Mormon cosmology is the description of the history, evolution, and destiny of the physical and metaphysical
universeThe Universe comprises everything that physically exists, the entirety of space and time, all forms of matter and energy, and the physical laws and constants that govern them...
according to
MormonismMormonism comprises the religious, institutional, and cultural elements of the early Latter Day Saint movement and its modern denominations deriving from the leadership of Brigham Young...
, which includes the doctrines taught by leaders and theologians of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Mormon fundamentalism, the
Restoration Church of Jesus ChristThe Restoration Church of Jesus Christ is a church in the Latter Day Saint movement that caters primarily to the spiritual needs of LGBT Latter Day Saints. Founded by Antonio A. Feliz, Lamar Hamilton, John Crane, Pamela J...
and other Brighamite denominations within the
Latter Day Saint movementThe Latter Day Saint movement is a group of Restorationist religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr., publisher of the Book of Mormon in 1830...
. These views are not generally shared by adherents of other Latter Day Saint movement denominations such as the
Community of ChristThe Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
. Mormon cosmology draws from
Biblical cosmologyThe various authors of the Hebrew Bible provide sporadic glimpses of their insight regarding astronomy and cosmology. These glimpses may be stitched together to form a Biblical impression of the physical universe....
, but has many unique elements provided by
Latter Day Saint movementThe Latter Day Saint movement is a group of Restorationist religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr., publisher of the Book of Mormon in 1830...
founder
Joseph Smith, Jr.Joseph Smith, Jr. was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism, and an important religious and political figure during the 1830s and 1840s...
According to Mormon cosmology, there was a
pre-existencePre-existence , beforelife, or pre-mortal existence refers to the belief that each individual human soul existed before conception, and at conception one of these pre-existent souls enters, or is placed by God, in the body.This belief is held to a varying degree in...
, better described as a pre-mortal life, in which human
spiritThe English word "spirit" has many differing meanings and connotations, but commonly refers to a supernatural being or essence — transcendent and therefore metaphysical in its nature: the Concise Oxford Dictionary defines it as "the non-physical part of a person"...
s were literal children of heavenly parents. Though their spirits were
created, the essential "intelligence" of these spirits is considered eternal, and without beginning. During this pre-existence, two plans were said to have been presented, one championed by
LuciferLucifer is a Latin word, literally meaning "light-bearer", that was used as a name for the "day star" or "Morning Star" that precedes the rising of the sun. The name is frequently given to the Devil in Christian convention...
(
SatanSatan is an embodiment of antagonism that originates from the Abrahamic religions, being traditionally considered an angel in Judeo-Christian belief, and a Jinn in Islamic belief...
) that would have involved loss of moral agency, and another championed by
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
. When his plan was not accepted,
LuciferLucifer is a Latin word, literally meaning "light-bearer", that was used as a name for the "day star" or "Morning Star" that precedes the rising of the sun. The name is frequently given to the Devil in Christian convention...
is said to have rebelled and taken a third of the hosts of heaven with him to the earth to serve as temptors. According to a
plan of salvationAccording to doctrine of the Latter Day Saint movement, the plan of salvation is a plan that God created to save, redeem, and exalt humankind...
championed by
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
, he would create the earth as a place where humanity would be tested. After the
resurrectionThe resurrection of dead humans is a central doctrine of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It may refer either to the resurrection of particular individuals, or a general resurrection of humanity....
all men and women except spirits that followed
LuciferLucifer is a Latin word, literally meaning "light-bearer", that was used as a name for the "day star" or "Morning Star" that precedes the rising of the sun. The name is frequently given to the Devil in Christian convention...
and the
sons of perditionThe notion of the Son of Perdition or the Man of Sin or The Wicked One can be found in and and is a name commonly associated with the Antichrist , the Lawless One , and the Beast of Revelation ....
would be assigned one of three
degrees of gloryIn The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' theology, there are three degrees of glory which are the ultimate, eternal dwelling place for nearly all who lived on earth...
. Within the highest degree, the Celestial Kingdom, there are three divisions, and those in the highest of these divisions. would become gods and goddesses through a process called exaltation or "eternal progression". This would involve having spirit children and populating new worlds.
The earth's creation, according to Mormon scripture, was not
ex nihiloThe Latin phrase ex nihilo means "out of nothing". It often appears in conjunction with the concept of creation, as in creatio ex nihilo, meaning "creation out of nothing" — chiefly in in philosophical or theological contexts, but also occurs in other fields.In theology, the common phrase creatio...
