Conditions During the Millennium
What will life be like during the thousand years that Christ reins on earth?
Both modern and ancient prophets have told us much about life during the millennium. We know “that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisaical glory,” meaning earth will become a paradise. What will that mean for those living on the earth? Here are a few of the things we know for sure:
1. Resurrection/no death or disease
2. Satan Bound
3. All things revealed and all prayers answered
4. No Sickness
5. Animals not brutal
6. No War
7. Life in the Millennium
The Resurrection
When Christ comes, the righteous, both living and dead, will be caught up to meet Him.
Gospel Principles:
“The Millennium is the thousand-year period when Jesus will reign on the earth. At the beginning of this period of time, the righteous will be caught up to meet Jesus at his coming. His coming will begin the millennial reign.”
Chapter 43: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ,” Gospel Principles, 277
Gospel Fundamentals:
“The good people who have died will rise from their graves and meet Him as He comes from heaven. The wicked will not rise from their graves until after a period of 1,000 years.”
Chapter 33: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ,” Gospel Fundamentals, 185
There will no longer be death as we know it now. People will continue their mortal lives, but at the end of their life, they will simply change from mortality to resurrected immortality.
Joseph Fielding Smith:
“When Christ comes the saints who are on the earth will be quickened and caught up to meet him. This does not mean that those who are living in mortality at that time will be changed and pass through the resurrection, for mortals must remain on the earth until after the thousand years are ended. A change, nevertheless, will come over all who remain on the earth; they will be quickened so that they will not be subject unto death until they are old. Men shall die when they are one hundred years of age, and the change shall be made suddenly to the immortal state. Graves will not be made during this thousand years. . . . death shall come as a peaceful transition from the mortal to the immortal state.”
(Way to Perfection, pp. 298–99, 311.)
Among the dead, the righteous will be resurrected at His coming, but the wicked (who will all be destroyed at the beginning of the Millennium), will not be resurrected until the millennium is over. Among the living, only Celestial and Terrestrial people will be allowed to remain on earth through the millennium.
Gospel Principles:
“He will complete the Resurrection. Those who have obtained the privilege of coming forth in the Resurrection of the Just will rise from their graves. They will be caught up to meet the Savior as he comes down from heaven.
“After Jesus Christ rose from the dead, other righteous people who had died were also resurrected. They appeared in Jerusalem and also on the American continent (see Matthew 27:52–53; 3 Nephi 23:9). This was the beginning of the First Resurrection. Some people have been resurrected since then. Those who already have been resurrected and those who will be resurrected at the time of his coming will all inherit the glory of the celestial kingdom (see D&C 76:50–70).
“After the beginning of the Millennium, those who will receive a terrestrial glory will be resurrected (see D&C 88:99; 76:71–80). When all these people have been resurrected, the First Resurrection will be completed.
“The wicked who are living at the time of the second coming of the Lord will be destroyed in the flesh. They, along with the wicked who are already dead, will have to wait until the end of the Millennium before they can come forth from their graves. At the end of the Millennium, the Second Resurrection will take place. All of the remaining dead will rise to meet God. They will either inherit the telestial kingdom or be cast into outer darkness with Satan (see D&C 76:32–33, 81–112).”
Chapter 43: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ,” Gospel Principles, 277
Elder Erastus Snow:
“The children that shall grow up unto the Lord shall not taste of death; that is, they shall not sleep in the earth, but they shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and they shall be caught up, and their rest shall be glorious”
(in Journal of Discourses, 7:355–56; italics added).
D&C 101:29-31
“And there shall be no sorrow because there is no death.
30 In that day an infant shall not die until he is old; and his life shall be as the age of a tree;
31 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.”
This paradise version of mortality will even prevent people from getting diseases.
Gospel Fundementals:
“There will be no disease, and there will be no death. When people become old, they will not die as we do now. They will change in an instant from the way we are now to an immortal condition, which means they will never die again.”
“Chapter 34: The Millennium,” Gospel Fundamentals, 189
Gospel Principles:
“Even though mortals will live on the earth during the Millennium, they will not have diseases as we do now. There will be no death as we know it. When people have lived to an old age, they will not die and be buried. Instead, they will be changed from their mortal condition to an immortal condition in an instant (see D&C 63:51; 101:29–31).”
“Chapter 44: The Millennium,” Gospel Principles, 282
Satan Bound
“And in that day Satan shall not have power to tempt any man.”
D&C 100:28
In the Millennium, Satan will have no power to tempt people.
“Because of the righteousness of his [the Lord’s] 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”
(1 Nephi 22:26).
This binding will take place in two ways. The people will ignore him, making his temptations useless, and also the Lord will bind him in some way to make him unable to even make the attempt to entice people to sin.
Joseph Fielding Smith:
“There are many among us who teach that the binding of Satan will be merely the binding which those dwelling on the earth will place upon him by their refusal to hear his enticings. This is not so. He will not have the privilege during that period of time to tempt any man. (D. & C. 101:28.)” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:192.)”
