Advancing Between Kingdoms Afterward

Q.

Will those who are put in the lower of the three degrees of glory ever be allowed to move up to the celestial kingdom?

A.

It isn't a question of not being allowed to move up. Our Heavenly Father seeks our total happiness. It would be his joy to have his sons and daughters home with him. But this would require us to change. That dreadful word "change." Everyone wants the rewards or avoid the costs but no one is interested in paying the price.

To rise above any kingdom a person must rise above the law of the kingdom they are in. Those in the Telestial Kingdom must abide the greater law of the Terrestial Kingdom _

"And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory." D&C 88:23

God will make sure that all have every chance to change before it is all concluded.

Can we Repent while Still Sinning?

Q.

Can we be forgiven for making mistakes with the repentance principles? The Gospel Principles book outlines the principles of repentance. Well, what if we did not confess or make restitution for sins of the past? Surely people are not perfect in repenting. Are we therefore eternally damned or can we still be forgiven?

A.

The gaining of perfection is a drawn out task. It would rarely, if ever, be acheived in one blinding flash of spiritual understanding. Yet Christ assures us that perfection can be obtained in this life (don't let anyone con you otherwise).

When you are baptised you should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost as you seek to listen to his counsel. As you get closer to him he will draw closer to you. You will know what to do and WHY. Knowing why is very important to you following God's counsel.

In this process you will also become closer to Christ and Heavenly Father. You will begin to see more the importance of restitution and forgiveness. This will eventually make you perfect and you won't need to repent, as you won't be sinning. Some point to 1 John 1:8 to claim we will always sin. But the scripture doesn't say that. It says if we have no sin. And we all have sinned at some point and need forgiveness for those sins. Yet we don't need to continue sinning.

1 John 5:18 tells us that whosoever is born of God doesn't sin. Many other passages of scripture give us this same wonderful information. Satan does not need to have a hold on us, we can become completely free from sin.

Repenting of sins is a necessary step in this process that you should keep up until that perfection arrives.

How Exorcisms are Performed

Q.
How do priesthood holders perform exorcisms? Do they need some priesthood keys?

A.
An exorcism can be performed in the manner of any priesthood blessing. Usually it involves 2 people giving the blessing, as the more faith the better. The person speaking quotes their authority after quoting the person being blessed's full name. Then words are expressed according to inspiration given. It is then closed in the name of Jesus Christ, and amen is stated.

The priesthood keys give those priesthood holders an automatic right to receive revelation on what words are stated in the blessing.

If you are dealing with someone that you know for a fact has an evil spirit within them then you should anticipate resistance to being expelled, by the evil spirit: It will fight to stay in the body. If the person is still wobbling about and/or you see the evil spirit in the victims eyes then you haven't succeeded yet. If it hasn't gone after one try then stay there until you get it to come out.

Be careful that it doesn't move from one person to another. Therefore it is better that you clear the house of other people. Also remember that the person it is being expelled from must change their ways or it will just return with a vengeance. Note the following advice from Christ _

"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, I will return to my house where I came out. And when he comes, he finds it swept and garnished. Then he goes, and takes to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first." Luke 11:24-26

Christ also advises fasting and praying first as being very helpful (Mark 9:29). I'd suggest at least a 24 hour fast.

I'd strongly advise any person taking on such a task to make sure you have the appropriate priesthood (Melchizedek) first. Please note the following from the New Testament _

"Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon themselves to call over them which had evil spirits in the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded." Acts 19:13-16

How many Councils in Heaven

Q.

Did the inhabitants of other worlds have their own council in heaven, or were we all together?
If Heavenly Father is still creating new spirit children, do they have councils?


A.

Heavenly Father has said _

"And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten." Moses 1:33

As we read from there to verse 39 we come to understand that God is continually in the process of having children and supplying them with worlds to live on.

Our Heavenly Father cannot force us to come to earth, nor to take upon ourselves a spirit body prior to coming to earth. We must remain free to make our own decisions as an eternal intelligence.

"All truth is independent ... to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence." D&C 93:30

Without freedom of choice our intelligence ceases to exist. If we become bound by sin our intelligence ceases to exist that bit more. If we follow God's instructions we begin to exist more: We become more intelligent.

So for God to place us upon an earth it is required that we listen to the choices that will be presented to us, and make our own personal decision. This is referred to as "the Council in Heaven." At these councils our Heavenly Father presents that although we will make errors as we are learning, these can be cleaned up by the atonement of a Savior.

We are informed that Lucifer had presented another plan _

"Wherefore, because Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give to him my own power; by the power of my Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down" Moses 4:3

In spite of Lucifer presenting another plan there is no plan other than that which Jesus Christ presented that works. Satan's plan is flawed in that it supposes that people can be forced to live righteously. This is impossible because it takes away freedom of choice. As D&C 93:30 demonstrates an intelligence would cease to exist if it lost all freedom of choice.

We aren't given any numbers as to how many planets are involved in each council. But Joseph Smith is said to have stated that this is the only planet in this group of inhabited planets that would have crucified the Savior.

Heavenly Father is in the constant process of having spirit children and having them progress to be ready to come down to an earth. Therefore there is a constant flow of heavenly councils where all must make their decisions as to whether to follow their Satan or to follow Heavenly Father.