The Savior on His sojourn on this earth left us precious few prayers, at least according to the records we have in the Bible and Book of Mormon. The one we do have used to be part of our school curriculum, for we learned to recite it in the schoolroom. But not anymore.

This prayer must be important to survive the many translations and revisions the Bible has been put through over the 2,000 years or more of its existence. Many of us know it by heart. But because of the government’s ban on such things — and the Church’s negligence — many young people today do not even know of its existence.

This prayer was given from the lips of the Savior himself. Not as many people today care about Him in a serious manner as much as people used to; but one day everyone on the earth will have to bend the knee and acknowledge Him as King.

With the way things are going, the 7+ billion people on the earth today (yes, that is 7,000 million plus people) would have to do a lot of learning and changing of habits to qualify to be in His kingdom. I do not think that that is going to happen without some drastic help.
So what was this small simple prayer about? Those who know it will begin laughing at this point. Let us take a look!

“Our Father which art in Heaven. Hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the Glory, forever and ever; Amen” (Matthew 6:9-13).

I myself have said this prayer many times without really understanding its true meaning until recently. However, if we consider this prayer in a serious manner, we think, “Not in my time!”

As long as we think in this manner, it really is impossible. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” That is the impossible part.

“Forgive us our trespasses” (some say debts). I personally like trespasses. To use debts means you owe money, which is a no-no. And in any case, if we have debts, we are supposed to pay them, right? — not have them forgiven — especially if we are living the law of consecration, which this passage implies.

Then we ask God to help us to thwart the Adversary so we can keep the commandments. And then we give God due respect and recognize that the impossible is truly possible if we do what He says.

We could at this time write down all His commandments, but that is not what this newsletter is about. This issue is about “Thy Kingdom come.” So, do we know what we are asking for here?

We can imagine God’s kingdom… or can we? With what we now know about our sun, the stars, galaxies, black holes, and the huge expanse of these spheres, can we really imagine how vast God’s kingdom is? I do not believe that God is referring to the universe.

Then what kingdom is it that He wants us to have? God is referring to His kingdom on the earth. It belongs to the Adversary right now. But do not worry; God will end up with it. And what will be the result? Peace on earth and good will towards all men.

God has given us the Bible, Book of Mormon, and the other scriptures, so we have all the requirements for us to attain this peace (the Millennium). It is up to us to attain it. The Lord will not be King until we get ourselves in order. How? By keeping His commandments.

However, many want to know what this kingdom is all about. First of all, is there even a God? And was His Son really Jesus Christ?

That portion I cannot help you with. Sorry, you will have to get that testimony for yourself. And if you do not already have that, then there is not much use in you reading further. But even if that is not present in your search, you may just be curious.

Free Agency is a Necessary Ingredient

So if you are still interested, I can give you a little bit of how the Savior’s kingdom will work. It all goes back to the war in heaven. The main platform in the plan the Savior gave was the principle of free agency. Our Savior said, “This principle has got to be in the plan; progress cannot be made without it.”

The Adversary nixed this. In his plan he said, “I will force everyone to do what I say”… with no free agency.

So the Savior is bound by the promise that He must let you do just what you want to do. So He says, “If you want help, I will give it to you. It is up to you always.”

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:5-6).

Joseph Smith took God up on this, and it worked. To Joseph it came bit by bit, and he was receptive. To us who are not so receptive, it might take longer. So that is one requirement: God’s kingdom must come about totally by our efforts.

Has anyone ever speculated on what His kingdom will be like? Well, yes, I would say there have been many different views expressed as to how it will come about and what it will be like. Let’s start at the top.

The King of this earth for a thousand years will be our Savior, even Jesus the Christ. We do not know how long He has existed in the preexistence, as there is no time there. What we have been told — at least as what we understand it to be in our mortal existence — makes it extremely hard for us to understand this concept, but it apparently is a reality.

In any case, it has been a long time since Jesus Christ was chosen by the Father to be the Savior of this earth. He chose the right path, in contrast to the Adversary. The right path was free agency against the Adversary’s concept of brute force. That is looking at it in the simplest form — something we can understand.

What Other People Have Envisioned

I don’t think that there are many in any Christian denomination that believe other than what is described above — that the Savior will reign for 1,000 years during the Millennium. However, everything else concerning the Millennium has come under many different interpretations and speculations.

