Degrees of glory

Joseph Smith sent a letter to the branch making clear that disbelief in the Vision was an excommunicable offense, and after refusing to change his position Landon was excommunicated.[13][14] Brigham Young said, It was a great trial to many, and some apostatized because God was not going to send to everlasting punishment heathens and infants, but had a place of salvation, in due time, for all, and would bless the honest and virtuous and truthful, whether they ever belonged to any church or not.[15] After the tepid reception of "the Vision," Joseph Smith gave instruction to missionaries to "remain silent" about it, until prospective converts had first believed the basic principles."[20] In Latter Day Saint theology, the celestial kingdom is the residence of those who have been righteous, accepted the teachings of Jesus Christ, and received and lived up to all of the required ordinances and covenants.[22] All children who die before they become morally competent, which according to LDS belief typically happens around the age of 8, automatically inherit the celestial kingdom without the reception of ordinances.It is believed by LDS Church members to correspond to the "bodies terrestrial" and "glory of the moon" mentioned by the apostle Paul in the King James Version translation of 1 Corinthians 15:40–41."[33][19] According to Doctrine and Covenants Section 76, those who will inhabit the terrestrial kingdom include those who have lived respectably but "were blinded by the craftiness of men" and thus rejected the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ when it was presented to them in this life.It is believed by LDS Church members to correspond to the "glory of the stars" mentioned by the apostle Paul in the King James Version translation of 1 Corinthians 15:41.[19] “Telestial" is a term with no prior usage, and it was not made clear if the word was meant to be part of the vision or an invention by Smith or Rigdon.[3] Historian Mark Staker points out that Rigdon had elementary experience with Latin and Greek, and that the word reflects the idea of being far off or reaching the end.These individuals will have the opportunity, during this time in the postmortal spirit world, to accept ordinances performed on their behalf by LDS Church members in temples."[49] Bruce R. McConkie suggested that by implication this means that "most of the adult people who have lived from the day of Adam to the present time will go to the telestial kingdom.[53] In 1839 Smith met with a recent Latter Day Saint convert from Swedenborgianism, Edward Hunter, and told him, "Emanuel Swedenborg had a view of the world to come, but for daily food he perished.