Plural heavens — Section 54
Are there plural heavens in the next life?
Representative of a Christian church:
Perhaps you could explain your very unusual belief of plural heavens in the next life, and your odd concepts of a ‘plan of salvation’. It seems abundantly clear from the Bible that there is simply a ‘heaven’ and a ‘hell’ after this life.
Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
Our ‘plan of salvation’ is in harmony with the holy scriptures. After we die, we go either to a place of rest called ‘Paradise’ or a ‘spirit prison’. Paradise is a place where all spirits go when they leave their bodies (Luke 23:43-46) and is not the same as ‘heaven’ (John 20:17). While Christ’s body was in the tomb following His crucifixion, his spirit went to the spirits in prison and taught them the gospel (see 1 Peter 4:6, 1 Peter 3:18-20, and Isaiah 42:5) If a person has not had the opportunity to hear and learn of the gospel of Christ here upon the earth during mortality, they will have the chance to hear the gospel, accept it, and enjoy the blessings therefrom in the next life. (1 Timothy 2:4) Since baptism is a necessary covenant performed before the Lord, and many have lost the opportunity of being baptized, a just God has sent his servant Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6) with the keys of binding families together eternally, or binding the hearts of the children to the fathers and the fathers to the children. Today we perform proxy baptisms for those who have passed on without participating in that necessary ordinance. This doctrine in presented in 1 Corinthians 15:29 and Hebrews 11:39-40 by the apostle Paul. That baptism is necessary is without question (John 3:5 and Hebrews 6:1-4). We believe in the literal second coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) and that we will meet Christ in the air if we are faithful. The earth will experience one thousand years of righteousness at that time (Revelation 20:1-6) and Christ will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All the righteous people that live on the earth will inhabit homes and continue to produce fo rtheir physical needs and live as families. See Isaiah 65:20-25. At that time Satan will be loosed for a season (Revelation 20:7) and after a great battle he will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Then we will all stand before the judgement bar of God (Revelation 20:12-13) and receive our rewards according to our works. Our exaltation will be through the grace of Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9) after all we can do (Philippians 2:12) Christ has prepared many mansions for us in the Father’s Kingdom (John 14:1-3) but we await one of three rewards — the Celestial Kingdom, the Terrestrial Kingdom, or the Telestial Kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:40-42 and Doctrine and Covenants 76). Paul was privileged to see the “third heaven” in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, thereby proving the existence of a first and second heaven as well. The highest kingdom will be occupied by the presence of God and Christ and the Holy Ghost and will be as Paul stated “like the glory of the sun”. Those who receive this kingdom will have been members of his church and those who lived the teachings and commandments of God and were righteous. The second kingdom was compared to the moon and will not have the same glory as the higher kingdom, but will have the presence of Christ and the Holy Ghost. The lowest kingdom, which is compared to the stars of the firmament, will be where the wicked of the earth will dwell. They will inherit the “lake of fire and brimstone” which figuratively describes the sorrow they will find by losing their opportunity of living with God and Christ. Paul said this group would be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.” See 1 Thessalonians 1:9. Our claim is supported by scripture. Christ, with a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39), will change “our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself.” (Philemon 3:21)
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