They read from the Bible that during the Millennium there will be no wars, no sin, no sickness, no sorrow, etc. And animals will lose their vicious traits, where the lamb will lay down with the lion, and so forth. But not much is speculated as to who will participate in these splendid circumstances.

We as Latter-day Saints understand that we are eternal beings. Then what about what we have accomplished in the preexistence? Doesn’t that have anything to do with eternal things?

Because of this, there are so many factors present that the reward we get in the Millennium may not be what we expect it to be. So we can see that what people think may not be exactly correct.

The Lord has said, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.” If we expect to live through at least some of the time His kingdom will be here, will we be ready or worthy of such a kingdom? People in the world who even speculate about the Kingdom have so many different ideas about it that it becomes a very confusing conundrum.

We as Latter-day Saints then have to sort these ideas out, and, as usual, bring all things together so that we understand what the Kingdom will consist of and what we have to do to be worthy to even live in such circumstances.

Joseph’s Efforts to Establish the Kingdom

Many in the Church at the time of Joseph Smith were anxious to bring in the Millennium, thinking it was about time. In the 1830s Joseph made a concerted effort to prepare the people, and he was given by revelation the location of the New Jerusalem. But no, the people were not ready, and his efforts did not bear fruit.

Joseph’s march to Independence, to right those in that area, was fraught with problems. The main problem was that those who took part were not prepared. There were murmurings, complaints, and disharmony amidst the camp; and because of this, their efforts came to naught.

One of the requirements to live in the Lord’s kingdom is to be one. As He has said, “… if ye are not one ye are not mine” (D&C 38:27). And this oneness cannot be forced upon us. It must come voluntarily.

The only punishment God can give is to withdraw His Spirit. That leaves the Adversary to do his work! And the Adversary certainly put an end to Joseph’s efforts.

Joseph also tried to set up the other part of God’s kingdom with ideas so advanced that even those schooled in politics were having difficulty understanding and accepting them. He was going to run for the Presidency of the United States, using the inspired constitution as his footstool.

But by that time it was several presidents since George Washington’s time, and the Adversary had taken over in many forms in the federal government. One of the greatest evils had been adopted, which weakened the Constitution, and that was the party system. Instead of choosing the best men to govern, the men with the most charisma and money were chosen.

Of course, the same goes on today. Right now it is being proposed (here in Canada) that the person to lead a particular political party in this province would need to put down a $50,000 retainer and have assets of, or be able to generate, a million dollars to even put his name up for nomination.

Of course, the person who could do this and win the nomination would automatically become Premier of the Province. That is what politics has become — not the best man… but the man with the most charisma and money.

That is what Joseph Smith was up against. So Joseph’s efforts in this respect culminated in his death. He tried to bring about the New Jerusalem, which would have become God’s kingdom on the earth under the Melchizedek Priesthood. However, he was prevented in doing so, not because of his lack of efforts but because of the Gentile mentality of the people.

So failing this, Joseph tried to bring about the righteous government under the lesser priesthood, the Aaronic Priesthood. And once again, it was because of the Gentile mentality that he was prevented in accomplishing this.

We hear little about what really happened that caused his martyrdom. He gave a certain commandment to the Nauvoo Legion to come in force to rescue him. In response, they made no effort to do so. Instead, they handed over their firearms to the worst enemy of the saints.

Again, true to their Gentile tendency, the people followed the path of least resistance; and they lost the only one who would have brought them true freedom. Brigham Young was left with the ashes.

So we see by these examples that God cannot have anyone in His camp who is not totally committed to His cause. And they must join not because of fear or guilt but with true commitment.

What did the Savior say to those in Laodicea?

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).

So the Gentiles were and are neither cold nor hot. So what is God going to do with them? Spew them out of His mouth — just like you would with cold coffee, worthless garbage, or wine that is flat.

So what did God do to the early saints? He literally spewed them out of His mouth. Where to? To the Rocky Mountains and the bitter, salty desert valley of Utah, where not even the hardy Native American Indian liked to live.

These early saints, with the Lord’s Spirit supporting the faithful, repented somewhat and prospered. Did they fully repent? Of course not! John goes on and gives the reason for his disgust, which might also describe the Latter-day Saints as they are today:

“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods [cars, homes, and many luxuries], and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).

And how can we overcome this pride that has overtaken us? John goes on:

“I counsel [not force] thee to buy of me [work for] gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:18-19; emphasis added).

