1 Corinthians 15 does NOT teach 3 kingdoms!

Mormons will try to use 1 Corinthians 15:41 (ugh...still trying to make it work with Scripture, guys?) to support their belief in 3 different kingdoms, which are 3 different kinds of "heaven" in Mormon doctrine.

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars, for star differs from star in glory.1 Corinthians 15:41

So here's the false Mormon interpretation: There is a "sun" glory, a "moon" glory, and a "stars" glory, and these different glories are the glories of three different "kingdoms" which people are sorted into. As usual, Mormonism is trying to make Scripture say something which it simply does not say.

Refuting the Mormon interpretation...easily

Paul is setting the Corinthians straight on the issue of the resurrection, insisting that there is one. The verse at issue is introduced by the question: "With what kind of body will [the resurrected] come?" (v35). Paul's response is simple: "There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. The glory of the heavenly body is one sort and the earthly body another." (v40) In other words, the resurrection body will not be zombie body or otherwise the same as our earthly body, but will be of another sort entirely. Paul is not teaching that there are different kinds of resurrection bodies, but simply that the resurrection body will be different from our earthly bodies.

Mormons conveniently overlook the rest of verse 41. While Mormons say there is a "sun" kingdom, "moon" kingdom, and "star" kingdom, and so try to justify their three kingdoms with Scripture, the rest of the verse says that "star differs from star in glory" (v41). The point is, Mormon interpretation (multiple types of resurrection bodies or kingdoms) would result in not simply three kingdoms as Mormonism teaches, but in trillions - one for each star!

But again, Paul makes his teaching clear. He is not speaking about different kinds of resurrection bodies, only illustrating the difference between the earthly body and the heavenly.

42 It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living person"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 Like the one made of dust, so too are those made of dust, and like the one from heaven, so too those who are heavenly. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear the image of the man of heaven.

50 Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.1 Corinthians 15:42-50

There is nothing here about different types of resurrection bodies or different kingdoms, only about the contrast between the earthly body and the heavenly body. Having to do with this same doctrine (different kingdoms), checkout an explanation of why the Mormon teaching of the kingdoms directly contradicts Scripture.