, but organized from existing matter. The faith teaches that this earth is just one of many inhabited worlds, and that there are many governing heavenly bodies, including a planet or star
KolobIn Mormonism, Kolob is a star or planet mentioned in the Book of Abraham as being nearest to the throne or residence of God. Mention of a star or planet by that name is found within the Book of Abraham, which is canonized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mormon fundamentalist...
which is said to be nearest the throne of God. According to some Mormon sources,
God the FatherIn many monotheist religions, God is given the title and attributions of Father. In the Israelite religion and its closest modern relative, Talmudic Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, law-giver, and protector...
himself was once like a human, and lived on an planet with his own higher god.
Cosmic divinity
In
MormonismMormonism comprises the religious, institutional, and cultural elements of the early Latter Day Saint movement and its modern denominations deriving from the leadership of Brigham Young...
, the concept of
divinityDivinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power, or its attributes or manifestations in the world...
centers around an ideas of "exaltation" and "eternal progression": the idea that mortals themselves may become gods and goddesses in the afterlife, be rulers of their own heavenly kingdoms, have spirit children, and increase in power and glory forever as a result of their cosmic posterity. Mormons understand that there are many gods and goddesses in the
cosmosIn its most general sense, a cosmos is an orderly or harmonious system. It originates from a Greek term κόσμος meaning "order, orderly arrangement, ornaments," and is the antithetical concept of chaos. Today the word is generally used as a synonym of the word Universe . The words cosmetics and...
, including a Heavenly Mother. However, the three persons of the Christian
TrinityThe Christian doctrine of the Trinity teaches the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The doctrine states that God is the Triune God, existing as three persons, or in the Greek hypostases, but one being. Each of the persons is understood as having the one...
(
God the FatherIn many monotheist religions, God is given the title and attributions of Father. In the Israelite religion and its closest modern relative, Talmudic Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, law-giver, and protector...
,
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
, and the
Holy SpiritIn Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. In mainstream Christian beliefs he is the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son....
) are to be the only objects of worship.
Exaltation and eternal progression
In Mormonism, the goal of each adherent is to achieve "exaltation" via the
atonementThe atonement is a doctrine found within both Christianity and Judaism. It describes how sin can be forgiven by God. In Judaism, Atonement is said to be the process of forgiving or pardoning a transgression. This was originally accomplished through rituals performed by a high priest on the holiest...
of
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
, as a result of which they inherit all the attributes of
God the FatherIn many monotheist religions, God is given the title and attributions of Father. In the Israelite religion and its closest modern relative, Talmudic Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, law-giver, and protector...
, including godhood. Mormons believe that these people will become gods and goddesses in the afterlife, and will have "all power, glory, dominion, and knowledge". Moreover, Mormons teach that exalted people will live with their earthly families and also "have spirit children". Their cosmic posterity will continue to grow forever.
According to the belief, exaltation is available only to those who have earned the highest "degree" of the Celestial Kingdom. As prerequisites for this "greatest gift of God", adherents believe that either in this life or the afterlife, they must become "perfect", they must participate in all the required ceremonies, and their exaltation must be "sealed upon them" by the
Holy SpiritIn Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. In mainstream Christian beliefs he is the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son....
via the
Second AnointingIn the Latter Day Saint movement, the Second Anointing, also known historically and in Latter Day Saint scripture as the fulness of the priesthood, is an obscure and relatively rare ordinance usually conducted in temples as extension of the Nauvoo Endowment ceremony. Founder Joseph Smith, Jr...
. One of they key qualifications for exaltation is being united in a
celestial marriageCelestial marriage is a doctrine unique to Mormonism and Swedenborgianism, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and branches of Mormon fundamentalism.Within Mormonism, celestial marriage is an ordinance associated with a covenant that always takes place inside temples by...
to an opposite-sex partner via the ordinance of sealing,, either in person or by proxy after they have died. In the
19th centuryThe 19th century was a period in history marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Ottoman, Holy Roman and Mughal empires...
, the LDS Church taught that participation in
plural marriagePolygamy was a defining characteristic of early Mormonism, and continues to be the defining characteristic of Mormon fundamentalism. The practice of polygamy was instituted in the 1830s by founder Joseph Smith, Jr., and was a contributing factor leading to his 1844 assassination...
was also a requirement of exaltation. This is still taught by Mormon fundamentalists; however, the LDS Church has long abandoned the practice, and teaches that only a single celestial marriage is required for exaltation.
