Dante and Life after Death

            I am studying The Divine Comedy for my humanities class this semester, and I want to share a little of what I am learning with you. The Divine Comedy is a long narrative poem that was written by Dante Alighieri in the early 1300s. He started his allegory about 1308-1312 and finished it just a year before his death in 1321. The poem is an “imaginative vision of the afterlife” as a “representative of the medieval world-view as it had developed in the Western Church by the 14^th century.” It was written in Italian rather than Latin because Dante wanted all literate people to be able to read it.

            The poem is divided into three parts known as Canticas, meaning religious or narrative poem. Dante’s three canticas are The Inferno or Hell, Purgatorio or Purgatory, and Paradiso or Paradise. Each cantica contains thirty-three cantos (or sections). The Inferno has an additional canto that serves as an introduction to the entire poem and brings the total number of cantos to 100. The first two cantos in Purgatorio and Paradiso serve as introductions to those canticas.

The narrative describes Dante’s travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise or Heaven; while allegorically the poem represents the soul’s journey towards God…

The work was originally simply titled Comedia and the word Divina was added by Giovanni Boccaccio. The first printed edition to add the word divina to the title was that of the Venetian humanist Lodovico Dolce, published in 1555 by Gabriele Giolito de’ Ferrari…

Written in the first person, the poem tells of Dante’s journey through the three realms of the dead, lasting from the night before Good Friday to the Wednesday after Easter in the spring of 1300. The Roman poet Virgil guides him through Hell and Purgatory; Beatrice, Dante’s ideal woman, guides him through Heaven. Beatrice was a Florentine woman whom he had met in childhood and admired from far in the mode of the then-fashionable courtly love tradition…

            I am fascinated with Dante’s “vision” of the afterlife and find it to be quite creative and thoughtful. I am also aware that Dante wrote his epic poem with the knowledge available in medieval Christian theology and philosophy in the 1300s. He wrote according to what he knew about life after death, and his poem causes a great deal of pondering and introspection. However, there is one particular part of Dante’s description of Hell that is wrong.

            In his poem Dante is led through Hell by the Roman poet Virgil. As he follows Virgil through Hell and into Limbo (the first circle of hell), he sees the souls of people – men, women, and children - who lived good and honorable lives. Virgil tells him that the people are in that condition because they were not baptized, not because they had committed sins. Many of them lived before Christianity was on the earth. They had, however, lived moral lives according to their laws and were good people.

            Dante recognizes many great people in this condition and feels concern for them. He asks Virgil if they were stuck in Limbo forever or if they could eventually progress out of Limbo. Virgil replies that the people are there to stay. They can never be saved because they did not hear about Jesus Christ and His gospel in mortality.

            This is the doctrine that concerns me. How many mortals believe that people are condemned to hell simply because they were not baptized before they died? In a First Presidency Message in March 1972, President Joseph Fielding Smith calls this doctrine “unfortunate and erroneous.” He explains that this doctrine did not originate with Dante but came “down from the earliest days of apostasy from the true teachings of Jesus Christ.”

            President Smith then proceeds to share the story of “an earnest, loving mother who was told by a well-meaning but misguided priest that her dead infant was eternally lost because the child had not been christened. He continues.

I was visiting at the home of this mother, and she related the following story. Several years before, she had lost a little child. He had not been taken to the minister for sprinkling and had, in that condition, died. The parents sought their minister and asked him to conduct the funeral and give their little one a Christian burial; however, this humble request was solemnly, but nonetheless brutally, denied. The parents were told the child was forever lost. Heartbroken, they laid their little child away as an outcast might have been buried, without the rites of that church and without “Christian burial.” How the hearts of those fond parents ached; how their feelings were torn asunder!

For several years this mother, with faith in the teachings of that priest, suffered the most acute mental agony. She knew it was not the fault of her infant that he had not been christened. He was innocent of any wrong. Was not that wrong her own? And in her mind, because of this false teaching, was not she responsible for the eternal suffering of this little one? She felt as the repentant murderer who could not restore the life he had taken, and in this anguish of soul she suffered the punishment of the damned.

It was a happy day when I came to the home of this tormented mother. Even now I can see the joy that came into her tormented face when I explained to her that this doctrine was false – as false as the depths of hell whence it came. I taught her this was not the doctrine of Jesus Christ, who loved little children and who declared that they belonged to the kingdom of heaven. I read to her from the Book of Mormon the words of Mormon to his son Moroni (Moroni 8) and explained that the Lord had revealed to Joseph Smith that “all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability” – that is, eight years – “are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven [Doctrine and Covenants 137:10].” (Documentary History of the Church, vol. 2. 2, p. 381.) Yes, the Lord has made it known in this glorious day of restoration:

“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.” (DHC, vol. 2, p. 380.)

