The Mormon View Heaven —
“Obviously the place where God dwells is heaven, for he is our Father in Heaven. (Matt. 6:9.) Accordingly, all men, being his spirit offspring in pre-existence, came down from heaven when their earth lives began.’ (John 6:38.) … ‘The place where translated beings dwell is called heaven, although they are not in the presence of God.’ (D. & C. 110: 13; 2 Kings 2: II.)… ‘Paradise may be said to be heaven in the sense that heaven is a place of peace, rest, and solace where the righteous go at death.’ (Alma 40:11-14; Luke 16:19-31.) ‘Paradise is not heaven, however, in the sense of being an ultimate and eternal abode of the righteous, for those in paradise are awaiting the day of their resurrection and assignment to a mansion of glory in the eternal world.’… ‘All of the kingdoms of glory whether celestial, terrestrial, or telestial—are sometimes called heaven.’… “In its most important sense, heaven is the celestial kingdom of God. This is the sense in which it is used, without exception, by prophets and inspired men when they teach the doctrines of salvation and exhort their fellow men to conform to those laws whereby salvation may be won.’… ‘In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees. (D. & C. 131:1.) Those who gain the highest are inheritors of exaltation.’” (pp. 318-319)
Note: Holy Scripture states: “There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. (1 Cor. 15:40-41.)
Smith’s interpretation of the above verses appears in “The Vision” — section 76 of The Doctrine & Covenants. Smith claimed that he and Sidney Rigdon received a vision concerning heaven on February 16, 1832. In this section, Smith described three degrees of glory, the celestial, terrestrial, and the telestial (a name coined by Smith to identify the third level of heaven. Supposedly, God dwells in the celestial heaven. Faithful Mormons believe that if they are faithful to Mormon doctrine in all respects, they will enter the celestial heaven and advance in divinity. Those in the celestial kingdom will be able to beget spiritual offspring who will be to them as we are to God.
Mormons who don’t make it to the Celestial heaven (and exceptionally good Catholics and Protestants) may aspire to the lesser degree of heaven, the terrestrial. While God does not dwell in the terrestrial heaven, Jesus will occasionally visit. Those souls relegated to the telestial heaven never see God the Father or Jesus.
Joseph Smith said: “All sins shall be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost: for Jesus will save all except the sons of perdition.” (Teachings, p. 358) The “Sons of Perdition” — murderers, adulterers, and apostates who will join Satan and his demons in hell.
“After their resurrection, the great majority of those who suffered in hell will pass into the telestial kingdom; the balance, cursed as sons of perdition, will be consigned to partake of endless woe with the devil and his angels.” … “As to the sons of perdition, the revelation says that after their resurrection, ‘they shall return again to their own place (D. & C. 88:32, 102), that is, they shall go back to the lake of fire with Perdition [Satan] and his other sons.”[1]
The Catholic View of Heaven
“This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity – this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed – is called “heaven.” Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.”[2]
“But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.”[3]
This text includes all the aspects of the heaven for which Catholics hope.
Heaven is a city or community made for us, the New Jerusalem.[4] The Catholic is a citizen of heaven.[5] We look forward to a home which God provided for us in heaven.[6] Heaven is our inheritance,[7] reward,[8] and treasure.[9] The Father and Jesus have prepared mansions in heaven for us.[10] Our names are written in the records of heaven,[11] and we will rise with Christ and be taken into heaven.[12] When we rise, like Christ who is our prototype, we will be endowed with the qualities of a heavenly body, which will differ from our earthly body: incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual.[13] We will be free of the defects of this present life.[14]
[1] McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 320.
[2] Catechism of the Catholic Church §1024.
[3] Philippians 3:20-21.
[4] Revelation 3:12.
[5] Philippians 3:20.
[6] 2 Corinthians 5: 1-5.
[7] 1 Peter 1:4.
[8] Matthew. 5:12.
[9] Matthew 6:20; Colossians 1:5.
[10] John 14: 1-3.
[11] Luke 10:20.
[12] 1 Thessalonians 4:16f.
[13] 1 Corinthians 15:42-49.
[14] Our present body is unfit to enter heaven, but must experience the transformation which gives it the qualities proper to heaven. Saint Paul does not pretend to understand or to explain what his transformation is in detail; but he is certain that flesh and blood, the present body, cannot share in the kingdom of God (1 Co 15:50)