Origin of Elohim (God the Father)
According to Mormon theology,
God the FatherIn many monotheist religions, God is given the title and attributions of Father. In the Israelite religion and its closest modern relative, Talmudic Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, law-giver, and protector...
is a physical being of "flesh and bones" and he inhabits a throne in space near a planet or star called
KolobIn Mormonism, Kolob is a star or planet mentioned in the Book of Abraham as being nearest to the throne or residence of God. Mention of a star or planet by that name is found within the Book of Abraham, which is canonized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mormon fundamentalist...
. Mormons identify him as the Biblical god
ElohimElohim is a Hebrew word which expresses concepts of divinity. It is apparently related to the Hebrew word ēl, though morphologically it consists of the Hebrew word Eloah with a plural suffix...
. Latter-day Saint leaders have also taught that God the Father was once a mortal man who has completed the process of becoming an exalted being. According to Joseph Smith, God "once was a man like one of us and…once dwelled on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did in the flesh and like us."
Origin of Jehovah (Jesus)
According to Mormon belief,
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
is identified as the god Jehovah (
YahwehYahweh is the English rendering of יַהְוֶה , a Hebrew vocalization of the Tetragrammaton that was proposed by the Hebrew scholar Wilhelm Gesenius in the 19th century. Although this vocalized Hebrew spelling יַהְוֶה is found in no extant Hebrew Manuscript, several English Bibles use the spelling...
). The pre-mortal Jehovah was born to the Virgin Mary and was named
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
. Jesus was the Son of God—the literal father of his physical body was God the Father. Because Jesus was the Son of God, he had power to overcome physical death. Because he lived a perfect and sinless life, Jesus could offer himself as an "infinite and eternal" sacrifice that would be required to pay for the sins of all of the other children of God.
Adam/Michael, under the Adam-God doctrine
According to
Brigham YoungBrigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the western United States. He was the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death and was the founder of Salt Lake City and the first governor of Utah Territory,...
,
AdamAdam was, according to the Book of Genesis and the Qur'an, the first man created by God and noted in subsequent Jewish, Christian and Islamic commentary. His wife was Eve.- Etymology :...
was a god identified as the Biblical archangel
MichaelMichael is a given name that comes from the , meaning "Who is like God?" In English, it is sometimes shortened to Mike, Mikey, or, especially in Ireland, Mick.Michael is one of the Archangels....
prior to his placement in the
Garden of EdenThe Garden of Eden is a location described in the Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
. This doctrine is now repudiated by the LDS Church but is accepted by some adherents of Mormon fundamentalism. According to this doctrine, Michael was a god who had received his exaltation and was residing on another planet. From that planet, he took
EveEve is the first woman created by God in the Book of Genesis.Eve may also refer to:-Days:The day before, or the evening before, a holiday, such as:*New Year's Eve*Christmas Eve*St. John's Eve, also called Midsummer's Eve or Bonfire Night...
, one of his wives, to the Garden, where they became Mortal by eating the fruit in the garden.
Although the LDS Church has repudiated the Adam-God doctrine, the denomination's Endowment ceremony portrays this Adam/Michael as a participant with
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
in the creation of the earth, under the direction of Elohim.
Heavenly mother, the Holy Spirit, and other gods and goddesses
The official doctrine of the LDS Church includes the existence of "heavenly parents" (plural), which is generally understood to refer to the goddess Heavenly Mother, who exists alongside God the Father.
Other worlds and extraterrestrial life
Mormon cosmology teaches that the
earthEarth is the third planet from the Sun. It is the fifth largest of the eight planets in the solar system, and the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in terms of diameter, mass and density...
is not unique, but just one of many inhabited planets, each planet created for the purpose of bringing about the
immortalityImmortality is the concept of living in a physical or spiritual form for an infinite or inconceivably vast length of time....
and "eternal life" (i.e., the highest degree of salvation) of humanity. These worlds were, according to doctrine, created by
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
. Mormon leaders and theologians have taught that these inhabitants are similar or identical to humans, and that they are subject to the
AtonementThe atonement is a doctrine found within both Christianity and Judaism. It describes how sin can be forgiven by God. In Judaism, Atonement is said to be the process of forgiving or pardoning a transgression. This was originally accomplished through rituals performed by a high priest on the holiest...
of Jesus.
The doctrine of other worlds is found in LDS scripture, in the Endowment ceremony, and in the teachings of
Joseph Smith, Jr.Joseph Smith, Jr. was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism, and an important religious and political figure during the 1830s and 1840s...
