The Spirit World

Volume Two—Chapter Thirteen THE SPIRIT WORLD

The spirit world is our dwelling place between death and resurrection. We have been blessed with considerable knowledge about this fascinating phase of our eternal existence. Ancient and modern scripture as well as the writings and teachings of prophets of this dispensation are vital sources. In the modern Church we have more information available to us than any other people on earth. Doctrinally, however, a few ambiguities still exist.

Our sojourn in the premortal world, which preceded the current mortal phase, is referred to as our “first estate.” The spirit world is part of man’s “second estate.” This period extends from mortal birth to resurrection. Thus, man’s second estate consists of our current life on earth and our eventual stay in the spirit world.

#What Is a Spirit?

Having lost our mortal bodies through death, we will dwell in our post-mortal state as spirits. Our spirits have a dual nature. They are a combination of our “essence” (our intelligence) and a body composed of spirit matter.

Intelligences are eternal and uncreated entities that have co-existed with God forever (D&C 93:29; Abraham 3:18). That they have always existed defies human understanding. Joseph Smith wrote: “The mind of man—the intelligent part, is as immortal as, and is coequal [in duration] with God himself” (The Words of Joseph Smith, cited from Joseph Smith Diary, by Willard Richards: 7 April 1844, 341). We know nothing of their origins or their physical characteristics. Each is autonomous and uniquely identifiable. Each thinks and acts independently (D&C 93:30). Apparently

there are male and female intelligences, distinct from each other.

As to the nature of spirit matter, in modern revelation we learn: “There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes; We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter” (D&C 131:7-8).

#The Transition between Mortality and the Spirit World

The immediate transition between this mortal life and the world of spirits is perhaps the most problematic issue in our study of the spirit world. The student of the doctrine may well be left with some uncertainties after studying what is available to us in the scriptures, in the homilies or sermons of the brethren, and in the writings of our church scholars. Let us consider a few pertinent topics relative to this transition.

#The Partial Judgment

At the time of mortal death and entrance into the spirit world, each individual experiences what President Joseph F. Smith called a “partial judgment.” President Smith wrote:

The spirits of all men, as soon as they depart from this mortal body, whether they are good or evil, we are told in the Book of Mormon, are taken home to that God who gave them life, where there is a separation, a partial judgment, and the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they expand in wisdom, where they have respite from all their troubles, and where care and sorrow do not annoy. The wicked, on the contrary, have no part nor portion in the Spirit of the Lord, and they are cast into outer darkness, being led captive, because of their own iniquity, by the evil one. And in this space between death and the resurrection of the body, the two classes of souls remain, in happiness or in misery, until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth and be reunited both spirit and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works. This is the final judgment (Gospel Doctrine, 448-49).

President Smith refers here to Alma 40:11-14. This passage teaches us that “as soon as” an individual dies, he is subjected to a “partial judgment.” All who experience this partial judgment are separated into a state of paradise or a state of “outer darkness.” In paradise there is “happiness,” “rest,” “peace,” learning (“they expand in wisdom”), and “respite from all their troubles.” But what is the state referred to in this verse by the prophet Alma as “outer darkness?” Is this outer darkness the eternal abode of the sons of perdition? Clearly it is not. In speaking to his son Corianton of the second division within the spirit world, which the scriptures designate as hell or “outer darkness,” Alma said:

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house— and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil (Alma 40:13).

Clearly this “hell”—this “outer darkness”—is the spirit world, particularly that state in the spirit world we refer to as “prison.” At death, if an individual is judged worthy of celestial glory, by an all seeing and all-knowing Lord, he will be received into a state of paradise (D&C 137:5-9). If he is judged unworthy, he will be assigned to spirit prison.

#Are Those in Paradise Sealed Up to their Exaltation?

Robert L. Millet and Joseph Fielding McConkie wrote:

The time of testing and trial is not without its limits and bounds; the day of probation must end. The pre-earth life was a time of schooling, of trials, and of tests. Its inhabitants had agency, and were required to “choose good or evil.” Those choosing good found it necessary to exercise “exceedingly great faith” to survive the challenges of that existence (Alma 13:3-4). It was a probationary estate, one in which “a third part of the hosts of heaven” were cast out and became perdition, or hopelessly lost. These will not be born into mortality, will never clothe their spirits in bodies, and will never obtain any degree of glory.

Those who kept their first estate will be born into mortality, where trials and tests will continue. Of their number, those who have the privilege of accepting the gospel, and who do so—honoring their covenants and enduring in faith—will at death be escorted into the paradise of God, the day of their probation being complete. None such can fall, none such can lose the sure promises of eternal life which are now theirs, the day of their probation being past. They departed “mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection, through the grace of God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ” (D&C 138:14). Abraham taught these principles in this language: “And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever” (Abraham 3:26) (The Life Beyond, 62).

For those privileged to be assigned to paradise, their probationary state is over. This is not to say they are perfect—exactly like the Savior. They will continue to progress both in paradise and in the celestial heaven. “And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow” (Alma 40:12). They will not, however, fall to a lower state. They will inherit a celestial body at the resurrection. It is obvious that the righteous, departed spirits in paradise are free of worldly troubles, the vicissitudes of life, and the shackles of a corrupt and infirm body. These spirits will enjoy the vigor and enthusiasm characteristic of them in their prime of life. Their mortal trial is over. They are sealed up to inherit eternal life in the celestial kingdom. They will not simply rest, however. Rather, they will be involved in the work of the Lord, including missionary service.

Are We Received into the World of Spirits by a Personal Experience with the Savior Himself?

Immediately at death are we ushered into the presence of the Savior himself? This is one of the questions for which there remains no clear answer.

There are reasons to think we may have a personal experience with the Savior at our death:

1. Let us look, yet again, at the words of the younger Alma as he counseled his son Corianton:

Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life (Alma 40:11, italics added).

Alma’s language is similar to that of the Preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes: “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 2:7).

Taken at face value, these passages suggest that all men, “as soon as they are departed from this mortal body,” are “taken home to . . . God.” We would presume that “God” here is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

2. If we are to be judged with a binding (“partial”) judgment immediately on entry into the world of spirits, one may well ask, “Who makes that judgment? Who is qualified to do so?” Who is capable of sealing a man up to eternal life or banishing him, for a time, for further testing and further instruction? Who is it that can do that and do it perfectly fairly? It is true that others, of priesthood authority, will assist in the postmortal judgments (see 3 Nephi 27:27; D&C 19:29; Matthew 19:28), but is anyone, other than the Lord Jesus Christ, qualified to make the vitally important “partial judgment”? Only he qualifies by virtue of his atoning sacrifice and death. The Father is certainly qualified, but scripture teaches: “The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22).

It is true that the Savior could render the partial judgment from a distance or “in absentia.” But some of us hope he will be there to receive us in person at this most vital watershed moment. It seems uncharacteristic of him not to share this most poignant homecoming experience with those of God’s children who qualify for celestial glory.

