What about heaven? It’s a broad word with which everyone has personal associations. Ask people what ‘heaven’ is to them, and you might hear about anything from walking on a beach to time spent with family to a rainy day with a good book. But The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has specific doctrine detailing what happens after earth life. Many—but not all—members find comfort and answers to their questions in Church teachings about how heaven is organized, how and by whom we are judged, who we’ll spend eternity with, and how we can qualify for exaltation by keeping covenants now. In Episode 278, Cynthia and Susan discuss voicemails from ALSSI listeners sharing personal questions, ideas, hopes and beliefs about what comes next.
Notes & Quotes:
Kingdoms of Glory
Spiritual Separators, by Susan Hinckley, Say More: At Last She Writes It | No. 33, 03/2025
Jason Reynolds on Wildcard, NPR on Instagram, 11/27/2025
“Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all people will be resurrected. After we are resurrected, we will stand before the Lord to be judged according to our desires and actions. Each of us will accordingly receive an eternal dwelling place in a specific kingdom of glory. The Lord taught this principle when He said, ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions.’ [...] The glory we inherit will depend on the depth of our conversion, expressed by our obedience to the Lord’s commandments. It will depend on the manner in which we have ‘received the testimony of Jesus.’”—from Kingdoms of Glory (on the Church website)