In addition, many LDS leaders and theologians have elaborated on these principles through
exegesisExegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text.Biblical exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of the Bible. The goal of Biblical exegesis is to find the meaning of the text which then leads to discovering its significance or relevance.Traditionally the term exegesis...
or speculation, and many of these ideas are widely accepted among Mormons.
Official sources
According to an ostensible revelation dictated by
Joseph Smith, Jr.Joseph Smith, Jr. was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism, and an important religious and political figure during the 1830s and 1840s...
,
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
is the creator of many worlds, so "that by him, and through him, and of him, the
worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God." Smith's translation of the Bible also refers to "many worlds", and states that the vision Moses had on Sinai was limited to "only account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, [but] there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power[, a]nd there are many that now stand." Another part of Smith's translation portrays the biblical character
EnochEnoch is a Hebrew name.Hanoch is related to the Hebrew word chinuch, meaning enlightenment, wisdom, spirituality.-Biblical occurrences:...
as stating that if there were "millions of earths like this [earth], it would not be a beginning to the number of [God's] creations; and [his] curtains are stretched out still." Enoch, however, did not refer to
inhabitants on those "earths".
Finally, the portion of the LDS Endowment ceremony depicting the creation of the world refers repeatedly to "worlds heretofore created". In portraying the
Garden of EdenThe Garden of Eden is a location described in the Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
story, after
LuciferLucifer is a Latin word, literally meaning "light-bearer", that was used as a name for the "day star" or "Morning Star" that precedes the rising of the sun. The name is frequently given to the Devil in Christian convention...
has tempted
EveEve is the first woman created by God in the Book of Genesis.Eve may also refer to:-Days:The day before, or the evening before, a holiday, such as:*New Year's Eve*Christmas Eve*St. John's Eve, also called Midsummer's Eve or Bonfire Night...
to eat of the fruit of the
Tree of Knowledge-Religion and mythology:* Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, a tree in the Garden of Eden, mentioned in the Book of Genesis-Publications:* The Tree of Knowledge, a novel by Pío Baroja* Drvo Znanja, a Croatian magazine...
,
God the FatherIn many monotheist religions, God is given the title and attributions of Father. In the Israelite religion and its closest modern relative, Talmudic Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, law-giver, and protector...
asks Lucifer what he is doing, and Lucifer replies "that which has been done on other worlds".
Early church leaders
Individual Latter-day Saints and some LDS Church leaders have espoused opinions that demonstrate their personal beliefs in other life in the universe.
According to Oliver B. Huntington,
Joseph Smith, Jr.Joseph Smith, Jr. was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism, and an important religious and political figure during the 1830s and 1840s...
taught that there was life on the
MoonThe Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is , about thirty times the diameter of the Earth. The common centre of mass of the system is located at about —a quarter the Earth's...
:
"As far back as 1837, I know that he said the moon was inhabited by men and women the same as this earth, and that they live to a greater age than we do—that they generally live to near the age of 1000 years.
"He described the men as averaging near six feet in height, and dressing quite uniformly in something near the Quaker style.
"In my Patriarchal blessing, given by the father of Joseph the Prophet [Joseph Smith, Sr.], in Kirtland, 1837, I was told that I should preach the gospel before I was 21 years of age; that I should preach the gospel to the inhabitants upon the islands of the sea, and—to the inhabitants of the moon, even the planet you can now see with your eyes."
Researchers have expressed strong doubts about the reliability of these statements, since they were both second-hand accounts from Huntington and were reported approximately forty years after both Smiths had died. Further, there are no contemporary reports, records, or any other written support of Smith's views or statements on extraterrestrials, nor are there any reports of statements other than those claimed by Huntington. It has also been pointed out by LDS apologists that unlike many of Smith's statements, there is no indication that Smith claimed that his opinion on extraterrestrials was
revealedLatter Day Saints teach that the Latter Day Saint movement began with a Revelation from God . They also teach that revelation is the foundation of the church established by Jesus Christ and that it remains an essential element of His true church today.In response to an inquiry on the beliefs of...
to him by God.
In a sermon given on July 24, 1870, LDS Church President
Brigham YoungBrigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the western United States. He was the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death and was the founder of Salt Lake City and the first governor of Utah Territory,...
discussed the inhabitation of that the moon and the
sunThe Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 99.86% of the Solar System's mass....
as well as other astronomical ideas:
It has been observed here this morning that we are called fanatics. Bless me! That is nothing. Who has not been called a fanatic who has discovered anything new in philosophy or science? We have all read of Galileo the astronomer who, contrary to the system of astronomy that had been received for ages before his day, taught that the sun, and not the earth, was the centre of our planetary system? For this the learned astronomer was called "fanatic," and subjected to persecution and imprisonment of the most rigorous character. So it has been with others who have discovered and explained new truths in science and philosophy which have been in opposition to long-established theories; and the opposition they have encountered has endured until the truth of their discoveries has been demonstrated by time. The term "fanatic" is not applied to professors of religion only...I will tell you who the real fanatics are: they are they who adopt false principles and ideas as facts, and try to establish a superstructure upon a false foundation. They are the fanatics; and however ardent and zealous they may be, they may reason or argue on false premises till doomsday, and the result will be false. If our religion is of this character we want to know it; we would like to find a philosopher who can prove it to us. We are called ignorant; so we are: but what of it? Are not all ignorant? I rather think so. Who can tell us of the inhabitants of this little planet that shines of an evening, called the moon? When we view its face we may see what is termed "the man in the moon," and what some philosophers declare are the shadows of mountains. But these sayings are very vague, and amount to nothing; and when you inquire about the inhabitants of that sphere you find that the most learned are as ignorant in regard to them as the most ignorant of their fellows. So it is with regard to the inhabitants of the sun. Do you think it is inhabited? I rather think it is. Do you think there is any life there? No question of it; it was not made in vain. It was made to give light to those who dwell upon it, and to other planets; and so will this earth when it is celestialized. Every planet in its first rude, organic state receives not the glory of God upon it, but is opaque; but when celestialized, every planet that God brings into existence is a body of light, but not till then. Christ is the light of this planet. God gives light to our eyes.
Such beliefs were common in the nineteenth century and were even considered to be "scientific fact" by many at the time. For example,
William HerschelSir Frederick William Herschel, KH, FRS, German: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel, was a German-born English astronomer, technical expert and composer who became famous for discovering Uranus...
, the discoverer of the planet
UranusUranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, and the third-largest and fourth most massive planet in the Solar System. It is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus the father of Kronos and grandfather of Zeus...
, argued "[w]ho can say that it is not extremely probable, nay beyond doubt, that there must be inhabitants on the Moon of some kind or another?" Furthermore, "he thought it possible that there was a region below the Sun's fiery surface where men might live, and he regarded the existence of life on the Moon as 'an absolute certainty.'"
Modern leaders
Some modern LDS Church leaders have taught that there are people living on other earths. For instance, apostle
Joseph Fielding SmithJoseph Fielding Smith, Jr. was the tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 until his death. He was the son of Joseph F. Smith, who was the sixth president of the LDS Church...
wrote:
"We are not the only people that the Lord has created. We have brothers and sisters on other earths. They look like us because they, too, are the children of God and were created in his image, for they are also his offspring."
Smith also wrote,
"...the great universe of stars has multiplied beyond the comprehension of men. Evidently each of these great systems is governed by divine law; with divine presiding Gods, for it would be unreasonable to assume that each was not so governed."
Apostle
Neal A. MaxwellNeal Ash Maxwell was an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1981 until his death.-Life:...
wrote, "we do not know how many inhabited worlds there are, or where they are. But certainly we are not alone."
Mormon physics/metaphysics
Mormon scripture, and the teachings of
Joseph Smith, Jr.Joseph Smith, Jr. was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism, and an important religious and political figure during the 1830s and 1840s...
, include a number of details concerning the nature of light, elements, matter, "spirit matter", and intelligence.
According to Mormon scripture, "the elements are eternal". This means, according to Smith, that the elements are co-existent with God, and "they may be organized and reorganized, but not destroyed. They had not beginning, and can have no end." This was elaborated by
Brigham YoungBrigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the western United States. He was the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death and was the founder of Salt Lake City and the first governor of Utah Territory,...
, who said, "God never made something out of nothing; it is not in the economy or law of which the worlds were, are, or will exist." Thus, Mormons deny
ex nihiloThe Latin phrase ex nihilo means "out of nothing". It often appears in conjunction with the concept of creation, as in creatio ex nihilo, meaning "creation out of nothing" — chiefly in in philosophical or theological contexts, but also occurs in other fields.In theology, the common phrase creatio...
creation and instead believe that God created or "organized" the universe out of pre-existing elements.
Along with physical matter, Mormons believe that spirit "intelligences" have existed co-eternally with God.
