bawdyritualsf   Seattle Theme: ‘Brand Spankin’ New’ Thursday, January 16th, 2020 Rebar  1114 Howell Street Seattle, WA Tickets at http://bit.ly/bawdybsnsea Or at BawdyStorytelling.com/shows   Wanna see Bawdy LIVE and in person? Subscribe to our email list & find out where we’re going before anyone else: https://bawdystorytelling.com/subscribe And get more Info on our live events - and Tickets for upcoming shows - at  BawdyStorytelling.com/Shows   Thank you to the Team that makes this podcast possible! Team Bawdy is: Podcast Producer: Marty Garcia Sound Engineer: David Grosof Project Manager: Dana Hanna Archivist / Video: Joe Moore & Bawdy Creator & Podcast Host Dixie De La Tour

Revelation 21-22 - Earth is the Celestial Kingdom. Saints resurrected in glory.

In the last days of his mortal life, the prophet Lehi gathered his children one-by-one to offer his final words of counsel and teaching. In the midst of his counsel to Jacob, nearly hidden in the middle of a verse, is a powerful truth that has become one of my favorite teachings in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Lehi tells his son in 2 Nephi 2:3: “I know that thou art redeemed.” How did Lehi know this? How did he have such certainty and assurance regarding his son’s future exaltation? Ponder the full statement from Lehi to his son: “I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer” (2 Nephi 2:3). Lehi’s statement had little to do with Jacob’s personal righteousness and everything to do with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And the same is true for our salvation. In Alma chapter 24, the king of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis holds a council with his people. These converted Lamanites are threatened by war and refuse to take up arms due to their past sins. It is here that the king offers a beautiful and correct interpretation of Nephi’s “all we can do.” One day while reading the Book of Mormon one word at a time, his words jumped off the page and the spirit touched my heart, connecting the dots of Alma 24 and 2 Nephi 25. Notice what the king says and how he says it, including the repeated wording. “And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain” (Alma 24:11, emphasis added). Coincidental wording? I don’t believe the Lord inspires his prophet’s words haphazardly, and this particular wording provided a tender mercy of understanding in my own life. Mighty to Save The Savior is called the Savior because he saves us. Completely and wholly. Jesus is truly “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). His only limitation is he can’t save us in our sins (see Alma 11:34-37). We have to repent to unlock His redeeming power in our lives, but once we do, we experience “the immediate goodness of God” (Mosiah 25:10). Listen carefully to these words of scripture regarding the Savior and our exaltation. While our personal efforts are a way for us to show our love for our Heavenly Father and Savior (John 14:15) and a key part of our eternal development, you’ll see that in the grand scheme it is not our personal righteousness but “the righteousness of (our) Redeemer” that saves and exalts us. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25, emphasis added). “Yea, come unto Christ and be perfected in Him” (Moroni 10:32, emphasis added). “Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him – Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life” (D&C 45:3-5, emphasis added). In speaking of those who will inherit the Celestial Kingdom, section 76 says they are “just men [and women] made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:69). It is any wonder Alma invites us to “cry unto (the Savior) for mercy; for he is mighty to save” (Alma 34:18, emphasis added). The gospel invites us to look to the Lord Jesus Christ, who truthfully tells each of us “I am able to make you holy” (Doctrine and Covenants 60:7).

