Worlds Without End
If men and women will receive what is offered now, they will be added upon for ever and ever. In other words, each person moves up the ladder by his or her heed and diligence in this cycle of creation. As they do, they will have so much the advantage in the next cycle. They can choose to move upward and be added upon or choose to remain as they are, worlds without end. Now is part of eternity. Though mortal, man lives in eternity and ought to take this opportunity seriously. The scriptures speak of things that happened before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:4; Testimony of John 9:20; T&C 138:19) or in the first place (Mosiah 1:9; Alma 9:10) or from the foundation of the world (Matthew 7:8; T&C 138:19; Revelation 6:11). These statements make it clear that what went on before “this creation” did matter and do affect mankind now. In the same way, what is accepted in this life by one’s heed and diligence affects what comes after. This current course of life has been ordained by God and is one eternal round (LOF 3:15; T&C 2:1; JSH 10:2). Even if one has proven before, he must prove himself again, now. God has been at this a long time. Christ has been involved in many repeated cycles of creation. God’s great work has been going through cycles of creation, fall, redemption, judgment, and re-creation for ever. It is endless. Many unnumbered worlds have been, now are, and will yet be. This is a continual, endless cycle, worlds without end. “Ever notice how the pre-earth and the Millennium seem alike? Ever wonder what worlds without end means? Ever considered how God’s work never ends, and yet it has definite increments separating one cycle from the next? God’s works are endless. We are His greatest work. He intends to give us immortality and eventual eternal life. How long it will require depends on how long it takes us to become like the prototype of the saved man.”1See also FOR EVER.
1 Preserving the Restoration, 320–323.