Death is Inevitable, God's Grace is Eternal...

Theme: The certainty of death and the even greater certainty of God’s goodness.

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Joshua 23:14

   "And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof."

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I. Cross‑Reference way

The Principle of Death

Joshua says he is going “the way of all the earth.”
This is the scriptural phrase meaning: every mortal must die.
Death is not merely an ending; it is a universal covenant boundary every soul crosses.

Supporting Scriptures for way

• 1 Kings 2:2
  
  "I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;"
• 2 Nephi 1:14
  
  "Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth."

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Why These Scriptures Were Used

1 Kings 2:2

David tells Solomon, “I go the way of all the earth.”
This ties Joshua and David together as covenant leaders who face death with clarity, not fear.
It shows us that death is not a failure of God’s promises—it is part of the covenant journey.

2 Nephi 1:14

Lehi describes death as being “gathered to the fathers,” emphasizing return, reunion, and accountability.
This expands Joshua’s phrase by showing that death is not dissolution but transition.

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Principle of Way

“Death”

Death is a principle because:

• Universal — no one escapes it.
• Appointed — God sets the bounds of our mortal stewardship.
• Revealing — death exposes whether we trusted God’s goodness.
• Transformative — death is the threshold into eternal identity.

Death is not the enemy of faith; fear is.
Death is the moment where every promise of God becomes visible.

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Application to Our Celestial Spiritual Growth

Finding good ways to serve in our various communities to serve with compassion and wisdom beyond the boundaries of self, family, and tribe...

For Self

We live with urgency, knowing our stewardship is finite. We prepare spiritually so death is a return, not a rupture.

For Family

We teach our families that death is not abandonment but continuity—the God who kept His promises in mortality keeps them beyond the veil.

For Fellowship

We comfort one another with the truth that every righteous bond continues. We walk with each other through grief with covenant hope.

For Community

We build a community that lives with eternal perspective, treating every soul as someone who will live forever.

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II. The Best Single Scripture

from the Topical Guide: Death

Alma 40:11

   "Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life."

Why this one?

Because Alma 40:11 explains exactly what happens at death:
the spirit is taken home to God who gave it.
This is the clearest doctrinal bridge between Joshua’s phrase “way of all the earth” and the celestial trajectory of our souls.

Why It Fits Joshua 23:14

Joshua says every promise of God has come to pass.
Alma 40:11 shows that even in death, God continues fulfilling His promises.

Principle

Death is not separation from God;
death is movement toward God.

Application

• Self: We live unafraid, knowing God receives us.
• Family: We teach our children that God is the God of the living and the dead.
• Fellowship: We mourn with hope, not despair.
• Community: We build a Zion people who see life and death through covenant eyes.

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III. Why All the Topical Guide Scriptures on Death Are Poignant

Every scripture in the Death list is poignant because each one:

• Reveals a different angle of the same eternal truth.
• Shows that God governs both mortality and immortality.
• Teaches us how to live now in light of forever.
• Anchors us in the reality that death does not break covenant.
• Calls us to prepare spiritually, relationally, and communally.

Principles They Teach

• Accountability: We will stand before God.
• Continuity: Our identity continues beyond the veil.
• Hope: Death is not the end of goodness.
• Resurrection: Christ’s victory defines our destiny.
• Stewardship: Mortality is a preparation period.

Application to Celestial Spiritual Growth

Self

We cultivate holiness because we know we will meet God.

Family

We strengthen eternal relationships now, not later.

Fellowship

We support one another through grief with covenant promises.

Community

We build a people who live with eternal purpose, not temporal panic.

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IV. Cross‑Reference good

D&C 82:10

   "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."

Why D&C 82:10 Matters Here

Joshua says:
“Not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake.”

D&C 82:10 teaches the principle behind that statement:
God is bound when we do what He says.
Joshua 23:14 is the historical proof of D&C 82:10.
D&C 82:10 is the doctrinal explanation of Joshua 23:14.

Principle of good

God’s goodness is not random;
it is covenantal, reliable, and unfailing.

Application to Celestial Spiritual Growth

Self

We trust God’s promises more than our fears.

Family

We teach our homes that obedience unlocks divine reliability.

Fellowship

We strengthen each other by witnessing how God has kept His word in our lives.

Community

We build a people who expect God to act because we act in covenant.

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Summary Principle for the Entire Verse

Death is certain.
God’s goodness is more certain.

Joshua 23:14 teaches us that:

• We will all walk the “way of all the earth.”
• But we walk it under the care of a God who has never failed us.
• And because He has never failed, we can live—and die—with celestial confidence.

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