3. The prophet Nephi taught of a gatekeeper: “O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name” (2 Nephi 9:41). There is no doubt that this gatekeeper is the Lord Jesus Christ. While we cannot be certain to which gate this scripture refers (spirit world? celestial?), we might presume that the function of the gatekeeper is to render the partial judgment. For this purpose only the Lord is qualified. Only he “cannot be deceived.” Hence, “he employeth no servant there.”

4. Many of us were present when Elder Bruce R. McConkie, terminally ill with a malignancy, spoke for the last time in general conference in April 1985. Speaking of the Lord’s atonement and making reference to his own imminent death, Elder McConkie said:

I testify that it took place in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way” (“The Purifying Power of Gethsemane,” Ensign, May, 1985, 9-10).

Was Elder McConkie anticipating an imminent personal visit with the Savior at his death? It seems possible he was.

Some, however, have objected to the idea that all men enter the presence of God as soon as they die. Their objections provide us also with good reasons to think we may not have a personal experience with the Savior at our death:

1. In referring to Alma 40:11-14, Brigham Young taught that these verses mean that “when the spirits leave their bodies they are in the presence of our Father and God” in that they “are prepared then to see, hear, and understand spiritual things” (JD, 3:368). Orson Pratt added that to go into the “presence” of God is not necessarily to be “placed within a few yards or rods, or within a short distance of his person” (Ibid., 16:365). President George Q. Cannon explained: “Alma, when he says that ‘the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body . . . are taken home to that God who gave them life,’ has the idea, doubtless, in his mind that our God is omnipresent. . . . He does not intend to convey the idea that they are immediately ushered into the personal presence of God. He evidently used that phrase in a qualified sense” (Gospel Truth, 1:73). Heber C. Kimball taught:

As for my going into the immediate presence of God when I die, I do not expect it, but I expect to go into the world of spirits and associate with my brethren, and preach the Gospel in the spiritual world, and prepare myself in every necessary way to receive my body again, and then enter through the wall into the celestial world. I never shall come into the presence of my Father and God until I have received my resurrected body, neither will any other person (JD, 3:112-13).

2. Some well might reason, “After all, the spirit world is a continuation of our testing period. It is part of the second estate. The veil of forgetfulness is still drawn over our minds. Would it not nullify or at least drastically alter the test if we were to be greeted in person by the Savior at the moment of our death?”

Those of this persuasion may suggest that the partial judgment must be rendered from a distance or by someone other than Jesus Christ. Also, though they acknowledge that Jesus is certainly the gatekeeper referred to in 2 Nephi 9:41, they would think this verse does not refer to the “gate” into the world of spirits. The celestial gate is more likely.

3. As to Elder McConkie’s words in April 1985, some may claim, “Perhaps some and not others will be received directly into the Lord’s presence. Certainly Elder McConkie is one of those who we would expect to qualify.” Or, perhaps, “Elder McConkie’s ‘in a coming day’ was not intended to mean immediately following his death.”

What then should we conclude on the matter? Do we indeed enter into the presence of God immediately following our death in mortality? My own personal bias, perhaps born largely of a yearning to soften my fear of death and my yearning to greet and embrace him, is that Alma 40:11 speaks for itself. I suggest the prophet Jacob probably had the gate to the spirit world in mind when he wrote, “Wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins” (2 Nephi 9:38). Having stated my bias, I freely admit that we simply do not know the answer to this question. We will just have to wait and see!

#Precisely Who Will Be Found Worthy of Paradise?

Here is another issue where some ambiguity remains. It has long been the common wisdom in the Church that those members who die “temple worthy” with all their ordinances completed and their lives otherwise in order for exaltation will be judged worthy of paradise. All others will be placed in the state of “prison.” These latter individuals would include: (1) all who have not had an adequate opportunity to hear and accept the gospel, whether or not they would have been inclined to accept it had they heard it; (2) those who have heard the gospel and then and either rejected it or accepted it but evidenced an inadequate commitment; and (3) even those who have accepted and lived the gospel but have not completed all of the necessary ordinances of salvation. Included in these three groups are those honorable people of the earth who were not members of the Lord’s Church in mortality but might have been members of myriad other faiths (Christian and non-Christian). Also included are the “wicked” (adulterers, murderers, thieves, liars) of the earth. According to this view, a number of those who enter spirit prison will eventually be exalted as they accept the gospel and flourish in it.

Is this the standard by which we are judged immediately after our death—by which the partial judgment is rendered? Or, are there are reasons to think this paradigm, these requirements for paradise, might be too narrow and simplistic.

For one thing, the scriptural description of those who are cast into “outer darkness” (spirit prison) does not quite fit the spirit prison group that would result from this standard: “The spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil” (Alma 40:13). This verse describes the characteristics of those placed in spirit prison. They are “wicked” and “evil.” They “chose evil works rather than good.” The “spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of [them].” These characteristics can hardly be said to apply to most of those who inherit spirit prison according to the paradigm described above. It is difficult to imagine that any of the individuals described in Alma 40:13 would ever end up in the celestial heaven. They seem more likely destined to inherit a lesser degree of glory, or even outer darkness.

In an eloquent pronouncement on the Lord’s judgment the prophet Joseph Smith, encouraged the saints to expand their vision of the human family. He encouraged us to view people of other faiths and cultures as God views them and not according to the “narrow, contracted notions of men.” He taught that the Lord will take complex personal, political, social, financial, and familial circumstances into account at the last day and render his judgments based on a divine, merciful perspective that surpasses our limited human understanding:

While one portion of the human race is judging and condemning the other without mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole of the human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard; He views them as His offspring, and without any of those contracted feelings that influence the children of man, causes “His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” He holds the reins of judgment in His hands; He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the narrow, contracted notions of men, but, “according to the deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil,” or whether these deeds were done in England, America, Spain, Turkey, or India. He will judge them, “not according to what they have not, but according to what they have.” Those who have lived without law, will be judged without law, and those who have a law, will by judged by that law. We need not doubt the wisdom and intelligence of the Great Jehovah; He will award judgment or mercy to all nations according to their several deserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they are governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining correct information, and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human family; and when the designs of God shall be made manifest, and the curtain of futurity be withdrawn, we shall all of us eventually have to confess that the Judge of all the earth has done right (HC, 4:595-96).

It seems likely the Lord will apply these same notions, standards, and qualifications to the partial judgment.

Modern scripture provides us a plausible alternate formula by which the Lord may issue the partial judgment more broadly. The prophet Joseph Smith was blessed by the Lord with a vision of the celestial kingdom. Joseph was surprised to find there his older brother Alvin who had died prior to the restoration of the Aaronic priesthood, and thus prior to any authorized baptism:

I saw Father Adam and Abraham; and my father and my mother; my brother Alvin, that has long since slept; And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins. Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom; For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts (D&C 137:5-9).

