What happens after this life is over? This topic builds on everything we have looked at in the first four lessons of this series to explore what Mormonism teaches about what happens after death, compared to traditional Christian beliefs.
Does Everyone Go to Heaven?
The LDS Church teaches that there are three levels of heaven, along with another place called “outer darkness.” As the LDS manual Gospel Fundamentals puts it:
Each of us will be assigned to one of four places, according to how faithful to Jesus Christ we were. We will go to the kingdom we have prepared for by the choices we have made. These four places are the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, the telestial kingdom, and outer darkness.
The celestial kingdom is where God the Father lives. It is reserved for only the most worthy Latter-day Saints who lived up to all the laws and ordinances of the LDS gospel. The terrestrial kingdom is the eternal destination for honorable people who never joined Mormonism or for Latter-day Saints who did not fulfill all the requirements for exaltation. The telestial kingdom will be populated by those who followed the beliefs of the world instead of Jesus, including thieves, murderers, adulterers, and false prophets. Outer darkness is reserved for Satan and his demons. According to the Gospel Principles manual, only a very few people will be sent there – those who knew the truth and the power of God but denied him.
By contrast, the Bible talks about only two destinations after this life: heaven and hell. Jesus outlined these two alternatives in John 3:36: “Anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” In John 5:24, he added, “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.” Thus every human being faces one of these two eternal futures: destruction or life; eternal punishment or eternal joy in God’s presence.
Is Heaven About Becoming a God?
Mormons believe that the celestial kingdom has three degrees of glory within it. Those in the highest level can progress eternally toward godhood. Gospel Principles says, “Those who inherit the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, who become gods, must have been married for eternity in the temple…” One LDS definition of “damnation” is “cessation of progress.” In the lower levels of heaven, people are “damned” because only if they had made it to the celestial kingdom could they have progressed toward deity.
As seen in a previous lesson, human beings cannot become gods. But consider also that according to the Bible, the focus in heaven is not on us and our progression, but on our relationship with God. The presence of God is what makes heaven amazing. Revelation 21:3-5 describes what heaven is like:
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”
The hope of heaven is God’s presence with his people. Christians look forward to the healing of all sorrow and pain, and the renewal of all things. But this only occurs because “God himself will be with them.” Revelation 21:22-23 builds on this picture:
I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.
The surpassing glory of heaven is that God the Father and Jesus Christ are there. Everything revolves around them – not around us.
Do Families Last Forever?
One doctrine unique to Mormonism is the belief that “families are forever” – at least for those in the celestial kingdom. The LDS publication The Family: A Proclamation to the World explains:
The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.”
Not only can families be united eternally, the family is the basic unit of exaltation. Without being united to a family for eternity, a person cannot achieve godhood or fulfill the prerogatives of deity.
While forever families may seem appealing, the Bible presents an even better scenario. In Christ, we become part of God’s eternal family. The Bible often portrays Christians as brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus himself said (Mark 3:33-35), “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?… Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Revelation 19 shows God’s people together as a bride prepared for Jesus. In other words, earthly families will be superseded by a perfect, glorious relationship with God.
For Christians, the focus of eternity is not on our families, our achievements, or our exaltation. The focus is on God, his family, and his exaltation.
