When we lived with our Heavenly Father, he explained a plan for progression
to us, his spirit children our progression. We could become
like him, an exalted being. The plan required that we be separated from him and
come to earth. This separation was necessary to prove whether we would obey our
Father's commandments even though we were no longer in his presence. The plan
provided that when earth life ended, we would be judged and rewarded according
to the degree of our faith and obedience. We would then be assigned to
the place for which we had earned
for our eternal home prepared.
Jesus taught, "In my Father's house are many mansions" (John 14:2).
From the scriptures we learn that there are three degrees or
kingdoms of glory in heaven...
Exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life God lives. He lives in great
glory. He is perfect. He possesses all knowledge and all wisdom. He is the
Father of spirit children. He is a creator. We can become Gods like
our Heavenly Father. This is exaltation.
If we prove faithful and
obedient to all the commandments of the Lord, we will
live in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of heaven. We will become
exalted, just like our Heavenly Father. Exaltation is the highest
reward greatest gift that our Heavenly Father
can give his The Lord has said that exaltation is the greatest gift of all
the gifts of God children (see D&C 14:7)...
Those who live the commandments of the Lord and receive eternal
life (exaltation) exaltation in the celestial kingdom through
faith in Jesus Christ will receive special blessings. The Lord has said:
promised, "All things are theirs" (D&C 76:59). These
are some of the special blessings given to exalted people...
List some of the blessings that
will be given to those who earn exaltation. List
some of the blessings that will be given to those who are exalted...
There are specific ordinances we must have received to be exalted: To
be exalted, we first must place our faith in Jesus Christ and then endure in
that faith to the end of our lives. Our faith in him must be such that we repent
of our sins and obey his commandments.
He commands us all to receive certain ordinances:...
We must receive the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost...
In addition to receiving the required ordinances, there are
also many laws we have to obey the Lord commands all of us to qualify
for exaltation. We must...
In other words, each person must
endure in faithfulness, keeping all the Lord's commandments until the end of his
life on earth. Finally, each of us needs to
receive the Holy Ghost and learn to follow his direction in our individual
lives...
What happens when we have endured to the end and have been
faithful? in faithful discipleship to Christ?...
This is the way our Heavenly Father became a God...
Our Heavenly Father knows our trials, our weaknesses, and mistakes
our sins.
We would then be assigned to the place for which we had prepared.
Jesus taught, "In my Father's house are many mansions" (John
14:2)... If we prove faithful to the Lord, we will live in the highest
degree of the celestial kingdom of heaven. We will become exalted, just
like our Heavenly Father to live with our Heavenly Father in
eternal families. Exaltation is the greatest gift that Heavenly
Father can give His children (see D&C 14:7)...
Our Heavenly Father is perfect However,
he is not jealous of his wisdom and perfection, and He glories in
the fact that it is possible for His children to become like Him...
3. They will have be united eternally with their
righteous family members with them and will be able to have spirit
children also. These spirit children will have the
same relationship to them as we do to our Heavenly Father. They will be an
eternal family eternal increase...
He commands us all to receive certain ordinances...
3. Brethren must receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and magnify their
callings in the priesthood.
4. We must receive the temple endowment.
5. We must be married for time and eternity, either in this
life or in the next...
In addition to receiving the required ordinances, the Lord commands all of us to...
2. Keep the commandments...
4. Live the law of chastity....
5. Pay honest tithes and offerings.
6. Be honest in our dealings with others and with the Lord.
7. Speak the truth always.
8. Obey the Word of Wisdom
10. Keep the Sabbath day holy...
14. Honor our parents...
Why are faith in and obedience to Jesus Christ necessary to become
exalted?
What ordinances must we accept in order to become exalted?How do ordinances and covenants prepare us for exaltation?
What laws does the Lord give us that we must obey to become exalted?
How does faith in Jesus Christ help us obey the commandments?...
This is the way our Heavenly
Father became God. Joseph Smith taught: "It is the first
principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God. . . . He
was once a man like us; . . . God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an
earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did" (Teachings of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 345-46).
Our Heavenly Father knows our
trials, our weaknesses, and our sins. He has compassion and mercy on us. He
wants us to succeed even as he did.
Imagine what joy each of us will have when we return to our Heavenly Father
if we can say: "Father, I did what you wanted me to do I
lived according to Thy will.