It is entirely plausible that the Lord may judge all of humankind at the end of their mortal life regardless of their experience, the duration of their stay in mortality, and whether or not they heard or accepted the gospel. He knows all things. In particular he knows each of us intimately. He can judge mankind, because he knows perfectly the thoughts and intentions of the human heart: “Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart” (D&C 6:16). The phrases “desire of their hearts” and “the intents of thy heart” do not refer to a man’s preferences. Rather, they refer to what the man truly is in his heart.

This mortal life is the probationary state. “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors” (Alma 34:32). If an individual has accepted Christ and his gospel and has diligently tried to keep the commandments, he will be assigned, at the partial judgment, to paradise. If he would have accepted Christ and his gospel had he been given sufficient opportunity, he will also be assigned to paradise. If the Lord judges an individual’s heart and finds him deficient in celestial qualities, he will be assigned to spirit prison. From there, he will eventually receive that eternal reward befitting who he really is. He will spend eternity where he will everlastingly fit in and be comfortable and happy.

Those assigned to spirit prison will suffer personal torment. As they begin to pay for their sins themselves, most all of them will become refined to the point of repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ and his gospel. Virtually all will confess Christ and be rescued by his mercy. They will then be resurrected with either a terrestrial or a telestial body and abide forever in one of these respective glories. It is unlikely they will be able to progress while in the spirit prison to inherit celestial glory. Those whose “hearts” and “desires” are celestial will have already been so judged, by an all-knowing Lord, and they will be sealed up to celestial glory and live a state of paradise.

A small number of others will never repent. They will remain “filthy still” and be cast into outer darkness to live forever with the devil as sons of perdition.

A man’s death does not alter his basic nature. He carries into the spirit world the same attitudes, personality, and character he possessed on earth. When we came into this earth life, we brought with us inclinations, disinclinations, abilities, weaknesses, and attitudes. These we developed in the pre-mortal world. Similarly, we pass into the spirit world with the same basic qualities we acquired while on earth. If we lived upon this earth with a hunger for righteousness and a desire for things of the Spirit, we will have those same proclivities in the spirit world. Contrariwise, if the primary objects of our affections on this earth were materialism and things of the flesh, we cannot expect to be different when we arrive in the spirit world. Hence, the strong emphasis in the scriptures of this mortal life’s being the time for men to prepare to meet God. The Lord can judge us perfectly and fairly regardless of the experiences we had or did not have in mortality.

Let us again consider Alma 34:32: “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.” If we interpret “this life” as referring only to our mortal existence, then is this verse of scripture literally true? For those who are assigned to paradise, the verse is literally true. At the end of this mortal life, they have evidenced, at least to an all-seeing Lord, the true content of their hearts—who they really are. The prophet Alma taught: “I know that [God] granteth unto men according to their desire . . . according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction” (Alma 29:4). When the Lord sees into a man’s heart and judges his “desires” and his “will,” he judges them according to who they really are. If he perceives they are truly celestial, their probation is over. They have succeeded in preparing themselves to meet God, and they will inevitably receive this privilege. For those assigned to the spirit prison, this verse is also literally true. At the end of this mortal life, regardless of the duration and qualities of their experience here, the Savior is able to perceive them fairly. The dye is cast. They will live in prison and while there earn a degree of glory, but it will not be the one in which the Father resides.

Theoretically, Alma 34:32 might need qualification for only those hypothetical few assigned to spirit prison able to persist through the agonizing “hell” of the refining process and succeed to the point of receiving a celestial body. One may, however, argue that such individuals do not exist. Consistently, the Book of Mormon prophets teach that physical death seals the fate of the wicked.

There is a grand gospel principle operative here. In all of the human family, no one will be denied a blessing because of circumstances beyond that person’s control. No one will be condemned for not observing a commandment or participating in an ordinance of which that person was ignorant. If an individual is prevented from converting his noble intentions to honorable actions by external circumstances, he will be judged by an all-knowing Lord as if he had had the opportunity to translate his heartfelt desires to actions.

In this section, I have described two separate and conflicting paradigms for the doctrine of the transition between mortality and the spirit world. Both remain practical possibilities. We can only wait until we are given access to more revelation on the topic or experience the process in person.

#What of Those Who Die before the Age of Accountability?

What about D&C 137:10: “And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven”? Most have chosen to interpret this verse at face value. Others remain troubled by its sweeping implications. When viewed in the context of the world’s history, which includes extensive backward cultures with high infant and early childhood mortality rates, then those who earn their way to the celestial kingdom by dying before the years of accountability may outnumber all of those who inherit other kingdoms. Also, if the verse is accepted without qualifications, one must assume that God must have intended and even orchestrated each of those premature deaths.

Certainly our God is capable of directing a righteous spirit, who has less need of a probationary experience, into each of those infant bodies who would suffer death before the age of eight years. But this is a degree of intercession and intervention that does not quite square with the general manner in which God seems to deal with the family of Adam.

One might also question: Even though the millions of children that have died before the age of accountability are “sinless,” will each of them be suited for and eternally comfortable and happy in the celestial environment? Some of them might be more “at home” in other degrees of glory.

Is it possible that D&C 137:10 must be interpreted in light of the three verses that immediately precede it: “All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom; For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts” (D&C 137:7-9). Those spiritually innocent children who would have accepted the gospel, according to the judgment of an omniscient God, had they tarried upon the earth will enter the state of “paradise” and later return to their God. Others will surely be judged as meriting, more appropriately, a lesser glory.

#When Are We Resurrected?

Let us summarize the sequence of events surrounding the resurrection. Not everyone is resurrected at the same moment. There is a pre-defined order and sequence. The apostle Paul said, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order” (1 Corinthians 15:22-23, emphasis added).

Actually, there are two separate resurrections. The “first resurrection” is also called the “resurrection of the just.” The “second resurrection” is referred to as “the resurrection of damnation” or “the resurrection of the unjust.”

The first resurrection is divided into two parts: the “morning of the first resurrection” and what we may call the “afternoon” of the first resurrection.

Those who merit a celestial body come forth in the “morning” of the first resurrection. These are they who once resided in paradise, who bore the title “just men made perfect,” who are referred to as “the just” (D&C 76:17), meaning they are justified, ratified, sealed, and approved of God. These are they who have had their calling and election made sure. They are those who have received the promise by revelation that they will be equal with him in “power, might, and dominion” (see D&C 76:95). Those who come forth in this resurrection will live with God and the celestial heaven and enjoy eternal life which is God’s life.

