Chpater 45: The Millennium

Material for this lesson can be found in two chapters of the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:... (the old Priesthood/Relief Society manuals), in Joseph Smith Chapter 21, in Brigham Young Chapter 45, in John Taylor Chapter 24 and in Wilford Woodruff Chapter 24.

The above can be found by going to the new “lds.org” then click on “Go to Classic LDS.org” (lower left corner), then click on “Gospel Library” then “Lessons” then “Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.” The manuals are all found at the bottom of this page.

As with the last lesson Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual Chapter 37 is a wonderful resource for this lesson. It is available online at “institute.lds.org” then click on “Course Catalog” on the top bar.

The last lesson was on the Second Coming. The Second Coming, of course, is the beginning of the Millennium. Here is how the prophet Joseph learned more of the two:

Two days later, on December 27, the Prophet received another revelation that contained much information about the Second Coming. On that day, a conference of high priests had gathered in the Prophet’s “translating room,” the room in the Whitney store where Joseph did much of his work on the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. The minutes of the conference record: “Brother Joseph arose and said, to receive revelation and the blessings of heaven it was necessary to have our minds on God and exercise faith and become of one heart and of one mind. Therefore he recommended all present to pray separately and vocally to the Lord for [Him] to reveal His will unto us concerning the upbuilding of Zion and for the benefit of the Saints.”

Each high priest “bowed down before the Lord” and then spoke of his feelings and determination to keep the commandments of God. Shortly thereafter, the Prophet began to receive the revelation from God that would later become section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants. This revelation contains some of the scriptures’ most detailed prophecies about the coming of the Lord and the establishment of a thousand-year period of peace (see D&C 88:86–116) (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 250).

1 - - People on the Earth during the Millennium

Perhaps it will be helpful to list the reasons for the Millennium being “A thousand years of peace, love and joy…on the earth” (p. 263) as stated in this section. Here are at least three reasons:

# 1- - Christ will reign (see the rest of this section).

Concerning this, Joseph Smith taught:

When Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, he learned that America is the land of Zion which was given to Joseph and his children and that on this land the City Zion, or New Jerusalem, is to be built. He also learned that Jerusalem in Palestine is to be rebuilt and become a holy city. [ 3 Nephi 20:22 ; 21:20–29 ; Ether 13:1–12 .] These two cities, one in the land of Zion and one in Palestine, are to become capitals for the kingdom of God during the millennium (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 104).

John Taylor added:

The kingdom of God means the government of God. That means, power, authority, rule, dominion, and a people to rule over. But that principle will not be fulfilled, cannot be entirely fulfilled, until, as we are told in the scriptures, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, and he will rule over them [see Revelation 11:15], and when unto him every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Christ [see D&C 88:104], to the glory of God, the Father. …the introduction of that kingdom, and the introduction of that kingdom could only be made by that Being who is the King and Ruler, and the Head of that government, first communicating his ideas, his principles, his laws, his government to the people. Otherwise we should not know what his laws were (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 222).

# 2 - - Satan will not be on the earth (see 3 (A) in this blog).

# 3 - - There will be no telestial people on the earth. Joseph Fielding Smith stated:

When the reign of Jesus Christ comes during the millennium, only those who have lived the telestial law will be removed. The earth will be cleansed of all its corruption and wickedness (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 104).

It may be instructional to list items in the evening news on TV or the newspaper or online that will disappear from our world as a result of telestial people being removed from society.

In this section we read, “People will still have their agency, and for a time many will be free to continue with their religions and ideas” (p. 263). Concerning this, Brigham Young taught:

In the millennium men will have the privilege of being Presbyterians, Methodists or Infidels, but they will not have the privilege of treating the name and character of Deity as they have done heretofore (We Believe, 563).

Joseph Fielding Smith also added:

Some members of the Church have an erroneous idea that when the millennium comes all of the people are going to be swept off the earth except righteous members of the Church. That is not so. There will be millions of people, Catholics, Protestants, agnostics, Mohammedans, people of all classes, and of all beliefs, still permitted to remain upon the face of the earth, but they will be those who have lived clean lives, those who have been free from wickedness and corruption. All who belong, by virtue of their good lives, to the terrestrial order, as well as those who have kept the celestial laws, will remain upon the face of the earth during the millennium (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 105).