We finally wrap up the first Armstrong Lecture! We learn all about hell, the different degrees of the Celestial Kingdom, and Mormon trickle-down heaven! After that we talk about “The Good Place,” a sitcom about heaven and hell. Then we wrap with good news about cow farts!   Show links: Light of Gazelem: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-15/seaweed-for-cows-could-be-mass-farmed-reduce-methane/11414724 Show links: Website http://www.glassboxpodcast.com/index.html Find us on Facebook and Twitter @Glass Box Podcast

What do Brigham Young and Charles Manson have in common? All you need is love — AKA shedding a wicked person’s blood so that they can pay for their sins and be exalted in the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom. Cuz that is what Jesus REALLY meant when he said “love your neighbor as […]

A Wives’ Tale Five women, one husband and one goal in life... to get to the Celestial Kingdom.  Producer: Tyler Measom & Adizah Eghan Original Score and Sound Design: Renzo Gorrio Season 8 Episode 15  

Nephi tells us that Satan strives to "lead us into carnal security." And Joseph Smith described those who missed out on the Celestial Kingdom as having not been "valiant in the testimony of Jesus." So apparently we need to make sure that we are careful in living up to our gospel covenants. And that's exactly what Sis. Becky Craven's recent General Conference talk, "Careful vs Casual" talks about. In today's episode we dig into Sis. Craven's talk as well as several different scripture references to understand more fully how important it is to be careful in living the gospel. Questions: 1. What adjustments do you need to make to be more carefully aligned with your covenants? 2. What are the warning signs for you that you are becoming more casual? How can you make sure to recognize them sooner? Get all the resources mentioned in this episode at https://www.everydayconversion.com/058 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/everydayconversion/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/everydayconversion/support

In this episode learn what gift is the essence of the Celestial Kingdom and why your HEART is so important! Also hear new insights and lessons from Christ's life and from Joseph Smiths.   These familiar stories took on a whole new meaning and understanding of being kind.

Jack Naneek discusses three visitors to his home ward.  A disappointment from an earlier period of his life is examined.  Paul’s epistle to the Romans is considered, along with its implications regarding the law and general worthiness.  In the end, maybe we are Celestial Kingdom material after all!Become a Premium Subscriber: Monthy:  $3 Yearly:  $25  $50  $100  $250 Support the […] The post Mormon Awakenings: Episode 016: Maybe You Are Celestial Material appeared first on Mormon Awakenings.

Our second sermon, presented on the Autumnal Equinox of 2013, addresses the concept of Transfiguration of the Ordinary--the concept of adjusting one’s attitude to appreciate the treasure of life without deceiving oneself with superstition and religious dogma. The Cernunnusian three-precept canon of “Deny, Denounce, Declare”™ is also discussed, through which rational thinkers proclaim to the religious and anthropocentric majority that they DENY that this Earth is only a tool for humans’ “salvation;” they DENOUNCE the practice of using up this planet as if it were disposable, while awaiting an imaginary Paradise, Celestial Kingdom, or Heaven; and they DECLARE that the human mission is not the salvation of human souls, but the protection of our natural world and ALL of our fellow creatures.

sermon transcript Endlessly Looking to Kill Death Take your Bibles and look with me if you would at Hebrews 2. We'll be focusing on two verses, verses 14 and 15, taking a break from our series in Matthew to zero in on the triumph of Jesus Christ. I often wonder what it would have been like to have been there that first Easter morning, to be with the women that saw the angels, that saw the first evidence of Christ's resurrection. To look at the Roman soldiers that were lying like stones on the ground, terrified because of the angel that had come to move the stone. I wonder what it would have been like to be with Peter and John as they ran to that tomb and looked in and saw what they alone were privileged to see compared to us, they being eyewitnesses, apostles of his resurrection, that they might see the actual physical artifacts of his resurrection, to look at the cloth that covered his body, to look at the cloth that had been wrapped around his head and to see it, and to know that they still didn't understand from scripture that Christ had to rise from the dead but that they would soon be witnesses, even at the cost of their own life, witnesses of this very fact around the world. Wouldn't that have been something? But you know, whatever joy there would be in seeing that is nothing compared to the joy that you will have when you see him face to face, looking at him as a lamb who had been slain from the foundation of the world, and realize that those wounds bought your passage to heaven. And so, it's a great