            Dante must have realized that the doctrine was wrong because he wrote something entirely different in Paradiso, Canto XXXII, Lines 40-48. There Dante describes children under the age of accountability as being in the presence of God because Jesus Christ made it possible by His atoning sacrifice. This is particularly interesting because the last thirteen cantos were not published until after Dante’s death.

Know that to here from where the petals meet,

     Up to midway, the lines of these partitions,

     No souls by their own merit have their seat,

But by Another’s, under fixed conditions;

     For all these spirits were absolved from sin

     Ere they had reached control of their volitions.

Lend ear and thou wilt realize how thin

     Their voices are; look well and thou’lt make out

     Their infant faces and their childish mien.

            Little children – before the age of eight years - are innocent in the eyes of God and return to directly to His presence upon their death. All people – whether in this life or the life hereafter – will have the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and either accept it or reject it. However, the covenants must be made in mortality.

            This is the reason why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints builds temples all over the world. Members of the Church perform temples ordinances in behalf of people who have passed away. If the person accepts the gospel when they hear it on the other side of the veil, their temple ordinances have already been completed, and they can continue progressing through eternity. If the ordinances are not performed, the person is stopped in their progression until they are completed by mortals.

            I know that Heavenly Father is a loving Father. He desires that all of His children have the opportunity to return to His presence, and He has a plan to make it possible.

Temples and Immortality

                Debbie Reynolds passed away just a day after the death of her only daughter, Carrie Fisher. Reynolds’ last words have caused numerous people to think about life after death and immortality. As Reynolds and her only son, Todd Fisher, were planning a funeral for Carrie Fisher, Reynolds said to her son, “I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie.” Todd Fisher said that those were his mother’s last words before she became ill and died a few hours later.

                Several days after posting the above information, the Huffington Post published an article written by Mary Bell, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sharing some of the Church’s beliefs about life after death. Bell’s article drew attention from several directions. What is it about a mother’s desire to be with her dead daughter that has caused so much interest in the next world? 

                The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that there is life after death and that we will see our loved ones again in the next world. The Church also teaches that marriage and family relationships can continue beyond the grave under certain conditions. This is the reason why the Church builds temples and encourages members to go to the temple.

                Latter-day Saint leaders teach that everything members do in this life leads to the temple and that the temple is the pinnacle of the faith. President Gordon B. Hinckley states, “Every temple that this Church has built has in effect stood as a monument to our belief in the immortality of the human soul, that this phase of mortal life through which we pass is part of a continuous upward climb, so to speak, and that as certain as there is life here, there will be life there. That is our firm belief. It comes about through the Atonement of the Savior, and the temple becomes, as I have indicated, the bridge from this life to the net. The temple is concerned with things of immortality. We wouldn’t have to build a temple for marriages if we didn’t believe in the eternity of the family. We build it so the family may be eternal. All of the ordinances which take place in the house of the Lord become expressions of our belief in that fundamental and basic doctrine. The temple therefore becomes the ultimate in our system of worship and therefore is of great and significant importance to us” (interview with Vern Anderson of the Associated Press, 20 April 1999). 

                I believe that it is very possible that Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher are together in the next world. I believe that they are happy to be together and hope to be together forever. I also believe they will have the opportunity to have the gospel of Jesus Christ taught to them in its simplicity. If they accept the gospel, they will have to wait for some mortals to go to a temple to complete their ordinances for them. How long will they have to wait? That is a big question that I cannot answer. I simply know that they will have opportunities presented to them to continue to progress. I hope they accept those opportunities!

Kingdoms of Glory

                    Have you ever wondered what was true about heaven and hell?  Do you have a solid foundation of knowledge about the three degrees of glory?  Have you ever pondered questions such as the following:  Where will I go after I am resurrected and judged?  Has God already determined where I will go or does what I do here on earth matter?  Can I go to the highest heaven by simply saying that I believe in Jesus Christ?  What do the scriptures mean when they say people are "damned"?  Is hell a place of never-ending suffering where sinners go?

                    One of my favorite hymns is O My Father (Hymns, no. 292) written by Karen Lynn Davidson with music by A. Laurence Lyon.  This hymn is often sung at funerals because it brings comfort to those who are left behind.  I like it simply because of its beautiful message. 

                    O my Father, thou that dwellest In the high and glorious place,

                    When shall I regain thy presence And again behold thy face?

                    In thy holy habitation, Did my spirit once reside?

                    In my first primeval childhood, Was I nurtured near thy side?

                    For a wise and glorious purpose Thou hast placed me here on earth

                    And withheld the recollection Of my former friends and birth;

                    Yet oft times a secret something Whispered, "You're a stranger here,"

                    And I felt that I had wandered From a more exalted sphere.

                    I had learned to call thee Father, Thru thy Spirit from on high,

                    But, until the key of knowledge Was restored, I knew not why.

                    In the heav'ns are parents single?  No, the thought makes reason stare!

                    Truth is reason; truth eternal Tells me I've a mother there.

                    When I leave this frail existence, When I lay this mortal by,

                    Father, Mother, may I meet you In your royal courts on high?

                    Then, at length, when I've completed All you sent me forth to do,

                    With your mutual approbation Let me come and dwell with you.

                    Just as there are different levels of righteousness in this life, it makes sense for God to have different "mansions" in heaven [John 14:2] or different places for His resurrected children to dwell.  The Apostle Paul taught that there are three kingdoms of glory in heaven:  "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial:  but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

                    "There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars:  for one star differeth from another star in glory.

                    "So also is the resurrection of the dead.  It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption" (1 Corinthians 15:40-42).

                    In the Joseph Smith Translation of verse 40, Paul also mentions "bodies telestial".  Paul described the differences between the glory of the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, and the telestial kingdom by comparing the celestial to the sun, the terrestrial to the moon, and the telestial to the stars.  By these comparisons we know that the celestial kingdom is the brightest followed by the terrestrial and then the telestial.

                    We are agents unto ourselves (see Doctrine and Covenants 58:27-28) and are responsible for the choices we make.  We will be judged by our thoughts, words, and actions.  (See Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Mosiah 4:30.)  Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated, "Each of you will be judged according to your individual works and the desires of your hearts….  Your eventual placement in the celestial, terrestrial, or telestial kingdom will not be determined by chance.  The Lord has prescribed unchanging requirements for each.  You can know what the scriptures teach and pattern your lives accordingly" (Ensign, Nov. 1993, 35).

                    Some people believe that salvation comes simply by saying that we believe in Jesus Christ.  This is false doctrine.  We must do more than just say we believe in Jesus Christ; we must follow him.  All people, regardless of their level of righteousness, will be saved from death because of the Resurrection of Christ.  However, in order to attain the highest degree of glory in the resurrection, we need to "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" (Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Moroni 10:32).  We come unto Christ by having faith in him, repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, receiving other saving priesthood ordinances, obeying the commandments, and keeping the covenants we make with our Heavenly Father.  How we live does make a difference.

                    Alma, an ancient American prophet, taught the following about a terrible and tragic war, "And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world, that they might reap their rewards according to their works, whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one" (Book of Mormon, Alma 3:26).

                    When we sin, we prevent our own progress.  When the scriptures say that the wicked are "damned" it means that they have been stopped or held back from blessings they might have received if they had obeyed God's commandments.  Heavenly Father wants to bless us, but He is a just God and as such can only reward us when we obey His commandments.  (See Doctrine and Covenants 82:10.)

                    Hell is not a place of never-ending suffering where sinners are sent.  It is a spirit prison, a place for people who have rejected the gospel and people who have died without a knowledge of the gospel.  The gospel is preached to them there, and those who accept the gospel and repent of their sins will be released and allowed to enter paradise until the Resurrection and Judgment (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:29-34).  Most of those who do not accept the gospel there will have to suffer for their own sins but will eventually be resurrected and go to a kingdom of glory (see Doctrine and Covenants 76:81-85, 98-106).

                    The Prophet Joseph Smith received a more detailed definition of the three kingdoms of glory.  Joseph was with Sidney Rigdon, who later became First Counselor in the First Presidency, when they received a vision in which they saw each of the kingdoms of glory.  They also received a revelation concerning the people who would go to each of the kingdoms.

                    According to their revelation, those who will inherit telestial glory are those who 1) reject the gospel of Jesus Christ,

2) reject the testimony of Jesus Christ, and 3) are liars, sorcerers, adulterers, and whoremongers (Doctrine and Covenants 76:81-83, 98-103).

                    Those who will inherit terrestrial glory are those who 1) reject the gospel in this life but receive it in the spirit world,

2) are honorable but are blinded by the craftiness of men, and 3) are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 76:71-80).

                    Those who will inherit celestial glory are those who 1) receive the testimony of Jesus Christ, 2) are baptized by one with priesthood authority, 3) keep the commandments, 4) receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, 5) overcome the world by faith, and

6) are made perfect through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 76:50-70). 

There are two other groups of people who will inherit celestial glory; they are 1) those who die without a knowledge of the gospel but "would have received it with all their hearts" (Doctrine and Covenants 137:7-10) and 2) those who die before they arrive at the years of accountability" [age 8 years] (Doctrine and Covenants 137:10).

No one but Jesus Christ will ever live a perfect life.  Since the rest of us cannot be perfect on our own, we must be "made perfect."  "These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.

"These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical" (Doctrine and Covenants 76:69-70).

So how can we be made perfect in order to be worthy to dwell with God in the celestial kingdom?  The ancient American prophet Nephi taught the following to his people, "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, 2 Nephi 25:23).

