Gramps,

My question is on regards to Patriarch Smith’s statement “President Smith told us that if we could get one little glimpse into the telestial glory even, the glory is so great that we would be tempted to commit suicide to get there.” Can you please explain this. If someone did commit suicide, would they go to the telestial kingdom?

Anon. from Illinois

Dear Anon,

What is there to explain? We read in D&C 76:89 that

we saw, in the heavenly vision, the glory of the telestial, which surpasses all understanding.

That is the glory to which president Smith was referring.

The taking of one’s own life is indeed a grevious sin, but God is the judge, not man, and

the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

So who knows but what in certain circumstances the taking of ones’ own life is justified by the Lord. Certainly we are not the judge, and just as certainly the judgement of the Lord is just and true.

Gramps