Here is what Joseph Fielding Smith declared about who would stay and who would not:

Those who have lived virtuous lives, who have been honest in their dealings with their fellow man and have endeavored to do good to the best of their understanding, shall remain (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 104).

So an important question to ask ourselves is, “Am I going to be around for the entire Millennium? Have I calendared my plans for the Millennium?”

There are two possibilities for each of us enjoying the entire Millennium. One is be alive at the Second Coming and the other is to die before that glorious event.

For the first possibility, the above quotes indicate that we need to avoid being telestial to enjoy the entire Millennium. Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated:

The wicked, meaning those who live a telestial law, shall either be destroyed before the Second Coming or be burned at that time. None will remain who do not live at least a terrestrial law (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:587).

For the second possibility, we will need to be celestial when we die to be here for the entire Millennium. From the Encyclopedia of Mormonism we read:

LDS doctrine teaches that every human being will be resurrected. Many were resurrected soon after Jesus’ resurrection; the remaining righteous will be resurrected at the second coming of Christ… (p. 398).

The Lord promised this:

Yea, and blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from henceforth, when the Lord shall come, and old things shall pass away, and all things become new, they shall rise from the dead and shall not die after, and shall receive an inheritance before the Lord, in the holy city (D&C 63:49).

During a funeral address, Joseph Smith discussed the opportunity of Saints to be raised in the morning of the first resurrection (at the beginning of the Millennium):

…there will be none but Saints…where the Son of Man will make His appearance, and where they may hear the sound of the trump that shall call them forth to behold Him, that in the morn of the resurrection they may come forth in a body, and come up out of their graves and strike hands immediately in eternal glory and felicity…

Would you think it strange if I relate what I have seen in vision in relation to this interesting theme? Those who have died in Jesus Christ may expect to enter into all that fruition of joy when they come forth, which they possessed or anticipated here. So plain was the vision, that I actually saw men, before they had ascended from the tomb, as though they were getting up slowly. They took each other by the hand and said to each other, "My father, my son, my mother, my daughter, my brother, my sister." And when the voice calls for the dead to arise, suppose I am laid by the side of my father, what would be the first joy of my heart? To meet my father, my mother, my brother, my sister; and when they are by my side, I embrace them and they me. . . . All your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection, provided you continue faithful… The expectation of seeing my friends in the morning of the resurrection cheers my soul and makes me bear up against the evils of life (History of the Church, 5:361-2

So, if we are righteous and are going to the Celestial Kingdom, we will enjoy the entire Millennium. We should joyously anticipate the Second Coming of Jesus Christ whether alive or dead. We love the way President Hinckley summarized:

Let us rather live each day so that if the Lord does come while we are yet upon the earth we shall be worthy of that change which will occur as in the twinkling of an eye and under which we shall be changed from mortal to immortal beings. And if we should die before he comes, then—if our lives have conformed to his teachings—we shall arise in that resurrection morning and be partakers of the marvelous experiences designed for those who shall live and work with the Savior in that promised Millennium (BYU Speeches of the Year, 1979, 4).

For more on whether or not we will be Celestial, see the next Chapter in this manual.

2 - - The Work of the Church during the Millennium

In this section it is stated:

There will be two great works for members of the Church during the Millennium: temple work and missionary work. Temple work involves the ordinances that are necessary for exaltation. These include baptism, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the temple ordinances—the endowment, temple marriage, and the sealing together of family units (p. 265).