Speaking of the two ways satan will be bound, the Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student manual explains:
“These two statements at first may seem to be at variance, but in reality they are not. It is true that the result of the righteousness of the Saints is that Satan cannot exert power over them. The restrictions that will come upon Satan will be a result of two important actions by the Lord: (1) He will destroy telestial wickedness from the earth at His Second Coming; and (2) He will reward the righteous by pouring out His Spirit on them to such an extent that Satan’s power will be overwhelmed. Satan will not have the power to tempt or negatively influence the Lord’s people. Both the righteousness of the Saints and the operation of the Lord’s power are necessary to bind Satan: if the Saints do not give heed to God’s word, He will not give them His Spirit. And without the Spirit, they on their own cannot withstand the force of the adversary.”
George Q. Cannon:
“We talk about Satan being bound. Satan will be bound by the power of God; but he will be bound also by the determination of the people of God not to listen to him, not to be governed by him. The Lord will not bind him and take his power from the earth while there are men and women willing to be governed by him. That is contrary to the plan of salvation. To deprive men of their agency is contrary to the purposes of our God. . . .
“Satan only gains power over man through man’s exercise of his own agency; and when Satan shall be bound, as the Lord says he will be for a thousand years, one of the great powers that will help bring this to pass will be man’s agency. The Lord has never forced men against their will to obey Him. He never will do so. If Satan, therefore, has power with man, it is because man yields to his influence. . .
“The time is not far distant when great judgments will be poured out upon the wicked inhabitants of the earth. Every Prophet who has looked forward to our day has seen and predicted that the wicked would be destroyed. Their destruction means the destruction of Satan’s power. The righteous will be left, and because of their righteousness the Lord will have mercy upon them; they, exercising their agency in the right direction, will bring down His blessings upon them to such an extent that Satan will be bound.”
(Gospel Truth, 1:86–87; see also 2 Nephi 30:18; Ether 8:26.)
Gospel Principles:
“During the Millennium, Satan will be bound. This means he will not have power to tempt those who are living at that time (see D&C 101:28). The “children shall grow up without sin unto salvation” (D&C 45:58). “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” (1 Nephi 22:26).”
“Chapter 44: The Millennium,” Gospel Principles, 282
All Things Revealed and All Prayers Answered
“Yea, verily I say unto you, in that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things—
33 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—
34 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.”
D&C 100: 32-34
During the millennium, mysteries that have been hid through all time will be revealed. Revelation will be more common and easier to obtain. In fact, because of the righteousness of those living on the earth, all prayers will be honored. Speaking of that day, the Lord said:
(D&C 101:27)
“Whatsoever any man shall ask, it shall be given unto him”
So great will the knowledge of the Lord be that there will come a point where everyone knows the Lord and His ways.
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.”
Gospel Principles:
“Some truths have not been revealed to us. These will be revealed during the Millennium. The Lord said he will “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” (D&C 101:32–34).”
“Chapter 44: The Millennium,” Gospel Principles, 282
Animals No Longer Brutal
“6 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 fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
2 Nephi 21:6-9
During the millennium, even animals will lose their tendencies toward violence.
“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.”
(D&C 101:26)
Elder Orson Pratt:
“the enmity of the beasts of the field as well as that of all flesh will cease; no more one beast of prey devouring and feasting upon another that is more harmless in its nature; no more will this enmity be found in the fish of the sea, or in the birds of the air. This change will be wrought upon all flesh when Jesus comes; not a change to immortality, but a change sufficient to alter the ferocious nature of beasts, birds and fishes. . . . gentleness, will characterize all the wild and ferocious animals, as well as the venomous serpents, so much so that the little child might lead them and play with them, and nothing shall hurt or destroy in all the holy mountain of the Lord, all things becoming, in some measure, as when they were first created.”
(Orson Pratt, in Journal of Discourses, 20:18.)
Gospel Fundementals:
“All animals, even those that are now enemies, will live together in peace. They will no longer fight with each other.”
Chapter 34: The Millennium, Gospel Fundamentals, 189
Gospel Principles:
“The animal kingdom will also be at peace. All animals, even those that are now enemies, will live together in harmony. Animals that now eat flesh will eat grass and grain (see Isaiah 11:6–7).”
“Chapter 44: The Millennium,” Gospel Principles, 282
No War
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.”
In the Millennium, there will be no war.
Gospel Principles:
“During the Millennium, there will be no war. People will live in peace and harmony together. Everything that has been used for war will be turned to useful purposes. ‘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 2:4).”
Chapter 44: The Millennium, Gospel Principles, 282
Gospel Fundementals:
“During the Millennium, the earth will be as it was when Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. There will be no war. Jesus will rule both the Church and the government.”
