The 144,000 Servants that stand with Christ on mount Zion at the end of the Second Woe¹ are all members of the Church of the Firstborn.² They stand on heavenly mount Zion as kings and high priests.³ This means, among other things, that they will preside⁴ over members of the general assembly and over members of the Church of the Firstborn.⁵

The general assembly includes all people worthy of the celestial kingdom,⁶ but they are not exalted members in the Church of the Firstborn.⁷ The unexalted people of the general assembly are designated by several symbolic numbers. They are the ten thousand times ten thousand (100 million) in Daniel's vision of Adam-ondi-Ahman.⁸ Some say they are included in the great multitude which no man can number from John's vision of celestial paradise in Revelation 7.⁹ Finally, the general assembly is described as an innumerable company of angels according to the visions of Paul¹⁰ and Joseph Smith.¹¹

Membership in the Church of the Firstborn, on the other hand, consists of exaltation-worthy people only.¹² They are the great multitude which no man can number in Revelation 7:9 that continues to grow as an increasing number of people become exaltation worthy in the last days. Finally, the number of exalted people in the celestial kingdom are symbolically identified as thousand thousands (one million) in Daniel 7:10¹³ and 144,000 in the Book of Revelation.¹⁴

The Church of the Firstborn is closely related to, but consistently distinguished from, the general assembly.¹⁵ This connection and distinction exists because unexalted people in the general assembly will inherit the celestial kingdom, but they are not exaltation-worthy members of the Church of the Firstborn in the celestial kingdom.¹⁶ The smaller number of exalted people in the Church of the Firstborn are members of the larger general assembly.¹⁷ In other words, exaltation-worthy saints with membership in the Church of the Firstborn are a subset within the general assembly in the same way that exaltation-worthy saints are the inner circle of members within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.¹⁸

The Church of the Firstborn is the political and ecclesiastical kingdom of God in eternity.¹⁹ It is also called the kingdom of heaven.²⁰ The ancient church of Enoch was translated and became part of this heavenly kingdom.²¹ Since at least the meridian of time, saints have prayed for the coming of God's heavenly kingdom.²² That kingdom will come at the Second Coming in the form of the Church of the Firstborn.²³

God's kingdom on earth today is called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints²⁴ and Zion.²⁵ Today, God's earthly kingdom is an ecclesiastical kingdom only.²⁶ This church and kingdom was restored in 1830²⁷ to roll forth²⁸ until God's heavenly kingdom is established on earth at the start of the millennium.²⁹ The church on earth today is the nucleus³⁰ for God's future millennial kingdom that will include the entire general assembly and Church of the Firstborn (both exalted and unexalted saints).³¹ When Christ comes again, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be fully merged into the Church of the Firstborn.³² Preparations are underway for this to occur.³³ These preparations include temple work for the 144,000 Servants,³⁴ who then become saviors on mount Zion³⁵ to bring as many other people as will come³⁶ to the Church of the Firstborn.³⁷ Exalted members of the Church of the Firstborn will descend with Christ to earth at his Second Coming.³⁸ The general assembly of unexalted saints will not stand with Christ on mount Zion at the end of the Second Woe.³⁹ They will be resurrected after the Second Coming in the afternoon of the first resurrection and then they will inherit the earth.⁴⁰

The Church of the Firstborn is organized based on the Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood⁴¹ with twelve divisions that correspond to the twelve tribes of Israel.⁴² Therefore, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints merges into the Church of the Firstborn, the organization of the priesthood will change from a system of quorums to a patriarchal system⁴³ of families.⁴⁴ This organizational change will begin during the great gathering of saints to be held at Adam-ondi-Ahman.⁴⁵ At that future gathering, the authority vested in the priesthood quorums of the church today⁴⁶ will yield to the higher authority of the Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood.⁴⁷ The Patriarchal Order is the Melchizedek Priesthood organized according to family order.⁴⁸ This same order existed in the premortal existence⁴⁹ and it continued on earth until the days of Moses.⁵⁰ It will also be the priesthood order for the Church of the Firstborn during the millennium.⁵¹ Finally, it will exist throughout all eternity⁵² among exalted family members in the highest degree of celestial glory.⁵³

On April 3, 1836, Joseph Smith received the necessary priesthood keys to establish the Patriarchal Order on the earth again.⁵⁴ This occurred when Elijah restored to Joseph Smith the sealing power⁵⁵ in company with Moses⁵⁶ and Elias (Noah).⁵⁷ Elias held the keys for the Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood.⁵⁸ Husbands and wives enter this Patriarchal Order when they are sealed in the temple.⁵⁹ The sealing ordinances performed in temples today both strengthen and enlarge the Patriarchal Order.⁶⁰ This priesthood order from the ancient past⁶¹ will become the foundation⁶² for the government of God throughout the millennium and beyond.⁶³