I’m sure everyone at some point has thought of this question: where do we go when we die? And even if you haven’t, I’m sure you’re thinking about it now! Well, as a lifetime member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I would like to share some of the beliefs that help us answer this particular question.

Latter-day Saint Beliefs About Heaven

There is a lot of confusion when it comes to the afterlife and what the Latter-day saints believe. But we aren’t hiding anything! Most of us are just jumping at the opportunity to share our testimonies! Especially of a Heavenly Father who has created a perfect plan with his perfect love for every one of us. So let’s just hop to it!

Can you work your way to heaven?

When Christ suffered and died for us, He unlocked the bands of death and allowed us to overcome sin. This is His Atonement. So, what exactly does that mean? Are we saved automatically? Well, no. So, you’re saying we do have to work our way into heaven? Also, no!

When Jesus Christ suffered in Gethsemane and died on Calvary, He did something only He could do. Only through this sacrifice can we be saved. No unclean thing can enter into God’s presence, and when we sin, we are unclean. We needed Christ to pay the ultimate price. So we can be washed clean of our sins, but only when we apply Christ’s Atonement through repentance.

So, will everyone be saved? In short, no. But everyone has access to the Atonement of Jesus Christ and is saved through Him. We just have to rely on Christ and exercise faith unto repentance. It is only through this that we can be clean and enter God’s presence.

To understand more about grace and works, this is an excellent explanation: His Grace is Sufficient

Where do we go when we die?

Now, before we can get to that point we have to take a natural step in God’s plan: death. That word may bring a lot of mixed feelings, but it is necessary step in God’s plan of happiness.

When our physical bodies die, our spirit passes on to the spirit world. The spirit world is temporary, more of a waiting room if you will. It is here where we await the Second Coming and the Final Judgement.

The spirit world is divided into two parts, and this is where some confusion might come in. Here we have Spirit Paradise and Spirit Prison, or what some might call, heaven and hell. But it isn’t really, at least not in the way that most might think. It is in this temporary state that those in Spirit Prison get a chance to learn and accept Jesus Christ and God’s plan. As we know not everyone on this earth has a chance to come to know of Christ. Member’s of God’s church on earth will perform the necessary ordinances for those who have passed away and are residing in Spirit Prison. Those spirits can choose to accept or reject the ordinances performed for them. If they accept them, they will move to Spirit Paradise, while they await the next step in God’s plan.

This is something I love about the plan, cause it really shows the love God has for all of His children. Everyone is given a chance to choose to follow Him. Everyone will have the opportunity to learn and come to know our Savior Jesus Christ and what He has done for every one of us.

But, as I said, the spirit world is temporary. It is the “waiting room” for the next part in God’s plan: The Resurrection, Final Judgement, and assignment to our Kingdom of Glory.

What are the three levels of heaven?

With the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we will all be resurrected. This is when our body and spirit will be reunited, but in a perfect form, free of illnesses and limitations brought on by mortality. Everyone will be Resurrected, no matter how bad they were in this life (what a gift!), but that does not mean we all receive the same glory. This is when the Final Judgment takes place and we are placed into three different kingdoms based on our lives here on earth and in the spirit world. The best news is they are ALL a form of heaven. There is no heaven and hell. Fortunately, our Heavenly Father is more loving than that. The doctrine of the kingdoms is proof of His love for us. More about that, below.

These kingdoms are referred to in the church as the Kingdoms of Glory, which are divided into three tiers: the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial Kingdom. We receive judgment based on justice and mercy given through Christ’s Atonement.

Celestial Kingdom

The Celestial Kingdom is the highest glory. This kingdom is depicted as the sun, representing its radiance. (Don’t worry, that does not mean when we die we go live in the sun) This is where we can live in the presence of God our Heavenly Father. Those who had faith in Jesus Christ and repented of their sins will receive this level of glory. It is God’s purpose that all of His children make it back to live with Him in the highest of kingdoms.

Terrestrial Kingdom

Then we have the Terrestrial Kingdom. It is still a kingdom of glory, but lesser. That is why it is compared to the brightness of the moon. Still bright, but much less than the sun. This kingdom is for those who were good people in this life but chose not to live all of God’s commandments.

Telestial Kingdom

And finally, we have the Telestial Kingdom. Whose glory is represented by the stars. Lesser than the others, but still has a level of brightness. This kingdom is for those who choose not to repent and continue in their sins.

To learn even more, check out this article: Kingdoms of Glory Explanation

What do Mormons believe about hell?

So, reading that, you might be wondering; What about hell? Is the Telestial kingdom supposed to be hell? Well, no. While the Telestial kingdom is in the lowest tier of the three kingdoms, it is still a kingdom of glory. It is even said to be more magnificent than life here on earth. So, what’s the deal?

Well, it’s not like we don’t believe in hell, it’s just that its occupants you could count up on one hand. God is a loving Heavenly Father, His plan is not to punish us eternally. This is why He has created the kingdoms of glory. Everyone will have a place where they will receive their chosen rewards based on obedience, desire, and faith. ‘Hell’ is reserved for the Sons of Perdition. I don’t want to get into here but in short, Sons of Perdition are those who are given complete knowledge of God and Christ (like, actually seeing them in person) but still deny Them. So you probably won’t have to worry about that!

God has a place and plan for all of us in His kingdom. He has created this plan of happiness since the beginning and it is His purpose to bring us all home.

Now that you have a good understanding of the basics, I would love to share with you a talk by President Nelson, the living prophet on the earth today, as he encourages us to ‘think Celestial.’

If you enjoyed this blog post, check out:

• Joseph Smith and Mormonism ~ The Beginnings
• What Latter-day Saints Believe About Jesus Christ
• What’s It Like to Be a Mormon (Latter-day Saint)

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