“Hearing about the Three Degrees of Glory for the First Time,” Liahona, July 2021
Come, Follow Me
Hearing about the Three Degrees of Glory for the First Time
July 5–11
Artwork by Annie Henrie Nader
Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants clarifies important aspects of the plan of salvation that were lost from the earth during the Apostasy. For many people, learning these restored truths for the first time is a memorable experience. This was the case for Connie, a convert from Richmond, Virginia, USA.
She recalls: “I had always seen God’s love when reading the Bible, but I could never find any church that taught it the way I understood it. When I had the missionary lesson on the plan of salvation, I felt so vindicated and a peace like I had never felt before. I thought to myself, ‘That is the Heavenly Father I know.’ Learning about the degrees of glory opened my mind so wide I could hardly contain my excitement to learn more.”
Delphine, a convert from Paris, France, has a difficult family situation, so when the missionaries taught her that families can live together in the celestial kingdom, she wasn’t sure she wanted that. As the missionaries continued to teach her about the three degrees of glory, however, she was comforted. She learned that she will get to be with those she loves who chose to follow the gospel. With a better understanding of the plan of salvation, she said, “I found it much more just, and that reassured me.”