privilege to stand in front of you and get you to think today about the treasure that we have from the cross and from the empty tomb. And we're only gonna consider one part of it, and I'm gonna zero in on this one concept in Hebrews, namely that Christ's resurrection has and should free every child of God forever from fear of death. That we're not slaves anymore to fear of death. Canterbury Tales A long, long time ago, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales and it's a story of a number of pilgrims that were traveling on their way to Canterbury and each one got to tell two stories. And there is one in particular that I found noteworthy, and it was “The Pardoner's Tale.” This is a religious man who goes around proclaiming the gospel, and he had a story to tell. It was a tale of three highwaymen who had just found out that their fence, the man that they sold their stolen goods to, had died of the Black Plague, and his family as well. So the fence, his wife and his children all had died of the Black Death. And they were indignant about this, furious as a matter of fact, and they resolved that they were going to hunt down Death and kill him. They're gonna chase him down. One of them said this, “I don't see what gives death the right to go carrying off anyone. If you ask me, it's about time that some brave soul stood up to death and put an end to his carryings on or should I say carryings off. Let's take an oath, friends, not to rest until we've tracked down this Death fellow and stuck a knife between his ribs. Think of what the mayor and the parish will pay if we can bring Death's corpse and lay it down here. Besides, how many purses do you think he's captured along the way? He must have quite a walletful by now.” So motivated by pride and by hope at gain, at greed probably, they tramped off full of indignation, ready to hunt down Death and kill him, then no one would have to fear Death anymore. Well, as they travelled, they saw an old man up ahead of the road and they had a sense that this might be death, and they went up and they asked him if he was Death. And they looked at him, but then they realized just how feeble he looked, he looked old and wizened, and it seemed there's no way he could have this kind of power. And the man answered, he said, “I wish I were dead, be freed from the burden of this old body that I carry around all the time, but actually, I just saw Death over there by that oak tree. If you hurry up, you can catch up to him.” Well, they went over to the oak tree and they didn't find Ceath there but they tripped over a pot of gold, a huge pot of gold, the wealth of seven lifetimes. And they immediately forgot their errand, their mission, and started thinking about how they would divide the plunder, the gold. And they sent the youngest one into town to buy some wine to celebrate where the other two stayed behind. And as he was gone, the two of them said, “You know, it'd be much better to split it two ways rather than three. So I'll tell you what, let's jump this guy when he comes back and then we can just divide it two ways.” Meanwhile, the younger one's in town and buys three bottles of wine but he gets to thinking about his two partners, and he buys some rat poison and pours it into two of the bottles but marks his own bottle very clearly. It's very late at night by the time he comes back and finds his former partners there, and he's already drinking from his marked bottle of wine. The two of them jump him and kill him with a knife, and then take the two unopened bottles of wine and begin to celebrate. In the morning, Death came to reclaim his pot of gold. He wrapped it up in the miserable rags of his decaying cloak, close to his gappy ribs. The three corpses under the oak tree made no move to stop him and he left them to a wealth of flies and crows before continuing his endless journey. The heavy pot of gold weighed light in his arms for though his bones were dry and his muscles were like the withered tendrils of a grape-less vine, his strength was immense for he could carry off the biggest or strongest of men even though like any man or beast, he could never carry off himself. Now that would take someone stronger than death, wouldn't it? That would take the man, Christ Jesus. That would take him, Jesus Christ, to conquer death and he had to pay a price to do it, didn't he? He had to die. And that's what we celebrate today. We celebrate the death of Death in the death of Jesus Christ, and we celebrate the triumph that we have through Christ that we will never fear death again. Worldwide Cultures: Many Differences, One Great Unifier Now, as we look around the world, we see a lot of things that unify cultures. The world is getting to be a smaller place, isn't it? And little by little, we start to see those things that are common to us. There are differences, that's true, differences in food, differences in customs and culture, differences in dress, in world view and in architecture, certainly these things, but there is this one unifying factor, the inevitability of death. If you were to go to the distant mist-covered valleys of Irian Jaya, a mysterious island which is huge