What Latter-day Saints believe
The plan of salvation
Premortal life as spirit children, mortal life as a test, a spirit world after death, and three kingdoms of glory: celestial, terrestrial and telestial.
In the Church's words
The Church teaches that all people lived with God as spirits before birth, came to earth to gain a body and be tested, and after death go to a spirit world to await resurrection and judgment. Nearly everyone will receive a degree of glory: the celestial, terrestrial or telestial kingdom. Outer darkness is reserved for very few.
39For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
Moses 1:39 · read it at ChurchofJesusChrist.org
22Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; 23And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.
Abraham 3:22-23 · read it at ChurchofJesusChrist.org
70These 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. 71And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the church of the Firstborn who have received the fulness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament.
Doctrine and Covenants 76:70-71 · read it at ChurchofJesusChrist.org
What the Bible says
The Bible speaks of two destinies, not three kingdoms: eternal life with God, or separation from him. It does not teach that we lived before birth; it says God formed us in the womb. The good news is that eternal life with God is a gift received by faith in Jesus.
46These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Matthew 25:46 (WEB) · context
36One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
John 3:36 (WEB) · context
13For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Psalms 139:13 (WEB) · context
23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (WEB) · context
Sources
- Moses 1:39; Abraham 3:22-23; Doctrine and Covenants 76 (churchofjesuschrist.org).