8. Following that question comes another: If the gospel is preached again to those who have once rejected it, how much sooner will it be presented to those who have never heard it, who have lived in those generations when the gospel and the authority to administer its ordinances were not in the earth? Seeing that those who once rejected the offer of salvation had it presented to them again—after paying the penalty of their first disobedience—it would seem that those who lived when it was not upon the earth, or who when it was upon the earth perished in ignorance of it, will much sooner come to salvation.
9. Of the things we have written, this is the sum: (1) The gospel was preached by Messiah to the spirits in prison who had rejected the teachings of Noah; therefore there must be some means through which its precepts and ordinances may be applied to them. (2) If the gospel can be made available to those who once rejected the proffered mercies of God, its privileges will much sooner, and doubtless more abundantly be granted to those who died in ignorance of it.
10. Baptism for the Dead.—The manner in which the ordinances of the gospel may be administered to those who have died without receiving them is hinted at by Paul. Writing to the Corinthians on the subject of the resurrection,—correcting those who said there was no resurrection—he asks: "What shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?"[[186]] In this the apostle manifestly referred to a practice which existed among the Christian saints of the living being baptized for the dead, and argues from the existence of that practice that the dead must rise, or why the necessity of being baptized for the dead. Though this is the only passage in the New Testament, or in the whole Bible, that refers directly to the subject, yet of itself it is sufficient to establish the fact that such a principle was known among the ancient saints. [See notes 3 and 4, end of section.]
11. From the revelations of God to the church in this dispensation the following may be learned: Elijah, in the fulfillment of ancient prophecy, appeared unto Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and delivered to them those keys or powers of the priesthood which give to the living the right to do a work for the salvation of the dead. As a consequence the hearts of the children are turned to the fathers; and of course, since the fathers in the spirit world through the preaching of the gospel learn that it is within the power of their children to do a work for them, their hearts are turned to the children, and thus the predicted result to follow Elijah's mission is fulfilled.
12. The work that the living may do for the dead is that of attending to outward ordinances—baptisms, confirmations, ordinations, washings; anointings and sealings—all being appointed by revelation and the direction of the Lord, and all sealed and ratified by the power of the priesthood of God which binds on earth and in heaven. It is required that all baptisms and other ordinances of the gospel performed for the dead be attended to in houses—and more properly in temples—specially dedicated for holy purposes. Those ordinances are to be faithfully recorded by those who see and hear them performed,[[187]] that there may be valid testimony that the work has been done. These ordinances attended to on earth by the living, and accepted in the spirit world by those for whom they are performed, will make them a patent means of salvation to the dead and of exaltation to the living, since they become in very deed "saviors upon Mount Zion." This work that can be done for the dead enlarges one's view of the gospel of Jesus Christ. One begins to see indeed that it is the "everlasting gospel;" for it runs parallel with man's existence both in this life and in that which is to come. It vindicates the character of God, for by it we may see that justice and judgment, truth and mercy are in all his ways. [See note 5, end of section.]
13. Different Degrees of Glory.—Closely associated with the subjects treated in the forgoing paragraphs of this section, is the subject of the Different Degrees of Glory. Nothing is more clearly stated in holy writ than that men will be judged and rewarded according to their works.[[188]]And as their works vary in degree or righteousness so will their rewards vary, and so will they have bestowed upon them different degrees of glory according as their works shall merit and their intelligence be capable of comprehending. Messiah said to his disciples: "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you; * * * that where I am there ye may be also."[[189]] Still it is commonly held among Christian sects that he who attains heaven partakes immediately of the highest glories; while he who misses heaven goes direct to hell and partakes of all its miseries forever.[[190]] Yet nothing is clearer than the fact that there are different heavens spoken of in scripture and different degrees of glory. When Solomon dedicated the temple he had builded, he exclaimed in his prayer—"Behold the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have builded!"[[191]] Paul in writing to the Corinthians says "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago * * * such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man * * * how that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."[[192]]
14. Reasoning on the resurrection, the last writer quoted says: "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for as one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead."[[193]] In all this, however, the great subject is but vaguely hinted at. For a full understanding of it we are indebted to a revelation given to Joseph Smith, February 16th, 1832. From that revelation we summarized the following:[[194]]
15. The Celestial Glory.—They who receive the testimony of Jesus, that believe on his name and are baptized after the manner of his burial; that by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all sin, and receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by those having authority; who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise—these become the church of the First Born. They are they into whose hands the Father hath given all things—they are priests and kings, who have received of God's fullness, and of his glory; they are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchisedek, which is after the order of the Son of God—therefore they are Gods, even the Sons of God. All things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs, and they are Christ's and Christ is God's. They shall overcome all things; they shall dwell in the presence of God and Christ forever and forever; they are they whom Christ will bring with him when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people; they have part in the resurrection of the just; their names are written in heaven, where God and Christ dwell; they are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant; these are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory the sun in heaven is spoken of as typical—they inherit the celestial glory, they see as they are seen and know as they are known.
16. The Terrestrial Glory.—The terrestrial glory differs from the celestial glory as the light of the moon differs from the light of the sun. These are they who died without law, and also they who are the spirits of men in prison, whom the Son visited, and preached the gospel unto them, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it. These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men. These are they who receive of God's glory but not of his fullness. They may enjoy the presence of the Son but not of the presence of the Father; these are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus, therefore they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of God.
17. The Telestial Glory.—The telestial glory differs from the terrestrial, as the light of the stars differs from the light of the moon. The inhabitants of the telestial glory are those who neither received the gospel of Christ in the flesh nor the testimony of Jesus in the spirit world. These are they who are thrust down to hell, and will not be redeemed from the devil until the last resurrection, when Christ shall have finished his work. These are they who are of Paul and of Apollos, and of Cephas. some of Christ and some of John, some of Moses and some of Elias; but received not the gospel nor the testimony of Jesus. These are they who will not be gathered with the Saints, to be caught up unto the church of the First Born, and received into the cloud. These are liars and sorcerers and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie. They suffer the wrath of God on earth and the vengeance of eternal fire, but they will be judged every man according to his works and receive according to his works, his own dominion, in the mansions which are prepared; and they shall be servants of the Most High,[[195]] but where God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end. They of the Telestial Glory enjoy neither the presence of the Father nor the Son, but receive the ministration of angels, and of the Holy Ghost, for even they of the Telestial Glory are accounted heirs of salvation. The Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon in their vision saw that the inhabitants of the telestial glory were as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the sea shore—and they heard the voice of God saying—"These all shall bow the knee and every tongue shall confess to Him who sits upon the throne forever and ever; for they shall be judged according to their works, and every man shall receive according to his own works, his own dominions, in the mansions which are prepared, and they shall be servants of the Most High, but where God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end."