Boy, does that shoe ever fit! So can you see what kind of character the Lord wants in His kingdom? Will many of us qualify? Joseph Smith tried, and he failed. Brigham Young took over and spent the next few years trying to set up the Kingdom as well. His words in a council meeting verify this:

“I have travelled with Joseph a thousand miles…. I have watched him and observed every thing he said or did…. It has done me good and you good and this was the starting point of my knowing how to lead Israel. I watched every word and summed it up, and I knew just as well how to lead this kingdom as I know the way to my own house. It is God within me, and God upon me; God by day and by night, and it is for His Kingdom on the earth” (Salt Lake High Council Records, 1869-1892).

Brigham Young was well schooled in knowing how to establish the Kingdom, but he was never able to accomplish that goal. He understood that Joseph Smith and his associates continually held that the Government of God would rise to prominence and spread its power to every corner of the earth — only as sufficient people embraced and supported its program.

That is why God gave unto Joseph the following instructions:

“Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet” (D&C 58:22).

The theocracy envisioned by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young could not be established because there were not sufficient numbers of people ready to make it happen. In other words, the Kingdom of God could not be forced on man. It depends upon the people to establish it. It depends upon us, those who are left of His people Israel.

John the Revelator, when he received the Book of Revelation, was speaking to whom? Was he speaking to the Gentiles? No. He was definitely not speaking to the Gentiles. You will remember that the Savior himself chose the apostles, and He said:

“These twelve [including John] Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6).

John was one of those the Savior chose at this time. So to whom was John speaking? He was speaking only to the twelve tribes of Israel when he received the Book of Revelation.

So it is evident that the descendants of Israel have to be sufficiently worthy before the Savior even thinks about establishing His kingdom. So what can we expect before God’s kingdom can be established? And what will it be like?

Events Occurring Before His Kingdom is Established

We as Latter-day Saints have come to understand that, even with the clear understanding that Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and John Taylor had — which would have enabled them to establish God’s kingdom — they could not accomplish their design unless the people, His Israel (not the Gentiles), had sufficiently repented and gathered in adequate numbers to accomplish it.

And how could this be accomplished? It is by the withdrawal of His Spirit. The only way to get Israel to repent would be to get them to this point. And His kingdom or the Government of God would only rise to power after other governments throughout the world have been broken up by warfare and reduced to chaos.

The period of latter-day warfare had not yet arrived, so all the efforts of those in the early restored church could not be realized because the people simply were not ready.

Brigham Young lamented:

“When are the Latter-day Saints going to be prepared to receive the kingdom? Are we now? Not at all! We are prepared for some things, and we receive just as fast as we prepare ourselves. Well, what can we do, what more can we do? We can do just what we please to do. It is in our power to do just what we please to do with regard to sanctifying ourselves before the Lord, and preparing ourselves to build up his kingdom” (JD 15:4).

According to the Prophet Joseph, God limits Himself to the framework of man’s free agency in dealing with the human family. He commands and revokes as men are willing to obey (D&C 56:4-5).

Thus, even though the ideal of the Government of God finally failed before the development of events associated with gaining statehood in the Union, the concession made by Brigham Young need not be viewed as a rejection of Joseph Smith’s prophetic picture of God’s future world government.

It meant instead that, if the world rejected God’s plan of universal peace (which they did by killing the prophet), an era of worldwide conflict and warfare would develop and continue in such proportions that the people of the world would one day be willing to turn to God’s plan and cooperate in organizing the political powers of the Kingdom of God throughout the world.

Concerning this time, John Taylor made the following prophecy:

“We have got this kingdom to build up; and it is not a phantom, but a reality. We have to do it, God expects it at our hands…. we have got to go on and progress in these things. We have got to establish a government upon the principle of righteousness, justice, truth and equality and not according to the many false notions that exist among men.

And then the day is not far distant when this nation will be shaken from center to circumference. And now, you may write it down, any of you, and I will prophesy it in the name of God. And then will be fulfilled that prediction to be found in one of the revelations given through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Those who will not take up their sword to fight against their neighbor must needs flee to Zion for safety (D&C 45:68).

And they will come, saying, we do not know anything of the principles of your religion, but we perceive that you are an honest community; you administer justice and righteousness, and we want to live with you and receive the protection of your laws, but as for your religion we will talk about that some other time. Will we protect such people? Yes, all honorable men.

When the people shall have torn to shreds the Constitution of the United States [which has now happened], the Elders of Israel will be found holding it up to the nations of the earth and proclaiming liberty and equal rights to all men, and extending the hand of fellowship to the oppressed of all nations. This is part of the program, and as long as we do what is right and fear God, he will help us and stand by us under all circumstances” (JD 21:8; emphasis added).

