Kingdom of God = Celestial Kingdom

While studying in the New Testament about Nicodemus' visit to Jesus¹, I read in the Church's New Testament Institute Manual the following quote by Joseph Fielding Smith:

"The kingdom of God mentioned by the Savior in his conversation with Nicodemus points clearly to the fact that it is the celestial kingdom that is meant. This is also implied in the instructions given by our Savior to his apostles when he left them. They were to go into all the world and preach the gospel, all who accepted and were baptized should enter the celestial kingdom, but all others would be damned, or be assigned to one of the other kingdoms."²

The Celestial Kingdom is the greatest of the three kingdoms of Glory and is where God the Father and Jesus Christ reside. The Kingdom of God is a pure, holy place where only the righteous can live.

In 1 Corinthians we read:

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

"Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."³

For us to live with God again we must:

• Have faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior
• Keep God's commandments
• Receive His saving ordinances
• Repent of all our sins
• Be cleansed through the Atonement of Christ

Only then will we be made pure and holy as well. Only then will we be made greater than we possibly can on our own. Only then will we be able to live with our Father and Savior in the Celestial Kingdom.

Notes:
1. See John 3:1-21.
2. Smith, Joseph FieldingAnswers to Gospel Questions, 5 vols. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1957, 5:147-48; Quoted in The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, 1979, pg 38.
3. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Also notice in the footnotes the Greek clarifications: sexually immoral persons, male prostitutes, catamites, male homosexuals, and robbers.

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