THE THREE DEGREES OF GLORY
This article discusses the LDS doctrine of the three degrees of glory and its origins.
INTRODUCTION
Joseph Smith claimed that he and Sidney Rigdon had received a revelation of the three degrees of glory in heaven on the 16th February, 1832 (History of the Church 1: 245 to 252). But the introduction of this teaching was not well received by the membership of the LDS church. At that time occultic literature was the sole source of information on different degrees in heaven, and for this reason many suspected that their revelation was rooted in the occult.
In his book, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, (Signature Books, 1987), author and historian D. Michael Quinn mentions the diaries of Orson Pratt and John Murdock, wherein they had recorded the problem of the non-acceptance of this revelation by members of the church. In spite of their best efforts to reassure them, many Mormons left the church at that stage, denouncing the degrees of glory as having been a satanic revelation.
Some were of the opinion that the degrees of glory had their origins in Emanuel Swedenborg's book, entitled Heaven and Hell and Its Wonders. Joseph's teachings were along the same lines as Swedenborg's, including his use of the name "Celestial Kingdom" for the highest degree of glory. Quinn notes in Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, that although Swedenborg's book was written in 1784, a local bookstore had it on sale for 37 cents, and that it was also available from the local library.
It is a well documented fact that prior to starting up the LDS church, Joseph had been heavily involved in the occult, and had freely admitted having received revelations from God through his occultic stone. Furthermore, his scribes testified that he had "translated" the Book of Mormon by dictating the words that he said he saw coming out of this same occultic stone, which he'd placed in the bottom of his hat, whilst the gold plates he was supposed to be translating were hidden away (see the article The Book of Mormon Witnesses Who Never Saw the Gold Plates .)
Besides Quinn's book mentioned above, there are also other reliable books and articles that reveal Joseph Smith's occultic background. Former LDS seminary teacher, Grant Palmer wrote the book, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, which documented the Smiths family's occultic beliefs and practices. In 1995 The Mormon History Association named the article, Joseph Smith and Kabbalah: The Occult Connection by Lance S. Owens, as the recipient of their annual award for the best article in Mormon studies. (Owen's article was published in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon thought, Volume 27, No. 3, Fall, 1994.) And the subject of Smith's background is also dealt with in Mormonism Unvailed, by Ed Howe, published in 1834.
As "proof" that the three degrees of glory is a legitimate Christian teaching, members of the LDS point out that an article theorizing about different degrees in heaven had been discovered in ancient writings by an early Roman Catholic Bishop. But the Catholic church has never taught this doctrine. Besides which, the occult has been with us since biblical times and so have heresies and false teachings. The fact that they exist, doesn't mean that they are correct.
LDS TEACHINGS ON THE THREE DEGREES OF GLORY
Mormon teaching is that at the final judgment we will each be assigned to one of the following four places, depending upon our worthiness and how well we have adhered to both the commandments of God and the laws and ordinances of the LDS church:
The celestial kingdom (the highest degree of glory);Each of the degrees of glory has its own subdivisions, and only those who have embraced Mormonism will be permitted to enter the celestial kingdom.
The terrestrial kingdom (the middle degree of glory);
The telestial kingdom (the lowest degree of glory);
Outer darkness, which is not a degree of glory, but the kingdom of the devil.