and has many uncharted areas, do you think you would find a valley somewhere where people have found the secret to conquering death? I'd tell you no. Or if you went into the outback of Australia, would you find a small group of aborigines that had that secret whereby we could live forever? The answer is no. Suppose you went up to the northern country of the Laplanders where the Finns live, do you think that those frozen people have found also the secret to surviving death, living forever? The answer is no. How about in the teeming metropolises of Asia, do you think you could go down an alley and find an old oriental man who knew something about herbs and special homeopathic medicines, and he would be able to tell you the secret of living forever? You know the answer is no. No matter where we go all over this sin-cursed world, you're going to find the same thing and that is slavery to death. We're all under the same death sentence and there is no escape apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ. So also in history, it's not like the secret at one point was known and now we've lost it. Ponce de León was searching for the waters of eternal life down in Florida and he never found them. He found many other things and eventually became the governor in Puerto Rico, but he never found the waters that would enable you to live forever. And we in our 21st century technology, we're seeking a way that we can defeat death through surgery, perhaps, or through certain types of medicines and all of this hasn't done one thing to extend our life beyond the 70 or 80 years that God has ordained. The fact of the matter is that death is inevitable, and our text shows us the only way we can escape fear of death and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. Fear of Death is Natural for Slaves of Sin Now I'm gonna look at four things this morning out of the text. The first is that fear of death is natural, and I would say appropriate, for those that are in slavery to sin. Fear of death is natural for slaves of sin. Look at verse 15, it says that Christ came to “free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” From the Beginning, It Was Not So Now from the beginning, it was not so. Death was not originally part of the plan in Eden for Adam and Eve. Spurgeon put it this way, “It is a very natural thing that man should fear to die for man was not originally created to die. When Adam and Eve were first placed in the Garden of Eden, they were in such a condition that they might have remained there for myriad years if they had kept their integrity. There was no reason why unfallen man should die. But now that we have sinned, the seeds of corruption are in this flesh of ours and it is appointed unto man once to die. Yet as if the body knew that it was not according to the first decree of heaven that it should go to the earth and to the worm, it has a natural reluctance to return to its final bed.” What Spurgeon is saying there is that it doesn't feel like the way it should have been. We have a sense of a yearning to go back to Eden in one sense. “God has,” it says in Ecclesiastes 3, “set eternity in the hearts of men.” And so, we have a sense that we should live forever, and that death is really a shockingly unwelcome intruder, very much like the explosion that took the lives of the men and women on the Columbia, so there's a sense of explosion and a ripping into life when death intrudes. A sense that it's wrong, it's unwelcome. Why Death a Source of Terror Why is death therefore a source of terror? Why a source of fear? First, because of death's power. The grip of death cannot be broken. When death has a hold, it cannot be broken. There's a sense of the pillage of death. What does death steal from us? It takes everything earthly from us, relationships and possessions. It steals from us what is most precious. The pain of death also; we could be afraid of the very process of dying. What's it going to be like? What's it gonna feel like to actually go through the process of dying? Then there's the permanence of death, the fact that it can't be reversed. The things that are lost through death are lost forever and we can't get them back. The loved one is gone and we will never see them again in this world. But above all these, I think, there's the penalty of death, isn't there? For it is appointed unto man to die once and after that judgment. And I think that, in our heart of hearts, is what we fear the most or should if we're slaves to sin. Fear of Death of Some Benefit to the World Now, fear of death can be of some benefit in the world. I think it gives incredible courage to men, let's say on a battlefield, to strive greatly because they don't want to die or it gives ingenuity to drug manufacturers to find a way that we could defeat a disease like SARS, for example, or some other disease and it gives them motivation and a drive, probably the greatest use of the fear of death is to bring people to saving faith in Christ, that they might realize that they're under a death sentence and that life is uncertain. They don't ever know when they're going to die and so they should today close with Christ, to come