Chapter 34: The Millennium, Gospel Fundamentals, 189
Gospel Fundementals:
“People will live together in peace and love.”
“Chapter 34: The Millennium,” Gospel Fundamentals, 189
Life in the Millennium
What will life be like during the Millennium?
Gospel Fundementals:
“It will be a great privilege to live during the Millennium. Things we do not now understand will become clear to us. Life will be very much as it is now, except that everything will be done in love and peace. People will continue to have and raise children, plant and harvest crops, and build houses.”
Chapter 34: The Millennium, Gospel Fundamentals, 189
Gospel Principles:
“Only righteous people will live on the earth during the Millennium. They will be those who have lived virtuous and honest lives. These people will inherit either the terrestrial or celestial kingdom.
“During the Millennium, mortals will still live on earth, and they will continue to have children as we do now (see D&C 45:58). 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, p. 268.)
“Brigham Young taught that there will be nonmembers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints living on earth as well as members. People will still have their agency, and for a time many will continue to believe their false religions and ideas. Eventually everyone will accept Jesus Christ as the Savior.”
(See Daniel H. Ludlow, ed., Latter-day Prophets Speak, pp. 261–62.)
Gospel Principles:
“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 (see Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 2:310). They will receive help from resurrected beings. At this time there will be two capitals in the world, one in Jerusalem, the other in America (see Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:66–72). “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).”
Chapter 44: The Millennium, Gospel Principles, 282
Gospel Principles:
“During the Millennium, Jesus will “reign personally upon the earth” (Articles of Faith 1:10). Joseph Smith explained that Jesus and the resurrected Saints will probably not live on the earth all the time but will visit whenever they please or when necessary to help in the governing of the earth (see Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 268).”
“Chapter 44: The Millennium,” Gospel Principles, 282
Gospel Principles:
“The earth will again be as it was when Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden (see Articles of Faith 1:10). The whole earth will be a delightful garden. There will not be different continents as we have now, but the land will be gathered in one place as it was in the beginning (see D&C 133:23–24).”
“Chapter 44: The Millennium,” Gospel Principles, 282
Gospel Principles:
“In many ways, life will be much as it is now, except that everything will be done in righteousness. People will eat and drink and will wear clothing (see Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 115). People will continue to plant and harvest crops and build houses (see Isaiah 65:21).”
“Chapter 44: The Millennium,” Gospel Principles, 282
During the Millennium, Zion will live the law of Consecration, including the united order.
President Romney:
“We have … visions of the welfare program. We have great visions of the redemption of Zion and the building of the new Jerusalem, the inauguration of the United Order, the coming of the Millennium. But before these visions materialize, we must travel some rough roads.”
(Addresses delivered at the special Welfare Meeting, 5 Apr. 1949, p. 13.)
D&C Institute Student Manual:
“We know from the scriptures that Zion must be established again before the Savior comes. And we know from scripture that the law of consecration is the law upon which Zion will operate.”
D&C Institute Student Manual, Enrichment L
Elder Victor L. Brown:
“It is my conviction that we cannot begin too early in life to prepare to live the law of consecration. We know of the second coming of the Savior. We do not know the day nor the hour, but we know he will come again. We also know that, although there is still much to be done prior to his coming, many prophecies are being fulfilled today. We also know that we must be prepared to live the law of consecration prior to his coming.”
Fireside address given at Brigham Young University on 7 November 1976
These wonderful conditions need not wait until the Millennium. Many of them can start today if we are willing to live the way God has asked of us.
Brigham Young:
“The Millennium will be a time of unity, peace, and temple service.
“The Millennium consists in this—every heart in the Church and Kingdom of God being united in one; the Kingdom increasing to the overcoming of everything opposed to the economy of heaven, and Satan being bound, and having a seal set upon him. All things else will be as they are now, we shall eat, drink, and wear clothing (DBY, 115).
“Let the people be holy, and the earth under their feet will be holy. Let the people be holy, and filled with the Spirit of God, and every animal and creeping thing will be filled with peace; the soil of the earth will bring forth in its strength, and the fruits thereof will be meat for man. The more purity that exists, the less is the strife; the more kind we are to our animals, the more will peace increase, and the savage nature of the brute creation vanish away. If the people will not serve the Devil another moment whilst they live, if this congregation is possessed of that spirit and resolution, here in this house is the Millennium. Let the inhabitants of this city be possessed of that spirit, let the people of the territory be possessed of that spirit, and here is the Millennium. Let the whole people … be possessed of that spirit and here is the Millennium, and so will it spread over all the world (DBY, 115–16).”
Chapter 45: The Last Days, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 331
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The Second Coming Series
Part 1:Studying the Signs of the Second Coming of Christ
Part 2:The Restoration and Spreading of the Gospel
Part 4:The Gathering of Israel
Part 5:Destruction of the Wicked
Part 9:Conditions During the Millennium
Part 10:The Work and Purpose of the Millennium
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