Eternal Increase in Latter-day Saint Doctrine

The belief that exalted beings will continue to have children and expand their families throughout eternity.

By Garret Merkley · Explainer · Jun 2, 2026

Branched from The Doctrine of Exaltation in Latter-day Saint Theology

Quick take

Eternal Increase is the LDS teaching that exalted (perfected) beings will procreate and raise children forever, not just in mortality.
It flows from the doctrine of Exaltation and the concept that God Himself has a family that continues to grow.
It underpins LDS teachings on celestial marriage, family bonds, and the purpose of earthly family relationships.

Eternal Increase is a core Latter-day Saint (LDS) doctrine teaching that individuals who achieve exaltation—the highest degree of glory in the celestial kingdom—will continue to have children and expand their families throughout eternity. Unlike mortality, where reproduction is tied to a finite lifespan, exalted beings are understood to possess the power to create and nurture offspring perpetually. This doctrine is not simply about numerical growth; it reflects a theological claim that family relationships and the parent-child bond represent the most fundamental unit of divine existence and will persist eternally.

How Eternal Increase Works in LDS Theology

Eternal Increase is inseparable from the doctrine of Exaltation and the concept of Godhood. In LDS belief, God the Father is not a static being but an exalted man who possesses a body, a spouse, and children. The doctrine teaches that faithful members of the Church, particularly those sealed in the temple, can follow the same path: achieve perfection, receive a glorified body, and eventually attain the status of divine beings capable of creating worlds and raising families. Eternal Increase represents the continuation and expansion of this divine family model across infinite time.

Central to this doctrine is the concept of Celestial Marriage—a temple ordinance (ritual) sealing a man and woman together not just for mortality but for eternity. LDS teaching holds that only married couples sealed in the temple can achieve the highest level of exaltation and thus qualify for Eternal Increase. A single person or someone married only by civil law, in LDS doctrine, cannot progress to the point where they possess the power to create and nurture eternal offspring. The sealing bond is understood as the covenant that unlocks this divine potential.

The mechanism by which Eternal Increase actually occurs is deliberately left vague in official LDS teaching. Church leaders have historically avoided detailed speculation about the mechanics of reproduction in the afterlife, emphasizing instead the principle that family relationships will continue. Early LDS leaders like Brigham Young taught that exalted beings would have the power to create, but modern Church discourse tends to focus on the spiritual reality of eternal family bonds rather than literal biological process.

Why Eternal Increase Matters in LDS Practice and Belief

Eternal Increase is theologically significant because it reframes the purpose of earthly family life. In LDS teaching, the family is not a temporary social arrangement but the foundation of divine existence. Having children, raising them in faith, and maintaining family bonds are not merely mortal responsibilities—they are rehearsals for eternal roles. This doctrine gives profound spiritual weight to parenthood and family relationships, positioning them as central to salvation and exaltation, not peripheral to it. It also explains why the LDS Church places such emphasis on temple marriage and family-centered religious practice.

The doctrine also reflects a distinctive LDS cosmology in which divinity is not abstract or impersonal but familial. God is not portrayed as a solitary, transcendent being but as a Father with a family. Humans, in turn, are understood as literal spiritual children of God with the potential to become divine parents themselves. Eternal Increase embodies this vision: the universe is fundamentally structured around families, and exaltation means joining an eternal chain of divine parents and children stretching infinitely forward and backward in time.

When and Where Eternal Increase Applies

Eternal Increase applies only to those who achieve exaltation—the highest degree of the celestial kingdom in LDS cosmology. In LDS theology, the afterlife is divided into three kingdoms of glory (celestial, terrestrial, and telestial) plus outer darkness. Only those sealed in the temple, living worthily, and enduring to the end are believed to reach exaltation. Those in lower degrees of glory or outer darkness do not progress to Eternal Increase. Additionally, only those who have been sealed in Celestial Marriage—a covenant available only within the LDS Church—are understood to qualify for this blessing. Single individuals, even if exalted to lower degrees of the celestial kingdom, are not believed to possess the power of Eternal Increase.

Key Distinctions in LDS Afterlife Doctrine

Exaltation (highest celestial degree): includes Eternal Increase, divine status, and continued family growth
Lower celestial degrees: continuation of family bonds but without the power of creation
Terrestrial and telestial kingdoms: no family relationships; individual rather than familial existence
Outer darkness: reserved for those who reject Christ and the gospel after knowing truth

Is Eternal Increase the same as having a large family on Earth?

No. Eternal Increase refers specifically to the power exalted beings will possess in the afterlife to continue creating and raising children eternally. Earthly family size is separate, though LDS culture has historically valued larger families as reflecting the value placed on children and family.

What happens to people who don't achieve exaltation—do they still have family relationships after death?

In LDS doctrine, those who reach lower degrees of the celestial kingdom may retain some family connections, but they do not possess the power of Eternal Increase. Those in the terrestrial or telestial kingdoms are understood to lose family relationships and exist as individuals rather than as families.

Can a single person achieve Eternal Increase?

According to standard LDS doctrine, no. Eternal Increase is tied to Celestial Marriage—a sealing covenant available only in the temple and typically between a man and woman. Single individuals, even if righteous, are not believed to progress to the point of exaltation that includes the power of creation.

Is Eternal Increase mentioned in the Bible or other Christian traditions?

No. Eternal Increase is a distinctly LDS doctrine developed in the 19th century, primarily through teachings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. It is not found in traditional Christian theology and is one of the most distinctive features of LDS cosmology.

How does the LDS Church explain the practical details of Eternal Increase?

Church leadership has deliberately avoided detailed explanations of how reproduction would work in the afterlife. The emphasis is on the principle—that family relationships continue and expand—rather than on mechanisms. This vagueness is intentional, reflecting the view that some details of eternal existence remain beyond mortal understanding.

Sources

LDS Church official doctrine emphasizes Eternal Increase in temple sealing teachings and the Doctrine and Covenants (sections 131–132), which outline conditions for exaltation.
Early LDS leaders including Brigham Young and John Taylor taught on Eternal Increase in discourses recorded in the Journal of Discourses, though modern Church teaching is more cautious about specifics.