The Infinite Reach of Divine Mercy

Finding hope for ourselves and loved ones beyond mortality's veil

Photo by NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash

Author’s Note:

The purpose of this post is to provide information, comfort, and hope for all of us striving to stay on the covenant path and those concerned for loved ones who have strayed from it. 

No Empty Chairs at Our Father’s Table

President Eyring opened his address with this statement to close the Sunday morning session of the October 2024 General Conference:

“All of us have family members we love who are being tempted and tried by the seemingly constant forces of Satan, the destroyer, who would make all God’s children miserable. For many of us, there have been sleepless nights. We have tried to surround the people who are at risk with every force for good. We have pled in prayer for them. We have loved them. We have set the best example we could.”

I am confident that President Eyring, along with many other church leaders and grassroots members, is well acquainted with all the emotions surrounding concerns for family members, friends, and loved ones who have strayed from the covenant path.

The Gravel Road

In our family, “the gravel road” is what we call the path we travel when we stray from the freeway of gospel living. “I’m on the gravel road right now but looking for the next onramp back to the freeway.”

The condition of the metaphorical byways visited during our mortal journey can range anywhere from a freeway clear of obstacles to a well-maintained two-lane highway with distractions and dangerous intersections or to a rough goat trail unsuitable for any wheeled vehicle.

The chances are very high that we have all been that lost soul trudging through the wilderness along a remote gravel road at some point in our lives.

I have traveled paths of varied conditions during my life, often within the same mortal travel day!

One moment, I’m cruising down the freeway feeling good about life. Then curiosity, pride, or anger provide an offramp of digression. In the blink of an eye, I find myself upside down in a ditch off a scanty trail!

Through the atonement, so far, I have been able to find my way back to better-maintained roads every time despite frequent spin-outs. 

We all have friends and family who have strayed from the preferred path. 

Some have careened off the chosen path and crashed badly, too! I have come close a few times and will bet you have, too. So, we know how easy it is to fall asleep at the wheel of life and crash. 

We worry they may have gone too far despite having had ample opportunities to get back on the celestial freeway while in this mortal probationary state. Some may have died without being cleansed by the redeeming blood of the Savior’s atonement.

Like President Eyring, we love them, pray for them, and counsel with them, hoping for the best. 

We know the doctrine of “eternal lives” and progression within the Celestial kingdom, but we may be left bewildered, asking, 

“What if a loved one has not made the required course corrections in this life? Is all lost?  Will they be required to dwell only in the terrestrial or telestial kingdom and never have the opportunity to progress beyond the limits of that heavenly kingdom?”

Before proceeding, let’s be crystal clear and honor the Church's current general theology on this topic.

How do you suppose a church leader would reply when asked if there was any chance to progress beyond the limits of the lesser kingdoms? I bet you would learn straight away that the Church's opinion regarding souls confined to the telestial and terrestrial degrees of glory will enjoy a state of happiness and glory commensurate with their choices and willingness to obey God's laws during their mortal probation. 

However, they will enjoy eternal progression and joy within the constraints of the kingdom they inherit, unable to progress further than the kingdom wherein they reside.

Only those in the celestial kingdom can experience the fullness of eternal progression and exaltation.

Individuals will be judged according to their works, desires, and ability to abide by God's law while in mortality. At the point of final judgment, the window for complete repentance—especially the kind that leads to exaltation in the celestial kingdom—appears to close.

Those who inherit the telestial or terrestrial kingdoms could not live by celestial laws during mortality or the spirit world. Based on scriptural teachings, it is unlikely that they would suddenly develop this capacity after judgment.

In other words, they will inherit the kingdom they are comfortable in, with no sense of deprivation (D&C 88:32). 

As for the atonement rescuing those in the lower kingdoms from this state, LDS doctrine emphasizes that the atonement is infinite in its ability to overcome sin and death. Still, it does not negate the principle of agency. Once judged and assigned to a kingdom, individuals have reached the final stage of their eternal journey regarding their ability to move between kingdoms (D&C 76:106-112). 

The scriptures do not generally support the idea that the atonement will enable them to move upward to a higher kingdom after the final judgment.

But is there some wiggle room? 

Prophets and prominent church leaders have not issued an official position on whether or not there will be progression between kingdoms.

But, many have expressed their own opinions on the topic of continuing progression.

On one hand…

Several Church Leaders have been resolute that there is no second chance for eternal progression except in the celestial kingdom after the final judgment.

Following are some comments from a few of those adamantly believing there is no progression between kingdoms.

Joseph Fielding Smith said: 

“It has been asked if it is possible for one who inherits the Telestial glory to advance in time to the Celestial glory? The answer to this question is, No! The scriptures are clear on this point.“ (Doctrines of Salvation 2:31).

President Spencer W. Kimball concluded: 

“No progression between kingdoms. After a person has been assigned to his place in the kingdom, either in the Telestial, the Terrestrial, or the Celestial, or to his exaltation, he will never advance from his assigned glory to another glory. That is eternal! That is why we must make our decisions early in life and why it is imperative that such decisions be right.” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 243-244.)