to faith in Christ because they don't even know if they'll be alive tomorrow. Fear of Death Natural to Slaves of Sin But I say to you that fear of death is natural and appropriate to those who are slaves to sin. Verse 15, Christ came to “free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” That's a strong word, isn't it, that we were slaves to fear of death? Why is that? Because the wages of sin, according to Romans 1:32, are well-known. Romans 1:32 says, “Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” And so they feel, inside their hearts, a death sentence for their sin. They know that they deserve it. Now they may harden their heart, they may steer their conscience but inside they know that there's a death penalty for sin. Romans 2:15, Paul says, “Since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.” So there's a sense of fear of death because they know they're under a condemnation, that the law speaks against them. It speaks wrath and punishment. Hebrews 10:27 speaks of “a fearful expectation of judgement and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” This is what they fear, this is the fear of death and it's natural for those that are slaves to sin, it's appropriate actually. Now, some worldly people do what they can with the fear of death. They'll use philosophy, they'll use bad theology or false religion, they'll use humor, they'll use many things to try to escape their fear of death. I’ve witnessed to people before that I thought should be afraid of death. I've talked to them of the gospel and they didn't know Christ and had no interest. And they were absolutely fearless, had no concern whatsoever for death. I thought they should have. I don't know what philosophy or way of thinking has gotten them to turn away from this natural fear of death but they do it. Greek philosopher Epicurus said, “Men, believing in myths, will always fear something terrible, everlasting punishment as certain or probable. Men base all these fears not on mature opinions but on irrational fancies. So they are more disturbed by fear of the unknown than by facing facts. Peace of mind lies in being delivered from these fears.” Epicurus would say through philosophy, through realizing it's all a myth. Yes, we die but after that, there's nothing, there's no judgment. Don't worry about what your conscience says, don't be concerned about that. And so, through philosophy, they can get rid of fear of death. Some do it through humor, like Mark Twain. Mark Twain said that we should go to heaven for the climate and to hell for the company. Well, that's clever Mark or Samuel. But the fact of the matter is, there really isn't any company in hell. It's a place of darkness, a place where there's nothing good, a place of suffering, and there's all good things in heaven. But he's trying to dispense with it through humor. It's very funny. What is he saying? He's saying, “I don't like church people.” That's what he's really saying. “I don't like being with them, I like to be with those like me but I'm kind of afraid of that heat thing that is going on there in heaven or in hell. So I'd rather be in heaven for the climate but I'm gonna go to hell for the company.” That's what he's saying. And so, he's dispensing with the fear of death through humor. Others do it through a way of thinking like the kamikaze pilots of World War II who were sure that they would have a glorious death if they would die that way in battle or Islamic fighters in a jihad will go right into heaven if they will die on the battlefield. And so, they dispense with fear of death through bad theology or bad understanding. But fear of death is natural for slaves of sin. The Devil Held the Power of Sin and Death Power to Murder the Body Directly Second, the devil held the power of sin and death. It speaks in verse 14, “of him who holds the power of death, that is the devil.” Now the devil has power to murder the body directly, he has that power. If the Lord permitted him, he could kill you today. Jesus said in John 8:44, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” And putting together what Christ just said a moment ago, he's a murderer and the father of murderers. The Greek word there is man-slayer. He kills human beings. And so, when he came in the book of Job to the throne of God, God had to restrain him from this, you remember? He said, “You can take any of his possessions but you can't touch the man himself.” And Satan had to obey God's command. And then the second time, Satan comes back and says, “Skin for skin, a man will give anything he wants for his life, anything he owns for his life.” And so, God says, “Okay, you can touch his body but you can't -” Do what? “You can't take his life.” Does that not clearly imply that the devil has power to murder? He has the power to kill physically. And so therefore, I think the devil is behind every murder that there's ever been. In one sense, he's responsible broadly for every death that there ever has been because death entered the world through sin, and sin entered the world through the temptation of the devil. And so, he's the father of everyone that's ever died, of every infant that's