God's spirit children
Through an unexplained procreative process involving himself and the Mother in Heaven, God the Father created
spirit bodiesSpirit body is the organization of the spiritual element, made into the spiritual form of man, which according to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was made in the same likeness of God the Father...
for an innumerable number of intelligences. "[S]elf-existing intelligence was organized into individual spirit beings" and they became the "begotten sons and daughters of God". The first-born spirit child of God the Father was
JehovahJehovah is a transliteration of , a vocalized Hebrew variant of the tetragrammaton that occurs 6518 times in the Ben Chayyim Hebrew Text of 1525 A.D., on which the Old Testament of the King James Bible is based...
, whom Latter-day Saints identify as the premortal Jesus Christ. Jehovah was a God and was like God the Father in attributes, but he did not have an immortal physical body like God the Father until
his resurrectionThe major Resurrection appearances of Jesus are reported in the New Testament to have occurred after his death and burial and prior to his Ascension. These are: , , , , , and...
.
While these spirit bodies are also composed of matter, they are described as being "more fine or pure" than regular matter.
Council in Heaven
God the Father's plan for all his children was to provide a way for them to become more like him. Although they were happy living in heaven with God the Father, God's spirit children could not experience the "fulness of joy" enjoyed by him unless their spirit bodies were joined with a physical body. God the Father convened a "Grand Council" of all his children to propose a plan of progression, known to Latter-day Saints as the
plan of salvationAccording to doctrine of the Latter Day Saint movement, the plan of salvation is a plan that God created to save, redeem, and exalt humankind...
. According to the proposed plan, God would provide an earth where spirit children could receive a physical body of flesh and blood.
One of the purposes of this earthly existence is for each of God's children to demonstrate through
free willFree will raises the question whether, and in what sense, rational agents exercise control over their actions, decisions, choices. Addressing this question requires understanding the relationship between freedom and cause, and determining whether the laws of nature are causally deterministic...
the desire to choose righeousness rather than evil. To facilitate free will decision-making, God would cause each spirit child to have no memory of their pre-earth life. All would be given trials and would fall short of perfection, but a Savior would be provided, the acceptance of whom would lead ultimately to redemption and a return to live with God the Father forever. Jehovah volunteered to be the Savior and said, "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." Jehovah was "the only person who could be [the] Savior".
War in Heaven
LuciferLucifer is a Latin word, literally meaning "light-bearer", that was used as a name for the "day star" or "Morning Star" that precedes the rising of the sun. The name is frequently given to the Devil in Christian convention...
, another of the spirit sons of God the Father, also sought to be the chosen Savior; however, he proposed that the free agency of humankind be abrogated so that "all mankind" would be redeemed through compelled obedience. Additionally, Lucifer proposed that all glory and honor be transferred from God the Father to himself. Lucifer's plan was rejected by God the Father, which caused Lucifer to be enraged and to try to overthrow God.
The
War in HeavenThe Book of Revelation, which opens with the words, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place", includes in those events a War in Heaven:-Association with the motif of the Fall of Satan:...
ensued whereby Lucifer and his followers fought against Jehovah and his followers. One-third of the spirit children of God chose to follow Lucifer. Lucifer and his followers were cast out of heaven by God the Father. Because of their rebellion, Lucifer and the spirits who followed him would not receive a physical body as planned for in the plan of salvation. Lucifer is also known as
SatanSatan is an embodiment of antagonism that originates from the Abrahamic religions, being traditionally considered an angel in Judeo-Christian belief, and a Jinn in Islamic belief...
or the
DevilIn mainstream Christianity, the Devil is named Satan, sometimes Lucifer. He is a fallen angel who rebelled against God. He is often identified as the serpent in the Garden of Eden, whose persuasions led to original sin and the need for Jesus Christ's redemption...
. Satan and his spirit followers dwell on the earth and tempt people to make evil choices.
Temporal creation and fall
Following the War in Heaven, God the Father created the earth. Since all matter is co-eternal with God, creation of the earth was not performed
ex nihiloThe Latin phrase ex nihilo means "out of nothing". It often appears in conjunction with the concept of creation, as in creatio ex nihilo, meaning "creation out of nothing" — chiefly in in philosophical or theological contexts, but also occurs in other fields.In theology, the common phrase creatio...
