Millennial Government

[halconero]

What do we know about government during the millennium?

We know that Christ will be the head of state and government, that there will be two global capitals (The New and Old Jerusalems).

We also know that even if people do not render obedience to the principles and ordinances of the Gospel they will have to recognize the government in place.

Questions I have are:

Who will act as ministers in this government?

To what extent will members and non members be involved?

To what extent will there be a separation of religion and state?

Feel free to ask your own questions, and answer mine. Once I get off this bus and get into the house I'll try to add my own opinions.

[Freedom]

It is presumed that there will be two capitals but the scriptures are unclear. The assumption is that Zion is referring to a new world capital, where one is the head of government and the other is the head of religion. It could be that the world government will be under the direction of church officers so we will have a theocracy. Alternatively, it could be that the world will evolve over many generations towards democracy as people follow the teachings of the savior.

[pogi]

What do we know about government during the millennium?

We learn that the monarchy is the most pure form of government, with a king of kings and Lord of Lords who reigns supreme.

Darned reds had it right all along! Unfortunately, the form of government that has potential to do the most good, must equally have the most potential to do harm, as we see from history.

[Maidservant]

The Book of Moses chapter 7, my MOST favorite scriptures EVER, gives us some idea of society at that time. After reading of the nature of the people who will participate or learn to participate in a Zion people, I question whether there will be government per se as we are used to having presently.

Revelation 20:4 does point to others who reign with Christ.

Isaiah 65 also talks a bit on how just everything will be; although interestingly, Revelation 21 echoes the words of Isaiah but seems to put those promises in a different spot of chronology (after Gog and Magog). My point is--what can we possibly really know from the standard works?

Anyone else have any other favorite scripture spots or church leader quotes about what we can expect about government and society in the Millenium?

[cdowis]

You might check out the Council of the Fifty

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Fifty

You might note that it consisted of both LDS and non-LDS members.

Edited December 20, 2012 by cdowis

[changed]

Some interesting talks:

Socialism vs. the United Order

more talks/articles/quotes from the same site about gov link

[thesometimesaint]

It will be an Absolute Theocracy with the state as Judge, Jury, and Royal Executioner. Whether that will be a good thing or not is a matter of religion.

[Calm]

It will be an Absolute Theocracy with the state as Judge, Jury, and Royal Executioner. Whether that will be a good thing or not is a matter of religion.

I doubt they will be having many courts or anything that requires the service of Executioner (if you mean such in the usual usage). No wickedness, no execution etc.

The Millennium will be a time of righteousness and peace on the earth. The Lord has revealed that “in that day the enmity of man, and the enmity of beasts, yea, the enmity of all flesh, shall cease” (D&C 101:26; see also Isaiah 11:6-9). Satan will be “bound, that he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men” (D&C 45:55; see also Revelation 20:1-3).

During the Millennium, all people on the earth will be good and just, but many will not have received the fulness of the gospel. Consequently, members of the Church will participate in missionary work.

Members of the Church will also participate in temple work during the Millennium. The Saints will continue to build temples and receive ordinances in behalf of their kindred dead. Guided by revelation, they will prepare records of their ancestors all the way back to Adam and Eve.

Complete righteousness and peace will continue until the end of the 1,000 years, when Satan “shall be loosed for a little season, that he may gather together his armies.” The armies of Satan will fight against the hosts of heaven, who will be led by Michael, or Adam. Satan and his followers will be defeated and cast out forever. (See D&C 88:111-115.)

http://www.lds.org/topics/millennium?lang=eng

[Calm]

John the Revelator saw that at the commencement of the Millennium a New Jerusalem would descend to earth from heaven. Traditional Christianity has generally associated this with a renewing of the city where Jesus ministered among the Jews during the meridian of time. However, the revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith show that the New Jerusalem in the Western Hemisphere will coexist with the old Jerusalem, each as a hemispheric capital. From them laws, decrees, and leadership in the kingdom of God will emanate. Thus the nuances found in Isaiah 2:3that "out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" telling of two locations are not redundant or merely rhetorical. According to modern scripture, a New Jerusalem will yet be established within the borders of the state of Missouri in North America (D&C 84:2-4; cf. 57:2-3; A of F 10)....

