A Message to All: Part 6: After Life: Progression

Note: This series was inspired by my recent ALS diagnosis. See Part 1 intro. 

In part 1 I mention progression between kingdoms and how that applies to the purpose of life along with Christ. Here is some more ramblings that I've come across as well or thought of. It's been on my mind so felt to put some incomplete thoughts on it here. It illustrates the importance of this life and using that time to come unto Christ. 

Time: Three Kingdoms

The Telestial World or the world which You now reside is here. Right Here. Also the Spirit world is here, right here. 

What separates us from God is Time.
Time does not exist with God.
Therefore ask yourself this.

This Telestial world when it becomes Zion becomes Terrestial.

When the Terrestrial World meets its measure of creation it will receive its Paradisaical glory (AOF 10) and become a "sea of glass" or a great Urim a Thummin (Celestial World).

If those places are here right now but only separated by Time and Time does not exist how are they all here? How is it that the Telestial world, the Terrestrial world, and the Celestial world are all here but separated by Time?

We distinguish between them by time frames. Telestial being now, Terrestrial being Millennial and then the Celestial being post-Millennial. Yet probably never stop to ponder how they are all here. And our parsing of it by reference to time seems oddly ill-fitted to the timelessness of the afterlife. (See e.g., Rev. 10: 6.) This is suggesting a much more complex afterlife, in which, literally the ascent is by degrees as you move upward

Joseph said it would be a great while beyond the grave to learn our salvation and exaltation. We will literally move up by degrees in our perfection. This goes along with Josephs teachings on Jacob's ladder and the 7 rungs to perfection.

Jacob's Ladder:

Joseph said that you had to start at the bottom of the ladder. There are 7 rungs that correspond to the 7 degrees of angels called out in D&C. (TC)  We need to focus on this life. Moving forward. In any event, whether we ascend to the next level or not, this earth life is extremely important for everyone who comes here.  These experiences on earth are important for everyone to progress, even if only a few get to a point to move up the ladder in this life.  The Lord has worlds without ends to accomplish it all. 

A Helix: DNA

For me there has been repeated reminders that the Lord's path is straight, and does not vary from side to side, nor is there any degree of changeablness for Him. BUT His "course" (that is the pathway we find ourselves on) is "one eternal round." Meaning we are in orbit, so to speak, around Him and His pathway. For us we move in an upward spiral sometimes facing in one direction and sometimes turned around in the opposite direction as we move upward along His path. We are here to be "added upon" and sometimes that process is so incremental, so slight, and so apparently limited that we can live a lifetime and only move a single step forward toward God. But for God, who is infinite and eternal, that fulfills His promise and even His expectations for most of mankind. 

We are here to experience the difference between light and dark, good and bad, and gain knowledge of good and evil. If a man lives without God in the world and his days are few and mean, he may nevertheless rejoice in eternity for what he gained by experience here. Even the abuse inflicted upon us can turn to God's glory if we return to Him better able to know the difference between good and evil.

The Gospel plan is infinite and holds out promise for every man and woman who ever lived and died. How great a step we gain in the few years of mortality allotted to us is not as important as the experience from which we are better able to discern between good and evil.

I have little hope for Zion, because that will require pure hearts, penitent and submissive men and women, and faith in Christ as a principal of action. But I have great hope for mankind. If all men's deeds were illuminated by the light of Christ we could all tell what errors we are making and return to the truth. That day will come. But here, in this darkened world, we are gaining experience.