Misunderstanding Baptism for Salvation Quote #3
This post is an explanation of the use of the third quote by Joseph Fielding Smith in my previous post, Misunderstanding Baptism for Salvation. To understand that post please first read, Understanding Baptism Line upon Line.
Baptism is the door into the celestial kingdom. All the ordinances of the gospel pertain to the celestial kingdom, and any person who is faithful to the covenant of baptism will be entitled to enter there, but no person can receive an exaltation in the celestial kingdom without the ordinances of the temple. The endowments are for advancement in that kingdom, and the sealings for our perfection, provided we keep our covenants and obligations.
People baptized, and who are not endowed in the temple of the Lord, may enter the celestial kingdom. But that does not mean that a baptized person is going to get the exaltation in that kingdom. He is not going to pass on to the fulness just by being baptized. He will not pass on to the fulness even after he has been baptized and received an endowment in the temple. He has also to receive the other ordinances so that he can become through his faithfulness and obedience a son of God. . . .
The first principles of the gospel are principles that save. By obedience to them we enter the celestial kingdom of God. Then, when we get into that kingdom, if we have received the other covenants, have been true and faithful to other obligations, we will advance until we shall become like God -- his sons, his daughters, receiving a fulness of his kingdom. That is the promise. (DS p.45-46)
All three paragraphs above are presenting the same concept. This concept is fundamentally incorrect; however, with a slight shift it becomes completely correct. I will rewrite these paragraphs so that they portray the slight shift making them correct.
Baptism is the door into the kingdom of God, the telestial kingdom. All the ordinances of the gospel pertain to the kingdom of God, and any person who is faithful to the covenant of baptism will be entitled to enter there, but no person can receive an exaltation into the terrestrial or celestial kingdoms without the ordinances of the temple. The endowments are for advancement into those kingdoms, and the sealings for our perfection, provided we keep our covenants and obligations.
People baptized, and who are not endowed in the temple of the Lord, may enter the telestial kingdom. But that does not mean that a baptized person is going to get the exaltation in the kingdom of God. He is not going to pass on to the fulness just by being baptized. He will not pass on to the fulness even after he has been baptized and received an endowment in the temple. He has also to receive the other ordinances so that he can become, through his faithfulness and obedience, a son of God. . . .
The first principles of the gospel are principles that save. By obedience to them we enter the telestial kingdom of God. Then, when we get into that kingdom, if we have received the other covenants, have been true and faithful to other obligations, we will advance until we shall become like God -- his sons, his daughters, receiving a fulness of His kingdom. That is the promise.
This idea of advancement from one kingdom to the next starting out in the telestial kingdom is not a concept that applies after this probationary, preparatory state. If we have been true and faithful to our covenants in this life and after this life, at our final judgement we will be advanced to our final state. Once there the scriptures do not indicate that advancement is still possible as far as moving from one kingdom to the next. If this is possible it has not yet been revealed; or, if it has been revealed, I do not understand those revelations. (Please see my disclaimer about this topic)
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