The morning of the first resurrection began at the time of the resurrection of Jesus. It is likely continuing at the present time. Formally, the final phase of the “morning” is the major resurrection that will occur at the time of Christ’s second coming just prior to the Millennium. Of course, those who live during the Millennium and merit celestial glory will receive their celestial bodies during the millennial period (see D&C 132:19). Actually the phrase “morning of the first resurrection” refers not so much to a time as to a quality of resurrection. In other words, those who inherit the celestial kingdom rise in the morning of the first resurrection, whether they are resurrected at the time of Christ, at his second coming, during the Millennium, or sometime in between these events.

Those who will inherit a terrestrial body arise in the afternoon of the first resurrection. This begins some time after the onset of the Millennium and ends before the end of the one thousand years. It is during this phase that those bound for terrestrial glory will receive their bodies. These are referred to as “Christ’s at his coming” (D&C 88:99). These are they “who have received their part in that prison which is prepared for them, that they might receive the gospel, and be judged according to men in the flesh” (Ibid.). These have accepted Christ, but not to the degree that would exalt them.

The second resurrection begins at the end of the Millennium. The first to come forth in the second resurrection are those who have confessed Christ, repented, and have been cleansed of their sins. They have thus earned telestial glory. Finally, those who have refused to repent, earned no glory, and who are destined to spend the rest of eternity with Satan in outer darkness come forth with their bodies. Even “hell” or the spirit prison cannot purge these of their filth. They were given a sure witness and knowledge of heaven’s secrets. They denied it all and came out in open rebellion, striving to destroy the Church and the Savior. Thus, they “crucify Christ afresh” (see Hebrews 6:6).

#Do the Sons of Perdition Live Forever in a Resurrected Body?

One may intuitively suppose that those pitiable mortals who are, by their own wicked actions, condemned to outer darkness will live forever with a resurrected body. After all, is not the resurrection of all mortals characterized by the spirit’s coming forth with an eternal and everlasting resurrected body? There has been consequent speculation by members of the Church that those mortals condemned to outer darkness will have so much the advantage in the eternities over Satan and his “third part” of the hosts of heaven. These were cast out of the presence of God in the premortal world, never to be resurrected.

There is another suggestion in scripture, however, that the resurrected bodies of those condemned to outer darkness will eventually undergo dissolution. They may even return to the form of naked intelligence. The prophet Lehi, for example, teaches in 2 Nephi 1:22: “That ye may not be cursed with a sore cursing; and also, that ye may not incur the displeasure of a just God upon you, unto the destruction, yea, the eternal destruction of both soul and body.” As is often the case in the Book of Mormon, the word “soul” is best interpreted here as spirit. As mentioned, some have seen this verse as evidence that certain of the children of God, namely those who become sons of perdition, may, after their resurrection, not live forever with their resurrected bodies or even their spirit bodies.

Brigham Young, referring to the sons of perdition, made a chilling comment:

They will be decomposed, both soul and body, and return to their native element. I do not say that they will be annihilated; but they will be disorganized, and will be as though they never had been, while we will live and retain our identity, and contend against those principles which tend to death or dissolution. I am after life; I want to preserve my identity, so that you can see Brigham in the eternal worlds just as you see him now (JD, 7:57-58).

Presumably, this dissolution of the bodies of the sons of perdition is to include the dissolution of the resurrected bodies for those who had a mortal experience. And it may even include dissolution of the spirit bodies of Satan and his “third part” of the hosts of heaven. This would leave all sons of perdition without any embodiment whatever. Each would have nothing remaining except for their individual naked intelligence, in which they would be cast into outer darkness, perhaps never again to be picked up in another round of creation. This final dissolution of the bodies may be termed the “third death” (the “first death” is the spiritual death of each man due to the fall of Adam. The “second death” is the second spiritual death of each man due to his own sins).

#Does the Judgment Follow the Resurrection?

In 2 Nephi 9:15 Jacob teaches that after the resurrection, all must come before Christ to be judged. Is this really the proper sequence? Does the judgment come after the resurrection? First, let us define resurrection. Resurrection is simply the mostly inseparable union of the spirit with an eternal body (see Alma 11:45; D&C 138:17).

Actually, the judgment would seem to occur concomitantly with the resurrection. The type of immortal body in which we come forth in the resurrection is the judgment. We will come forth in a celestial body, a terrestrial body, or a telestial body. As we stand before the “judgment seat” of Christ, we will do so in our immortal bodies. The judgment will have already been made and will be evident. Thus, this final judgment, at least for those righteous destined to inherit a degree of glory is, in a sense, a formality. It is a declaration and celebration of their blessed eternal state. For the wicked and unrepentant, those who “remain filthy still” and go with Satan to outer darkness, it will be a dramatic moment of confrontation and humiliation. These also will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and that his judgments are just.

#Where is the Post-Mortal Spirit World Located?

It is apparently right here on the earth. Joseph Smith taught, concerning the location of those spirits of the deceased, “they are not far from us, and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions, and are often pained therewith” (TPJS, 326). In speaking of the location of the spirit world, Brigham Young taught:

But where is the spirit world? It is incorporated within this celestial system. Can you see it with your natural eyes? No. Can you see spirits in this room? No. Suppose the Lord should touch your eyes that you might see, could you then see the spirits? Yes, as plainly as you now see bodies . . . If the Lord would permit it, and it was his will that it should be done, you could see the spirits that have departed from this world, as plainly as you now see bodies with your natural eyes (JD, 3:368).

Later in this same sermon, President Young said the spirit world is “on this earth that was organized for the people that have lived and that do and will live upon it” (JD, 3:372).

In speaking of the nearness of the world of spirits, Parley P. Pratt wrote: “It is here on the very planet where we were born.” He included the spirits of those born on the innumerable other worlds in this round of creation as he further explained:

The earth and all other planets of a like sphere have their inward or spiritual spheres, as well as their outward, or temporal. The one is peopled by temporal tabernacles and the other by spirits. A veil is drawn between the one sphere and the other, whereby all the objects in the spiritual sphere are rendered invisible to those in the temporal (Key to the Science of Theology, 126-27; see also JD, 3:367-69).

Why are we mortals unable to see spirits with our natural eyes? Because spirits operate at a different frequency than that which our eye can perceive. The human eye and the eyes of all animals on the earth are able to process only a very narrow frequency band, indeed only a very small fraction, of all the electromagnetic energy known to exist. That narrow frequency band, to which the eye is responsive, is known as “light.” A wide range of other electromagnetic frequencies are known. Certain frequencies may be called by names such as ultraviolet light, infrared light, radio waves, and x-rays. The electromagnetic spectrum is a broad band of radiant energy extending over a range of wave lengths varying from trillionths of an inch to hundreds of miles. Wave lengths of physical light are measured in hundredths or thousandths of an inch. The human physical eye, remarkable as it is, is able to comprehend only a very small part of all the electromagnetic energy that exists.