Larry E. Dahl puts it this way, in the 1992 publication of "The Encyclopedia of Mormonism":
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has an optimistic view of the eternal rewards awaiting mankind in the hereafter. Members of the Church believe that there are "many mansions" (John 14:2) and that Christ's Atonement and resurrection will save all mankind from death, and eventually will reclaim from hell all except the sons of perdition (D.& C 76:43-44). The saved, however, are not placed into a monolithic state called heaven. In the resurrection of the body, they are assigned to different degrees of glory commensurate with the law they have obeyed. There are three kingdoms of glory: the celestial, the terrestrial, and the telestial. The apostle Paul spoke of three glories, differing from one another as the sun, moon, and stars differ in brilliance. He called the first two glories celestial and terrestrial, but the third is not named in the Bible (1 Cor. 15:40-41; cf. D.& C 76:70-81, 96-98.) The word "telestial" is an LDS term, first used by the Prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in reporting a vision they received on February 16, 1832 (D.& C 76; Webster's Third New International Dictionary defines telestial glory as "the lowest of three Mormon degrees or kingdoms of glory attainable in heaven;" see also Celestial Kingdom; Terrestrial Kingdom; Telestial Kingdom)." (Emphasis by writer.)On page 669-670 of Mormon Doctrine, McConkie explains that only those who have earned the right to individual salvation will receive an inheritance in the celestial kingdom of God. He amplifies this statement as follows:
The celestial kingdom is reserved for those who sanctify their souls by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the [LDS] gospel. They are the ones whose sins Christ bore. Because of the atonement, all men, except the sons of perdition, are saved from "death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment." (2 Nephi 9:26) This salvation takes place when they are resurrected; until that day they suffer with the damned. (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith by LDS Apostle Bruce McConkie, page 145.)Contrary to the claim that Christ only bears the sins of those who keep the LDS laws and commandments and participate in their temple ceremonies, etc., the Bible tells us that whosoever trusts in Christ will receive forgiveness of sins and that we are washed and cleansed from our sins by the blood of Christ, not by obedience to LDS laws and ordinances:
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14 KJV)This subject is discussed in depth in the various articles on salvation listed on the home page of this site.
..... Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood (Revelation 1:5, KJV)
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43, KJV)
Regarding the damned who have been delegated to the terrestrial kingdom, McConkie maintains in pages 640-641 of Mormon Doctrine, that they will be resurrected during the millennium, which is the afternoon of the first resurrection. The resurrection of those delegated to the telestial kingdom will only begin at the end of the millennium, and then finally the sons of perdition will come forth from their graves to face everlasting torment.
THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM
The celestial kingdom is the highest and most glorious of all the kingdoms, and is symbolically represented by the sun. It excludes murderers (Doctrine and Covenants 132:19). And only those who have fulfilled the following qualifications may enter:
Accepted the LDS gospel during their lifetime, or in their afterlife, providing that they would have accepted it during their lifetime if it had been available;The second prophet and President of the LDS church, Brigham Young, spoke about the necessity of the LDS temple endowment ceremony for admittance into the celestial kingdom:
Believed in the name of Jesus Christ;
Been baptized by an LDS official with authority;
Received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, also by an LDS official with authority;
Been valiant in witnessing;
Lived righteously to the end of their mortal life;
Obeyed the laws and ordinances of the [LDS] gospel [including full tithing];
Qualified for forgiveness of all their sins through keeping the commandments;
(c/f "Articles of Faith" by James E. Talmage, page 368; "A New Witness for the Articles of Faith," by Bruce M. McConkie, pages 24, 145, 670; Doctrine and Covenants 76:52; 88: 16-32).
"Your endowment is to receive all those ordinances in the House of the Lord which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the Holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell." (Journal of Discourses, Volume 2, page 315, April 6, 1853.)But none of these things can change our standing with God one iota. The cause of the barrier, or the separation between fallen mankind and a holy God is solely our sin; not our lack of knowledge of secret signs, or our failure to have taken part in temple ceremonies of any sort.
The Celestial Kingdom is also subdivided into three degrees, and only those who attain the highest degree of this kingdom will enjoy the LDS's idea of what constitutes eternal life. They alone will live in the presence of God and Christ, will have a continuation of their seed forever and ever, and will possess all power (Doctrine and Covenants 132:19-20). Doctrine and Covenants 76 verse 54 describes them as "the church of the Firstborn"; verse 57 describes them as those who have the Melchizedek priesthood, and verse 58 describes them as "gods."