When the Prophet Joseph Smith was asked about the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he listed thirteen Articles of Faith.  The third one states, "We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel" (Pearl of Great Price, The Articles of Faith 1:3).

We can be made perfect only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  As we do all we can to follow the Savior, working diligently to keep the commandments and to live pure lives, we come closer to Him and become more like Him.  When we sin, we can repent sincerely and be forgiven.  Because Jesus Christ took our sins upon himself, we can be made clean, pure, and worthy to dwell in the celestial kingdom.

The Apostle Paul taught, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

We know that a great multitude of Heavenly Father's children will dwell in the celestial kingdom.  John the Revelator described his vision of the exalted sons and daughters of God in Revelation 7:9-10.

In order to receive exaltation in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, we must be sealed to our spouse in the temple.  (See Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-4.)  Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles made the following statement:  
"Those who have met the highest requirements for this kingdom, including faithfulness to covenants made in a temple of God and marriage for eternity, will be exalted to the godlike state referred to as the `fulness' of the Father or eternal life (D&C 76:56, 94; see also D&C 131; 132:19-20)….  Eternal life is family life with a loving Father in Heaven and with our progenitors [ancestors] and our posterity" (Ensign, May 1995, 86-87).

                    Marriage in the temple is not a guarantee of exaltation in the celestial kingdom.  Those married in the temple should strive to be exalted together in the celestial kingdom by continually growing in their love for each other and for the Lord.

                    Heavenly Father loves all his children and will give them the greatest reward that they have prepared to receive through their obedience and faith in Jesus Christ.  According to Doctrine and Covenants 76:89, the glory of the telestial "surpasses all understanding" and is a place of indescribable glory.

                    Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, "Each of you will be judged according to your individual works and the desires of your hearts….  Your eventual placement in the celestial, terrestrial, or telestial kingdom will not be determined by chance.  The Lord has prescribed unchanging requirements for each.  You can know what the scriptures teach and pattern your lives accordingly" (Ensign, Nov. 1993, p. 35).

I know that Heavenly Father has prepared great things for us.  I am so very grateful for His plan of salvation and for the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I know that as we keep the commandments of God, repent of our sins, and are true to our covenants, we can be "made perfect through Jesus" and inherit a place in the celestial kingdom.  I know that the kingdom of glory we will receive after we are resurrected depends upon our obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.  I know that the blessings of the celestial kingdom are wonderful beyond anything I can imagine.  I long ago set my goal as exaltation in the highest level of the celestial kingdom, where I can experience a fulness of happiness.  I encourage all of you to strive for exaltation in the celestial kingdom by keeping the commandments and exercising faith in Jesus Christ.

                                       

After Death?

                    Death is a temporary separation of the spirit from the body; while the body lies in the grave, the spirit dwells in a place called the spirit world.  Most of us have loved ones who have passed from this life, and all of us will die at some time.  All of us will go from this life into the spirit world. 

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described the spirit world as "a place of paradise and happiness for those who have lived righteous lives.  It is not something to fear" (Ensign, Nov. 1996, p. 66.)   The spirit world is a place where the gospel of Jesus Christ will be taught to people who were unable to hear it during their lives upon earth.

A good demonstration of the difference between life and death was presented by Elder Boyd K. Packer (Ensign, July 1973, pp. 51, 53) when he held up a glove and pointed out that the glove had no life and could not move by itself.  He then put the glove on his hand and showed that the glove could now move wherever the hand went.  In this demonstration, the glove represents the body and the hand represents the spirit.  A spirit combined with a physical body makes a person - a living soul.

"And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.

"And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul" (Doctrine and Covenants 88:15-16).

Earth life was not intended to last forever; it was always intended to be a temporary condition.  One day each of us will die, and our body and spirit will separate.  Death is part of God's plan of happiness for His children.  When the body and the spirit are separated, the body cannot move because it is dead; however, the spirit is still alive.

As part of the Atonement, Jesus Christ overcame mortal death.  Because He overcame death, the separation of the spirit from the body will not be permanent.  Each person who was ever born on earth will be resurrected.  At the time of resurrection, the body and spirit will be united in a perfect state, never to be separated again.

When we lived in the premortal world, we were all spirits.  When we came to earth our spirits and mortal bodies were joined together.  When we die, our spirits will leave our physical bodies; while our bodies are dead, our spirits will remain alive and dwell in a place called the spirit world.

What is the spirit world like?  What are the conditions of life after death?  Corianton, the son of a prophet named Alma, was concerned about where the spirit would go between death and the resurrection.  His father told him, "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" (Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Alma 40:11).

President Joseph Fielding Smith referred to Alma 40:11 when he said:  "`Taken home to God,' simply means that their mortal existence has come to an end, and they have returned to the world of spirits, where they are assigned to a place according to their works with the just or with the unjust, there to await the resurrection" (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957-66], 2:85).