The same principle applies to the human ear. Vibrations or oscillations between 15 hertz (cycles per second) and 15,000 hertz can be perceived by the human ear. We call them “sound.” Frequencies of less than 15 hertz (infra-sonic frequencies) and higher than 15,000 hertz (ultra-sonic frequencies) also exist, but are inaudible to man. Small creatures such as birds, bats, and insects, and even dogs can produce and respond to frequencies higher than man’s ear can perceive. Hence, also the human ear, marvelous as it is, can only process a part of the frequencies that actually exist.

Thus, it is plausible that the spirit world exists at a level of frequencies man cannot perceive with his physical senses.

#What of Our Social and Personal Relationships There?

Our physical death, which is the separation of our physical body and our spirit, is also a re-birth or a reuniting with those individuals we came to know during mortality.

Brigham Young provided us with a tantalizing detail about life in the world of spirits:

We have more friends behind the veil than on this side, and they will hail us more joyfully than you were ever welcomed by your parents and friends in this world; and you will rejoice more when you meet them than you ever rejoiced to see a friend in this life; and then we shall go on from step to step, from rejoicing to rejoicing, and from one intelligence and power to another, our happiness becoming more and more exquisite and sensible as we proceed in the words and powers of life. When the breath leaves the body, your life has not become extinct; your life is still in existence. And when you are in the spirit world, everything there will appear as natural as things now do. Spirits will be familiar with spirits in the spirit world—will converse, behold, and exercise every variety of communication with one another as familiarly and naturally as while here in tabernacles. There, as here, all things will be natural, and you will understand them as you now understand natural things.

When we pass into the spirit world we shall possess a measure of his power. Here, we are continually troubled with ills and ailments of various kinds. In the spirit world we are free from all this and enjoy life, glory, and intelligence; and we have the Father to speak to us, Jesus to speak to us, and angels to speak to us, and we shall enjoy the society of the just and the pure who are in the spirit world until the resurrection (Discourses of Brigham Young, 379-80).

#What of Satan and His Adherents in the Spirit World? Will They Be Active?

Referring to Satan’s minions—those evil spirits—in the world of spirits, Brigham Young taught: “You will there see that those spirits we are speaking of are active; they sleep not. And you will learn that they are striving with all their might—laboring and toiling diligently as any individual would to accomplish an act in this world—to destroy the children of men” (Ibid., 380).

Again, referring to the spirits in prison, Brigham Young wrote: “We may inquire where the spirits dwell, that the devil has power over? They dwell anywhere . . . on this continent; it is full of them” (JD, 3:368).

#What about Travel in the Spirit World?

Brigham Young taught tantalizingly of mobility and other freedoms of the spirit body:

It is not encumbered so that when we advance in years we have to be stubbing along and be careful lest we fall down. We see our youth, even, frequently stubbing their toes and falling down. But yonder, how different! They move with ease and like lightning. If we want to visit Jerusalem, or this, that, or the other place—and I presume we will be permitted if we desire—there we are, looking at its streets. If we want to behold Jerusalem as it was in the days of the Savior; or if we want to see the Garden of Eden as it was when created, there we are, and we see it as it existed spiritually, for it was created first spiritually and then temporally, and spiritually it still remains. And when there we may behold the earth as at the dawn of creation, or we may visit any city we please that exists upon its surface. If we wish to understand how they are living here on these western islands, or in China, we are there; in fact, we are like the light of the morning, or, I will not say the electric fluid but its operations on the wires. God has revealed some little things, with regard to his movements and power, and the operation and motion of the lightning furnish a fine illustration of the ability of the Almighty (Discourses of Brigham Young, 379-80).

As we learn about the spirit world, we may well come to eagerly anticipate that place. To many who labor and suffer on account of bodily ailments, the prospect of shedding an infirm body may seem enticing. The Lord, however, has seen to it that man will not yearn to leave this life. Joseph Smith is reported to have taught that “the Lord in his wisdom had implanted the fear of death in every person that they might cling to life and thus accomplish the designs of their Creator” (Diary of Charles L. Walker, 576,).

#What Was the Spirit World Like before the Death of the Savior?

What was the major difference in the spirit world from the days of Adam to the ministry of Jesus as contrasted to the spirit world from Christ’s day until now? Prior to Jesus’s visit to the spirit world, which occurred between the time of his crucifixion and his resurrection, there existed a communication link between paradise and prison. A “great gulf” of some type separated the wicked from the righteous. They lived in separate places. Jesus, though he did not actually set foot in prison, bridged that gap and instituted a great missionary effort wherein the spirits in paradise began to teach the gospel to the spirits in prison (D&C 138:18-20).

#Is the Veil Withdrawn from Our Minds at the Time of our Death?

A veil of forgetfulness was, of course, drawn over our minds at the time of our birth into mortality. Some have supposed that death brings with it a complete restoration of knowledge of all events that occurred in our premortal lives. This surely is not the case. The veil is an important condition of our entire second estate. The postmortal spirit world is an important part of that second estate. The spirits in prison must be able to be judged “according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit” (1 Peter 4:6). This means that even though the spirits in prison now know there is a life after mortality, they still are required to exercise faith in order to accept the Savior and his gospel.

#Is the Entire Spirit World Something of a Prison?

In one sense, the whole spirit world, paradise included, is a “spirit prison.” President Joseph F. Smith, in his Vision of the Redemption of the Dead, taught that the dead, having “looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage,” seek redemption and “deliverance” from the “chains of death.” Jesus traveled to paradise to declare “liberty [or resurrection] to the captives [even those] who had been faithful” (D&C 138:50, 15, 18). The state of happiness afforded to those in paradise is an imperfect one. Orson Pratt explained the reason: “Because the spirit is absent from the body; it cannot be perfectly happy while a part of the man is lying in the earth. . . . You will be happy, you will be at ease in paradise; but still you will be looking for a house where your spirit can enter and act as you did in former times” (JD, 1:289- 90). Brigham Young added: “I know it is a startling idea to say that the prophet and the persecutors of the prophet, all go to prison together . . . but they have not got their bodies yet, consequently they are [both] in prison” (Ibid., 3:94-95).

This concept helps us understand the vision of Enoch. Enoch “looked and beheld the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, after the manner of men; and he heard a loud voice; and the heavens were veiled; and all the creations of God mourned; and the earth groaned; and the rocks were rent; and the saints arose, and were crowned at the right hand of the Son of Man, with crowns of glory; and as many of the spirits as were in prison came forth, and stood on the right hand of God; and the remainder were reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day” (Moses 7:55-57). This was the beginning of the first resurrection. These came forth from “prison”—in this instance from paradise—the abode of the righteous.

#Are Paradise and Prison Places or Merely States?

Are there boundaries and borders in the spirit world? There is no reason to believe that those accorded the blessed status of paradise in the spirit world will live separately from all others there. There is not a place called paradise and a place called prison. Though we are not given to know, it is probable that most of those in the spirit world will not even know who has and who has not been sealed up to eternal life. As with all sacred blessings of privilege, those so blessed will be unlikely to speak of that precious knowledge with others.