In order to gain entrance into this highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom one must also have been sealed in the priesthood order of marriage for time and eternity in an earthly LDS temple.
In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter in this order of the priesthood (meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage). And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. (Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-3).Mormonism is not only unbiblical; it actually contradicts the major doctrines and teachings of the Bible. As the reader will realize from the following quotes, the only way their teachings can possibly give the appearance of fitting in with what the Bible says, is by the use of outright deception, combined with verbal gymnastics. For instance, the LDS God has not been deity eternally. He once existed as an ordinary, mortal man. So they get over the problem of the Bible talking about the Eternal God, by changing the meaning of the word "eternal." They claim that when used in connection with God, it is a noun and not an adjective. In other words "Eternal" is God's designation, in much the same way as "Mr." Smith or "Doctor" Jones are designations:
If one is going to be ..... where God dwells in all his glory, one will be there as a husband or a wife and not otherwise. Regardless of his virtues, the single person, or the one married for this life only, cannot be exalted. (LDS President and Prophet, Spencer Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, page 245). (In Mormonism exaltation implies godhood and eternal life.)
One of the names of God is Eternal; to Enoch the Lord said, "Eternal is my name" (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:35), using this designation as a noun and not an adjective (Mormon Doctrine, LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, page 233).They have also given the words everlasting life (which they call immortality), and eternal life, two completely different meanings, although they are both translated from the same original Greek word, aiwviov. (In fact, in most versions of the Bible the Greek word is translated as eternal life, but in the KJV, which is used by the LDS church, the translators have used the words everlasting life and eternal life interchangeably:
As used in the scriptures, eternal life is the name given to the kind of life that our Eternal Father lives. The word eternal, as used in the name eternal life, is a noun and not an adjective. ..... Eternal life, the kind of life he lives is eternal life. Thus: God's life is eternal life; eternal life is God's life — the expressions are synonymous. Accordingly, eternal life is not a name that has reference only to the unending duration of a future life; immortality is to live forever in the resurrected state, and by the grace of God all men will gain this unending continuance of life. But only those who obey the fullness of the [LDS] gospel law will inherit eternal life (Mormon Doctrine, LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, page 237.)
Even those in the celestial kingdom, however, who do not go on to exaltation, will have immortality only and not eternal life. Along with those of the telestial and terrestrial worlds they will be "ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory." They will live "separately and singly" in an unmarried state "without exaltation, in their saved condition, to all eternity." (D.& C. 132:16-17.) (Mormon Doctrine, page 670, LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie) (Author's italics. Note that eternal life is reserved solely for those who progress to godhood.)However, the Bible tells us that whosoever trusts in Christ for salvation will have eternal life (John 3:14-15), and marriage doesn't come into the equation. Regarding the above statement that those in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom will be gods, the Bible teaches emphatically that there is only one God, that there always has only been one God and there always will only be one God, eternally (Isaiah 43:10, 44:6, 46:9).
Salvation in its true and full meaning is synonymous with exaltation or eternal life and consists in gaining an inheritance in the highest of the three heavens within the celestial kingdom. With few exceptions this is the salvation of which the scriptures speak. It is the salvation which the saints seek. It is of this which the Lord says, "There is no gift greater than the gift of salvation." (D.&C. 6:13.) This full salvation is obtained in and through the continuation of the family unit in eternity, and those who obtain it are gods. (D.& C. 131:1-4; 132.) (Author's italics.)
THE LDS REQUIREMENT OF MARRIAGE FOR FULL SALVATION
The Bible vigorously opposes the LDS's idea of marriage being necessary in order to live in heaven with God eternally. Firstly in Matthew 22:24-30, the Lord Jesus was asked by the Sadducees whose wife a woman would be in heaven if she had been married seven times, her first six husbands having predeceased her. In verse 30 He indicated that none of them would be her husband, because marriage does not apply in heaven as we then become "like the angels."