So work # 1 is temple work. Concerning this great work, Brigham Young taught:

In the Millennium, when the Kingdom of God is established on the earth in power, glory and perfection, and the reign of wickedness that has so long prevailed is subdued, the Saints of God will have the privilege of building their temples, and of entering into them, becoming, as it were, pillars in the temples of God [see Revelation 3:12], and they will officiate for their dead. Then we will see our friends come up, and perhaps some that we have been acquainted with here. . . . And we will have revelations to know our forefathers clear back to Father Adam and Mother Eve, and we will enter into the temples of God and officiate for them. Then [children] will be sealed to [parents] until the chain is made perfect back to Adam, so that there will be a perfect chain of Priesthood from Adam to
the winding-up scene.

This will be the work of the Latter-day Saints in the Millennium (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 333-4).

In case it was not used in the last lesson (Chapter 44), the quote from Brigham Young found under “3 He will usher in the Millennium” (p. 259) also fits very well here.

President Taylor added:

While showing the Salt Lake Temple construction site to a visitor from another country, President Taylor prophesied of the great increase in the number of temples in the world: “We expect to build hundreds of them yet, and to administer in them in carrying out the work of God” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 184).

Isn’t it interesting how much closer we are to fulfilling President Taylor’s prophesy.

Brigham Young went further:

To accomplish this work there will have to be not only one temple but thousands of them, and thousands and tens of thousands of men and women will go into those temples and officiate for people who have lived as far back as the Lord shall reveal (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 310).

President Woodruff added:

When the Savior comes, a thousand years will be devoted to this work of redemption; and Temples will appear all over this land of Joseph,—North and South America—and also in Europe and elsewhere; and all the descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth who received not the gospel in the flesh, must be officiated for in the Temples of God before the Savior can present the kingdom to the Father, saying, “It is finished.” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 188-9).

In this section we read about extra help we will have doing temple work in the Millennium:

Resurrected beings will help us correct the mistakes we have made in doing research concerning our dead ancestors. They will also help us find the information we need to complete our records (p. 265). President Joseph F. Smith discussed another means by which temple work will progress:

…it is revealed that the great work of the Millennium shall be the work in the temples for the redemption of the dead; and then we hope to enjoy the benefits of revelation through the Urim and Thummim, or by such means as the Lord may reveal concerning those for whom the work shall be done, so that we may not work by chance, or by faith alone, without knowledge, but with the actual knowledge revealed unto us (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 105).

And work # 2 is missionary work. President Joseph F. Smith stated:

The Prophet Joseph Smith has said that this [missionary work] is one of the most important duties that devolves upon the Latter-day Saints. And why? Because this is the dispensation of the fulness of times, which will usher in the millennial reign, and in which all things spoken by the mouths of holy prophets, since the world began, must be fulfilled, and all things united, both which are in heaven and in the earth (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 410-11).

His son, Joseph Fielding Smith declared:

Eventually, however, the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters do the sea. But there will be need for the preaching of the gospel, after the millennium is brought in, until all men are either converted or pass away (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 105).

This statement could also fit with section 3 (E) “All things restored” in this lesson.

3 - - Conditions during the Millennium

In addition to the quote from Joseph Smith in answer to the question in this section, “In what ways will life during the Millennium be different from life on the earth now? (p. 265), Joseph Fielding Smith explained:

The great change which shall come when Christ our Savior begins his Millennial reign, is to be a restoration to the conditions which prevailed before the fall of man. The tenth article of faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches us that Christ will reign personally upon the earth, and that the earth will be renewed, or restored, and receive its paradisiacal glory when that day comes.

This new heaven and earth which will come into existence when our Lord comes to reign, is this same earth with its heavens renewed or restored to its primitive condition and beauty. Everything is to be brought back as nearly as it is possible to its position as it was in the beginning. The mountains, we are informed, are to be thrown down, the valleys are to be exalted, and “the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided” (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 104).

Brigham Young also taught concerning “conditions during the Millennium”:

The Millennium consists in this—every heart in the Church and Kingdom of God being united in one; the Kingdom increasing to the overcoming of everything opposed to the economy of heaven, and Satan being bound, and having a seal set upon him. All things else will be as they are now, we shall eat, drink, and wear clothing (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 333).

This statement by Brigham Young, partially quoted in section 3(F) “Other Millennial Activities” also introduces the next sub-section.

