The Kingdom of God

In the New Testament, the Savior admonished the people of his day to enter into the “kingdom of God.” By seeking to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel was shown the interpretation of the stone cut out of the mountain without hands which eventually destroyed the image and filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:31-45).

The stone which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream was the kingdom of God in the latter days. This kingdom was restored under the hand of the Prophet Joseph Smith shortly before his martyrdom in 1844. When this kingdom is fully implemented at some point in the future, it “will throw their protecting arms around the whole human family, protecting them in their rights”.

Concerning the kingdom of God, in 1874 Brigham Young taught:

I will say to you with regard to the kingdom of God on the earth—Here is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, organized with its rules, regulations and degrees, with the quorums of the holy Priesthood, from the First Presidency to the teachers and deacons; here we are, an organization. God called upon Joseph, he called upon Oliver Cowdery, then others were called through Joseph, the Church was organized, he with his two counselors comprised the First Presidency. In a few years the Quorum of the Twelve was organized, the High Counsel was organized, the High Priests’ quorum was organized, the Seventies’ quorums were organized, and the Priests’ quorum, the Teachers’ quorum and the Deacons’. 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. This kingdom is the kingdom that Daniel spoke of, which was to be set up in the last days; it is the kingdom that is not to be given to another people; it is the kingdom that is to be held by the servants of God, to rule the nations of the earth, to send forth those laws and ordinances that shall be suitable and that shall apply themselves to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; that will apply themselves to the mother Church, “the holy Catholic Church,” they will commend themselves to every Protestant Church upon the earth; they will commend themselves to every class of infidels, and will throw their protecting arms around the whole human family, protecting them in their rights. If they wish to worship a white dog, they will have the privilege; if they wish to worship the sun they will have the privilege; if they wish to worship a man they will have the privilege, and if they wish to worship the “unknown God” they will have the privilege. This kingdom will circumscribe them all and will issue laws and ordinances to protect them in their rights–every right that every people, sect and person can enjoy, and the full liberty that God has granted to them without molestation… The kingdom of God, when it is set up upon the earth, will be after the pattern of heaven, and will compel no man nor woman to go contrary to his or her conscience… Now I want to give you these few words–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. Now, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we work our way along the best we can. Can you understand this?¹

Sources:

1. Young, Brigham. Journal of Discourses. 17:157-158.↩

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