Through modern revelation and scripture, we learn the answers to the three questions: Where did I come from before I was born? Why am I here on earth? and Where am I going after I die?
Where Did I Come From?
Before we were born, we lived with God as spirits. Spiritually, we are literal children of God. He really is our father, just as literally as we are children of our earthly fathers. We knew Him well before we were born. God’s whole purpose is to make the same blessings He enjoys available to us. Speaking to Moses, He said,
Moses 1:37-39
37 And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine.
38 And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words.
39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
Jesus Christ is the central figure in God’s plan of salvation for His children. Through His atonement, we can overcome sin, and His resurrection has provided that all of us will be resurrected someday.
Agency, the ability to make choices, is essential to our progression. We must choose whether or not to follow the plan of God.
What is the Purpose of This Life?
As spirits living with our Father in Heaven, we knew that there were some differences between us and our Father. One of these differences was that God has a physical body. It is a perfect, resurrected, eternal physical body, but it is flesh and bones. He taught us that in order for us to become more like Him, we would need to live a mortal life and receive a physical body.
Father also knew that in order for us to learn to exercise faith and prove that we were willing to do what it takes to become like Him, we would have to live in an environment separate from Him. This would allow us the opportunity to use our agency to choose to follow Him, rather than feeling the necessity simply because we were in His presence.
This means that in this life we have two major obstacles: sin, and death. Sin is when we act against the will of God. When we sin, we spiritually cut ourselves off from Him. In our sinful state, we would feel absolutely horrible in His presence. After death, we would know all that He has done, and how deeply He loves us, and the guilt and shame that would inevitably come upon us would be too great for us to bear.
So, loving us as He does, and wanting us to return to His presence, He sent His Son to provide a way for us to receive complete forgiveness if we choose to seek it, and provided a way to cleanse our souls from every sin, and every inclination to sin.
Satan, the devil, knows this, and tempts us to sin, but God influences us to do good. With faith in Jesus Christ, and obedience to His commandments, we can overcome temptation. We are helpless without the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
The second obstacle to our becoming like God is the fact that our bodies will die. Jesus’ resurrection provided that all people will be resurrected, regardless of what we do in this life. He saved us from death by making it so that every person who ever lives will be resurrected.
What Happens When I Die?
When we die, our spirit leaves our body and go to the spirit world. When we die, we do not lose our personality. We are the same person, with all the same desires. Those who have lived lives in accordance with God’s will enter a state of rest, while those who rebel against God enter a state of unhappiness. This is the natural order of things. Here, all await the resurrection.
Alma 40:11-14
Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.
12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.
13 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.
14 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.
Final Judgment
After we are resurrected, we will each be judged according to our works and desires. Jesus Christ, who knows us perfectly, and has suffered all that we will have suffered, will be our judge. We will have a perfect memory of both all the good we’ve ever done, and all the bad we’ve ever done. If we have truly repented, we will receive mercy.
Because everyone will be resurrected, everyone will receive permanent immortality. Whether we have been wicked or righteous, all of us will be resurrected and live forever with our bodies. But those who have allowed the Savior to cleanse them of sin, and have made conscious effort to live His gospel and obey His commandments will receive Eternal life, which is greater than immortality. Those who are granted Eternal life will live with God and their family forever. They will know God and Jesus Christ perfectly and personally, and will live the kind of life they live. This great blessing is also known as exaltation.
Kingdoms of Glory
Our Father in Heaven loves us perfectly. He wants us to receive the greatest rewards possible for our choices, but He will not rob justice. He knows that in order for us to reach our highest potential, we must be allowed to choose whether or not to follow Him, and whether or not to repent of our sins. He also knows that it would not be just to offer the same rewards to the wicked as are given to the righteous.
Because God is perfectly fair and just, there are different kingdoms of glory to which different people will be assigned to after resurrection and the final judgment. Those who receive the gospel, repent of their sins, live according to the teachings of the Savior, and keep the necessary covenants will be given the highest reward. They will be assigned to the celestial kingdom. In the celestial kingdom, people will live with God, as well as all their family members who also qualify for that reward. Those who receive this blessing will receive the gift of exaltation and eternal life.
Those who do not accept the fullness of the gospel, with all it’s ordinances and covenants, but live good, honorable lives, will be assigned to the Terrestrial kingdom. Though these will not live in families or in the presence of God, the Terrestrial kingdom is still a glorious place – though it doesn’t compare with the glory of the Celestial kingdom.
Those who refuse to repent and who willingly live lives of sin will have to suffer for their sins before they go to their final resting place. They will then be assigned to the Telestial kingdom. It is not nearly as glorious as the Terrestrial or Celestial kingdom, but it is a kingdom of glory.
Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial Glory
In the scriptures, these kingdoms of glory are compared with the sun, moon, and stars. The Celestial kingdom is compared in glory to the brightness of the sun, the Terrestrial kingdom is compared in glory to the brightness of the moon, and the Telestial kingdom is compared in glory to the brightness of the stars as we see them from earth. The sun, moon, and stars, are not the location of these kingdoms, but they are compared to these three because they have different levels of brightness, and the three kingdoms have different levels of glory.
Paul makes brief mention of the glory of those who inherit the Celestial and Terrestrial kingdoms.
1 Corinthians 15:40-42
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial 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 is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
We are now living mortal lives, and our bodies are far from perfect. When we are resurrected, however, our bodies will become perfect immortal bodies, and each person’s body will receive the glory of the kingdom to which he/she will be assigned. Those who are granted the blessing of going to the Celestial kingdom will receive a celestial body. Those who go to the terrestrial kingdom will receive a terrestrial body, and so forth.
While the Bible does make brief mention of these glories, most of what we know about these rewards we have learned by modern revelation to God’s prophets.
Of the Telestial glory, the Lord said:
Doctrine and Covenants 76:81-86
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.
82 These are they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus.
83 These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit.
84 These are they who are thrust down to hell.
85 These are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall have finished his work.
86 These are they who receive not of his fulness in the eternal world, but of the Holy Spirit through the ministration of the terrestrial;
Of the Terrestrial glory, the Lord said:
Doctrine and Covenants 76:71-77
71 And 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.
72 Behold, these are they who died without law;
73 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;
74 Who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it.
75 These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men.
76 These are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fulness.
77 These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father.
Of the Celestial glory, the Lord said:
Doctrine and Covenants 76:
51 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—
52 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;
53 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.
54 They are they who are the church of the Firstborn.
55 They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things—
56 They are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory;
57 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.
58 Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God—
59 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.
60 And they shall overcome all things.
61 Wherefore, let no man glory in man, but rather let him glory in God, who shall subdue all enemies under his feet.
62 These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever.
63 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.
64 These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection.
65 These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just.
66 These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.
67 These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn.
68 These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all.
69 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.
70 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.