Do We Have God’s Constitution?

There have been several recordings and statements that show that indeed Joseph Smith did receive a revelation giving him a clear concept of the political Kingdom of God and its constitution.
We have never been able to locate the communication. Nor have we been able to determine whether the revelation was written down at all. And if it was written down, does it remain in some hidden corner of the Church archives?

We have heard that it may have consisted of only one paragraph, which states:

“The Kingdom of God and His Laws with the Keys and Power thereof, and Judgment in the Hands of His Servants.”

This statement could mean that, in order for the Kingdom of God to function correctly, we must have direct communication with God.

Brigham Young explained by first referring to the various organizations that make up the Church, and then he stated:

“This is what we are in the habit of calling the kingdom of God. But there are further organizations. The Prophet gave a full and complete organization to this kingdom the Spring before he was killed.

… the kingdom of God will protect every person, every sect and all people upon the face of the whole earth, in their legal rights. I shall not tell you the names of the members of this kingdom, neither shall I read to you its constitution, but the constitution was given by revelation. The day will come when it will be organized in strength and power” (JD 17:157-158).

From this we can surmise that the constitution of the Kingdom of God was received by revelation. We admit we have never been able to get a copy of that revelation. Nor do we have a copy of the Kingdom’s constitution, but I am sure these will eventually be found. There are many references that the Constitution of the United States was received by inspiration, and it has been described as a forerunner to God’s constitution.

At the time of Joseph Smith and for some time afterwards, Church leaders and members postulated that the Government of God would only rise to power after other governments throughout the world had been broken by warfare and reduced to chaos.

Shortly after their arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, the Church authorities presented to the U.S. government a copy of their proposed constitution for the State of Deseret. It was strictly orthodox in its adherence to American political thought, providing for democratic elections.

Dr. John Bernhisel said in a letter to Brigham Young dated October 2, 1850, that in reality it was ideal:

“The constitution of Deseret was much admired by statesmen here, not only as being very ably written, but was regarded as the best constitution of the country.”

We have been unable to get a copy of the proposed constitution for the State of Deseret either, so we are left with only the Constitution of the United States:

http://constitutionus.com/

This is as close to the constitution of God’s kingdom as we can get at the present.

What Will God’s Kingdom Be Like?

First of all, the Savior will be the King and will be recognized as such. Secondly, there will be basically two sections to the Kingdom: the spiritual part and the temporal. The spiritual will consist of the church and missionary effort, to preach the truth throughout the earth. The Seventies will be sent out, and it is stated that 12,000 from each tribe will be sent out to accomplish this effort and to gather Israel.

Nothing will be forced, unlike the 3 1/2-year reign of the Antichrist, where murder and rape will cause the cleansing of the earth from all the wicked. So the wicked will no longer be around; just the righteous from all nations will be left, and they will clamor to the New Jerusalem for guidance.

Free agency must be strictly adhered to. Now we do not know how the evil people will be eliminated, but most likely it will be by internal strife, diseases, warfare, and natural disasters. All of these will possibly be a factor.

Because of the conditions existing in the Millennium, being of a terrestrial world — unlike the telestial world we now live in — we will have much easier access to the spiritual or spirit world and will see these spirits on occasion. This will occur not by force but by the will of men overwhelmingly desiring this condition.

There will be work for everyone, and those who will not work will be cast out. The laws of God will be strictly enforced. The idea and goal will be to have the same condition on earth as it is in the heavens.

Instead of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the church will be known as the Church of the Firstborn. We understand that it will be called this name due to the Savior being both the Firstborn in the Spirit and the first to be resurrected, He doing the job Himself.

What is heaven like? We have had numerous people saying they have seen and been there. However, this does not prove clearly that they have actually been to heaven. We also have people in the scriptures who try to describe its magnificence, but they say it is very hard to describe.

Every experience I have heard of is pertaining to the world they experience after they pass on. My understanding is that this is not our final resting place or “heaven” but is the spirit world where our spirits meet up with similar spirits in the hereafter before we are assigned a place in heaven. Like-minded spirits will congregate together. But this is not heaven.

We do know that there are different categories where the evil are grouped together and the good are grouped together. It is said that the filthy will be filthy still; the change in location will not change us.

Apparently there are mansions when we get to heaven. The Savior said to those who believed that many mansions were being prepared for them. Meanwhile, the really wicked will go into outer darkness, wherever that is.

