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When Christ returns, all the world will bow at His feet and recognize Him as Lord and Savior and

He will reign Himself through the Millenneum and beyond.

■ “Some members of the Church have an erroneous idea that when the millennium comes all of the people are going to be swept off the earth except righteous members of the Church. That is not so. There will be millions of people, Catholics, Protestants, agnostics, Mohammedans, people of all classes, and of all beliefs, still permitted to remain upon the face of the earth, but they will be those who have lived clean lives, those who have been free from wickedness and corruption. All who belong, by virtue of their good lives, to the terrestrial order, as well as those who have kept the celestial law, will remain upon the face of the earth during the millennium.

“Eventually, however, the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters do the sea. But there will be need for the preaching of the gospel, after the millennium is brought in, until all men are either converted or pass away” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:86–87).

■ “In that great change, or resurrection, which shall come to this earth, it shall be sanctified, celestialized and made a fit abode even for God the Father, who shall grace it with his presence. ( D.C. 88:19 .) Then shall the righteous, those who have become sanctified through the law of God, possess it for ever as their abode. This earth is destined to become the everlasting residence of its inhabitants who gain the glory of the celestial kingdom. It shall become in that day like the throne of God and shall shine forth with all the splendor and brightness of celestial glory in its eternal, sanctified and glorious state” (Smith, Way to Perfection, 351).

The Millennium and the Glorification of the Earth

Only temple mormons will be allowed into the celestial kingdom, All who belong, by virtue of their good lives, to the terrestrial order, as well as those who have kept the celestial law, so the rest of the world, including all Christians will be forbidden from "dwelling with God in his kingdom" according to mormon doctrine.

Jeff, you say, the idea that the LDS CHurch is bent on or planning to "take over" the US Government and re-write the constitution is a sham on its face. Mormon belief is that the mormon elders will save the Constitution. That was a well-known belief during the time I was a mormon.

I feel sympathy for the many who are misled members.

The mormon church certainly controls the state of Utah today.

As the final scene plays itself out sometime just before Christ's 2nd coming, Joseph Smith did indicate in a speech shortly before his own death, that there would come a time when the US had weakened itself abroad when other nations would look upon the US with envy and seek to take her lands.

He indicated that a force of foreign nations would enter the country and seek to conquer it. That at some point half of the US military surrender and would give up, but that the other parts of the US Military and many of the people would continue fighting on.

At a point when things looked most dire, he indicated that the Lord, miraculously, through the Priesthood, would fight together with those forces fighting the enemy and would defeat them and thus save the nation and the Constitution.

Many people believe that, and refer to it, to this day. Members and leaders alike. But it is not cannonized in scripture, and is not taught as official doctrine of the Church.

Will it happen? We shall see. I believe that church members do and certainly will fight and die for this nation and the Constitution. God in Heaven and His Son are certainly capable of miraculously intervening and they have done so (IMHO) as regards this nation in the past.

So it certainly could occur just as Jospeh Smith spoke it. But he did not indicate that the Church or the Priesthood would take over the government and the Chuirch does not teach that in the least. It does teach that Christ will lead the government after His return and this is something that Christians universally believe.

Believing that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the restored Church of Christ on the earth, we believe at that time, during the Millennium, He will use His church as a part of His governance. But that is also not unique to the LDS.

A humorous joke in this regard (which can be given either way...I will give the LDS version) goes as follows:

A Cardnial comes into the Pope and addresses His Emminance.

"Holy Father, we have excellent news, and not so good news of Christ's return to the Earth."

The Pope responds and says, "What is the good news, my son."

The Carnial says, "Jesus Christ has returned to the earth, Father."

The Pope joyfully claps His hands together, stand up smiling, and asks, "Well then, what could possibly be the bad news after new like this?"

The Cardinal responds, "We just got the call from Salt Lake City."

You can see how it would work the other way too.