Life will go on for those on earth: "And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them,…and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands" (Isa. 65:21-22). Righteous mortal men and women who die after the beginning of the Millennium "shall not sleep…in the earth, but shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye" (D&C 101:31), and children born in this era "shall grow up until they become old" (D&C 63:51; Isa. 65:20). The devil will have no "power to tempt any man," being bound because of the righteousness of the earth's inhabitants, and children will grow up without sin (1 Ne. 22:26; D&C 43:30-31;45:58;101:28-31). However, those who are wicked will not be resurrected or returned to the earth until after the Millennium of righteousness (D&C 76:81, 85).

http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Millennium

[Calm]

Joseph Smith said that immortal beings will frequently visit the earth. These resurrected beings will help with the government and other work. (See Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 268.)...

During the Millennium, Jesus will “reign personally upon the earth” (Articles of Faith 1:10). Joseph Smith explained that Jesus will “reign over the Saints and come down and instruct” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 258).....

President John Taylor taught: “The Lord will be king over all the earth, and all mankind literally under his sovereignty, and every nation under the heavens will have to acknowledge his authority, and bow to his scepter. Those who serve him in righteousness will have communications with God, and with Jesus; will have the ministering of angels, and will know the past, the present, and the future; and other people, who may not yield full obedience to his laws, nor be fully instructed in his covenants, will, nevertheless, have to yield full obedience to his government. For it will be the reign of God upon the earth, and he will enforce his laws, and command that obedience from the nations of the world which is legitimately his right” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor [2001], 225).

http://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-45-the-millennium?lang=eng

From the old GP manual linked to from the Gospel Topic on the Millennium:

Jesus Christ will not only lead the Church during the Millennium, but he will also be in charge of the political government. This government will be based on principles of righteousness and will preserve the basic rights and freedoms of all people. Mortals, both members of the Church and nonmembers, will hold government positions...They will receive help from resurrected being.

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Curriculum/home%20and%20family.htm/gospel%20principles.htm/the%20second%20coming%20of%20jesus%20christ%20unit%20nine.htm/the%20millennium%20chapter%2044.htm?fn=document-frame.htm$f=templates$3.0

[thesometimesaint]

Calmoriah:

Complete righteousness and peace will continue until the end of the 1,000 years, when Satan “shall be loosed for a little season, that he may gather together his armies.”

I would assume that every manner of wickedness will be present at the end of that thousand years, and there will be some need for some form of governmental enforcement of the laws.

[Freedom]

One has to wonder what the point is of the millennium Do more people still have to be born into mortality? Why not just have them all live prior to the second coming and get on with the final judgement. Why have 1000 years of mortals living in righteousness Why not just have the earth be turned into a celestial globe? And why 1000 years; that is, to say the least, a very long time. With 3 billion righteous adults on the earth performing 2 endowments each week all the temple work for all who had ever lived would be done in a few months. There is the theory that all those who died before the age of accountability will have an opportunity to be raised to adulthood but again, so perhaps this is the real purpose of this marvelous time. But how is it fair that they get to be raised without any real temptations? The whole purpose of mortality is to be cut off and having to go on faith. Rather difficult to have faith in a God who is the leader of your country. On the surface it does not seem to have any real purpose based on what we now understand.

So we have 30 generations living under an ecclesiastical government living in peace and harmony for no apparent purpose and then a huge battle which is essentially a reenactment of the destruction of Jerusalem prior to the second coming. I must confess, if there was ever a doctrine that I did not understand it is this one.

[Calm]

Calmoriah:

Complete righteousness and peace will continue until the end of the 1,000 years, when Satan “shall be loosed for a little season, that he may gather together his armies.”

I would assume that every manner of wickedness will be present at the end of that thousand years, and there will be some need for some form of governmental enforcement of the laws.

I had not been considering the end of the 1000 years as part of the Millennium. You are right that there will be judgment executed during that time, imo.

[Calm]

So we have 30 generations living under an ecclesiastical government living in peace and harmony for no apparent purpose

Perhaps it is to provide the experience (personal for some, vicarious for those who have already experienced mortality and who are observing from the spirit world) of a contrast to what mortal life had been like up to that point, to contrast the bitter (previous mortality) with the sweet (Millennium mortality), the mundane (man's government in action) with the divine (God's government in action).

