Kingdoms of Heaven

There are three kingdoms or degrees of glory in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The resurrection and Final Judgement precede placement in the kingdoms of Heaven

After the second resurrection at the end of the Millennium, we will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ to be judged. 1. The Plan of Salvation provides for a final judgment to assign each person an eternal dwelling place in a kingdom in heaven (a kingdom of glory) that corresponds to the glory of his resurrected body.

The kingdoms of Heaven are called mansions and compared to the sun, moon and stars

These kingdoms of heaven are the “mansions” that Jesus spoke of: “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” 24

The apostle Paul compared the glory of these kingdoms of heaven to the sun, moon and stars:

“[There are] also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial [is] one, and the [glory] of the terrestrial [is] another. [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.” 3

In our day, the Prophet Joseph Smith received more revelation about these kingdoms of heaven and categorized them as did Paul:

• Celestial
• Terrestrial
• Telestial

Qualifications for each kingdom of Heaven

The Prophet Joseph Smith also learned the qualifications and characteristics of the resurrected people that will be assigned to these kingdoms of heaven. He learned that the glory that each person will inherit will depend upon the depth on that person’s conviction to the truth, which is expressed by his/her obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. Moreover, the kingdom of Heaven that a person achieves will depend upon the devotion he/she gave after having “received the testimony of Jesus.” 4

The Celestial Kingdom of Heaven

Celestial Kingdom—This is the highest and most glorious of the three kingdoms of heaven.

“And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all things--where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever. Before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and give him glory forever and ever.” 5

Those who repent of their sins, embrace the fullness of the gospel, including all the ordinances of salvation, and live the gospel valiantly throughout their lives will receive the Celestial Kingdom in heaven. 6 Those who inherit this kingdom in heaven will dwell forever in the presence of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

The Celestial Kingdom of heaven has three degrees.

“To be exalted in the highest degree and continue eternally in family relationships, we must enter into ‘the new and everlasting covenant of marriage’ and be true to that covenant. In other words, temple marrige is a requirement for obtaining the highest degree of celestial glory.” 7

The Terrestrial Kingdom of Heaven

Terrestrial Kingdom—“Those who inherit terrestrial glory will ‘receive of the presence of the Son, but not the fullness of the Father. Wherefore, they are bodies terrestrial, and not bodies celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun.’ 8

Generally speaking, individuals in the Terrestrial Kingdom of heaven will be honorable people ‘who were blinded by the craftiness of men.’ 9. This group will include members of the Church of Jesus Christ who were ‘not valiant in the testimony of Jesus.’ 10

The Terrestrial Kingdom of heaven will include those who rejected the opportunity to receive the gospel in mortality but who later received it in the postmortal spirit world.” 11 They will receive their ministrations through those of the Celestial Kingdom. 12

The Telestial Kingdom of Heaven

Telestial Kingdom—“Telestial glory will be reserved for individuals who ‘received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant…they are liars and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie." 13

These individuals in the Telestial Kingdom of heaven will receive their glory after being redeemed from spirit prison, which is sometimes called hell.” 14

The glory of those in the Telestial Kingdom of heaven differs from those of the Terrestrial Kingdom of Heaven as the light of the stars differs from the light of the moon. 15 These people in the Telestial Kingdom of heaven will receive the presence of the “Holy Spirit through the ministrations of the terrestrial.” 16 Those of the Telestial Kingdom of Heaven are people who do not repent and must suffer and pay for their own sins. 17

Perdition--not a kingdom of glory in the Kingdom of Heaven

Perdition—This is not a kingdom of glory in the kingdoms of heaven. It is sometimes called outer darkness. 18

Perdition literally means lost—lost to any possibility for redemption and reclamation. They will receive “no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come” but shall be cast away into “the lake of fire and brimstone with the devil and his angels.” 19.

The inhabitants of this benighted realm are called the “sons of perdition” and will be condemned to “abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.” 20

These people “know [the Lord’s] power, and have been partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power.” 21 In other words, they received an absolute testimony of Jesus then rebelled against him, essentially crucifying him again and putting him to an open shame. 22

Questions about 'kingdoms of Heaven'

• How many kingdoms of heaven comprise the Kingdom of Heaven?
• What events precede our placement in a kingdom of heaven?
• Does the glory of our resurrected body correspond to the glory of the kingdom of heaven to which we are assigned?
• What does Jesus call the kingdoms of heaven? To what does Paul compare the kingdoms of heaven?
• What did the Prophet Joseph Smith discover were the criteria for inheritance in the kingdoms of heaven?
• Who inherits the Celestial Kingdom of heaven?
• Who inherits the Terrestrial Kingdom of heaven?
• Who inherits the Telestial Kingdom of heaven?
• Is Perdition a kingdom of glory in the Kingdom of heaven? Who will inherit it?

References for 'Kingdoms of Heaven'

1. (Revelation 20:12; 3 Nephi 27:14) – And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:12) And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—(3 Nephi 27:14).
2. (John 14:2)
3. (1 Corinthians 15:40-41)
4. (D&C 76:51, 74, 79, 101) – They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given Who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God But received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant.
5. (D&C 76:92-93)
6. (D&C 76:50-70) – And again we bear record—for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just—They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given—That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power; And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. They are they who are the church of the Firstborn. They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things—They are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory; And are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son. Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God—Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's. And they shall overcome all things. Wherefore, let no man glory in man, but rather let him glory in God, who shall subdue all enemies under his feet. These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever. These are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people. These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection. These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just. These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all. These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn. These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all. These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood. These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.
7. (True to the Faith, p. 93; D&C 131:1-4)
8. (D&C 76:77-78)
9. (D&C 76:75)
10. (D&C 76:79)
11. (D&C 76:73-74; see True to the Faith, p. 94) – And also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son visited, and preached the gospel unto them, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh; Who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it.
12. (D&C 76:87) – And the terrestrial through the ministration of the celestial.
13. (D&C 76:82, 101, 103) – These are they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of JesusBut received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenantThese are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.
14. (see D&C 76:84, 106; see True to the Faith, p. 94) – These are they who are thrust down to hellThese are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his work
15. (D&C 76:81) – And again, we saw the glory of the telestial, which glory is that of the lesser, even as the glory of the stars differs from that of the glory of the moon in the firmament.
16. (D&C 76:86)
17. (D&C 76:104-106) – These are they who suffer the wrath of God on earth. These are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire. These are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his work
18. (Alma 40:13-14) – And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil. Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.
19. (D&C 76:34, 36)
20. (D&C 76:32; 88:24)
21. (D&C 76:31)
22. (D&C 76:35) – Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame.