Upon this subject Joseph Smith taught that there are many kingdoms of the Father in which men may live, each in a sphere suitable to his nature, disposition and the degree of his development: moderns would say, "Suitable to the state of his evolution." He taught that as there is one glory of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars, so in future men will exist in varying degrees of glory; that as the stars of heaven differ in infinite degrees of brightness, so also will men in the future exist in places and states of infinite variety, corresponding to the infinite variations of their intelligence, knowledge, tastes, acquirements, inclinations, and aspirations. In other words, environment will correspond to nature, with always the possibility present of improving both the environment and the nature, until a fulness of joy is attained by each intelligent entity--by each man. Thus Joseph Smith promulgated a system of positive doctrine respecting the future of man that is at once in harmony with the relative claims of justice and mercy; with human reason and divine law. He made known the fact that "Eternal punishment is God's punishment." "Endless punishment is God's punishment." That is to say, the punishment for sin-which is only another way of saying the "penalty" for wrong-doing--takes the title of Him in whose name it is administered, that is, it is "God's" punishment, or "Eternal's" punishment, "Endless' punishment." The punishment takes on it the name of Him in whose authority it is administered. Moreover, penalty will always follow violation of the law, in eternity as in what we call time. So long as law exists, penalties must also exist. They are the necessary concomitants of law, without which laws are mere nullities. But because punishments, so-called, take on the name of Him in whose authority they are administered, and because law is necessarily paralleled by penalty--therefore punishment will always exist for offenders against law; in other words is endless--it does not follow that each transgressor of the law will suffer its penalties eternally. Such a conception is revolting to reason and derogatory to the justice and mercy of God. While one must needs believe that penalty follows violation of law, the violator only partakes of that penalty to the extent that is necessary to vindicate the law and correct the transgressor's own disposition: whereupon mercy has her claims, that may not be denied: and the one time violator of law, instructed by his experience in suffering, goes forth to walk, let us hope, in harmony with law, and hence in peace.