The LDS version of heaven

[_truth dancer]

I find non-members who are unfamiliar with LDS teachings have a difficult time understanding the LDS version of the afterlife. There is often some misleading statements from members playing on words to suggest what is not true.

I've heard some members suggest that everyone goes to heaven except the very few who are cast into OD, suggesting all three Kingdoms are heaven.

It is as if these members want to separate themselves from traditional Christianity by claiming that their version is better because most people will be saved and be happy forever... no one (with few exceptions) goes to Hell.

However, the truth is, the church teaches (in my experience), that families will not be together forever in any of the lower Kingdoms, nor will these folks be with God.

Is there ANYONE on this planet who thinks NOT being with loved ones and beloved family members is anywhere close to heaven?

Some apologists suggest that everyone will be where they are most happy in the next life, hence they will be in heaven.

Who on the planet would be most happy without loved ones? Separated forever from those they care for the most?

According to teachings as I understand them, only those who make it to the CK will be with God. (Personally, I think the LDS version of God is not worthy of any worship, nor would I remotely want to reside with him), however, most people who believe in heaven consider heaven to be where God resides.

The reality is, only those who believe in Joseph Smith (and non-test takers) will be in what most would consider heaven, ie. being with God and loved ones.

I find it completely disingenuous for LDS members to suggest that anything but the CK is heaven.

Unless heaven means something other than what many religions consider heaven, (being with God and loved ones for eternity), only believers of Joseph Smith, and those who did not have to take the test will be in heaven.

~dancer~

[_The Nehor]

I find non-members who are unfamiliar with LDS teachings have a difficult time understanding the LDS version of the afterlife. There is often some misleading statements from members playing on words to suggest what is not true.

I've heard some members suggest that everyone goes to heaven except the very few who are cast into OD, suggesting all three Kingdoms are heaven.

It is as if these members want to separate themselves from traditional Christianity by claiming that their version is better because most people will be saved and be happy forever... no one (with few exceptions) goes to Hell.

However, the truth is, the church teaches (in my experience), that families will not be together forever in any of the lower Kingdoms, nor will these folks be with God.

Is there ANYONE on this planet who thinks NOT being with loved ones and beloved family members is anywhere close to heaven?

Some apologists suggest that everyone will be where they are most happy in the next life, hence they will be in heaven.

Who on the planet would be most happy without loved ones? Separated forever from those they care for the most?

According to teachings as I understand them, only those who make it to the CK will be with God. (Personally, I think the LDS version of God is not worthy of any worship, nor would I remotely want to reside with him), however, most people who believe in heaven consider heaven to be where God resides.

The reality is, only those who believe in Joseph Smith (and non-test takers) will be in what most would consider heaven, ie. being with God and loved ones.

I find it completely disingenuous for LDS members to suggest that anything but the CK is heaven.

Unless heaven means something other than what many religions consider heaven, (being with God and loved ones for eternity), only believers of Joseph Smith, and those who did not have to take the test will be in heaven.

~dancer~

A small correction if I may. It is not that they will not be with their loved ones. They will not live as a family unit though. So if friendship and companionship with them is what you desire there is nothing to suggest that it will not be present in other kingdoms.

[_guy sajer]

The reply I made to Charity on another thread as appropriate here.

The point is, Roger, that Charity thinks the Heavenly Caste System is fair, because she believes that she will benefit thereby.

If, on the other hand, the Heavenly Caste System would assign her a lower caste, despite the fact the she lived an otherwise honorable life, simply because she couldn't get herself to believe some presumed prophet's claims, she would, no doubt, view the Heavenly Caste System with a more jaundiced perspective.

I, moreover, strongly suspect that she (and other TBMs) considers unfair teachings of other religions that would consign her to eternal torment simply because she did not accept this or that dogmatic belief. But, she fails to reflect that they too might consider her belief about their eternal destiny to be unfair also, and for the same very valid reason she considers their beliefs unfair.

Let us also not forget the D&C 76 is very clear that for the "honorable men of the earth" who do not accept the gospel in this life, their fate is the Terrestrial Kingdom, even if they accept the "gospel" in the next life.

She consoles herself by pretending that those of us assigned to lower castes will be content, nonetheless, because that's all we wanted anyway, or something like that. Yet from our perspective, to be denied a loving father's full blessings, to be ripped apart from our loved ones, to be denied forever the presence of our loving father, to live eternally as a member of a lower caste, despite the fact that we did our best to lead honorable and good lives, simply because we could not believe in what struck us as fanciful myths or we were not willing to devote our lives to a man whom we consider, for very valid reason, to have been a moral degenerate, this strikes us as eminently unfair and unjust, and there's no way we are going to giddily accept it as our just desserts.

Charity has bought into all sorts of comforting myths. Why not just this one more?

[_krose]

The idea of being together eternally with others in the CK is not consistent with the concept of becoming a god yourself, unless the CK is where all the next generation of gods will live while they do their godly business. So will all these millions of god-couples be together in one place, each producing their billions of spirit babies that will populate their own worlds? That's going to get pretty crowded, not to mention the logistics of each god staging his own 'war in heaven.'

So I wonder if Kolob is Elohim's CK, where he is living with all his once-mortal family, along with the generation of gods from his once-physical planet.

[_The Nehor]

The idea of being together eternally with others in the CK is not consistent with the concept of becoming a god yourself, unless the CK is where all the next generation of gods will live while they do their godly business. So will all these millions of god-couples be together in one place, each producing their billions of spirit babies that will populate their own worlds? That's going to get pretty crowded, not to mention the logistics of each god staging his own 'war in heaven.'

So I wonder if Kolob is Elohim's CK, where he is living with all his once-mortal family, along with the generation of gods from his once-physical planet.

To Gods space is not a concern. I can converse with someone an infinite distance away as if I were there and can be there in an instant. I expect that if and when room is needed you make it.

[_Moniker]

Pregnant for eternity, doting on spirit children, dealing with a male chauvinist strutting stud of a husband (that gets to choose what I look like) = hell

[_Ten Bear]

A small correction if I may. It is not that they will not be with their loved ones. They will not live as a family unit though. So if friendship and companionship with them is what you desire there is nothing to suggest that it will not be present in other kingdoms.

So ...... what, we're (non-believers) in the boat house beside the pool? Not "living with", but around enough to enjoy "friendship and companionship"?

[_The Nehor]

Pregnant for eternity, doting on spirit children, dealing with a male chauvinist strutting stud of a husband (that gets to choose what I look like) = hell

Chauvinists don't get Celestial glory and he can hardly shift your form. If it's possible to do so, you would get that ability. As for the rest, I doubt pregnancy is as rough there. If you don't like kids though I would avoid the whole exaltation thing.

[_The Nehor]

A small correction if I may. It is not that they will not be with their loved ones. They will not live as a family unit though. So if friendship and companionship with them is what you desire there is nothing to suggest that it will not be present in other kingdoms.

So ...... what, we're (non-believers) in the boat house beside the pool? Not "living with", but around enough to enjoy "friendship and companionship"?

To be honest, I have no idea. Only guesses. I know that the family unit does not continue outside the CK. What does that mean? Not sure at all.

[_Some Schmo]

I love the South Park episode where they show the afterlife in hell, and all these people are wondering why they're in hell only to find out it was because they weren't Mormon:

South Park

What's especially funny is later in that episode where Saddam Hussein’s ultimate punishment for his misdeeds is to be cast into heaven. He freaks out when he realizes he has to spend eternity living with all the Mormons.

LOL

So anyway... yeah. One person's idea of heaven is another person's hell.