Degrees of Heaven in Mormonism and Platonism

 We continue our study of the prevalence of Platonic doctrines in Mormonism by turning our attention to the LDS doctrine of 3 degrees of heaven. We shall see, yet again, that not only does the Mormon doctrine have no support in either Scripture or the Early Church, but it also has striking overlaps with Platonic thought.

The Mormon position is summed up in Doctrine & Covenants 76:96-98

“And the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the sun is one. And the glory of the terrestrial is one, even as the glory of the moon is one. And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world”

The teaching is also dealt with in chapter 137: 1-10 of the same work.

So Mormonism teaches there are three heavens, correspondng to the glory of sun, moon and stars, respectively.

 

 

Degrees of heaven: what does Holy Scripture teach?

The verses cited by Mormons in support of their position are:

1 Corinthians 15:40-42:

“There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable”(NIV)

2 Corinthians 12:2:

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know–God knows.” (NIV)

St. Paul refers to “the third heaven”. So it appears the idea of three heavens was commonplace in Judaistic belief. But what are the three heavens that the Jews understood? Were they three different places of the afterlife as the Mormons say? NO.
From Scripture we see that

• the first heaven = the earth’s atmosphere, as exemplified by 2 Samuel 21:10 (reference to clouds; and Psalm 79:2; 103:11; 104:12), , the birds of heaven obviously meaning the sky or atmosphere. Also
• The second heaven = planetary system and stars, i.e., heavenly bodies (Genesis 7:11; 22:17; 26:24; Deut 1:10).
• The third heaven, as referenced in 2 Corinthians 12:2 (also e.g., Hebrews 9:24; Rev. 4:2 and thru NT) is the dwelling place of God and the future dwelling place of all Christians . See also Philippians 1:21).

The first and second meanings are covered by the word shamayim and is used throughout the OT Strong’s: 8064 shamayim (dual of shameh unused) from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visibel arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve;

The third meaning is covered by ouranos (though it also refers to the other two meanings). Used throughout the NT.

Strong’s 3772 ouranos the sky; by extension heaven(as the abode of God); by implication happiness, power, eternity, specially the Gospel (Christianity);- air, heaven, sky.

So we see the idea of three heavens has absolutely nothing to do with three different places in the afterlife.

 

 

The Early Church Fathers oppose the Mormon view

Mormons cite Origen De Principiis 2:20:2 in relation to 1 Corinthians 15:40-42:

“Our understanding of the passage indeed is, that the Apostle, wishing to describe the great difference among those who rise again in glory, i.e., of the saints, borrowed a comparison from the heavenly bodies, saying, “One is the glory of the sun, another the glory of the moon, another the glory of the stars”"

to show that he (Origen) believed in three heavens, but he speaks only of varying degrees of glory, not three different places or three different heavens. You can have three different sized buckets all filled with sand, with all buckets still lying on the one beach. You don’t need three separate beaches!

St. John Chrysostom Homilies on 1st Corinthians 41:4:

“For what though they all be in the heaven? yet some have a larger, others a less share of glory”

As we can see, this verse talks about share of glory, not about there being three different heavens. In addition the Scripture “star differs from star in glory” means that there are many more than three degrees of glory, yet according to Mormonism there can only be three heavens. Hence these verses must refer only to degrees of glory, not of heaven.

Mormons mix up degrees of glory with degrees of heaven. See also Arthur Devine’s article. But how can Mormons understand this, when they do not understand grace?

St. Irenaeus spoke of seven heavens, not three heavens, in “Proof of the Apostolic Preaching” 9

Bickmore, in “Restoring the Ancient Church” (FAIR;1999=) on page 245 shows confusion when he says: “it was always clear to everyone that there were different degrees of glory in the heavens”. Of course it was, but this says nothing about different heavens! Different degrees of glory in the heavens does not equate to different heavens. Three buckets of different size, each filled with sand and lying on a beach, do not equate to three beaches, but one beach. This is the point Bickmore misses.

Different levels of heaven: What the Philosophers and the Mormons say?

From the Book of Mormon Studies website,we read:

“The doctrine that there are different states and habitations corresponding to the condition of the soul after death is found in Plato’s Phaedo. Plato illustrates the doctrine by means of a myth. He says that there are many cavities and channels in the earth through which rivers flow. Some of the cavities are deeper, some shallower, some wider, some narrower. The largest of the cavities is called Tartarus. There are also rivers of fire and lakes, and “a great place burning with sheets of fire, where it forms a boiling lake of muddy water greater than our sea: (Plato 1961, Phaedo 113a). The souls of the dead are led by their guardian spirits into this subterranean world, where they are judged.”

