Sounds a lot like the Catholic doctrine to me. Can Mormons buy their way out of lower heavens? Can they recite the Book of Mormon passages twenty times for atonement? Just asking :)
It might be too late.
They could, however, bought their way INTO the high spot while on Earth; if they hadn't been so greedy and kept more than 90.00% of their money for themselves.
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Temple Recommend Questions
1 Do you have faith in and a testimony of God the Eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost? 2 Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Christ and of His role as Savior and Redeemer? 3 Do you have a testimony of the restoration of the gospel in these the latter days? 4 Do you sustain the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and as the only person on the earth who possesses and is authorized to exercise all priesthood keys? Do you sustain members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators? Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local authorities of the Church? 5 Do you live the law of chastity? 6 Is there anything in your conduct relating to members of your family that is not in harmony with the teachings of the Church? 7 Do you support, affiliate with, or agree with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? 8 Do you strive to keep the covenants you have made, to attend your sacrament and other meetings, and to keep your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel? 9 Are you honest in your dealings with your fellowmen? 10 Are you a full-tithe payer? 11 Do you keep the Word of Wisdom? 12 Do you have financial or other obligations to a former spouse or children? If yes, are you current in meeting those obligations? 13 If you have previously received your temple endowment: Do you keep the covenants that you made in the temple? Do you wear the garment both night and day as instructed in the endowment and in accordance with the covenant you made in the temple? 14 Have there been any sins or misdeeds in your life that should have been resolved with priesthood authorities but have not been? 15 Do you consider yourself worthy to enter the Lord's house and participate in temple ordinances? |
Can Mormons buy their way out of lower heavens? Can they recite the Book of Mormon passages twenty times for atonement?
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I sense the humor in your questions, but I am going to give you a serious answer.
Mormons have 3 levels of heaven, and no real Hell. They also have ‘spirit prison’ which is similar to Catholic purgatory but only temporary and they can get out of that if they accept the Mormon gospel in the afterlife (LDS from ‘spirit paradise’ go and preach to the spirits in prison) and a worthy Mormon does their ‘temple work’ (baptism, endowments, marriage for eternity, sealing children to parents) here on earth (which is why they are so into genealogy).
After the return of Christ, they will be judged and sent to one of the 3 kingdoms. Joseph Smith taught that even the lowest kingdom (telestial) is so great that we would commit suicide to get there. Here is a break down of the 3 kingdoms...
Telestial - Everyone no matter how bad you are who doesn’t accept Jesus in this life or the Mormon gospel in the next. Unrepentant serial killers who don’t accept the Mormon gospel in ‘spirit prison’ would go here. This level (kingdom) only has the Holy Ghost present.
Terrestrial - Those who live a ‘good’ life, and believed in Christ, but didn’t accept Mormon gospel either in this life or in spirit prison go here. Also, Mormons who were not married in the temple, or were not considered ‘worthy’ go here. Billy Graham would probably end up here as would most ‘jack Mormons’. This is where Jesus is (but not God the Father). The Holy Ghost can visit, but God cannot and Jesus cannot go to the lower level.
Celestial - This is the HIGHEST level of Mormon heaven. This is their true heaven and the equivalent of what Christians call Heaven. There is speculation that there are many sub levels but the goal is the highest level. God the Father is here, Jesus and the Holy Spirit can visit. Those who accepted Mormonism in ‘spirit prison’ and had a faithful Mormon do their ‘temple work’ here will go to the lower levels of this kingdom, while the ‘worthy’ Mormons who did all the works required (including Temple rites and being married) will ‘progress’ into ‘exaltation’ - becoming gods themselves, just like God the father and get their own universes and organize (Mormon gods can’t create or destroy matter just organize it) ‘spirit babies’ with their wives to populate said planets and teach them Mormonism.
There really is no Hell and no place of eternal fire, almost everyone will go to one of the 3 levels of Heaven. However, for people like me, and other ex-mormons who have been through the temple and fight against the Mormon church - we are considered ‘sons of perdition’ and go to the ultimate deep freeze - ‘outer darkness’. We won’t burn in Hell but because we had a ‘testimony’ of Mormonism and turned away from it and fight it, we go where there is no light or heat.
The fear of outer darkness is so instilled in Mormon brainwashing that it keeps many people who don’t otherwise believe still in. They don’t believe it anymore, but have been taught their whole lives if they leave they will go to ‘outer darkness’.
And no, there is no progression from level to level.