The Bible portrays the angels as being neither male nor female. Marriage is an earthly ordinance provided by God, and according to the Lord Jesus Christ, marriage as we know it will cease to exist once we enter the afterlife.
Earlier on in Matthew 19:7-12 Christ was discussing the fact that divorce had never been intended by God, and that apart from when immorality of the one partner was the cause of the break up, God considered remarriage to be akin to adultery. In verse 10 His disciples remarked that in this case it would be better not to marry. Had marriage been vital in order to have eternal life and to be able to live with God in heaven for eternity, this would have been the ideal opportunity for Christ to have pressed the point. But instead he went the opposite way, stressing in verse 12 that there are men who make themselves eunuchs "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven."
On the same subject, the Apostle Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, that when a man and a woman are married, of necessity they have to devote time and attention to one another. And in order to please each other they become caught up with worldly things. He goes on to say that on the other hand, if they do not marry they are able to devote themselves wholly to the things of the Lord, and to pleasing Him. He emphasizes his point by saying that it is better if a man can attend to the affairs of the Lord without distraction. Earlier on in verse 7, he said he wished that all could be as he was, i.e. celibate. And in verse 7:26, he points out that because of the distresses of those times it would be better for a man to remain single.
None of this would have applied if marriage had been one of the qualification required for eternal life. Marriage would then have been the overriding consideration and Paul would have been strenuously advocating marriage for all, instead of discouraging the practice. Furthermore, we would have found teaching after teaching on this important point. But this was not the case. Nowhere in the entire New Testament did Christ or any of the Apostles ever mention that marriage and a continuation of one's seed was necessary if one was to gain eternal life and live with God in heaven (c/f Doctrine and Covenants 132:19-20). That was purely Joseph Smith's idea.
What Joseph Smith didn't seem to understand is that salvation is solely about the holiness of God, the sinfulness of fallen mankind, and the rescue package that God had designed through Christ Jesus, in order to effect a reconciliation: It has nothing whatsoever to do eternal sex, multiple wives or the perpetuation of the earthly breeding cycle. (See the articles, Sin and the Fall, Mormon and Biblical Teachings Contrasted and What is Biblical Salvation? .)
THE TERRESTRIAL KINGDOM
This degree of glory is a lesser one than that of the Celestial Kingdom, and is symbolically represented by the moon. Folk assigned to this kingdom will live in the presence of Jesus Christ, but not the Heavenly Father. They will be those who rejected the LDS gospel during their lifetime but then accepted it in the afterlife, or else members of the LDS church who were lukewarm in their devotion to the LDS church and to righteousness (Mormon Doctrine by Bruce McConkie, page 784 c/f Doctrine and Covenants 76:71-80; 88:16-32).
THE TELESTIAL KINGDOM
Although this is the lowest degree of glory, personified by the stars, it is nevertheless far more glorious than anything we could possibly imagine. The inhabitants will be those who willfully rejected the [LDS] gospel on earth, and committed sins such as lying, adultery and so on, but who did not commit the unpardonable sin.
They will serve God, but will never be in His presence or in the presence of Christ, and their redemption will be delayed until the last resurrection. Nevertheless, the Holy Ghost and the angels will minister to them and they will also be visited by beings from the Terrestrial Kingdom, because they will be heirs of salvation (Articles of Faith, James E. Talmage, pages 83-84; Doctrine and Covenants 76:81-92.)
However, the Bible teaches that far from residing eternally in an LDS degree of glory too beautiful to imagine, those guilty of the sins that are mentioned above, will be consigned to the lake of fire and eternal death:
But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8, NASB) (Emphasis by editor.)
