Gospel Principles - Chapter 45

CHAPTER 45 – THE MILLENIUM

People on the Earth During the Millennium

Who will be on the earth during the Millennium?

Doctrine & Covenants 45: 58—And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 268.

Articles of Faith 1: 10—We believe the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personality upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

Teachings of Presidents of the Church:  Joseph Smith [2007], 258.

The Work of the Church During the Millennium

Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954-56], 2: 167, 251-52.

Jeremiah 31: 34—And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD:  for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD:  for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

How can we prepare now for work in the Millennium?

Conditions During the Millennium

In what ways will life during the Millennium be different from life on the earth now?

Articles of Faith 1: 10

Satan Bound

Doctrine & Covenants 101: 28—And in that day Satan shall not have power to tempt any man.

Doctrine & Covenants 45: 58

1 Nephi 22: 26—And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth.

Peace on Earth

Isaiah 2: 4—And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people:  and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks:  nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah 11: 6 – 7—The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together:  and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Doctrine & Covenants 101: 26—And in that day the enmity of man, and the enmity of beasts, yea, the enmity of all flesh, shall cease from before my face.

Righteous Government

Teachings of Presidents of the Church:  John Taylor [2001], 225.

No Death

Doctrine & Covenants 101:  29 – 31—And there shall be no sorrow because there is no death.  In that day an infant shall not die until he is old; and his life shall be as the age of a tree;  And when he dies he shall not sleep, that is to say in the earth, but shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and shall be caught up, and his rest shall be glorious.

All Things Revealed

Doctrine & Covenants 101: 32 – 34—Yea, verily I say unto you, in that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things – Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof--  Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven.

Other Millennial Activities

Teachings of Presidents of the Church:  Brigham Young [1997], 333,

Isaiah 65: 21—And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

One Final Struggle After the Millennium

What will be the final destiny of the earth?

Doctrine & Covenants 29: 22 – 29—And again, verily, verily, I say unto you that when the thousand years are ended, and men again begin to deny their God, then will I spare the earth but for a little season;  And the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth.  For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fulness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea;  And not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand.  But, behold, verily I say unto you, before the earth shall pass away, Michael, mine archangel, shall sound his trump, and then shall all the dead awake, for their graves shall be opened, and they shall come forth—yea, even all.  And the righteous shall be gathered on my right hand unto eternal life; and the wicked on my left hand will I be ashamed to own before the Father;  Wherfore I will say unto them—Depart from me, ye cursed, into the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.  And now, behold, I say unto you, never at any time have I declared from mine own mouth that they should return, for where I am they cannot come, for they have no power. 

Doctrine & Covenants 88: 17 – 20—And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.  Therefore, it must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory;  For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father;  That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified.

Doctrine & Covenants 110 – 115

Additional Scriptures

Jesus to reign on earth

Zechariah 14: 4 – 9—And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.  And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal:  yea, ye shall  flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah:  and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

1 Nephi 22: 24 – 25—And the time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory.  And he gathereth his children form the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture.

Saints to be given the kingdom

Daniel 7: 27—And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and al dominions shall serve and obey him.

Conditions during the Millennium

Doctrine & Covenants 88: 87 – 110

Satan to be bound

Revelation 20: 1 – 3—And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled:  and after that he must b loosed a little season.

1 Nephi 22: 26—And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Hoy One of Israel reigneth.

Enmity to cease; no death; Satan to have no power to tempt

Doctrine & Covenants 101: 22 – 31

Wolf and lamb to dwell together

Isaiah 11: 1 – 9

Satan loosed for a little season

Doctrine & Covenants 43: 31—For Satan shall be bound, and when he is loosed again he shall only reign for a little season, and then cometh the end of the earth.

Revelation 20: 7 – 10—And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle:  the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:  and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.