According to the statements of both Alma and President Smith, spirits - whether good or evil, just or unjust - will go to the spirit world.  There they will be assigned a place according to their works on earth. 

The prophet Alma also taught the following to his people:  "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).

We will be basically the same person in the next world as we are here one earth.  Our spirits will carry to the spirit world the same personalities, tendencies, appetites, and desires that we have here on earth.

                    President Brigham Young taught:  "Suppose … that a man is evil in his heart - wholly given up to wickedness, and in that condition dies, his spirit will enter into the spirit world intent upon evil.  On the other hand, if we are striving with all the powers and faculties God has given us to improve upon our talents, to prepare ourselves to dwell in eternal life, and the grave receives our bodies while we are thus engaged, with what disposition will our spirits enter their next state?  They will be still striving to do the things of God, only in a much greater degree."  (See Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1941], 379.)

                    Alma taught his son, Corianton:  "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 form all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

                    "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.

                    "Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection" (Alma 40:12-14).

                    People who accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ on earth and lived righteously are assigned to a state of happiness known as paradise.  People who rejected the gospel and people who have died without a knowledge of the truth are assigned to a state of darkness called spirit prison, sometimes called hell.

                    The term "spirit prison" is an appropriate name for the condition of people who die without having accepted the gospel because the people that go there are shut off from the peace and joy they would feel if they had received the truth and lived righteously.

                    During the three days after He was crucified, Jesus Christ visited the righteous spirits in paradise.  The Apostle Peter taught, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

                    "By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

                    "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water" (1 Peter 3:18-20).

                    Peter told us that Christ went to the spirit world, but he didn't tell us what Christ did there.  Through latter-day revelation to President Joseph F. Smith, we learn that "… the Lord went not in person among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them;

                    "But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead.

                    "And the chosen messengers went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel.

                    "Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.

                    "These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands,

                    "And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit" (Doctrine and Covenants 138:29-34).

                    Thus we learn that Jesus Christ appointed messengers from among the righteous to preach His gospel to those in spirit prison.  Until that time, the spirits in spirit prison were not permitted to have contact with the spirits in paradise.

                    Elder Bruce R. McConkie who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:  "Now that the righteous spirits in paradise have been commissioned to carry the message of salvation to the wicked spirits in hell, there is a certain amount of mingling together of the good and bad spirits.  Repentance opens the prison doors to the spirits in hell; it enables those bound with the chains of hell to free themselves from darkness, unbelief, ignorance, and sin.  As rapidly as they can overcome these obstacles - gain light, believe truth, acquire intelligence, cast off sin, and break the chains of hell - they can leave the hell that imprisons them and dwell with the righteous in the peace of paradise."  (See Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 755.)

                    President Joseph F. Smith learned that Jesus Christ chose faithful elders to take His message to the spirits in prison.  "I beheld that the faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead" (Doctrine and Covenants 138:57).

                    Many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are called to serve full-time missions in this life.  Since the Church is organized in the spirit world and there are still spirits there who have not heard and accepted the truth, we will also be able to serve missions after death if we have lived righteously.

                    I know that death is just one part of God's great plan of salvation.  As the glove without the hand is lifeless, so the physical body without the spirit is dead.  While righteous spirits await their resurrection, they are busy carrying on the work of our Heavenly Father.  I encourage all of us to live righteously now so that we can enter paradise later and be able to serve the Lord in the spirit world.              

Post-mortal Spirit World

                    Have you ever wondered what happens when our mortal bodies die?  There are many questions about this topic:  Where do we go?  What will happen there?  Who will be there?  We are very fortunate to have answers to these and other questions.  Heavenly Father has not kept the answers from us.  In fact, Heavenly Father has a plan for the salvation of all His children. His plan covers our pre-mortal life, our mortal life, and our post-mortal life.  While we lived with our Heavenly Father, He helped us prepare for our life on earth.  Then He sent us to live on earth in order to receive mortal bodies of flesh and blood and to prepare for our post-earth life. 

                    When our mortal bodies die, our spirits will go to the spirit world – a place of waiting, working, and learning.  Those who have lived righteous lives will have an opportunity to rest from all their cares and sorrows.  The spirits of all mankind will live in the spirit world until we are ready for our resurrection.  At the time of resurrection our mortal bodies will be reunited with our spirits, never to be separated again.  Each of us will then receive the degree of glory we have earned.

                    Heavenly Father has revealed much about the spirit world to latter-day prophets.  The prophets tell us that the spirits of those who have passed away are not far from us.  “Sometimes the veil between this life and the life beyond becomes very thin.  Our loved ones who have passed on are not far from us” (Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, June 1971, 33).  Brigham Young taught that the post-mortal spirit world is on the earth, around us (Teachings of Presidents of the Church:  Brigham Young, 279).