Prior to Christ’s resurrection, it is obvious from the scripture, there was a major physical separation of the righteous and the wicked (see D&C 138; Luke 16:19-31; 1 Nephi 15:26-30). Since then, however, it seems likely there are no physical barriers such as walls or fences that separate the various groups.

The wicked spirits, the sons of perdition, however, are apparently confined to some degree. Joseph Smith said, the “wicked spirits have their bounds, limits, and laws by which they are governed or controlled” (TPJS, 208). There are also some natural restrictions that exist in the spirit world. These are the tendencies of people to associate with others of similar moral standards, interests, or family connections. If our eyes were opened, we would probably see some association among the several groups of spirits similar to the associations of peoples here upon the earth. Heber C. Kimball asked, “Can those persons who pursue a course of carelessness, neglect of duty, and disobedience, when they depart from this life, expect that their spirits will associate with the spirits of the righteous in the spirit world? I do not expect it, and when you depart from this state of existence, you will find it out for yourselves” (JD, 2:150).

Generally, though, the world of spirits is one sphere where all spirits live, both good and evil. The Prophet Joseph taught: “The righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of spirits until the resurrection (TPJS, 310).

While we usually divide the spirit world into two divisions, paradise and prison, it is likely that within the spirit prison that there are many various degrees of wickedness and righteousness. We know of at least three such degrees within the spirit prison. We know that all spirits there will ultimately be assigned to the terrestrial kingdom, to the telestial kingdom, or to the realm of Satan as sons of perdition. President Brigham Young taught that if we were able, we would see millions of spirit around us on the earth. He then asked: “Would you see the spirits of those who were as good in the flesh as they knew how to be? Yes. Would you see the spirits of the wicked? Yes. Could you see the spirits of devils? Yes, and that is all there is of them” (JD, 3:368). Apparently President Young is here describing three classes of spirits in the spirit prison. The first class, “those who were as good in the flesh as they knew how to be,” are likely the terrestrial spirits, the honorable men of the earth (D&C 76:75). The second group, “the spirits of the wicked,” are the telestial spirits, those who will not be redeemed until the second resurrection because of the sins they committed here on earth (D&C 76:82-85). The third class, “the spirits of the devils,” consists of those who became sons of perdition in this life. The devil has power over those spirits because they did not maintain the Spirit of the Lord in their lives when they had the opportunity to do so (Alma 34:34-35). These three degrees of wickedness described by Brigham Young, plus the celestial-bound spirits in paradise, are all in the world of spirits.

One commonly misunderstood passage of scripture pertains to the concept of paradise and prison. This is the dialogue between the Savior and the thief on the cross during the final throes of Jesus’s life on earth: “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on [Jesus], saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:39-43).

Did the thief earn his exaltation by repenting on the cross just prior to his death? Or, was he otherwise found worthy of paradise by our all-knowing Savior? One of the common misconceptions spawned by this exchange has been a belief in and practice of “deathbed repentance”—postponing one’s repentance and spiritual conversion until late in life or, indeed, just before death. We know that procrastinating one’s repentance is a serious error (see D&C 1:32; Matthew 7:21). But what exactly did the Savior have in mind as he affirmed this second thief? The prophet Joseph Smith has helped us understand these verses:

I will say something about the spirits in prison. There has been much said by modern divines about the words of Jesus (when on the cross) to the thief, saying, “this day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” King James’ translators make it [the Greek word hades] out to say paradise. But what is paradise? It is a modern word: it does not answer at all to the original word that Jesus made use of. Find the original of the word paradise. You may as easily find a needle in a haymow. Here is a chance for battle, ye learned men. There is nothing in the original word in Greek from which this was taken that signifies paradise; but it was—This day thou shalt be with me in the world of spirits (TPJS, 309).

Joseph confirmed this teaching when he said: “Hades, the Greek, Sheol, the Hebrew, these two significations mean a world of spirits. Hades, Sheol, spirits in prison, are all one: It is a world of spirits” (TPJS, 310). Joseph also said, “The righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of spirits until the resurrection” (Ibid.).

Concerning the thief on the cross, Parley P. Pratt taught that he entered the world of spirits “in a state of ignorance, and sin, being uncultivated, unimproved, and unprepared for salvation. He went there to be taught and to complete that repentance, which in a dying moment he commenced on earth” (JD, 1:9).

#Is there Agency in the Spirit World?

Just as we had our complete agency during our premortal and mortal lives, so will we continue to have our agency in the world of spirits. For many, the spirit world remains a time of proving, trial, and testing. Thus, agency remains an important part of that experience.

#What Do We Take with Us from this Mortal World Into the Spirit World?

A careful consideration of this question suggests there are three things that will pass with us at death:

1. The sum total of all our spiritual gifts. This would include all of the spiritual growth, the gifts and endowments we have received at the hand of the Spirit of God.

These have been revealed to us in return for our obedience and diligence in living the gospel. These include knowledge and abilities (both secular and spiritual) we have “earned” by our righteous efforts here on earth. “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection [spirit world]. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the [spirit] world to come” (D&C 130:18-19). In sum, we take with us what we have become.

One may wonder, “Is there any basic change in our dispositions and tendencies as we pass from this mortal earth into the spirit world?” The answer is, no! “Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world” (Alma 34:34). Heber C. Kimball taught:

Have I not told you often that the separation of body and spirit makes no difference in the moral and intellectual condition of the spirit? When a person who has always been good and faithful to his God, lays down his body in the dust, his spirit will remain the same in the spirit world. It is not the body that has control over the spirit, as to its disposition, but it is the spirit that controls the body. When the spirit leaves the body, the body becomes lifeless. The spirit has not changed one single particle of itself by leaving the body (JD, 3:108).

2. The memories of our mortal experiences. Our spirits apparently have the power of total recall. We have the potential to remember everything we have ever experienced, thought, heard, seen, or done here on earth. President Joseph F. Smith wrote: “In reality, a man cannot forget anything. He may have a lapse of memory; he may not be able to recall at the moment a thing that he knows or words that he has spoken. He may not have the power at his will to call up these events and words, but let God Almighty touch the mainspring of the memory and awaken recollection, and you will find then that you have not forgotten even a single idle word that you have spoken” (Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith, 311).

Our memories are actually gifts of the Spirit—spiritual reminiscences—eternal imprints of our love for the people, situations, and trappings of our mortal sojourn. We are inclined to recall things in a favorable and poignant light. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote:

When the act of reflection takes place in the mind, when we look at ourselves in the light of thought, we discover that our life is embosomed in beauty. Behind us, as we go, all things assume pleasing forms, as clouds do far off. Not only things familiar and stale, but even the tragic and terrible, are comely, as they take their place in the pictures of memory. The river-bank, the weed at the water-side, the old house, the foolish person—however neglected in the passing—have a grace in the past (“Spiritual Laws,” The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson).