We do know that, when we are free of our body, all the physical pain will be gone. However, our emotions and attitudes will still be with us. If the spirits who have passed on have a craving for drugs, the craving will still be there. And the only way that they can satisfy these cravings is by endeavoring to persuade someone still living to indulge and then taking over their body and vicariously experiencing the effects. It is sad.

But these experiences described by those who claim to have briefly visited the other side after dying and being revived could be in gross error. We can only be sure of what has been written in scripture:

“… Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

What this scripture is saying is that the only way we can really view or understand the hereafter is by the willingness of God to show us. And as Paul stated above, these great glories thus described are reserved for the righteous only.

Most people who read this verse of scripture will think that this will apply to everyone. The question that we should be concerned about is, “Will it apply to us?” For it is not for everyone but only for “them that love him.” So we have to have the love of God in us to realize this blessing. And we have very little information about what happens to the rest.

We have to decide if God really means that His kingdom will come and that His will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven. Yes, He does mean it. It must be so if He is to dwell here. But the question will be asked, “Will the Kingdom of God exist all over the earth?”

To the early Church leaders, there would be two main headquarters during the Millennium. One would be at Independence, Missouri (the New Jerusalem), and the other would be the Old City of Jerusalem. The Savior will dwell in these two places only and be King of the whole earth.

Hyrum L. Andrus made the following statement:

“It was held that in some future day the Kingdom of God would have two great centers of world government — the City of Zion on our Western continent, and Jerusalem” (World Government, p. 29).

This view is supported by scripture:

“And many people shall go and say [a prophecy], Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob [Israel]; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).

And again we have nearly the same concept:

“And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Micah 4:2).

The same is repeated in 2 Nephi 12:3. God’s will, in these two places, will be done. All those dwelling in these places will have to be living the celestial laws. God’s kingdom will really be here, and His will will voluntarily be done.

How About the Rest of the World?

Early Church leaders had some ideas, and Joseph Smith himself had some views concerning what it will be like for the rest of the world.

Remember the real name of the Kingdom: “The Kingdom of God and His Laws with the Keys and Power thereof, and Judgment in the Hands of His Servants.” We know from many other scriptures that His servants will be the twelve tribes of Israel.

Remember the quote of Brigham Young:

“… the kingdom of God will protect every person, every sect and all people upon the face of the whole earth, in their legal rights” (JD 17:157).

In other words, they will retain their free agency.

Yes, and Joseph Smith explained that the Kingdom of God had been on the earth…

“[w]henever there has been a righteous man on earth unto whom God revealed His word [a true revelator] and gave power and authority to administer in His Name, and where there is a priest of God — a minister who has power and authority from God to administer in the ordinances of the gospel and officiate in the priesthood of God…” (DHC 5:256).

George Q. Cannon gave a discourse in which he related some of the prophet’s views concerning the government existing during the Millennium. He said:

“This is the correct view to take. The Kingdom of God is a separate organization from the Church of God. There may be men acting as officers in the Kingdom of God who will not be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

On this point the Prophet Joseph gave particular instructions before his death, and gave an example, which he asked the younger elders who were present to always remember. It was to the effect that men might be chosen to officiate as members of the Kingdom of God who had no standing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Kingdom of God when established [during the Millennium] will not be for the protection of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints alone, but for the protection of all men, whatever their religious views or opinions may be” (DHC 7:382).

Brigham Young understood how the Savior would reign during the Millennium. This is what he said:

“Come then, ye Saints; come then, ye honorable men of the earth; come then ye wise, ye learned, ye rich, ye noble, according to the riches and wisdom, and knowledge of the Great Jehovah; from all nations, and kindreds, and kingdoms, and tongues, and people and dialects on the face of the whole earth, and join the standards of Emmanuel, and help us to build up the Kingdom of God, and establish the principles of truth, life and salvation….

The Kingdom of God consists in correct principles; and it mattereth not what a man’s religious faith is, whether he [or she] be a Presbyterian, or a Methodist, or a Baptist, or a Latter-day Saint (Mormon) or a Catholic, or Episcopalian, or Mohammedan, or even [past] pagan, or anything else, if he will bow the knee and with his tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, and will support good and wholesome laws for the regulation of society, we hail him as a brother, and will stand by him while he stands by us in these things; for every man’s religious faith is a matter between his own soul and his God alone; but if he shall deny Jesus, if he shall curse God, if he shall indulge in debauchery and drunkenness, and crime; if he shall lie, and swear, and steal; if he shall take the name of the Great God in vain, and commit all manners of abominations, he shall have no place in our midst….” (Millennial Star 10:81, 88).