                   Spirit beings have the same bodily form as mortal beings except the spirit body is in perfect form.  When Jesus Christ appeared to the brother of Jared, He said "Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh" (see Ether 3:16). 

When people die, their spirits take with them the same attitudes of devotion or antagonism toward righteousness as well as appetites and desires.  We read in Alma 34:34:  "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."  All spirits are in adult form.  At the time of resurrection the adult spirit reunites with the body as it was laid in the grave - whether adult, youth or infant; the reunited bodies of infants and children will continue to grow until they reach full maturity. (See Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:  Joseph F. Smith, 131-32).

                    According to a prophet named Alma in the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, there are two divisions or states in the spirit world.  Alma taught:

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.

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.

                    Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful,

fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this

state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection (Alma 40:12-14).

                    The spirits are classified as to how they lived their mortal lives – the purity of their lives and their obedience to God.  There is a division between the righteous and the wicked spirits (see 1 Nephi 15:28-30); however, the spirits may progress as fast as they learn the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and learn to be obedient to them.  Those spirits who reside in paradise are allowed to teach the spirits in prison (see Doctrine and Covenants 138).

                    The prophet Alma also taught that the righteous spirits are given rest from earthly care and sorrow while they are occupied in furthering the work of the Lord.  Joseph F. Smith saw in a vision that Jesus Christ visited the righteous spirits in paradise immediately after He was crucified.  While He was there, He appointed messengers and commissioned them with the necessary power and authority to “carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:30).

                    Jesus Christ organized His Church in the spirit world.  There priesthood holders continue to carry on their duties and responsibilities (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:30).  Wilford Woodruff taught:  “The same Priesthood exists on the other side of the veil….  Every Apostle, every Seventy, every Elder, etc., who has died in the faith as soon as he passes to the other side of the veil, enters into the work of the ministry” (Deseret News, Jan. 25, 1882,  818).

                    Family relationships are also important in the spirit world.  Jedediah M. Grant, a counselor to Brigham Young, saw the spirit world in a vision and described the organization that exists there to Heber C. Kimball:  “He said that the people he there saw were organized in family capacities….  He said, `When I looked at families, there was a deficiency in some, … for I saw families that would not be permitted to come and dwell together, because they had not honored their calling here’” (Deseret News, Dec. 10, 1856, 316-17).

                    Ancient scriptures also tell us about the spirit world.  The Apostle Peter said that the post-mortal spirit world was like a prison for some (see 1 Peter 3:18-20).  The spirits who are in spirit prison are those who have not yet received the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They have agency and can be tempted by either good or evil.  Those who accept the gospel and the ordinances performed for them in the temples are allowed to leave the spirit prison and live in paradise.

                    Some of the spirits in spirit prison rejected the gospel after it was preached to them either in mortal life or in spirit prison.  They suffer a condition that is known as hell.  They have rejected the mercy offered by Jesus Christ, who said, “Behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; but if they would not repent they must 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” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-18).  They must suffer for their own sins but then will be allowed – because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ – to inherit the telestial kingdom or the lowest degree of glory.

                   

                   

                   

The Final Judgment

We know from various scriptures that we will stand one day before God to be judged. In order to better prepare for this important event, we must understand how the judgment will take place.

The scriptures teach that everyone will be judged according to our works: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12; see also Doctrine and Covenants 76:111; 1 Nephi 15:32; Abraham 3:25-28). Doctrine and Covenants 137:9 teaches that we will also be judged “according to the desire of [our] hearts.” (See also Alma 41:3.)

Judgments are made here on earth as to our worthiness to receive opportunities in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first judgment is made when the bishop determines we are worthy to receive the ordinance of baptism. Whenever we are interviewed for priesthood advancement or asked to serve in the Church, we are being judged. Another judgment will take place when we die. According to Alma, when we die our spirits will be assigned to either a state of happiness or a state of misery. (See Alma 40:11-15.)

The prophet Alma told us that we will be judged for our actions as well as for our thoughts and words: “Our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; … and our thoughts will also condemn us” (Alma 12:14).

Alma is not the only one to warn us about our words. The Lord said, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

We can prepare for the Final Judgment by exercising faith in Jesus Christ. By following Him faithfully and by repenting of all our sins, we can receive forgiveness and become pure and holy so that we are worthy to enter the presence of God. As we become aware of our sins and give away every impure thought, word and action, the Holy Ghost will help us in the purification process. He will change our hearts so that we no longer desire to sin (see Mosiah 5:2). With the help of the Holy Ghost, we will be judged worthy to enter God’s presence.

According to the Prophet Joseph Smith, we will be judged from the records being kept on earth and out of the “book of life,” which is kept in heaven (see Doctrine and Covenants 128:6-8).

