Terrestrial kingdom
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According to the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Terrestrial Kingdom is an eternal status in the afterlife to which some portion of humankind will be assigned following resurrection and the judgment day. The primary source of this doctrine is a vision recounted by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, at Hiram, Ohio, February 16, 1832, and recorded in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 76.
The Terrestrial Kingdom is the middle of three "degrees of glory," in which the highest or Celestial Kingdom is compared to the sun, the middle or Terrestrial Kingdom is compared to the moon,[1] and the lowest or Telestial Kingdom is compared to the stars. The terminology is also used in 1 Corinthians 15:40. Also, "in addition to the degrees of glory, there is a place of no glory, called perdition, reserved for those who commit the unpardonable sin." (Bible Dictionary: Degrees of Glory)
Persons who will attain the Terrestrial Kingdom in the afterlife, according to D & C 76:71-79, include those who lived respectably but "were blinded by the craftiness of men" and thus rejected the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ when it was presented to them in this life, "but afterwards received it," or "are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus" after receiving the fullness of the gospel while on Earth. Ultimately, the kingdom of glory (either the Celestial or the Terrestrial) received by those who accept the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the spirit world will be based on the Lord's perfect knowledge of whether they "would have received it with all their hearts" as manifested by their works and the "desire of their hearts" (D & C 137:8,9); thus, the LDS Church's emphasis on genealogical research and temple work for their deceased ancestors (this latter doctrine being emphatically rejected by virtually all other Christian polities).
In the Terrestrial Kingdom, God the Father does not come, but Jesus Christ visits, and the Holy Ghost dwells with the inhabitants.
Those who inherit the Terrestrial Kingdom enjoy the presence of the Son but not the fullness of the Father (see D&C 76:77).
[edit] Notes
- ^ On August 1, 1843, Hyrum Smith, brother of Joseph Smith, stated the reason for symbolism of the moon: "Those of the Terrestrial Glory either advance to the Celestial [Glory] or recede to the Telestial [Glory,] else the moon would not be a type [because] 'It waxes and wanes.'" (Franklin D. Richards, "Scriptural Items," p. 24, LDS Church Archives). This is the only known contemporary explanation for the Terrestrial Kingdom's symbol during Joseph Smith's lifetime. Most contemporary Mormons reject the possibility of advancement between kingdoms, although this is not been adopted as an official doctrine of the Church (See: Joseph L. Anderson [on behalf of the First Presidency] to Joe J. Chrisiansen, Dec. 17, 1965, LDS Church Archives).