3(A) - - Satan Bound

Concerning this subject, Joseph Smith said:

“He whose right it is, will possess the kingdom, and reign until He has put all things under His feet” [see Ezekiel 21:27; 1 Corinthians 15:27]; iniquity will hide its hoary head, Satan will be bound, and the works of darkness destroyed; righteousness will be put to the line, and judgment to the plummet, and “he that fears the Lord will alone be exalted in that day” [See Isaiah 2:11; 28:17.] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 258).

Brigham Young added:

By and by the world will be overturned according to the words of the prophet, and we will see the reign of righteousness enter in, and sin and iniquity will have to walk off. But the power and principles of evil, if they can be called principles, will never yield one particle to the righteous march of the Savior, only as they are beaten back inch by inch, and we have got to take the ground by force. Yes, by the mental force of faith, and by good works, the march forth of the Gospel will increase, spread, grow and prosper, until the nations of the earth will feel that Jesus has the right to rule King of nations as he does King of Saints.

Do you know that it is the eleventh hour of the reign of Satan on the earth? Jesus is coming to reign, and all you who fear and tremble because of your enemies, cease to fear them, and learn to fear to offend God, fear to transgress his laws, fear to do any evil to your brother, or to any being upon the earth, and do not fear Satan and his power, nor those who have only power to slay the body, for God will preserve his people (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 332-3).

John Taylor also taught:

Satan will not then be permitted to control its [the Kingdom of God] inhabitants, for the Lord God will be king over all the earth, and the kingdom and greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven will be given to the saints (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 225).

In hopes that some of the details of this doctrine may be helpful here, we are repeating a excerpt from Chapter 3 of this blog:

In D&C 52:14 is found a powerful principle in the battle between God and Satan, as well as many other truths:

And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations—

One of the very important patterns to recognize is that of the battle between God and Satan:

 Satan allowed in Garden
 Satan cast out of Garden
 Satan allowed on earth
 Satan cast out on earth
 Satan bound during the Millennium
 Satan loosed for a little season
 Satan’s power destroyed at end of Millennium (D&C 88:114)

In reality, there were two things Joseph Smith learned before God revealed the doctrine of the nature of God in the First Vision. First Joseph learned about the power of Satan (Joseph Smith-History 1:15-16). Second Joseph learned that God had power over Satan (verses 16-17). Moses learned the same two lessons in reverse order (Moses 1:1-21).

We also have power over Satan, as Joseph Smith taught:

All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 181)

As Joseph herein implied, we also need God’s power to overcome Satan (as did Moses, see Moses 1:16-21). God even controls the ability Satan has to tempt us (1 Corinthians 10:13).

An important part of this scripture, often overlooked is “God…will with the temptation also make a way to escape…” (verse 13). If we remember that Jesus Christ said, “…I am the way…” (John 14:6) it becomes clear that we indeed can overcome any temptation with “the way” provided by Our Father in Heaven, even Jesus Christ. Again affirmation of this important principle, Jesus Christ is more powerful than Satan or his temptations.

It is significant that in the accounts in Genesis and Moses where God casts Satan out of the Garden, God tells the serpent (mouthpiece for Satan) that [Christ] will “bruise thy [Satan’s] head.” However, footnote “c” to “bruise” in Genesis 3:15 gives the Hebrew translation as “crush.” In the temple, we learn that “crush” is the right word. This is clarified in D&C 19:3 where Jesus Christ proclaims:

“I AM Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord; Retaining all power, even to the destroying of Satan and his works at the end of the world…”

Now let’s combine these two principles to see how the battle between God and Satan will play out during the beginning of the Millennium. Nephi declared:

And because of the righteousness of his [Holy One of Israel’s] people, Satan has no power… (1 Nephi 22:26).

Elder George Q. Cannon explained:

Satan only gains power over man through man’s exercise of his own agency; and when Satan shall be bound, as the Lord says he will be for a thousand years, one of the great powers that will help bring this to pass will be man’s agency (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 101)

John the Revelator also prophesied about this event:

And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him… (Revelation 20:2-3)

Remember in an earlier quote in this blog, Brigham Young stated:

Satan being bound, and having a seal set upon him (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 333).

