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I have heard that we need to be perfected enough so we can handle reading each others thoughts. What a nightmare that would be on earth right now. So how we communicate may be different. Maybe how we transpot ourselves from one place to another. Maybe learning how to make worlds or spirit children. Will we still eat for the enjoyment of eating? Sometimes, I have wondered what our lives will be like there. I’m a hairdresser, make up artist, and wardrobe consultant. I hope I can still do some of that. Honestly, bridget, this is one of those “I’ll find out when I get there” topics for me. I would LOVE to know, but I have no clue – so I will try to wait in patient hope. No way to know. It is only a concept at this point. A point of view put across by Joseph Smith. Maybe it is all true and it is a lovely place. Whatever heaven is it is most likely well beyond our comprehension anyway. It may be like a neanderthal trying to comprehend the workings of a television. Actually I wonder more what tomorrow or next year or the next decade is going to be like here on earth. In many ways for me that is something I would like clearer answers to than what heaven consists of.
Here’s a more interesting question (I think). You have to think really really hard and long. Don’t let you knee-jerk response fool you. Ready, here ya go:
Is there ANYTHING you can conceive of that you would want to do for eternity? Is there ANYONE you would want to be with for eternity? Eternity is a very very very very very very (ad nauseum) long time.
Since my answer to that question is “no” I am left to conclude that if there is a celestial kingdom, I really hope I simply can’t conceive of how marvelous it will be and what I will do and who I will be with. And if I can’t conceive of it, then I can’t intelligently talk about it or make conclusions about it.
Euhemerus wrote:Ready, here ya go:
Is there ANYTHING you can conceive of that you would want to do for eternity? Is there ANYONE you would want to be with for eternity? Eternity is a very very very very very very (ad nauseum) long time…Since my answer to that question is “no”
Well shucks, now that you put it that way, it really takes out the whole “families are forever” carrot doesn’t it. Hmmm? Interesting thought.
Ever since my first wife told me where I was going after this life, the celestial kingdom hasn’t been much in my thoughts. At the same time the assumption that there will be a celestial kingdom seems to be a given though I think it’s a mistake to let that thought guide your actions in the here and now. Trying to check all the boxes can get in the way of just trying to be a decent person and good neighbor for no other reason that it’s the right thing to do. And I agree about the whole prospect of eternity and what a person will be doing. I would hope for some peace and quiet and the chance to be left alone. GBSmith wrote:…the assumption that there will be a celestial kingdom seems to be a given though I think it’s a mistake to let that thought guide your actions in the here and now. Trying to check all the boxes can get in the way of just trying to be a decent person and good neighbor for no other reason that it’s the right thing to do.
Absolutely. The whole “keep the commandments so I can be exalted” thinking just doesn’t work for me. How about keep the “commandments to help make your community a better place.” It gets taught, but is smothered in the whole earning your way to the celestrial kingdom rhetoric.
GBSmith wrote:… I would hope for some peace and quiet and the chance to be left alone.
Amen, and that includes being left alone – from the church too.
Interesting question. I think you’ll be spending all your time in service to others. I think a certain amount of time will be spent building new worlds and in administration. There are times when I’ve wondered if I even want to be there if it’s going to be like that 24/7. I’ve had periods when I’ve worked myself to the point of burnout in the Church while juggling other responsibilities and I’m not sure I could handle it for eternity.
I just came through a hefty period of Church service and quite frankly, I was ready to be out of it for a while. So, I wonder if we’ll get to the celestial kingdom and find we’d be happier in the telestial world?
Some of the courses I take as a student, I’m happy to get a “C” because I get a rest….we’re promised it’ll be a better world though….one thing you have to accept on faith.
I think it is interesting the whole purpose of God is Moses 1:39
Quote:to bring to pass the immortality and Eternal Life of (wo)man
The purpose is arriving at the Celestial Kingdom. There are no teachings about what happens when we get there…our purpose is just to get there. We have sometimes started to surmise it will mean we’ll still have genitals (what?
😮 ), but that teaching isn’t really adopted as doctrine…We have sometimes heard comments that we will become like God and be rulers and the telestialites will be our minions. But we don’t really talk about that much…we pretty much just focus on getting there…its kind of like a surprise promised land…when we get there, we’ll see where we got to.
If I don’t know what it will be like, why do I want to go there?Because it will be good and we’ll have joy.Why?Because we’ll be with Heavenly Father.Why?Because we’ve learned to make good choices and are worthy to be there.Why?…just because, dangit…stop asking…the answer is just because and you’re gonna like itso stop asking about it. Oh, and by the way, try to talk a bunch of your friends into coming with you…just tell them they’ll like it too. Whenever I think about the celestial kingdom I remember a Bagley or Grondahl cartoon. On person in white is leaning over a railing looking down while another person says something to the effect that he doesn’t think that you’re supposed to spit on lower kingdoms. Some people spend an inordinate amount of time thinking and worrying about something that there’s been disappearingly little said, written or revealed about. I still like the old version of a hymn before it was correlated, “there is no tomorrow but only today.”
GBSmith wrote:Some people spend an inordinate amount of time thinking and worrying about something that there’s been disappearingly little said, written or revealed about. I still like the old version of a hymn before it was correlated, “there is no tomorrow but only today.”
I actually thought this was a good question. Think about all the sacrifice required in this life to live the gospel — isn’t it relevant to explore what life will be like there given the effort required? There are some indications in the scriptures; perhaps we should revisit them.
Also, I think the blessings of the promised reward can do a lot to motivate who are struggling with their faith in this life. There are many motives for serving and remaining active; one is expectation of reward — reflecting on these rewards can help people remain active….
One assumption the celestial glory reward is that people value eternal progression. However, I’ve seen a lot of people in life who are just content to take life as it comes, and don’t really want to progress. So, is the celestial kindgom, with its eternal progression, something everyone wants? Where I’m at right now, I’d be content with eternal peace and joy.
I was talking today with a religion professor on campus, and he mentioned that his response when someone asks what the next life will be like is to say: Quote:I don’t know.
He also said that he thinks the beauty of a belief in the after-life is when it motivates people to value people in THIS life – and he said that he likes the central idea of becoming rather than receiving.
He’s not LDS, btw.
I told him I agree – that our faith should be that we will be happy – that we will be blessed – that we will be all we can be – not that we know now exactly what our lives will be like. I like the outline the LDS Church gives us – and I actually like that “The Church” doesn’t fill in very many of the details. Members sure like to do that, but I like how open our official theology is in that regard.
I can with 100% assurance, state absolutely, there will be NO home teaching in the Celestial Kingdom. Now as for hell…. George wrote:I can with 100% assurance, state absolutely, there will be NO home teaching in the Celestial Kingdom. Now as for hell….
😆 😆 😆 😆 I would like to nominate george’s comment as comment of the year. All in favor? Any opposed?
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