Again Brigham Young gives in a discourse his further opinions and understandings concerning God’s kingdom:

“If the Latter-day Saints think, when the Kingdom of God is established on the earth, that all the inhabitants of the earth will join the church called Latter-day Saints, they are egregiously mistaken. I presume there will be as many sects and parties then as now.

Still, when the Kingdom of God triumphs, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, to the glory of the Father. Even the Jews will do it then; but will the Jews and Gentiles be obliged to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? No; not by any means.

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions.’ … There are mansions in sufficient numbers to suit the different classes of mankind, and a variety will always exist to all eternity, requiring a classification and an arrangement into societies and communities in the many mansions which are in the Lord’s house, and this will be so forever and ever” (JD 11:275).

So we learn here that the only difference between then and now is that the Adversary will be bound so that he will not have influence over us or anyone.

Our free agency will not be infringed upon. We will still have the choice of choosing right or wrong. And the only requirement will be that everyone dwelling under these conditions will have to bow the knee and confess that Jesus is the Christ, recognizing Him as the King of the Earth and obeying the laws of God.

Who Will Do the Governing?

We have quite a bit of information on how the Kingdom of God will be governed. What Moses set up was not only the ten commandments, which are the basics of the Kingdom, but it also included all the rigamarole necessary to keep an extremely divergent people under control.

However, things will be quite a bit different, as we describe the two main differences below:

Right now we are under a form of the Law of Moses without the strict penalties. We are in the lone and dreary world — a telestial world.

Then during the Millennium it will be a terrestrial world, and the really wicked people will be gone. The Adversary will be bound for at least 1000 years, but the people will still have their free agency to make wrong choices.

Certain people will still have a lazy nature and not progress as well as others. However, the basic laws of God will have to be kept. People who willingly rebel will eventually destroy themselves.

The twelve tribes will have the priesthood and do the governing. These twelve tribes will all somehow be identified, and each will govern parts of the world. The government will be arranged so that those who wish to participate will have access to all conveniences available, including healthcare.

The true principles of health will be taught, and there will be no control over the people like today — each person choosing to be as healthy as they want to be. Those who cling to the higher standards of health have the promise that they will live to the age of a tree. Clearly these people will live longer than others.

And the law of consecration will be in effect, that all who work will be well rewarded, with their excess increase being made available to all those who are worthy.

Points to Ponder About God’s Kingdom

The Savior will be the King of the Earth for 1000 years (day of rest).
For these 1000 years, the Adversary and all his cohorts will be in spirit prison or outer darkness.
Anyone not living a terrestrial law will not be able to abide the requirements necessary to live on the earth.
The Millennium will not come until Israel is sufficiently gathered, not by force but by necessity and willingness.
The wicked will be kept out of God’s kingdom.
There will be a willingness among all people to embrace God’s laws.
They will not have to embrace Mormonism but can keep their own beliefs.
Their only requirement will be to acknowledge the Savior as King.
The Millennium will not come until global warfare and disaster eliminate all wickedness.
God’s people will be protected only if they will gather together to the places of refuge designated by God — and will be one people.
God’s people will be required to live the law of consecration.
All Israel will somehow be identified and gathered together.
There will be sufficient of God’s people to enable Him to choose 12,000 from each tribe to be sent out for the final gathering.
These 144,000 (not really very many) will be sent out to gather Israel and will have divine protection so that they cannot be killed.
During the Millennium, the Bible states that the meat-eating animals will eat grass and not require meat to live.
The headquarters of God’s kingdom will reside in Zion (the New Jerusalem) and Old City Jerusalem — both places.
In these two places, the people must be living the celestial laws in order to enable the Savior to reside there.
The rest of the world (good men from every nation) will have to live a terrestrial existence.
During the Millennium there will be peace on earth and good will to men.
The righteous will be grouped together by ethnic group, with no intermarriage.
Free agency will be strictly adhered to.
The Savior’s kingdom must come about totally by our efforts.
The descendants of Israel (Jacob) have to be sufficiently worthy before God even thinks about establishing His kingdom.
Those who will not take up the sword to fight against their neighbor must needs flee to Zion for safety.

“Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of the land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked” (D&C 29:8).