OUTER DARKNESS
Outer darkness is also referred to as hell, or the spirit prison. This is where the spirits of the wicked (called the sons of perdition) shall be cast, and where there shall be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. They will remain here until the time of their resurrection (BOM, Alma 40:13-14)
BIBLICAL "PROOFS" USED BY THE LDS
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2, KJV)The above is one of the so-called scriptural proofs used to back up the LDS's three degrees of glory doctrine. However, we must be careful not to read our own ideas into scripture, otherwise we are likely to end up in error. And if we are honest, we will have to admit that all John 14:2 tells us is that there are many mansions (houses, or dwellings) in heaven, and that Christ has prepared one such dwelling place for His disciples. He never said a solitary word about there being different degrees of glory in heaven. That idea came from Joseph Smith and the occult, and it is not biblical.
In their zeal to provide proof for their doctrine of the three degrees of glory, the LDS has also taken the following passage of scripture completely out of context. The subject matter is the resurrection of our bodies. And Paul is not talking what heaven will be like. He is discussing what we will look like when our bodies are resurrected.
35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? 36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.Answering the question In verse 35 about how the dead are raised up, and what their resurrected bodies will look like, Paul uses an analogy. He likens the resurrection of our bodies to seed time and harvest. Just as there is a remarkable difference between a seed that is sown and the plant that proceeds from it, so there will also be a difference between our earthly and our resurrected bodies. (Notice that he is not talking about degrees of glory in heaven, but about the appearance of our resurrected bodies.)
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial [the heavenly] is one, and the glory of the terrestrial [the earthly] is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It [the body] is sown in corruption; it [the body] is raised in incorruption: 43 It [the body] is sown in dishonour; it [the body] is raised in glory: it [the body] is sown in weakness; it [the body] is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:35-44, KJV) (Emphasis by editor.)
In verses 37 to 39 he explains that God gave each of the earthly species a different appearance, as it pleased Him, and that their seeds are limited each to their own species. He explains further that men, beasts, fishes and birds are different flesh. In other words, they are all of different and separate species, and are limited within those bounds.
In verses 40 to 41 he again uses comparisons of appearance, and points out that just as the heavenly bodies of the sun, moon and stars differ from one another in glory, so in the same way our resurrected bodies will also differ from one another in glory. And the reason why Paul only mentioned the words "celestial" and "terrestrial" in this passage of scripture is because celestial means heavenly and terrestrial means earthly. He was using these words purely in the context of what a person's heavenly (celestial), resurrected body would look like, compared to his earthly (terrestrial) body; and was most definitely not discussing different degrees of glory in our heavenly destination. If he had been, why then did he leave out the telestial kingdom? No, no. He was talking about the difference between our earthly (terrestrial) bodies and our resurrected, heavenly (celestial) bodies.
In verses 42 to 44 Paul gives us the wonderful news about the main difference between our earthly and resurrected bodies. Our earthly bodies are fallen, and for that reason they are temporal, imperfect and weak. However, this will not be so when it comes to our resurrected bodies. They will be eternal, perfect and strong. He stresses the fact that there are two types of bodies, the natural or earthly body (the terrestrial body) and the spiritual or resurrected body (the celestial body).
Nowhere in this passage is Paul teaching about three separate heavenly kingdoms, each with a different degree of glory. He is talking solely about the differences that will be evident in the appearance of resurrected individuals, one from the other, and the difference between their heavenly or resurrected bodies and their earthly bodies.
The following is another of the scriptures put forward by the LDS as "proof" for their doctrine on the three degrees of glory:
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. (2 Corinthians 12:2-4, KJV)Paul is not teaching us here that there are three degrees of glory to which we will be assigned after death. Far from it. In biblical times they used the term "first heaven" when referring to the atmosphere, where the birds fly and so on; "second heaven" to the area where we find the moon and stars and other heavenly bodies; and "third heaven" to where the throne of God exists, which Paul also referred to as paradise. (The LDS forgets that Christ promised the thief who had died on the cross next to him, that he would be with Him in paradise. And the thief, being Jewish, knew nothing of LDS laws and ordinances or marriage for time and eternity. Yet Christ told him that on that very day they would be together in paradise — Luke 23:43).