died in a third world country of starvation or of a lack of medical care, of everyone that's ever died of AIDS in Africa, of every young man in one of our cities that dies in a gang sling, a drug-related incident. He's the murderer of every 68-year-old man who dies of a heart attack. In one sense, the devil killed us all. He had the power of death. Power to Murder the Soul Indirectly But he also has the power to murder the soul indirectly through temptation and sin, doesn't he? You see, the devil's under a sentence and he knows it. He knows his time is short, and so he's under the sentence of hell, of the lake of fire, and what he has been doing is drawing us into his condemnation. He did it right from the garden, to draw us into his sin, into his rebellion and into his condemnation. And in this way, he seeks to kill the soul. The world system around us is designed to entice us to follow him that we might also be like him, a sinner. Therefore, it says in 1 John, chapter 2, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For everything in the world, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, comes not from the father, but from the world.” And also, it says in James 1:14 and 15, “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then when sin is fully-grown, it gives birth to death.” And so, the devil seeks to be a soul-murderer as well. The devil's greatest goal of all is to keep people from understanding the gospel by blinding their minds so that they cannot understand or see the light and the glory, the knowledge of God in the face of Christ, so he seeks to murder their souls that way. Power Far Too Great for Us And you know, his power is too great for any one of us or all of us put together. Martin Luther knew that in “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” This is what he said, “For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work his woe, his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing.” And so the devil held the power of sin and death. Christ Destroyed the Devil to Deliver the Slaves First Step: Commitment by Christ to Love the Children of God Thirdly, Christ destroyed the devil in order that he might deliver the slaves. Now this is the beauty of it all. If you stop and think about it, we have, as Christians, two great religious holidays: Christmas and Easter, what I call Resurrection Day. The two are joined in this text. Do you see it? Christmas, we celebrate the incarnation of Christ, that he came to earth and took on a human body. Look what it says again in our text, verse 14 and 15, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death that is, the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” And so at Christmas, we celebrate that Jesus took on a flesh-and-blood body. At Easter, we celebrate why he did it, that he might lay it down on the cross and take it back up again through the empty tomb. And so we see the two together. But there are steps to this, how he destroyed the devil. The first step was a heavenly commitment that Christ made to love us. He set his love upon us. His passion was to rescue his people from sin and from death. I was reading recently a quote from Dorothy Sayers, who lived earlier in the 20th century, talking about the seven deadly sins, and she zeroed in on the sin of sloth. And this is what she said, “In the world, it's called tolerance.” That's a popular word these days, isn't it? Tolerance. “But in hell, it's called despair.” Now listen to what she says about this tolerance. “It is the sin which believes in nothing, cares for nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and only remains alive because there is nothing it would die for.” Does that characterize some of your neighbors? I think it does. This is an apathetic age we live in. We're always showing our coolness by saying, “Oh well, it doesn't matter.” Just life goes on. There's nothing we would die for. How different is Christ from that. How passionately different is Christ from that whole list. I'll go over the list, but put Christ in. Christ believes in the Father's glory for his children. He cares for his children. He interferes with the devil's power of death. He enjoys the eternal consummation of his children in glory. He loves his children enough to take on flesh and blood, he hates sin and death, he finds purpose in his father's plan, he lives for his children, and for all of this treasure, he is joyfully willing to die. That's the passion of our Christ. And it started in heaven before he ever took on a human body. And so he had to share with us, since the children have flesh and blood, he also had to have flesh and blood. He wanted to be with us. And what that meant was taking on weakness, taking on fatigue, taking on hunger, taking on temptation, taking on all of these things, and ultimately, taking on mortality, taking on death. Second Step: Choice by Christ to Partake in Their Humanity And so Christ does all of this. He shares in our flesh and blood, he partakes in it. It's one of the things that knits us together, isn't it? Around the world. John F. Kennedy gave a speech on June 10th, 1963, at American University, a very famous