In a 1980 BYU devotional address, Bruce R. McConkie called the Second Chance Theory a heresy. 

“There are those who say that there is progression from one kingdom to another in the eternal worlds or that lower kingdoms eventually progress to where higher kingdoms once were. This belief lulls men into a state of carnal security.”

The key takeaway from the comments of these great leaders is that choices made in mortality and the spirit world are crucial in determining one's eternal destiny. 

It is no wonder the call to prepare now is emphasized throughout LDS teachings.

Without a doubt, striving to get it right while in mortality is the safest bet! 

But then, other leaders support the idea of a “second chance.”

By Wilford Woodruff, transcribed from his journal, dated Sunday, August 5, 1855.

“In conversing upon various principles President Young thought none would inherit this Earth when it became celestial & translated into the presence of God but those who would be crowned as Gods & able to endure the fulness of the Presence of God except they might be permitted to take with them some servants for whom they would be held responsible all others would have to inherit another kingdom even that kingdom agreeing with the law which they had kept yet He thought they would eventually have the privilege of proveing (sic) themselves worthy & advancing to a celestial kingdom but it would be a slow progress.”

Support for the Second Chance Theory comes from Boyd K. Packer in October in the 1995 General Conference. 

Elder Packer shared the following story. 

“Some years ago I was in Washington, D.C., with President Harold B. Lee. Early one morning he called me to come into his hotel room. He was sitting in his robe reading Gospel Doctrine, by President Joseph F. Smith, and he said, ‘Listen to this!’”

“‘Jesus had not finished his work when his body was slain, neither did he finish it after his resurrection from the dead; although he had accomplished the purpose for which he then came to the earth, he had not fulfilled all his work. And when will he? Not until he has redeemed and saved every son and daughter of our father Adam that have been or ever will be born upon this earth to the end of time, except the sons of perdition. That is his mission. We will not finish our work until we have saved ourselves, and then not until we shall have saved all depending upon us; for we are to become saviors upon Mount Zion, as well as Christ. We are called to this mission.’”

“‘There is never a time,” the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “when the spirit is too old to approach God. All are within the reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed the unpardonable sin.’”

“And so we pray, and we fast, and we plead, and we implore. We love those who wander, and we never give up hope.”

Printed in the first edition of James Talmage’s “The Articles of Faith” is this:

“It is reasonable to believe, in the absence of direct revelation by which alone absolute knowledge of the matter could be acquired, that in accordance with God’s plan of eternal progression, advancement from grade to grade within any kingdom, and from kingdom to kingdom, will be provided for. But if the recipients of a lower glory be enabled to advance, surely the intelligences of higher rank will not be stopped in their progress; and thus we may conclude, that degrees and grades will ever characterize the kingdoms of our God. Eternity is progressive; perfection is relative; the essential feature of God’s living purpose is its associated power of eternal increase.”  (Articles of Faith, James E. Talmage, 1899 First Edition, page 421.)

But wait! We must consider edits to subsequent editions to keep the discussion fair and balanced.

The following section is found on page 409 of the 1975 Edition on my bookshelf. The changes are noted in bold and italics.

“It is reasonable to believe, in the absence of direct revelation by which alone absolute knowledge of the matter could be acquired, that in accordance with God’s plan of eternal progression, advancement within each of the three specified kingdoms will be provided for; though as to possible progress from one kingdom to another the scriptures make no positive affirmation. Eternal advancement along different lines is conceivable. We may conclude that degrees and grades will ever characterize the kingdoms of our God. Eternity is progressive; perfection is relative; the essential feature of God’s living purpose is its associated power of eternal increase.” 

I do not know in which specific successive edition somebody made this change. But there it is in the 1975 edition! Somebody wanted to temper the wording from that found in the first edition. I will question their reasoning. That is not my place. However, I find it interesting the edit did not reject the possibility of advancing from kingdom to kingdom.

There are more quotes from Church leaders through the years supporting the concept of souls progressing from kingdom to kingdom. Unfortunately, I cannot link the quotes directly to the archived source documents and read them for myself. However, the two included below are credible enough to me. You can decide for yourself.  

The following comment in support of the “second chance” theory is attributed to J. Reuben Clark:

“I am not a strict constructionist, believing that we seal our eternal progress by what we do here. It is my belief that God will save all of His children that he can: and while, if we live unrighteous here, we shall not go to the other side in the same status, so to speak, as those who lived righteously; nevertheless, the unrighteous will have their chance, and in the eons of the eternities that are to follow, they, too, may climb to the destinies to which they who are righteous and serve God, have climbed to those eternities that are to come.”  (J. Reuben Clark, Church News, 23 April 1960, p. 3.)

President Lorenzo Snow has been given credit for this beautiful quote: 

“You that are mourning about your children straying away will have your sons and your daughters. If you succeed in passing through these trials and afflictions and receive a resurrection, you will, by the power of the Priesthood, work and labor, as the Son of God has, until you get all your sons and daughters in the path of exaltation and glory. This is just as sure as that the sun rose this morning over yonder mountains. Therefore, mourn not because all your sons and daughters do not follow in the path that you have marked out to them, or give heed to your counsels. Inasmuch as we succeed in securing eternal glory, and stand as saviors, and as kings and priests to our God, we will save our posterity.”