. Rather, God performed creation by organizing pre-existing matter. The earth and everything on it were created spiritually by God before they were created physically. Under the direction of God the Father, Jehovah used the
priesthoodIn The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement, the priesthood is the power and authority to act in the name of God for the salvation of humankind.-Divisions:...
to create the physical earth and everything in it as well as the
sunThe Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 99.86% of the Solar System's mass....
,
moonThe Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is , about thirty times the diameter of the Earth. The common centre of mass of the system is located at about —a quarter the Earth's...
,
starA star is a massive, luminous ball of plasma that is held together by gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth. Other stars are visible in the night sky, when they are not outshone by the Sun...
s, and
planetA planet , is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
s. Jehovah had assistance from other children of God, including the
archangelArchangel is a term meaning an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Michael is the only archangel named in the Bible as recognized by both Jews and Christians...
MichaelMichael is an archangel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God....
. God the Father and Jehovah together created the physical bodies of
Adam and EveAdam and Eve were, according to the Book of Genesis of the Bible, the first man and woman created by God...
, which were patterned after the physical body possessed by God. Michael's spirit was placed in the male body, and a spirit daughter of God was placed in the female body.
Adam and Eve were placed in the
Garden of EdenThe Garden of Eden is a location described in the Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
. Although they had physical bodies, they were not yet mortal. God the Father commanded them to have children. He also told them that they could eat of any tree in the garden except for the
tree of knowledge of good and evilIn the Book of Genesis, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or the tree of knowledge was a tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden from which God directly forbade Adam to eat...
, and that they would "surely die" if they ate of that tree.
Satan tempted Adam and Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit. Eve yielded to temptation and ate the fruit; when she told Adam that she had eaten the fruit, Adam chose to eat also. As a result of their decision to eat the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve underwent the "fall". As God had promised, the bodies of Adam and Eve became mortal and they became subject to physical death, as well as sickness and pain. They also underwent "spiritual death": they were cast out of the Garden of Eden and separated from the presence of God. Due to the fall, Adam and Eve also came to know the difference between good and evil and became capable of having children, as God had originally commanded.
As a direct result of the fall of Adam and Eve, all children of God who would be born into the world suffer physical death and spiritual death. While physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body, spiritual death is the separation of a person from God. Spiritual death results from making sinful decisions between good and evil. Were it not for the atonement of Jesus Christ, physical death and spiritual death would both prevent God's children from returning to him with a physical body.
Unlike some
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
s, Latter-day Saints generally do not see the fall as a serious sin or as an overwhelmingly negative event. Rather, the fall is viewed as "a necessary step in the plan of life and a great blessing to all of us. Because of the Fall, we are blessed with physical bodies, the right to choose between good and evil, and the opportunity to gain eternal life. None of these privileges would have been ours had Adam and Eve remained in the garden." Latter-day scripture reports that Adam and Eve later rejoiced that they had chosen to partake of the fruit, and the
Book of MormonThe Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr. as The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi...
teaches that the fall was necessary for humankind to exist and for them to experience joy, which is the ultimate purpose of existence.
Spirit world
If a person physically dies without being given the chance to accept the atonement of Jesus Christ on the earth, he or she will be given that chance as a spirit after death. Necessary ordinances, such as baptism, can be performed on behalf on the person in LDS Church
templesIn The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also called the LDS or Mormon Church, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a...
.
Resurrection
Mormons believe that Jesus made possible the literal resurrection of all humanity. They teach that when Jesus physically died on the cross, Jesus' suffering ended and his spirit left his physical body.
On the third day after his death, Jesus' spirit returned to his physical body and he became the first child of God to be
resurrectedThe resurrection of dead humans is a central doctrine of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It may refer either to the resurrection of particular individuals, or a general resurrection of humanity....
with a perfect and immortal physical body of flesh and bone. Because Jesus was resurrected, all children of God who ever lived on the earth will one day be resurrected. Thus, the spirit children of God will
all receive immortal physical bodies of flesh and bone, and their spirits and their bodies will never again be separated.
Degrees of glory
In Mormon cosmology, there are three
degrees of glory (alternatively,
kingdoms of glory) which are the ultimate, eternal dwelling place for nearly all who lived on earth.
Joseph Smith, Jr.Joseph Smith, Jr. was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism, and an important religious and political figure during the 1830s and 1840s...
, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, provided a description of the
afterlifeThe afterlife is the idea that the consciousness or mind of a being continues after physical death occurs. In many popular views, this continued existence often takes place in a spiritual or immaterial realm. Major views on the afterlife derive from religion, esotericism and metaphysics...
based primarily upon a vision he reportedly received together with
Sidney RigdonSidney Rigdon was an important figure in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. Rigdon's influence over the early years of the movement is considered by many historians to have been nearly as strong as that of church founder Joseph Smith Jr.-Baptist background:Sidney Rigdon was born...