President Harold B. Lee taught: “Every one of you … must stand before `the judgment-seat of the Holy One of Israel … and then must … be judged according to the holy judgment of God.’ (II Nephi 9:15.) And according to the vision of John, `The books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.’ (Rev. 20:12.) The `books’ spoken of refer to the `records [of your works] which are kept on the earth. … The book of life is the record which is kept in heaven.’ (Doc. And Cov. 128:7.)” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 226-227).

Besides the records kept in books on earth and in heaven, there is another record by which we will be judged. According to the Apostle Paul, we ourselves are a record of our life (see Romans 2:15). There is a complete history of everything we have thought, said, and done stored in our body and mind. President John Taylor taught: “[The individual] tells the story himself, and bears witness against himself. … That record that is written by the man himself in the tablets of his own mind, that record that cannot lie will in that day be unfolded before God and angels, and those who shall sit as judges” (Deseret News, Mar. 8, 1865, 179).

The Final Judgment will be conducted by Jesus Christ and others that He will call to assist in the Judgment. The Apostle John taught that “the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22). The Twelve Apostles who helped Christ in His ministry on earth will judge the twelve tribes of Israel (see Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30). Under the direction of the Twelve Apostles, the twelve Nephite disciples will judge the Nephites and Lamanites (see 1 Nephi 12:9-10; Mormon 3:18-19).

At the time of the Final Judgment, we will receive a place for which we have prepared. We learn from the scriptures that there are three kingdoms of glory – the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, and the telestial kingdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 88:20-32).

We prepare for our eternal inheritance by the choices we make in our mortal lives. The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 76 that our choices here will determine our eternal inheritance. He described the ways we can live in mortality in order to inherit the kingdom of our choice.

In describing those who will receive the celestial kingdom, the Lord said: “They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized, … that by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit.” He also taught that they include those who overcome the world by their faith and who are just and true. The Holy Ghost will seal blessings upon all those who meet these requirements. (See Doctrine and Covenants 76:51-53.) All those who wish to inherit the highest degree of the celestial kingdom and to become gods must also be married for eternity in the temple (see Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-4). All those who are judged worthy to inherit the celestial kingdom will have the opportunity to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for all eternity (see Doctrine and Covenants 76:62).

Because He loves all of His children, Heavenly Father has revealed the way by which all of us can inherit a place in the highest degree of celestial glory. Through the work done in our temples, everyone who has ever lived on earth can enjoy an equal opportunity to receive the fullness of the gospel and the ordinances of salvation.

The Lord described those who will receive the terrestrial kingdom as those who rejected the gospel on earth but afterward received it in the spirit world. These are the honorable people on earth who were blinded to the gospel of Jesus Christ by the craftiness of men. These people also include those who received the gospel and a testimony of Jesus but were not valiant. The people who inherit the terrestrial kingdom will be visited by Jesus Christ but not by our Heavenly Father. (See Doctrine and Covenants 76:73-79.)

The Lord described those who will receive the telestial kingdom as those who did not receive the gospel or the testimony of Jesus either on earth or in the spirit world. They will suffer for their own sins in hell until they are resurrected after the Millennium. “These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.” These people are as numerous as the stars in heaven and the sand on the seashore. They will be visited by the Holy Ghost but not by the Father or the Son. (See Doctrine and Covenants 76:81-88, 103-6, 109.)

Those who will be cast into outer darkness include those who had testimonies of Jesus through the Holy Ghost and knew the power of the Lord but gave away their agency to Satan. They denied the truth and defied the power of the Lord. There is no forgiveness for them, for they denied the Holy Spirit after having received it. They will not have a kingdom of glory. Because they chose to follow Satan, they will spend eternity in darkness, torment, and misery with Satan and his followers. (See Doctrine and Covenants 76:28-35, 44-48.)

We face judgment day every day by the way we speak, think, and act. We live our lives by the laws of whatever kingdom we wish to inherit. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the law of the celestial kingdom. God has revealed every priesthood ordinance that is required for our progression. Once we have entered the waters of baptism and made a covenant to live Christlike lives, we are on the path to the celestial kingdom. If we are faithful and keep all the covenants we make with God, we are worthy to hear Him say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

Life After Death

What happens when our mortal bodies die? Heavenly Father has not left us in the dark about the post-mortal spirit world. Heavenly Father has a plan for the salvation of all His children. His plan covers our pre-mortal life, our mortal life, and our post-mortal life. While we lived with our Heavenly Father, He helped us prepare for our life on earth. Then He sent us to live on earth in order to receive mortal bodies of flesh and blood and to prepare for our post-earth life.

When our mortal bodies die, our spirits will go to the spirit world – a place of waiting, working, and learning. Those who have lived righteous lives will have an opportunity to rest from all their cares and sorrows. The spirits of all mankind will live in the spirit world until we are ready for our resurrection. Our resurrection will unite our mortal bodies with our spirits, never to be separated again. Each of us will then receive the degree of glory we have earned.

