1. Annihilation: (NOTHING awaits us). This contradicts many scriptures, including Heb. 9:27 ("It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.") See also Matt. 25:46.
2. Soul Sleep. This seems unlikely in view of Phil. 1:21-23. "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." In that passage, he said it would be far BETTER to be with Christ.
The subdivisions of celestial, terrestrial and telestial glories do not fit with the descriptions of Rev. 20:15 and 21:24-27. The first verse says if one’s name is not in the book of life the destination is the lake of fire; the other passage says if your name IS in the book of life, you will have access to the very throne of God in the new heaven and earth, which might be equated to the top, or Celestial glory. The Mormon revelations deny that people in terrestrial or telestial glory have access to the throne of God. I would simply ask, "What other options can exist besides "name in book," and "name not in book"? (Even the LDS revelation of Doctrine and Covenants 101:65-66 speaks of two destinations only - and yet it came AFTER the three degrees of glory revelation...??.) Other Scriptures (King James Version): (see footnote 1 below)
The entire Bible speaks only of God's KINGDOM (singular); it never speaks of more than one heavenly kingdom! ( In Rev. 11:15b, the one exception, the plural form in King James is italicized, meaning it was supplied by translators, thus not in the original)
B. LDS Proof Texts:
I Cor. 15:40 Joseph Smith added the word telestial to that verse. (Note: there is no manuscript evidence for the addition). Study of the King James Version verse in context shows that the verse refers ONLY to earthly (terrestrial) bodies and heavenly (celestial) bodies, not to any destinations. In other words, the verse merely speaks of the kind of body humans have before and after death.
The LDS view of word terrestrial as relating to the future does not agree with its true meaning. The word TERRESTRIAL as used throughout the New Testament, simply means 'earthly', and in II Cor. 5:1-4 the Greek word for terrestrial (epigeios) was translated as "earthly" (verse 1): "For we know that if our earthly (terrestrial) house of this tabernacle (i.e our present body) were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. It goes on to speak of wanting to be clothed with our new body in heaven. Now think what it is saying. My terrestrial body has to be dissolved before I get a new one in heaven. In other words, there will be no terrestrial bodies in heaven because my terrestrial body is my PRESENT, earthly one!
II Cor. 12:2 refers to the third heaven. The "first" usage in the Bible of the word heaven has the meaning, sky; the second, outer space, and the third, the presence of God... these are the 3 ways the word heaven is used in the Bible. It is illogical to jump to the conclusion that there are other "heavens" that exist as destinations for humans, when the clear statements in God's Word indicate otherwise.
John 14:2 speaks of many mansions... but those mansions are in the FATHER'S house (I.E. where the Father lives). We can agree that "Celestial Glory" (God's kingdom) exists. No other place for mansions or dwelling places is mentioned in the Bible.
B. LDS Writings
BOOK OF MORMON VERSES:
II Nephi 15:34-35 kingdom of God or an awful, filthy hell
II Nephi 2:27 liberty and eternal life or captivity and eternal death
Mosiah 2:39-41 never-ending happiness or never-ending torment
Mosiah 5:5, 15 heaven, everlasting life,or under the wrath of God in eternal torment
Mos. 15:21-27 redeemed, with God, or perishing in sins
Alma 42:16 happiness or punishment (ETERNAL)
Helaman 12:26 everlasting life or everlasting damnation
Note that D&C 20:9, 27:5 refers to the Book of Mormon as the FULLNESS of the gospel. This makes "3 heavens" a significant omission!
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
D & C 76, 88 and 131 are the only places that teach the three heavens theory.
BUT... see the rest of the story:
D&C 29:27-28, 43-44 eternal life or eternal damnation
D&C 43:25,33, 63:49, 54 eternal life or unquenchable fire
D&C 101:65-67 Celestial glory vs. unquenchable fire
(Note... this key passage was written AFTER the original major revelation of the teaching of 3 heavens... so which is it?)
PEARL OF GREAT PRICE
Moses 6:29 and 59 kingdom of heaven or death and hell
Moses 7:57-67 fullness of joy or chains of darkness
C. Summary and Additional Evidence
1. No Bible verses teach more than 2 destinations for mankind. Its consistent story is the traditional heaven/hell, although it could more precisely be referred to as hell followed by the lake of fire vs. the new heaven and earth as the two choices (There will be free access between the new heaven and earth, and all have access to the throne of God. See Rev. 21:24-27)
2. The Book of Mormon does not teach the 3 heavens theory.
3. Nor does the Pearl of Great Price teach three heavens, but two destinations.
4. While the Doctrine and Covenants does refer to the 3 heavens in 3 places... other places in D & C say the opposite. And the most significant revelation (D&C 88) was a part of a larger revelation, a part of which was proven to be false. Church History, Vol. 2, pp. 380-381. Joseph Smith said he saw in a vision of the CELESTIAL kingdom "the (current) 12 apostles of the Lamb who are now upon the earth." Did these apostles ever inherit the Celestial kingdom? History of the Church later records the apostasy and final excommunication of 5 of the 12 apostles referred to in this vision:
Lyman Johnson Vol. 3:20
Luke Johnson - Vol. 2:528
William McLellin - Vol. 3:31
William Smith - Vol. 7:483
Thomas Marsh - Vol. 4:284
Since part of his Celestial glory vision was false, dare we believe any of it?
5. Apart from the change in I Cor. 15:40, the Joseph Smith Translation does not support or correct the Bible so as to support the 3 heavens teaching. It consistently upholds the two destination view. The JST reads the same in the key passages in Rev. 20 and 21. Some have suggested that Smith did not finish the Joseph Smith Translation, but the Church Chronology entry for July 2, 1833 states: "Joseph the Prophet finished the translation of the Bible."
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It appears that hell is like a jail situation (temporary) because all in hell (Rev. 20:13-15) then face judgment and are cast into the Lake of Fire.
The Bible actually pictures a new heaven and earth that unite together in Rev. 21:1-7 These will be inhabited by those whose names are in the book of life..
It would appear we have just two choices and they are pretty black-and-white! (See John 5:29 - Resurrection of the just and unjust) The Bible does indicate that there will be, within those two choices, rewards or no rewards for the righteous, and degrees of punishment for the wicked.
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Footnote 1: Scriptures on Heaven and Hell:
Psalm 139:8 heaven; hell
Proverbs righteous vs. unrighteous repeatedly mentioned--
no mention of half-righteous people
Isa. 14:12-15 heaven/hell
Daniel 12:1 shame & contempt, or everlasting life
Matt. 8:11-12 kingdom of heaven/outer darkness
Matt. 13 the wheat and the tares, wicked vs. just, burned vs. God's Kingdom
Matt. 25:46 life eternal, everlasting punishment
Mark 9:47 Kingdom of God or hell fire
Luke 19:10 saved or lost
John 3:16 perishing or having everlasting life
John 3:18 condemned or not condemned
John 3:36 wrath of God or everlasting life
John 5:24 life or death
John 5:29 resurrection of the just or the unjust
Rom. 6:23 death; eternal life
I Cor. 1:18 saved; perishing
I Cor. 6:9-11 kingdom of God or unrighteous not in kingdom
Eph. 5:1-6 kingdom, or wrath of God
II Thess. 1:5-9 punishment, or the kingdom of God
I Peter 1:3-5 Godly ones; darkness, light
II Peter 2:9, 3:7-9, 13 deliverance into new heaven; ungodly perishing
I John 5:11-12 eternal life; no eternal life
Rev. 20:15, 21:24-26 name in book/name not in book (presence of God; lake of fire)