Question
Gramps,
If a person goes to paradise, can they end up in any glory other than the celestial kingdom?
Val
Answer
Val,
The short answer is yes; those who are in paradise can inherit any of the three degrees of glory after the final judgement.
You see, paradise is the part of the spirit world reserved for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior through the ordinance of baptism and those who have truly repented of their sins, thus making use of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice.
Spirit prison, on the other hand, is the part of the spirit world reserved for those who have:
a) Never heard of Christ in their mortal lives, thus haven’t had the opportunity to accept the ordinance of baptism
b) Accepted Christ, yet have not fully repented of their sins
c) Openly rejected Christ and all He represents and offers to us
The best news of all is that for those in spirit prison, the opportunity exists for repentance and forgiveness. However it is far more difficult in the spirit world to repent than in this life. The result is that all that have lived and died, whether in paradise or in spirit prison, will be resurrected at the proper time. Part of that means that all sin must have been paid for, whether through the Atonement, or through their own individual suffering in spirit prison.
Once the resurrection is complete, the final judgement will begin, and everyone will inherit the degree of glory they have best prepared for in their lives. Keep in mind that all three degrees of glory are part of Heaven itself. Very few people will not inherit any glory at all. These are called the Sons of Perdition, and their inheritance is Outer Darkness.