Elder George Q. Cannon discussed how Satan will be bound by a combination of these two:

Satan will be bound by the power of God; but he will be bound also by the determination of the people of God not to listen to him, not to be governed by him (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 101).

The final chapter in this battle is described in Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

Toward the end of the Millennium, Satan will be loosed (D&C 88:110-15) because people will again hearken to him. But he will be vanquished and sent from this earth to outer darkness, where he and his followers, both spirits and resurrected sons of perdition…will dwell in the misery and darkness of selfishness and isolation forever. (p. 381)

It is most interesting that the Hebrew meaning of Satan is “to oppose,” since one of the principles of why a Satan is necessary is “opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:21). Another principle we need to apply in life is found in this quote by Brigham Young:

I ask, is there a reason for men and women being exposed more constantly and more powerfully, to the power of the enemy, by having visions than by not having them? There is and it is simply this--God never bestows upon His people, or upon an individual, superior blessings without a severe trial to prove them, to prove that individual, or that people to see whether they will keep their covenants with him, and keep in remembrance what He has shown them. Then the greater the vision, the greater the display of the power of the enemy. (Journal of Discourses, 3:205)

Let us all pray to stay on the Lord’s side in this battle.

President Hinckley wonderfully discussed what it will be like when Satan is bound:

Can you imagine the wonder and the beauty of that era when the adversary shall not have influence? Think of his pull upon you now and reflect on the peace of that time when you will be free from such influence. There will be quiet and goodness where now there is contention and evil (BYU Speeches of the Year, 1979, 4).

3(B) - - Peace on Earth

Joseph Smith discussed the condition of “peace on earth” during the Millennium:

The designs of God … have been … to establish peace and good will among men; to promote the principles of eternal truth; to bring about a state of things that shall unite man to his fellow man; cause the world to “beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” [Isaiah 2:4], make the nations of the earth dwell in peace, and to bring about the millennial glory, when “the earth shall yield its increase, resume its [paradisiacal] glory, and become as the garden of the Lord” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 256-7).

David O. McKay also explained:

We may take courage in what I believe is a fact, that in the hearts of more millions of honest men and women than ever before war is abhorrent. War has lost its false glamour and boasted glory. Such an attitude at least keeps alive our hope for the dawning of that day when men ". . . shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isa. 2:4) (Conference Report, October 1961, p. 5).

The above quote was found from that great resource, “scriptures.byu.edu” where every scripture (in this case, Isaiah 2:4) can be accessed to find any time it was used in a conference talk.

Joseph Smith elaborated concerning an interesting lesson he taught those on Zion’s Camp to help prepare them for the Millennium:

In pitching my tent we found three massasaugas or prairie rattlesnakes, which the brethren were about to kill, but I said, "Let them alone -- don't hurt them! How will the serpent ever lose his venom, while the servants of God possess the same disposition, and continue to make war upon it? Men must become harmless, before the brute creation; and when men lose their vicious dispositions and cease to destroy the animal race, the lion and the lamb can dwell together, and the sucking child can play with the serpent in safety." The brethren took the serpents carefully on sticks and carried them across the creek. I exhorted the brethren not to kill a serpent, bird, or an animal of any kind during our journey unless it became necessary in order to preserve ourselves from hunger (History of the Church, 2:72).

Indeed, Joseph Fielding Smith taught:

It shall be in that day that the lion shall lie down with the lamb and eat straw as the ox, and all fear, hatred, and enmity shall depart from the earth because all things having hate in their hearts shall pass away; and there shall come a change, a change over men, a change over the of the field, and upon all things living upon the face of the earth.
According to this word I have read there shall be harmony, and love, and peace, and righteousness (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 104).