Further on:

“Section 76 describes the three kingdoms and those who will inhabit them. The kingdoms differ in glory: “the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the sun is one. And the glory of the terrestrial is one, even as the glory of the moon is one. And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world” (D&C 76:96-98).

So let’s do a comparison between the Platonic beliefs and the Mormon belief. We shall look at Plato’s Phaedo, in which he describes three degrees of heaven in the afterlife, as well as a hell. It will be seen the Mormon view, totally unsupported by Scripture, has striking similarity to the Platonic view. This again shows the hollowness of the LDS argument regarding “Hellenization” as an indicator of apostasy in the Catholic Church.

 

 

(good people who accept the Gospel and are baptized, receive Melchizedek priesthood)Plato says:(the Jowett Translation of Plato’s Phaedo is used)

“Those also who are remarkable for having led holy lives are released from this earthly prison, [114c] and go to their pure home which is above, and dwell in the purer earth; and those who have duly purified themselves with philosophy live henceforth altogether without the body, in mansions fairer far than these (Phaedo 114c)”

the Mormon D&C says: (verses 50-70, 92-96) verses 65-70:

“These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just. These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all. These are they who have come to an innumerable company of aangels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn. These are they whose names are awritten in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all. 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. 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.”

see also verses 50-64; 92-96

 

(for those who have lived a neutral life, specifically, die without hearing the law in this world, but accept the gospel when it is preached to them in the spirit prison)Plato says:

“And those who appear to have lived neither well nor ill, go to the river Acheron, and mount such conveyances as they can get, and are carried in them to the lake, and there they dwell and are purified of their evil deeds, and suffer the penalty of the wrongs which they have done to others, and are absolved” [113e] (Phaedo 113e)

the Mormon D&C says: (chapter 76 verses 71-79)

“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. Behold, these are they who died without law; And also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son visited, and preached the dgospel unto them, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh; Who received not the btestimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it. These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men. These are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fulness. These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father. Wherefore, they are bodies terrestrial, and not bodies celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun. These are they who are not valiant in the btestimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God.”

 

(committed great sins, but are judged to be curable )Plato says:

“Those again who have committed crimes, which, although great, are not unpardonable — who in a moment of anger, for example, have done violence to a father or mother, and [114a] have repented for the remainder of their lives, or who have taken the life of another under like extenuating circumstances — these are plunged into Tartarus, the pains of which they are compelled to undergo for a year, but at the end of the year the wave casts them forth — mere homicides by way of Cocytus, parricides and matricides by Pyriphlegethon — and they are borne to the Acherusian lake, and there they lift up their voices and call upon the victims whom they have slain or wronged, to have pity on them, and [114b] to receive them, and to let them come out of the river into the lake.” (Phaedo 114a)

Mormon D&C says: (verses 81-85, 103-106)

“And again, we asaw the glory of the telestial, which glory is that of the lesser, even as the cglory of the stars differs from that of the glory of the moon in the firmament. These are they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus. These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit. These are they who are thrust down to hell. These are they who shall not be redeemed from the adevil until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall have finished his work.”

verses 103-106

“These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and ewhoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie. These are they who suffer the wrath of God on earth. These are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire. These are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his work”

 

(for the really wicked)Plato says:

“But those who appear to be incurable by reason of the greatness of their crimes — who have committed many and terrible deeds of sacrilege, murders foul and violent, or the like — such are hurled into Tartarus, which is their suitable destiny, and they never come out.” (Phaedo 113e )

the Mormon D&C says:

“They are they who are the asons of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have been born; For they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity; Concerning whom I have said there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come”( D&C 76:32-34)

• 1. Celestial Kingdom:
• 2. Terrestrial Kingdom:
• 3. Telestial Kingdom:
• 4. Outer Darkness:

D&C 76:71-80, 91, 97 says that those who rejected the gospel in this life, but afterwards received it will receive a reward in the Terrestrial kingdom. This of course contradicts Hebrews 9:27.

[D&C 76:62, 77, 86 is refuted by the doctrine of the Circumincession of the Divine Persons. I refer the reader to Ludwig Ott's "Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma" (TAN; 1974), page 71 for a full treatment of this point.]

 

Conclusion:

We see yet again that an important Momon doctrine is refuted by Scripture and the Early Church Fathers, as well as being shown to be based on Platonic thought. This fact further shows the hollowness of the Mormon claims of “apostasy” and “Hellenization” in the early Church. Not only does the Catholic Church have abounding support from both Scripture and the Early Fathers, but any Greek influence on our teachigns have served to explain the divine revelation, not introduce new revelation,as the Mormons have done with the doctrines under discussion in these pages.

Next: Cosmology in Platonism and Mormonism