Aurora

I did read all of it, although I will admit I did skim over some of the scriptures that were making the same points haha.

I mean, at the end of the day, it’s your choice what you do… although I will say, I disagree with most of what you’ve written here if I’m being honest.

I agree that there is A LOT of overlap between the LDS church and the general Christian population… I can attend most other church services and be just fine. But 1) denying the three degrees of glory doesn’t make sense… it’s written in the New Testament. 2) other churches do not have the ordinances we make in the temple and those are incredibly important and are also talked about in both the old and new testaments. There is overlap between the Book of Mormon and the Bible regarding both of these topics. It’s not just modern revelation. Although it helps to have modern revelation because that revelation clarifies things

Regarding the three degrees of glory.
It sounds like what you’re saying is, people either go to heaven or to hell and that the determining factor between these two destinations is faith in Jesus Christ alone. Nothing to do with righteousness whatsoever.

Firstly, there is mention of the three degrees of Glory in the New Testament.

Bible, New Testament, 1st Corinthians 15:40–49

“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:

43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it 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.

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”

Secondly, regarding faith as the only qualifier for Heaven:

Everyone no matter how righteous or wicked will be given eternal life. Otherwise, how could we be brought to stand before the judgement bar of God? But it cannot be faith alone by which I am judged at that bar.

If that’s the case, then why isn’t Satan in Heaven? Satan believes in Jesus… and yet… he chooses to do evil. Shouldn’t he be allowed in Heaven then according to that definition?

Also then, why should I do good and not do evil? If believing in Jesus alone gets me to heaven then great, I believe in him, so now I can do all the evil I want right? What’s the reason why I should do good?

I like in the scriptures when it says we’re saved by grace after all we can do. I get what Paul was saying in the New Testament when he says that everyone has sinned. Agreed. We all suck. We can’t do right. But does this mean that we should just stop trying?

Bible New Testament, Romans 3

3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Bible, New Testament, Romans 5

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

[…]

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

[…]
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

[…]

20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

[…]

Bible, New Testament, Romans 6

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

[…]

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

[…]

1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

[…]

6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

[…]

12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Okay, so to sum all that up, Paul is saying we were judged according to moral law, we have always been judged according to moral law, and we are still judged according to moral law. BUT since Christ’s atonement, he paid the debt for us to allow us a way to return to eternal salvation. This is, as Paul describes “a free gift” it does not require works to gain salvation. This is what your Christian friends probably harp on.

But even though this gift is free should we continue to sin? Paul says, “God forbid!”

In general Christianity they only have Heaven or Hell. So it makes sense that Faith would be the only determining factor. After all, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So how is everyone getting back or how is everyone going to heaven? Well through faith! And it has to be a free gift otherwise none of us could qualify by works. So everyone who has faith goes to heaven!

So then, how is righteousness and wickedness to be rewarded and punished? If everyone who believes is automatically going to heaven, why should I as a believer attempt to do good? We’re all going to the same place! If the outcome between doing good and doing evil is the same, then I have no reason to choose to do good and to avoid evil.

This is where the really cool doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ comes in and introduces a player ranking system for morality inside heaven!

*flaps hands in excitement* Wow! How exciting! *totally genuine. This is what thrills me. The law thrills me.*

So. Is everyone going to Heaven? Well, if we consider outer darkness Hell and the three degrees of Glory Heaven, then Yes! “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ” Everyone is going to believe in Christ eventually. Which means everyone is going to Heaven! And everyone, both the righteous and the wicked, will live again! Otherwise, how could we be brought before the judgement bar of God?

What’s left to be determined isn’t whether or not we live again, and it isn’t whether or not we get to live in heaven. What’s left to be determined is how close to God we want to be when we get there! This is what the three kingdoms of glory represent, closeness and distance from God.

We still need a personal reason to do good and not do evil, and that’s why we have the three degrees of Glory. So while you are saved by faith alone, and not by works, you are qualified for the kingdom based on (knowledge, desire and works together which three variables are “the law”) and the law can be summed up as saying you will be judged according to your works.

I’m gonna stop here for now to gauge your thoughts :) let me know what you think, and if you want, I’ll talk about the references to temple ceremonies recorded in the Bible.