speech during the time when he was addressing the escalating Cold War with Soviet Russia. And this is what Kennedy said, he said, “For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's future, and we are all mortal.” Jesus stepped into that mortality. He took on flesh and blood. He did it for a purpose that he might destroy the devil by dying. Third Step: Conquest by Christ of the Devil on Behalf of the Children of God Now recently, I was doing a Bible study with my kids, and we were going over the story of Samson. We actually read the whole story of Samson on one Saturday. It was very enjoyable. I mean, Samson's quite a character. But on the way to his wedding, do you remember the story? He sees a lion there, a lion jumps at him, and he attacks the lion and kills it. Sometime later he walks by and the carcass is there, and inside the carcass, there's a swarm of bees and they've made honey in the carcass. Now that is strange, isn't it? Would you have eaten the honey out of the carcass? I wouldn't have done it, but Samson did. He scooped it in his hand and got some honey out and was eating it as he went on his way and gave some to his parents, but he didn't tell them where he'd gotten it from. Good thing, they would have - I guess that was before germ theory, so they probably would've kept eating. But it's just a strange thing, very strange. As a matter of fact, it's so strange that it gave Samson an idea of how to plunder his enemies, the Philistines. He said, “Okay, I'll make a bet with you. I'm gonna tell you a riddle, and if you can answer my riddle, then I'll give you 30 changes of clothes, but if you can't, then you have to give them to me, 30 changes.” They said, “Tell us the riddle.” And do you remember his riddle? “Out of the eater, something to eat, out of the strong -” What? “something sweet.” How did they do with the riddle? Very poorly. Very poorly. They had to nag his wife until finally she got it out of him, and then the whole thing went that way. But I started thinking about Samson's riddle. Isn't that what Jesus has done at the cross and at the tomb? Out of the eater. What eats us? The corruption in the grave. It destroys us, it takes everything we have, it destroys everything we have. Out of the eater, something to eat. And what is that? The bread of life, that we might have eternal life and live forever. And out of the strong, what is stronger than death? Well, the Bible says love is stronger than death. Something sweet, eternal life. Isn't that wonderful, Samson's riddle? Bet you never heard another interpretation of Samson's riddle, but there it is. Christ is able to destroy the strength and the power and the plundering of the grave, but he only does it one way, by submitting to it. He goes through it. Fourth Step: Deliverance of the Children Forever from Fear of Death Now his body isn't corrupted, that's protected by Psalm 16, but he's going to go through that grave and out of it comes a triumph, and in this way, he destroys the devil. How does he destroy the devil? By taking from the devil any accusation he can launch at us at judgment day. All of those sins have been paid for, every last one. We're justified through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. And so it says in Romans 4:24, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification,” Verse 14, “so that by his death, he might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is the devil.” And so Jesus is the living one, he holds the keys of death and Hades, and he lives forever and ever. Christ the conqueror has won the victory, and he's given us the spoils. Fear of Death Unnatural for Children of God What is the fourth point? Well, fear of death is unnatural, therefore, for the children of God. It's unnatural. Now, I didn't say it's unheard of. I've actually seen children of God die poorly. I don't understand it. I don't understand it. I don't know why it is. Why should we die poorly? We should be ready to die. We should be eager in one sense to die. Reluctant as Paul was in Philippians, that his earthly service and the benefits that come to earthly people would end, and that's reasonable, but glad to go in the presence of Christ. Because Christ has set his eternal love on us as his dear children. Because Christ was willing to be a partaker with us of our flesh and blood nature. Because Christ, gladly, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame. Because Christ thereby destroyed the devil and all of his accusations against us, and we are free forever from condemnation because of his death, because Christ has therefore delivered us from the devil's dark kingdom, because of all of this, fear of death is unnatural and inappropriate, wrong for a child of God. Now it still happens, you've read Pilgrim's Progress, you know there's two that cross the river, Christian and Hopeful, and one of them does very well, Hopeful, and one of them does very poorly, Christian. He can't feel his feet under him, and he's struggling, and before they even get in the river, they ask the angel, “Is there no other way?” They said, “There's no other way. You've gotta go through it to get to the Celestial