President Monson gave terrific counsel as to how we can prepare for this time of peace:

To be angry is to yield to the influence of Satan. No one can make us angry. It is our choice. If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry. I testify that such is possible

…we are all susceptible to those feelings which, if left unchecked, can lead to anger. We experience displeasure or irritation or antagonism, and if we so choose, we lose our temper and become angry with others. Ironically, those others are often members of our own families—the people we really love the most (Ensign, Nov. 2009, 62).

Brigham Young also elaborated on this subject:

Let the people be holy, and the earth under their feet will be holy. Let the people be holy, and filled with the Spirit of God, and every animal and creeping thing will be filled with peace; the soil of the earth will bring forth in its strength, and the fruits thereof will be meat for man. The more purity that exists, the less is the strife; the more kind we are to our animals, the more will peace increase, and the savage nature of the brute creation vanish away (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 333).

We like this summary for this section by John Taylor:

What will be the effects of the establishment of Christ’s kingdom, or the reign of God on the earth? … It is the doing away with war, bloodshed, misery, disease, and sin, and the ushering in of a kingdom of peace, righteousness, justice, happiness, and prosperity. It is the restoration of the earth and man to their primeval glory and pristine excellence; in fact, the restitution of all things spoken of by all the prophets since the world began [see Acts 3:21] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 226).

3(C) - - Righteous Government

In the third paragraph of the first section of this lesson, there is a quote referred to from Joseph Smith (p. 263). Here is the quote::

While in conversation at Judge Adams’ during the evening, I said, Christ and the resurrected Saints will reign over the earth during the thousand years. They will not probably dwell upon the earth, but will visit it when they please, or when it is necessary to govern it (Old Testament Institute Student Manual, 33-48)

John Taylor explained how this “reign” by Jesus Christ will begin with the establishment of a prophet:

What is the first thing necessary for the establishment of his kingdom? It is to raise up a prophet and have him declare the will of God; the next thing is to have a people yield obedience to the hand of the Lord through that prophet. If you cannot have these, you never can establish the kingdom of God upon the earth (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 222-3).

John Taylor discussed how the priesthood will be important to this process:

God was desirous of introducing his kingdom upon the earth, and he had, in the first place, to organize his church, to organize the people that he had scattered among the nations and to bring them together, that there might be one fold and one shepherd [see John 10:16], and one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, and one God, who should be in all and through all [see Ephesians 4:5–6], and by which all should be governed. To facilitate this object, he organized his holy priesthood as it existed in the heavens (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 223).

President Kimball quoted Brigham Young concerning a priesthood ordinance that will be restored in the Millennium:

President Brigham Young, the second president of this dispensation, said: “It is supposed by this people that we have all the ordinances in our possession for life and salvation, and exaltation, and that we are administering in those ordinances. This is not the case. We are in possession of all the ordinances that can be administered in the flesh; but there are other ordinances and administrations that must be administered beyond this world. I know you would like to ask what they are. I will mention one. We have not, neither can we receive here, the ordinance and the keys of resurrection.” (Journal of Discourses, 15:137.) (Ensign, May 1977, 49).

Elder Charles W. Penrose, of the Quorum of the Twelve stated, Every man who overcomes all things and is thereby to all things, receives power to bring up his wife to join him in the possession and enjoyment thereof.” (Charles W. Penrose, Contributor, Vol. 2, No. 11, August, 1881, 339)


President Spencer W. Kimball declared:

We have not, neither can we receive here, the ordinance and the keys of the resurrection. They will be given to those who have passed off this state of action and have received their bodies again, as many have already done and many more will. They will be ordained, by those who hold the keys of the resurrection, to go forth and resurrect the Saints, just as we receive the ordinance of baptism, then the keys of authority to baptize others for the remission of their sins. This is one of the ordinances we can not receive here, and there are many more....