So shall be our memories of mortality. We will all be inclined to shed a tear as we reminisce about our time on earth.

3. We will take with us all of those interpersonal relationships we have developed and fostered here on earth. These will include loving family relationships and our friendships with others. It is important to keep in mind that our relationships here have the potential to last forever there.

#Will We Continue to Progress in the Spirit World?

Our spirits will continue to learn, progress, receive inspiration, and be instructed by the Spirit of God. The principle of spiritual growth there is the same as it is here. As we continue to strive and to obey, the Spirit will judge our efforts and grant us increments of the attributes of Christ.

#Is there Intercourse between Mortality and the Spirit World?

Are spirits in the spirit world able to communicate with us here in mortality, and are we able to communicate with them? The answer is yes, at least in those circumstances in which the Lord will permit it. One statement by the Prophet Joseph describes that part of the spirit world where the righteous reside (paradise): “When men are prepared, they are better off to go hence. . . . The spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious work; hence they are blessed in their departure to the world of spirits. Enveloped in flaming fire, they are not far from us, and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions, and are often pained therewith” (TPJS, 326). President Joseph F. Smith wrote:

The angel that visited John when an exile, and unfolded to his vision future events in the history of man upon the earth, was one who had been here, and who had toiled and suffered in common with the people of God. . . . In like manner our fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and friends who have passed away from this earth, having been faithful, and worthy to enjoy these rights and privileges, may have a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing from the divine presence messages of love, of warning, of reproof and instruction to those whom they have learned to love in the flesh (JD, 22:351).

President Smith also wrote:

I believe we move and have our being in the presence of heavenly messengers and of heavenly beings. We are not separate from them. We begin to realize more and more fully, as we become acquainted with the principles of the Gospel, as they have been revealed anew in this dispensation, that we are closely related to our kindred, to our ancestors, to our friends and associates and co-laborers who have preceded us into the spirit world. We cannot forget them; we do not cease to love them; we always hold them in our hearts, in memory, and thus we are associated and united to them by ties that we cannot break, that we cannot dissolve or free ourselves from. If this is the case with us in our finite condition, surrounded by our mortal weaknesses, shortsightedness, lack of inspiration and wisdom from time to time, how much more certain it is and reasonable and consistent to believe that those who have been faithful, who have gone beyond and are still engaged in the work for the salvation of the souls of men, the opening of the prison doors to them that are bound and proclaiming liberty to the captives who can see us better than we can see them; that they know us better than we know them. They have advanced; we are advancing; we are growing as they have grown; we are reaching the goal that they have attained unto; and therefore, I claim that we live in their presence, they see us, they are solicitous for our welfare, they love us now more than ever. For now they see the dangers that beset us; they can comprehend better than ever before, the weaknesses that are liable to mislead us into dark and forbidden paths. They see the temptations and the evils that beset us in life and the proneness of mortal beings to yield to temptation and to wrong doing; hence their solicitude for us and their love for us and their desire for our well being must be greater than that which we feel for ourselves (CR, April 1916).

#Why Is Spirit Prison “Hell”?

Why do people suffer so much in spirit prison? Why is it referred to in the scriptures as “hell”? It is clear that suffering will be experienced intensely in the spirit world.

Is the suffering in the spirit prison punitive? Are those spirits made to suffer in retaliation for their sins in mortality? We can be certain there is nothing of purely punitive suffering in God’s plan. Rather, suffering is God’s tool. Suffering is the mechanism by which God hopes to achieve change, repentance, redemption, and spiritual growth.

Those in spirit prison will surely be apprised of the “hard” doctrine of the spirit world. This consists of four basic truths:

1. There are only two possibilities for the eternal future: a kingdom of glory or outer darkness. In order to qualify oneself for a kingdom of glory each individual must repent of his sins and accept Jesus Christ and his gospel. He must confess Christ, accept his atonement, and strive mightily to pattern his life after Christ’s life. Only sincere, heart-felt repentance will demonstrate this striving. This is a principle we may call “repent or else.”

2. This conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ, followed by painful, substantial change of heart must be completed by a specific moment in time. It must happen prior to the resurrection. This hard fact adds an element of time pressure to the process of repentance. Those in spirit prison must not only repent, but they must do so promptly or be condemned to outer darkness.

3. Those in spirit prison often have a “long way back.” That is, they have much to repent of and much self denial to suffer.

4. These individuals have rejected the Savior and his atoning sacrifice. Thus, they must grow without the benefit of his atonement or his mercy. They will have to suffer, “. . . even as I; Which suffering caused myself even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit” (D&C 19:17-18). That is, they will have to suffer a more toxic, difficult form of the pain of self denial. At first, there will be no merciful granting of the gifts of the Spirit that would considerably ease the burden.2 Eventually, however, those in spirit prison will experience the blessings of their obedience. They will be granted gifts of the Spirit including a testimony of Jesus Christ and his atonement. Their spiritual progress then will be aided by the blessings of the Lord’s atonement.

Is the pain of self denial (“internal suffering”) the only type of suffering experienced in the spirit prison? Certainly not. There is surely external suffering as well. The Lord himself is unlikely to inflict suffering, but there is plenty suffering incident to the circumstances of the spirit prison. This will include uncertainty, insecurity, discouragement, and even despair. Doubtless there will also be plenty of suffering brought on by the inhabitants’ wrong choices there in spirit prison. All of this suffering is potentially constructive. And what of remorseful suffering? Certainly there will be plenty of the “If only I had done things differently.” There will be also the awful fear of failure and outer darkness. Some of this latter type of suffering will be productive, some unproductive.

The Lord described a literal happening yet to occur in the world of spirits: “Every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11) that Jesus is the Christ. Every man will maintain his agency. He will not be forced to obey. He cannot be forced to experience the productive suffering of self-denial. He may choose to abstain and thus fail to grow. If he steadfastly refuses to obey, he will remain “filthy still” (Mormon 9:14). In this case, these unrepentant souls will experience perhaps the most exquisite suffering of all. They will know the remorse of realizing they are to be cast into outer darkness forever!

#The Conservative Protestants’ (Evangelicals’) View of the Afterlife

Evangelicals feel there is no chance for salvation beyond this earth life, and that those who die without coming to Christ here are doomed to be cast off. The LDS doctrine of the afterlife is largely, though not entirely, biblical. In some superficial ways it is analogous to the Evangelical view, but there are critical differences. For both the LDS and the Evangelicals, at death the spirits of all human beings are judged and consigned to one of two conditions. The spirits of the righteous are received into paradise, or Abraham’s Bosom (which is, unbeknownst to the Evangelicals, not the same as heaven), and the spirits of the wicked suffer in a real hell where they are subject to the malice of the devil and his angels (Luke 16:19-31; Alma 40:11-14).