Kingdom. You've got to die.” And he said, “Well, how deep is it?” And the angel said, “I cannot tell.” He said, “What do you mean you cannot tell?” He says, “It'll be deep or shallow to you in proportion to your faith in the king of that place. The stronger your faith is, the easier the process.” And so Hopeful is going right through, and Christian is all he can do, not to be swamped through doubt and despair and through the false accusations of the devil. So it is true that Christians sometimes die poorly, but they don't need to. They don't need to. A year ago, I read a series of quotes about how some of our brothers and sisters have died and I wanna finish with those. Spurgeon said, “Every day Christ is overcoming death, for he gives his Spirit to his saints, and having that Spirit within them, they confront death with songs. They face death with a calm countenance and they fall asleep in peace. ‘I will not fear thee, death. Why should I? You look like a dragon, but your sting is gone.’ For these saints, to die has been so different a thing from what they expected it to be, so lightsome, so joyous, they have been so unloaded of all care, have felt so relieved instead of burdened, that they have wondered whether this could actually be the monster they've been afraid of all their days. They find it a pin's prick when they feared it would be a sword thrust. It is the shutting of the eye on earth and the opening of the eye in heaven.” Isn't that a great quote? Thomas Goodwin said, “Ah, is this dying? How have I dreaded as an enemy this smiling friend.” William Preston, “Blessed be God, though I shall change my place, I shall not change my company.” So much for Mark Twain, he's gonna stay in the same company, right on into heaven. Charles Wesley, “I shall be satisfied with thy likeness, satisfied, satisfied. Oh, what a beautiful way to die.” Adoniram Judson, this is probably my favorite quote, “I'm not tired of my work, neither am I tired of this world, yet when Christ calls me home, I shall go with the gladness of a boy bounding away on the last day of school.” Remember that feeling, final day of school? The joy of being free. So that's what it's gonna be like for me. John Pawson says, “I know I am dying, but my deathbed is actually a bed of roses. Heaven for me has already begun.” And then one other, William Everett just said, “Glory, glory, glory,” for 25 minutes till he died. Don't you wanna die like that? So filled with faith and trust in what Christ has done at the cross and at the empty tomb, that you go right into the presence of God with, it seems almost hardly a hitch. Application How then shall we conquer fear of death? How can we do this? How can we conquer fear of death? First, you have to be a Christian. I mean, there's no escaping it. You've got to be a believer in Christ through faith or none of the encouragement I've given this morning is for you, none of it. You've got to come to Christ. Secondly, you have to consider that the devil's power over you has been broken forever. It has no right to accuse. Christ's blood has been shed and all sin is forgiven. Thirdly, therefore, we should value the blood of Christ as sufficient forever to cover all your sins and those with a thousand worlds besides. It's enough. You're justified. Fourth, you should look on death as the finish to a race well run. And then fifth, you should run the race well. You should keep your conscience clear and do the things that God's commanded you to do. Be faithful to use your spiritual gifts. Run the race well with endurance, lay aside the hindrances of sin and that which so easily entangles us. And sixth, you should grow constantly in Christ-like character. 2 Peter 1, it says, “Therefore my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never fall and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Seventh, celebrate frequently the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on your behalf. And eighth, saturate your mind in scripture. Just keep going over the promises of God again and again, and you will face death unafraid, unafraid. And any burden that the actual process of death brings you through, Christ's power within you will be more than sufficient to meet. Well, what should we do with such a fearlessness? Now that we're this fearless, what should we do with it? Well, I think we should be willing to lay down our lives for Christ here on earth. I think a very specific example, I know that some of us are considering going overseas even to Asia as missionaries. And you know, you've heard in the news about SARS and the danger there is, and I'm not saying we should or shouldn't go, that's going to have to be a decision that we make, but we should be unafraid, unafraid. That's all I'm saying. It gets very specific, doesn't it? We have to be willing to lay down our lives as witnesses for Christ, even to face unafraid something like SARS, the great unknown. And that's just a symbol, isn't it, for anything that would hold us back from being witnesses for Christ and serving him in this world. With this fearlessness, our brothers and sisters in Christ have conquered the world up to this point and so shall we.