If we ask who will stand at the head of the resurrection in this last dispensation, the answer is—Joseph Smith, Junior, the Prophet of God. He is the man who will be resurrected and receive the keys of the resurrection, and he will seal this authority upon others, and they will hunt up their friends and resurrect them when they shall have been officiated for, and bring them up.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 15:137-139). (Ensign, May 1977, 49)

That resurrection is an ordinance is born out in the following scripture:

Herein is glory and honor, and immortality and eternal life—The ordinance of baptism by water, to be immersed therein in order to answer to the likeness of the dead, that one principle might accord with the other; to be immersed in the water and come forth out of the water is in the likeness of the resurrection of the dead in coming forth out of their graves; hence, this ordinance was instituted to form a relationship with the ordinance of baptism for the dead, being in likeness of the dead (D&C 128:12).

In context of the above, it appears that “this ordinance” refers to resurrection.

President Woodruff also elaborated on another step in this process:

…brethren and sisters, are we prepared in our hearts? Do we realize these things? As a people do we realize our responsibilities before the Lord? The Lord has raised up a kingdom of priests here in the last days to establish his church and kingdom, and to prepare the way for the second coming of the Son of Man.

The word of the Lord to me is that it is time for Zion to rise and let her light shine; and the testimony of the Spirit of God to me is that this whole kingdom, this great kingdom of priests . . . who have borne the priesthood, have thoroughly fulfilled one part of the parable of the ten virgins. What is that? Why, that while the Bridegroom has tarried we have all slumbered and slept; as a church and kingdom we have slumbered and slept, and the word of the Lord to me is that we have slept long enough; and we have the privilege now of rising and trimming our lamps and putting oil in our vessels. This is the word of the Lord to me (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 254, 256).

John Taylor added:

“Thy kingdom come.” [Matthew 6:10.] … This was taught by Jesus to his disciples when they came to him, saying, teach us to pray. … Thy kingdom come. What kingdom? What is the meaning of “thy kingdom come”? It means the rule of God. It means the law of God. It means the government of God. It means the people who have listened to and who are willing to listen to and observe the commands of Jehovah. And it means that there is a God who is willing to guide and direct and sustain his people. Thy kingdom come, that thy government may be established, and the principles of eternal truth as they exist in the heavens may be imparted to men; and that, when they are imparted to men, those men may be in subjection to those laws and to that government, and live in the fear of God, keeping his commandments and being under his direction. Thy kingdom come, that the confusion, the evil, and wickedness, the murder and bloodshed that now exist among mankind may be done away, and the principles of truth and right, the principles of kindness, charity, and love as they dwell in the bosom of the Gods, may dwell with us (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 223-4).

In the scriptures are some powerful promises concerning kings and priests:

Christ chooses some as kings and priests unto God—Christ shall come again—John sees the Risen Lord.(Revelation 1:Heading).

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen (Revelation 1:5 - 6).

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10).

And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean;

That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation; that I may fulfil this promise, this great and last promise, which I have made unto you, when I will (D&C 88:74 - 75).

As we ponder the above promises and connect them with sacred ordinances performed in the initiatory ordinances of the temples, one possibility is that these blessings may be fulfilled during the Millennium, according to the above statements made by prophets.

Joseph Smith explained how this may happen:

That Jesus will be a resident on the earth a thousand [years] with the Saints is not the case, but will reign over the Saints and come down and instruct, as he did the five hundred brethren [see 1 Corinthians 15:6], and those of the first resurrection will also reign with him over the Saints (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 258).

John Taylor further taught:

I have demonstrated … that the kingdom of God would be literally established on the earth. It will not be an aerial phantom, according to some visionaries, but a substantial reality. It will be established, as before said, on a literal earth, and will be composed of literal men, women, and children; of living saints who keep the commandments of God, and of resurrected bodies who shall actually come out of their graves, and live on the earth (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 225).

Following the above, the next statement in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor is that quoted in the manual in this section (p. 266).

President Woodruff gives sobering council concerning all of the above:

The Lord has a great work ahead and he is preparing a people to do it before his coming. Now the question arises here, brethren and sisters, are we prepared in our hearts? Do we realize these things? As a people do we realize our responsibilities before the Lord? The Lord has raised up a kingdom of priests here in the last days to establish his church and kingdom, and to prepare the way for the second coming of the Son of Man.
I think, many times, that we, as elders of Israel and as Latter-day Saints, come far short of realizing our position before the Lord (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 253-4, 255).