For the LDS, however, this paradise and this hell are only temporary states to which spirits are consigned between death and resurrection. At the second coming of the Lord the righteous dead will be resurrected to glory (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The wicked will wait another thousand years until the second resurrection, when hell will finally deliver up its captive dead (Revelation 20:5, 13). Only then will all humans be finally and permanently judged (John 5:29; Revelation 20:11-15; Romans 2:6-8). Only then will the damned be cast out with the devil and his angels to suffer forever. The saved will be glorified and will receive rewards “according to their works” (Revelation 20:13; 1 Peter 4:6).

We LDS believe the period between death and resurrection is still a probationary or testing period for those in hell. If spirits repent and turn to Christ, they may yet be redeemed from Satan through the atonement and inherit some degree of glory among the many mansions of the Father. To this end, we believe the gospel is preached to the ignorant and rebellious spirits in prison, that they may repent and accept Christ and live (John 5:25-29; 1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:6). Like the prodigal of the parable, they may yet reconsider, repent and be joyfully received among the mansions of the Father although perhaps not to receive all that will be inherited by the more faithful.

Evangelicals believe the unevangelized, those who do not or cannot come to Christ in mortality and accept him and his atonement, are irretrievably lost forever. This includes those who, through no fault of their own, did not have the opportunity to do so. As one might expect, this causes consternation in the hearts of some thoughtful Evangelicals. Evangelicals who struggle with the fate of the unevangelized are forced to choose between God’s mercifully making provisions for the unevangelized and the absolute necessity of accepting Christ. We Latter-day Saints have it both ways. We believe the period between death and resurrection is probationary. In this way there is still only one name under heaven for all who will to hear the gospel and to confess the name of Christ.

Even the absolute need for the traditional Christian sacraments (e.g., baptism and confirmation) is maintained without fear of excluding those who could not or did not receive them. We believe that before the resurrection, baptisms and the other Christian sacraments are performed for the dead by living humans acting as proxies (1 Corinthians 15:29). The means are thus provided for the Lord to insist on the absolute necessity of Christian ordinances, without fear of excluding any. Most Evangelicals object to this doctrine since it is not expressly stated in the Bible. We suggest that it is fully consistent with 1 Peter 3:18-19, 4:6, and 1 Corinthians 15:29, as many other Christians have also suggested, including some noted Evangelical scholars (Goppelt, A Commentary on 1 Peter, 255-65, and Fackre, “Divine Perseverance,” in What About Those Who Have Never Heard?, 81-85).

#Post-Mortal Life and the Book of Mormon

Today, we are blessed with modern revelation, enabling us to know some of the details about our post-mortal existence. These have been considered in this chapter. Is it possible to glean this doctrine in its entirety from the Book of Mormon? A review of those Book of Mormon scriptures having to do with our post-mortal life indicates that the relevant passages in the book are incomplete, simplified versions of this doctrine. They teach if an individual accepts Jesus Christ and his gospel during this life, he will be exalted and live eternally with God. Examples of such passages in the Book of Mormon include 1 Nephi 10:21; 14:3; 15:35; 2 Nephi 1:13, 17, 22; Mosiah 3:23-27; 5:5; and Alma 34:31-35. Alternatively, if an individual fails to accept the gospel in this life, he will have missed his opportunity. There is no mention of the possibility of post-mortal repentance. He will be cast out and live eternally with Satan. Nowhere in the book do we read of the three degrees of glory or of any explicit reference to paradise or spirit prison.

What is the explanation for an incomplete doctrine such as that taught in our Book of Mormon? After all, we are taught that this sacred scripture contains “the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ” (D&C 20:9). Joseph Smith said, “The Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on earth” (HC, 4:461). Should not such a book provide an explicit explanation of all aspects of the gospel? It is no secret that there are other elements of the fulness of the gospel that are not contained in the Book of Mormon. For example, there is no mention anywhere of premortal existence or temple ordinances, including eternal marriage, and other vicarious works for the dead.

There are at least two plausible explanations:

1. The Book of Mormon prophets might have known the details about our postmortal lives. They deliberately wrote and taught a simplified version because the people whom they taught were not ready for the whole doctrine. They may have felt it appropriate to teach only a more general view of this period of our eternal lives. The oft stated purpose of the Book of Mormon is to bring non-believers to Christ (2 Nephi 25:23, 26; Jacob 4:4; Mormon 7:5, 8-9; Moroni 10:27, 32-33). Perhaps the prophet writers of the Book of Mormon simply felt no need to elaborate all the individual doctrines and ordinances of the gospel. The abridger of the large plates, Mormon stated it wasn’t possible for him to record everything: “I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people” (Words of Mormon 1:5).

2. The Book of Mormon prophets may not have known the details to which we have referred. Thus they were unable to teach them. The great early prophets such as Adam and Enoch knew the “fulness” of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, is it possible that only in this final dispensation some of the specific details of the plan of salvation have been given to mortal man by revelation?

The Book of Mormon prophets either did or did not know those specific details of the eternal plan conspicuously missing from the Book of Mormon text. If they were aware of them, we must conclude that they chose not to write them for some reason. If they did not know these details, we can accept and feel comfortable with the idea that the spiritual knowledge of man has slowly evolved over the millennia since the exiled Israelites, under the leadership of Moses, rejected the fulness of the gospel in the wilderness. After all, our own ninth Article of Faith states: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal, and we believe that he will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (italics added).

#Conclusion

In the above discussion, we have relied heavily on President Brigham Young to help us understand the spirit world. Thus, a testimony born by Heber C. Kimball at the funeral of Jedediah M. Grant, both of whom were counselors to President Young, seems an appropriate and delightful conclusion to this chapter.

[Brother Grant] said to me, “Brother Heber, I have been into the spirit world two nights in succession, and, of all the dreads that ever came across me, the worst was to have to again return to my body, though I had to do it. . . . O . . . [the] order and government that were there! When in the spirit world, I saw the order of righteous men and women; beheld them organized in their several grades, and there appeared to be no obstruction to my vision; I could see every man and woman in their grade and order. I looked to see whether there was any disorder there, but there was none; neither could I see any death nor any darkness, disorder, or confusion.” The people he there saw were organized in family capacities; and when he looked at them he saw grade after grade, and all were organized and in perfect harmony. “Why it is just as brother Brigham says it is; it is just as he has told us many a time” (JD, 4:135-36).

1 For a more complete discussion of intelligences, particularly the controversy surrounding them, see “Intelligence or Intelligences” in volume 1, chapter 3, The Creation.

See the discussion of perquisite gifts of the Spirit in volume 1, chapter 8, The Blessings of Spiritual Gifts. See also “Other Benefits of the Lord’s Atonement,” particularly the subheading “He bears our burdens” in volume 1, chapter 19, The Essence of the Lord’s Atonement.