, at
Hiram, OhioHiram is a village in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It was formed from portions of Hiram Township in the Connecticut Western Reserve. The population was 1,242 at the 2000 census...
, February 16, 1832, and recorded as
Doctrine and CovenantsThe Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
Section 76. According to this section of
LDS scriptureThe Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several books that constitute its open scriptural canon, and include the following:* The Holy Bible...
, the
afterlifeThe afterlife is the idea that the consciousness or mind of a being continues after physical death occurs. In many popular views, this continued existence often takes place in a spiritual or immaterial realm. Major views on the afterlife derive from religion, esotericism and metaphysics...
consists of three
degrees or kingdoms of gloryIn The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' theology, there are three degrees of glory which are the ultimate, eternal dwelling place for nearly all who lived on earth...
, called the Celestial Kingdom, the Terrestrial Kingdom, and the Telestial Kingdom. The few who do not inherit any degree of glory (though they are resurrected) reside in a state called
outer darknessIn Christianity, the outer darkness is a place referred to three times in the Gospel of Matthew into which a person may be "cast out", and where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth"...
, which, though not a degree of glory, is often discussed in this context. The ones who go there are known as "
Sons of PerditionThe notion of the Son of Perdition or the Man of Sin or The Wicked One can be found in and and is a name commonly associated with the Antichrist , the Lawless One , and the Beast of Revelation ....
".
Exaltation
In consequence of the atonement of Jesus Christ, a son or daughter of God the Father may overcome physical and spiritual death and return to live with God forever. Those individuals who receive this—which is described as the "greatest gift of God"—are said to enter into a state of "exaltation" after they are resurrected. Exaltation is also called "salvation" or "eternal life", though some sources state that "salvation" refers only to the process of souls being freed from the bonds of Hell (also called "Spirit Prison"), or released from Paradise (also called "Spirit Paradise"), and the subsequent resurrection of said souls; while "exaltation" and "eternal life" refer to the state of living with God the Father and Jesus Christ in the "highest degree" of Heaven.
Exaltation is "the kind of life God lives". In other words, exalted beings will live in great glory, be perfect, and possess all knowledge and wisdom. Exalted beings will live forever with God the Father and Jesus Christ, will become gods and goddesses, will live with their righteous earthly family members, and will receive the fulness of joy enjoyed by God and Christ. One of they key qualifications for exaltation is being united in a
celestial marriageCelestial marriage is a doctrine unique to Mormonism and Swedenborgianism, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and branches of Mormon fundamentalism.Within Mormonism, celestial marriage is an ordinance associated with a covenant that always takes place inside temples by...
to an opposite-sex partner. Such a union can be created during mortality, or it can be created after death by proxy marriages performed in temples.
Humans who fall short of exaltation still receive an immortal physical body. Most will be awarded one of three kingdoms of glory, whether it be the celestial, terrestrial, or telestial kingdoms. Those who are exalted are said to inhabit the "highest degree" of the celestial kingdom. Satan, his spirit followers, and a select number of people who lived on the earth will receive
no gloryIn Christianity, the outer darkness is a place referred to three times in the Gospel of Matthew into which a person may be "cast out", and where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth"...
and will be called the sons of perdition.
Further reading
- John L. Brooke (1996, new ed.). The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644–1844 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press) ISBN 0521565642 — Crowe discusses Smith's and Young's statements on the subject of the plurality of worlds
- Mcmurrin, Sterling M. (1965) The Theological Foundations of the Mormon Religion — Rothstein takes Mormon belief of the planet Kolob
In Mormonism, Kolob is a star or planet mentioned in the Book of Abraham as being nearest to the throne or residence of God. Mention of a star or planet by that name is found within the Book of Abraham, which is canonized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mormon fundamentalist...
and the transportation of Enoch's sacred city Zion thereto and contrasts it with modern UFO beliefs, noting the absence of any such beliefs in official doctrine.
- Pratt, Parley P.
Parley Parker Pratt was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...
(1855) Key to the Science of Theology
- Webb, Stephen If The Universe Is Teeming With Aliens ... Where Is Everybody? Fifty Solutions to the Fermi Paradox and the Problem of Extraterrestial Life New York: January 2002 Springer-Verlag ISBN-13: 9780387955018
External links