The Celestial Kingdom is higher and different - it is also a place of eternal bliss but it is a place that allows eternal progression. Those eligible to be exalted develop, grow, and metamorphoses into replicas of the exalted Christ. They receive both the blessings of divinity as well as the responsibility that goes with it. To say nothing about the pain of seeing one’s spirit children rebel and suffer as well as the fecund joy when they succeed and are happy themselves.
Lookit, if you don’t want to be exalted, who’s forcing you? You don’t have to join the Mormon church in order to be saved and go to heaven. Stay where you are, have faith in Christ and live righteously. You will be judged and be blessed with eternal bliss in heaven. Why get upset just because we call this heaven the Terrestrial Kingdom and believe in the Celestial Kingdom and exaltation?
As for those who refuse to accept Christ but live righteously, they will also go to a heaven, but the Telestial Kingdom, a lower heaven where they will not associate with Christ.
I do wish you would make up your mind!
Two different things my dear Elsie as my post made clear without you selectively editing it to make it appear I’m contradicting myself:
“Anyone who professes faith in Christ and lives in accordance with his wishes has salvation - he or she will go to heaven. However, those who want to receive the fullness of God’s blessings, which confers divine sonship by Grace (i.e., exaltation, becoming Gods), will need to join his church, receive all the necessary ordinances, and maintain faithfulness until the end. These select few move on to the next stage of evolution so to speak.
Everyone will have a chance to be exalted. There are untold millions of the righteous who will refuse, and prefer to stay where they are, enjoying companionship with Christ in heaven (what we call the Terrestial Kingdom). Whatever you consider heaven to be - the most wonderful place imaginable - that’s the Terrestrial Kingdom. A place of eternal bliss.”
- oh, and I do APPRECIATE your contribution to rational discourse. It’s nice to see you’re trying - keep it up!
The first is in reference to righteous CHRISTIANS, who ALREADY have faith in Christ but who refuse to join the true church (ahem, ours not yours). They will go to the Terrestial Kingdom and enjoy companionship with Christ.
The second group are righteous NONCHRISTIANS who refuse to accept Christ as their Savior.
Comprende? Probably not ... sigh ... oh Elsie!