So, I will stop here for now. Please let me know if you find something fun in your research!

I can’t help but believe there is hope.

I hold onto a glimmer of hope that there is an unexplored and unexplained corner within the Savior's “Infinite and eternal” atonement that will eventually allow everyone relegated to the terrestrial or telestial kingdom to advance beyond and get back on track to celestial glory.

Our Father in Heaven can simply outwait us until we surrender to his will.

Father has the perspective of eternity, allowing us to work through our pride, truly repent, and accept the Savior’s perfect and eternal atonement.

In other words, our Father in Heaven and His beloved Son can outwait every one of us until we are individually ready and choose to accept the Savior’s mercy within bounds with the Father’s required justice!

There can be an end to suffering. However, to those impacted, the time of suffering may feel like an eternity.

There is no doubt it is far better to get on the bandwagon earlier than later in the timeline and continue our eternal progression instead of remaining temporally damned at a hellish point in time, knowing all of our loved ones are progressing.

Here is one way to look at it.

Any soul confined to any glory other than Celestial cannot continually progress and glorify the Father per His perfect plan. Over the eons of eternities, the gap between those advancing through their eternal lives will become greater and greater until the gulf is so great between the two groups that those in the terrestrial and telestial kingdoms will, in relative terms, become an eternal hell until an exit is provided.

Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained: 

“To hell there is an exit as well as an entrance. Hell is no place to which a vindictive judge sends prisoners to suffer and to be punished principally for his glory; but it is a place prepared for the teaching, the disciplining of those who failed to learn here upon the earth what they should have learned. True, we read of everlasting punishment, unending suffering, eternal damnation. That is a direful expression; but in his mercy the Lord has made plain what those words mean. ‘Eternal punishment,’ he says, is God’s punishment, for he is eternal; and that condition or state or possibility will ever exist for the sinner who deserves and really needs such condemnation; but this does not mean that the individual sufferer or sinner is to be eternally and everlastingly made to endure and suffer. No man will be kept in hell longer than is necessary to bring him to a fitness for something better. When he reaches that stage the prison doors will open and there will be rejoicing among the hosts who welcome him into a better state. The Lord has not abated in the least what he has said in earlier dispensations concerning the operation of his law and his gospel, but he has made clear unto us his goodness and mercy through it all, for it is his glory and his work to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man” (Conference Report, Apr. 1930, 97; Doctrine and Covenants Study Guide.)

It seems reasonable to me that the Savior’s atonement is literally both infinite and eternal. That  “hell doth have an end.”

Continuing Revelation

We believe that the restoration continues.

It is certainly possible that teachings on progression between kingdoms could be revised through future revelation, just as the decades-old teachings on race and the priesthood were corrected in 1978 under the leadership of President Spencer W. Kimball.

Is it possible that Bruce R. McConkie's teaching was incomplete when he taught that persons assigned to places lesser than the celestial mansions could not progress beyond their specified sphere?  (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed., p. 239).

The Ninth Article of Faith teaches that God "will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." This acknowledges that human understanding, even among prophets and apostles, is not always perfect and that God's will can be revealed "line upon line, precept upon precept" (2 Nephi 28:30).

But who am I to explain doctrine I want to believe that is based on personal speculation and limited and probably flawed understanding?

What is clear is that the topic of progression from kingdom to kingdom is NOT a well-settled doctrine in the church. Much on this point has yet to be revealed and learned.

Only our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son know the complete doctrine and endgame of the plan of salvation and everlasting happiness. 

I eagerly await the day when the Master Teacher of all truth reveals every detail of the plan for salvation and eternal progression. I have no doubt that doctrine will not only provide the final word on the topic but will be overflowing with love, justice, mercy, and everlasting happiness.

I will be on board with that doctrine, whatever it is.    

Until that day, though, I will hold tight to my hope of continued eternal progression and perfection for any of us who come up short in mortality.

Final Thoughts

Heavenly Father’s plan is perfect, His love is infinite, and His time is eternal. While our mortal perspective may see closed doors, His eternal perspective sees endless possibilities for progress. 

We need not fully understand the mechanics of eternal progression but trust in the perfect love of a Father and His Beloved Son who would move heaven and earth to bring all His children home, that there will be no empty chairs around our tables in the eternal realms.

Repeating the words of President Eyring when he closed his October 2024 conference address:

“I bear witness of the sacred work of teaching Heavenly Father’s children the simple doctrine of Jesus Christ, which allows us to be spiritually cleansed and ultimately be welcomed into God’s presence, to live with Him and His Son in glory forever in families.”

Thanks for reading and pondering with me! 

Russell Anderson

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P.S. I appreciate and respect your investment of precious time in reading my work!  I strive to provide thought-worthy content that generates a worthwhile return on your investment.

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