"In the sacred writings three heavens only are mentioned. The first is the atmosphere, what appears to be intended by raqiya, the firmament or expansion, Gen 1:6. The second, the starry heaven; where are the sun, moon, planets, and stars; but these two are often expressed under the one term shamayim, the two heavens, or expansions, and in Gen 1:17, they appear to be both expressed by raqiya hashamayim, the firmament of heaven. And, thirdly, the place of the blessed, or the throne of the divine glory, probably expressed by the words shemeey hashamayim, the heavens of heavens. But on these subjects the Scripture affords us but little light; and on this distinction the reader is not desired to rely.Forming a doctrine from bits and pieces of scriptures taken out of context, from different sections of the Bible that were about completely different subjects to the doctrine we're formulating, and then distorting them to fit in with our own ideas, has to result in error. When God wants us to know something important, He tells us in a very clear and unambiguous manner. And in the Bible He has clearly told us that there are only two destinations, heaven or hell; and that the decisions we make on earth will determine our destination in the afterlife:
Much more may be seen in Schoettgen, who has exhausted the subject; and who has shown that ascending to heaven, or being caught up to heaven, is a form of speech among the Jewish writers to express the highest degrees of inspiration. They often say of Moses that he ascended on high, ascended on the firmament, ascended to heaven; where it is evident they mean only by it that he was favoured with the nearest intimacy with God, and the highest revelations relative to his will, etc. If we may understand Paul thus, it will remove much of the difficulty from this place; and perhaps the unspeakable words 2 Cor 12:4, are thus to be understood. He had the most sublime communications from God, such as would be improper to mention, though it is very likely that we have the substance of these in his epistles. Indeed, the two epistles before us seem, in many places, to be the effect of most extraordinary revelations."
(from Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.(2 Corinthians 6:2, KJV)
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27, KJV)
(See also Luke 16:19-31)
THE BOOK OF MORMON DOES NOT TEACH THE THREE DEGREES OF GLORY
The LDS claims that the Book of Mormon contains "the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ" (Doctrine and Covenants 20:9, 27:5). And Joseph Smith maintained that it was the keystone of their religion (History of the Church Vol. 4, page 461). However, the Book of Mormon doesn't mention the Melchizedek priesthood, which the LDS insists one needs if one is to enter the celestial kingdom. Nor does it say anything about marriage for time and eternity, pre-existence, eternal progression or the three degrees of glory. Instead, it contradicts the three degrees of glory teaching, consistently emphasizing that there are only two eternal destinations. So how can it be the keystone of their religion?
The following is an excerpt from a tract entitled, Are there three heavens? written by M. W. Cowan and S. R. Doty, and published by Utah Christian Publications, on this very subject:
The Book of Mormon mentions only two ways to spend eternity: in the kingdom of God or in an awful, filthy hell (I Ne.15:34-35); in liberty and eternal life or in captivity and eternal death (II Ne. 2:27); in never ending happiness or in never ending torment (Mos. 2:39-41) ' in heaven with everlasting life and salvation or under the wrath of God in eternal torment (Mos. 5:5 & 15) ' redeemed and dwelling with God or perishing in their sins (Mos. 15:21-27), in happiness or in punishment as eternal as the life of the soul (Alma 42:16); in everlasting life or in everlasting damnation (Hela. 12:26).It is obvious that the doctrine of the three degrees of glory is unbiblical, and that it had its roots in the occult.
The writer would encourage Mormons to read through and give deep thought to the following three articles, that can be accessed by clicking on the links:
Mormon Salvation Exposed to the Light of the Bible
What is Biblical Salvation?
Mormonism and "Being Worthy"
The following link leads to an article on the doctrine of eternal progression, which has a bearing on and will give a deeper understanding of the three degrees of glory:
Mormonism's Law of Eternal Progression
NOTE
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