Different Kingdoms
Those who reject the ordinances are still believed to have the opportunity to inherit a kingdom of glory distinct from, and of less glory, than the Celestial Kingdom: either the Terrestrial Kingdom or the Telestial Kingdom Exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom is the ultimate goal of faithful LDS Church members.
In an LDS scripture, the Book of Moses 1:39, God tells Moses, "this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." God shows Moses a vision depicting some of His vast creations including a vast number of worlds created for other people—a sampling of what God created in the past and what he will continue to do forever. Each world was prepared and peopled by God for the purpose of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of all of His children. Immortality refers to personal resurrection by which each individual can continue to enjoy a perfect, physical body forever. Exaltation refers to living in the presence of God and Jesus Christ; to becoming like God both in terms of holiness or godliness and sharing in God's glory.
It is commonly believed by members of the Church that, as God's children, mankind may, through the merits and mercy accorded all through the Atonement of Christ, become like God the Father. As Paul taught the Romans, "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Eternity will be spent in a process of eternal progression becoming more like the Father (God).
Latter-day Saints posit that not only does God have the power to exalt mortal man, but without the possibility, there is little reason for mortality. They also point to comments made by Christ and Psalmists among others that refer to the Divine nature and potential of humans as children of God. They include passages in the Book of Revelation that describe the joint heirship with Christ of those who overcome by faith in Jesus Christ.
Read more about this topic: Exaltation (Mormonism)
Famous quotes containing the word kingdoms:
“There was never a man born so wise or good, but one or more companions came into the world with him, who delight in his faculty, and report it. I cannot see without awe, that no man thinks alone and no man acts alone, but the divine assessors who came up with him into life,—now under one disguise, now under another,—like a police in citizen’s clothes, walk with him, step for step, through all kingdoms of time.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“How will it be with kingdoms and with kings—
With those who shaped him to the thing he is—
When this dumb Terror shall rise to judge the world,
After the silence of the centuries?”
—Edwin Markham (1852–1940)