Britannica Sources used in this answer

What do Latter-day Saints believe happens after death?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mormon temple, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Latter-day Saints believe that after death, everyone who has lived on Earth—with the exception of a few who knowingly reject God—will receive a degree of glory in the afterlife.1

Following the millennium, the Earth is expected to become a celestial sphere and the inheritance of the righteous. Those who are faithful to the church may receive the fullness of God and become gods themselves. In the afterlife, individuals are assigned to one of three kingdoms of glory:1

Celestial glory: The highest of the three kingdoms.2
Terrestrial glory: A kingdom of lesser glory.1
Telestial glory: A kingdom of lesser glory.1

Latter-day Saints believe that futures in the afterlife are determined by both the grace of God and an individual's own actions, including faith, repentance, and participation in essential church ordinances. Because these ordinances are considered necessary for salvation, the church performs baptism and other rites by proxy for those who have died without knowledge of the truth.13