3(D) - - No Death

In this section we learn about a very different death instituted during the Millennium. In conference, Elder LeGrand Richards, an apostle, quoted D&C 101:29-31 and then summarized the status of people and death during the Millennium:

So he is to live to the age of a tree, and then he is to be changed in the twinkling of an eye (Ensign, Nov 1974, 52).

Joseph Fielding Smith further explained:

This does not mean that those who are living in mortality at that time [at the beginning of the Millennium] will be changed and pass through the resurrection, for mortals must remain on the earth until after the thousand years are ended. A change, nevertheless, will come over all who remain on the earth; they will be quickened so that they will not be subject unto death until they are old. Men shall die when they are one hundred years of age, and the change shall be made suddenly to the immortal state. Graves will not be made during this thousand years… (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 104)

3(E) - - All Things Revealed

Orson Pratt describes how wonderful it will be to have “all things revealed”:

What a happy earth this creation will be, when this purifying process shall come, and the earth be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the great deep! What a change! Travel, then, from one end of the earth to another, you can find no wicked man, no drunken man, no man to blaspheme the name of the Great Creator, no one to lay hold on his neighbor’s goods, and steal them, no one to commit whoredoms (Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual, 103).

Two more great scriptures to reinforce the information in addition to D&C 101:32-34, quoted in this section, are:

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).

God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, that has not been revealed since the world was until now;

Which our forefathers have awaited with anxious expectation to be revealed in the last times, which their minds were pointed to by the angels, as held in reserve for the fulness of their glory;

A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods, they shall be manifest.

All thrones and dominions, principalities and powers, shall be revealed and set forth upon all who have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And also, if there be bounds set to the heavens or to the seas, or to the dry land, or to the sun, moon, or stars—

All the times of their revolutions, all the appointed days, months, and years, and all the days of their days, months, and years, and all their glories, laws, and set times, shall be revealed in the days of the dispensation of the fulness of times— (D&C 121:26 - 31).

3(F) - - Other Millennial Activities

Using the resource already cited, “scriptures.byu.edu” the following statement from Elder LeGrand Richards in a conference talk was found concerning Isaiah 65:21 quoted in this section:

…we remember when Isaiah saw the new heaven and the new earth, when the lamb and the wolf should feed together, and “the lion shall eat straw like the bullock. …” ( Isa. 65:25.) He saw that men “shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: … and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands … for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.” ( Isa. 65:21–23.) How could you make it any more plain than that, that they and their offspring with them would inhabit the houses that they would build? (Conference Report, April 1969, pp. 87).

In a later conference talk, Elder Richards added:

So I thank God for the thousand years of the millennial reign. My, what a lot of work needs to be done during that period! I can’t take time to tell you much about that, but I think of the words of Isaiah. He had a glimpse of it. He saw the day when we would have a new heaven and a new earth, when the wolf and the lion would lie down together, and the lion would eat straw like the ox. His people should build houses and inhabit them, and should plant vineyards and eat the fruit thereof. They should not build and another inhabit. They should not plant and another eat, for every man would enjoy the work of his own hands. (See Isa. 65:17–25 and Isa. 11:6–9.) Then he adds: “For they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.” ( Isa. 65:23.) That sounds like a continuation of the family, doesn’t it? (Ensign, Nov 1974, 52).

One Final Struggle after the Millennium

In this section we learn that at the end of the Millennium, “Some people will turn away from Heavenly Father” (p. 267). For those who don’t understand how this could happen, it may be important to review that even though “they shall all know me…” (Jeremiah 31:34) (p. 265) through missionary work, just like today, in the Millennium “people will have their agency…” (p. 263) and some will choose to turn against the Savior, perhaps directly related to previous sentence from which we started in this section, “…Satan will be set free…” (p. 267).

However, this is when will come the destruction of the power of Satan forever:

And then cometh the battle of the great God; and the devil and his armies shall be cast away into their own place, that they shall not have power over the saints any more at all (D&C 88:114).