Sacred Light

Interestingly, Joseph Smith was not the first person during his lifetime to envision this idea of the three kingdoms of glory, or the three kingdoms of 'Heaven'.  “Emanuel Swedenborg was a world-renowned inventor and scientist in the 1700s. At age 53, Swedenborg began experiencing visions and dreams. He claimed to have been appointed by God to reform Christianity. (just like Joseph Smith!)  For the rest of his life, he published the information he received through his frequent visits to the spirit world.   Swedenborg taught there were three degrees of glory in heaven, comparable to the sun, the moon, and the stars, the highest being called the Celestial Kingdom.   A library near the Smith home carried the book,  Sibly’s Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences . Historian Michael Quinn has already demonstrated that this book is the likely source for the Smith family’s magic parchments.   This book also contains a 20-page summary of Swed...