[Maidservant]

One has to wonder what the point is of the millennium Do more people still have to be born into mortality? Why not just have them all live prior to the second coming and get on with the final judgement. Why have 1000 years of mortals living in righteousness Why not just have the earth be turned into a celestial globe? And why 1000 years; that is, to say the least, a very long time. With 3 billion righteous adults on the earth performing 2 endowments each week all the temple work for all who had ever lived would be done in a few months. There is the theory that all those who died before the age of accountability will have an opportunity to be raised to adulthood but again, so perhaps this is the real purpose of this marvelous time. But how is it fair that they get to be raised without any real temptations? The whole purpose of mortality is to be cut off and having to go on faith. Rather difficult to have faith in a God who is the leader of your country. On the surface it does not seem to have any real purpose based on what we now understand.

So we have 30 generations living under an ecclesiastical government living in peace and harmony for no apparent purpose and then a huge battle which is essentially a reenactment of the destruction of Jerusalem prior to the second coming. I must confess, if there was ever a doctrine that I did not understand it is this one.

Good questions.

Some (small) answers or at least thoughts I have.

More progression, especially as a society (not only the individual level).

By the way, checking in on the book of Revelation the other day -- I notice this in chapter 21 which comes AFTER the thousand years of peace and AFTER the post-millennium upheavals: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth". A city is described as well. Revelation does not talk about "going" anywhere TO heaven. As well, LDS understanding is that the celestial kingdom will be right here on earth--well, we can't have the celestial kingdom without creating it and continuing to sanctify ourselves and our world. We cannot enjoy celestial law without even doing the work of the terrestrial laws.

We most often imagine an individual salvation for each person who has done what they needed to do to enjoy an eternal life like the one heavenly Father enjoys. But I also think that the entire history of the earth is a progression for all of us, we all have a part to play, we all learn from each other, we all bear each other up. This is even where the idea of sealing could come in, that saying that we need to bind ourselves to our fathers or all will be lost.

There are many reasons to be born and many times of birth. Birth into mortality has a progression purpose that you describe--separation. But I was born before, to my heavenly Father. What was that purpose?

[blackstrap]

I don't see the millenium coming BANG and all the wicked are destroyed immediately and all the survivors instantly convert. I think all will proceed in order and time taking decades if not a century to bring about the fullness of Christ's rule. Brigham Young indicated that there will still be all types of religions around after Christ returns.

[Freedom]

I don't see the millenium coming BANG and all the wicked are destroyed immediately and all the survivors instantly convert. I think all will proceed in order and time taking decades if not a century to bring about the fullness of Christ's rule. Brigham Young indicated that there will still be all types of religions around after Christ returns.

But why is this process required? There are billions who are in the spirit world and who will have been resurrected by this time and will have no part really in the mortal realm. What is the difference between having mortals progress and having resurrected beings clean it up and move forward with their eternal progression?

[Maidservant]

But why is this process required? There are billions who are in the spirit world and who will have been resurrected by this time and will have no part really in the mortal realm. What is the difference between having mortals progress and having resurrected beings clean it up and move forward with their eternal progression?

Well the process actually (!?) began as represented when God said, Let there be light. So there is a grand over all progression from that point, to a final celestial union of all brothers and sisters (or all that consent and prepare). It takes the entire history of the world to accomplish including the portion of history we call the Millennium.

[Freedom]

Well the process actually (!?) began as represented when God said, Let there be light. So there is a grand over all progression from that point, to a final celestial union of all brothers and sisters (or all that consent and prepare). It takes the entire history of the world to accomplish including the portion of history we call the Millennium.

But that is a circular argument. Essentially you are saying it is necessary because it is necessary. My view is that it appears to be redundant.

[blackstrap]

You know how after a play production there is always a wrap party? Same thing.

[Saints Alive]

If its ran anything like the dress code at BYU I shudder to think what it will be like...

[Tacenda]

I've always wondered how we are to feel joy when there is no sorrow, or something to that affect. Won't it feel like we had lobotomies or not have as many emotions like before the millenium?

[rpn]

Since we know Satan will be bound, their will be no need for public safety elements. But there will still be human frailty and stupidity.