Exaltation

In class we've recently talked about the idea of Exaltation a lot, using the 76th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. It's a beautiful principle. Simply put, it's what happens after Salvation.

In the pre-earth life (before the world was created) we were born as spirits. We lived in the presence of God and were His children. There He presented the Plan of Salvation to us and gave us the possibility to come to the earth, to get a physical body to clothe are spirits and to have a mortal experience. Those of us who are on the earth, chose then to follow God. Those who chose not to come to this earth followed Satan and were thrown out of the God's presence. Before coming here we all followed God and we could see Him. While on the earth we must learn to follow Him without being able to see Him, we must "walk by faith," as the Apostle Paul said.

During this mortal life we all must try to keep God's commandments. But, sometimes we fail and sin. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be made pure again, washed clean from our sins and mistakes. When we make a promise with Christ to take His name for our own (become Christians) at baptism and promise to obey Him we become His children. If we remain faithful to Him and to that promise for all our lives we will receive Salvation as His children.

Exaltation comes after this. As great of a gift as exaltation is, it isn't all that God wants to give us. In Matthew, chapter 19 Christ is talking to a man that wants to know what he has to do to have eternal life. In verse 21 of that chapter Jesus says to him, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Christ doesn’t say that the “treasure” will be heaven, but says that the "treasure will be in heaven, signifying that there is something more than heaven, something after Salvation. If we are faithful to God and do all that He asks us to do we can and will be exalted and become, "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).

"And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him." -Doctrine and Covenants 84:38

Family

The past couple of class periods we've been talking about section seventy-six of the Doctrine and Covenants. It's one of the greatest revelations ever. Our professor explained that in Joseph Smith's time many people were searching for Salvation. The authority to perform the ordinances of Salvation (such as baptism) had long since been lost from mankind and no one on the earth knew where to go to receive these ordinances and be saved. God gave us the solution to this problem through Mormonism. Through the Restoration of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the authority of God to perform these ordinances, or the Priesthood, was restored to the earth. Now people knew where to go to be saved. But, then what?

As time progressed and the Lord revealed more knowledge to His followers through the prophet Joseph Smith, we eventually learned the answer to the question, what comes after Salvation? What happens after we're saved as individual persons in Heaven? Section seventy-six explains the degrees of glory that exist within Heaven, namely the Celestial, the Terrestrial and the Telestial Kingdoms. We learn how we can reach the highest of those three, the Celestial Kingdom, where we can dwell with God and Christ forever. We can only reach it with a family, it's impossible to get there alone. After Salvation, comes Exaltation, or a life in which we will live forever with God, Christ AND our families. The familial bonds that we create in this life can and will be perpetuated beyond the grave if we but follow God and do as He asks us. That's amazing! It's incredible that God is so merciful and loving that He would even allow us to keep those relationships we attain in this mortal life that are most precious to us. I'm so grateful for the opportunity He has given to all people to do this.

This is why the family is so important to Mormon people, because we believe it will last forever, but only if we want it to and show that desire by continually living faithful to God and Jesus Christ.