We have received much instruction about the spirit world. According to latter-day prophets, the spirits of those who have passed away are not far from us. “Sometimes the veil between this life and the life beyond becomes very thin. Our loved ones who have passed on are not far from us” (Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, June 1971, 33). Brigham Young taught that the post-mortal spirit world is on the earth, around us (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 279).

Spirits and mortals have the same bodily form except the spirit body is in perfect form (see Ether 3:16). When people die, their spirits take with them the same attitudes of devotion or antagonism toward righteousness (see Alma 34:34). They also take with them the same appetites and desires as they had during their mortal lives. All spirits are in adult form – before and after mortal life, even if they die as infants or children (see Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 131-32).

According to a prophet named Alma in the Book of Mormon, there are two divisions or states in the spirit world: "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 form all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.
"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.
"Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful,fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection" (Alma 40:12-14).

The spirits are classified as to how they lived their lives in mortality – the purity of their lives and their obedience to God. There is a division between the righteous and the wicked spirits (see 1 Nephi 15:28-30); however, the spirits may progress as fast as they learn the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and learn to be obedient to them. Those spirits who reside in paradise are allowed to teach the spirits in prison (see Doctrine and Covenants 138).

The prophet Alma also taught that the righteous spirits are given rest from earthly care and sorrow while they are occupied in furthering the work of the Lord. Joseph F. Smith saw in a vision that Jesus Christ visited the righteous spirits in paradise immediately after He was crucified. While He was there, He appointed messengers and commissioned them with the necessary power and authority to “carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:30).

Jesus Christ organized His Church in the spirit world. There priesthood holders continue to carry on their duties and responsibilities (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:30). Wilford Woodruff taught: “The same Priesthood exists on the other side of the veil…. Every Apostle, every Seventy, every Elder, etc., who has died in the faith as soon as he passes to the other side of the veil, enters into the work of the ministry” (Deseret News, Jan. 25, 1882, 818).

Family relationships are also important in the spirit world. Jedediah M. Grant, a counselor to Brigham Young, saw the spirit world in a vision and described the organization that exists there to Heber C. Kimball: “He said that the people he there saw were organized in family capacities…. He said, `When I looked at families, there was a deficiency in some, … for I saw families that would not be permitted to come and dwell together, because they had not honored their calling here’” (Deseret News, Dec. 10, 1856, 316-17).

Ancient scriptures also tell us about the spirit world. The Apostle Peter said that the post-mortal spirit world was like a prison for some (see 1 Peter 3:18-20). The spirits who are in spirit prison are those who have not yet received the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have agency and can be tempted by either good or evil. Those who accept the gospel and the ordinances performed for them in the temples are allowed to leave the spirit prison and live in paradise.

Some of the spirits in spirit prison rejected the gospel after it was preached to them either in mortal life or in spirit prison. They suffer a condition that is known as hell. They have rejected the mercy offered by Jesus Christ, who said, “Behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; but if they would not repent they must 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” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-18). They must suffer for their own sins but then will be allowed – because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ – to inherit the telestial kingdom or the lowest degree of glory.

Temple Work

The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that we have a Heavenly Father who wants all of His children to return to His presence. The gospel also teaches that the Atonement of Jesus Christ provided the means to be resurrected and to live forever with our families in God’s presence. In order to put the Atonement into effect in our lives, we must obey all that the Savior commands. His commandments include being baptized and confirmed as well as receiving the temple ordinances.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have each been baptized and confirmed by one holding proper priesthood authority. Each adult member also may go into the temple to receive the saving priesthood ordinances performed there.

Many people have lived on the earth that did not have these same opportunities. They did not live at a time or in a place when the gospel was available to them. Because Heavenly Father loves all of His children and wants all of us to return to live with Him, He provided a way for those who have died without baptism or the temple ordinances to receive them. Members of the Church act as proxies to perform temple ordinances for our ancestors.

Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are special buildings built and dedicated to the Lord. Worthy Church members have the opportunity to go inside the temples to receive sacred ordinances and to make covenants with God. These ordinances and covenants, like baptism, are necessary for our salvation and must be performed in the temples of the Lord.

Part of the temple experience is instruction about Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Visitors to the temple gain better understanding of our purpose in life and our relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. There we learn about our life before we came to earth, why we are here, and what life after death is like.

All temple ordinances are performed by the power of the priesthood. Ordinances performed on earth by this power are sealed, or bound, in heaven as the Savior taught His Apostles, “Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

The temple is the only place where families can be sealed together forever. Baptism and all other ordinances prepare us for marriage in the temple where a man and a woman are joined as husband and wife for eternity if they honor their covenants.

When a man and a woman are married in the temple, any children born after the sealing are automatically part of their eternal family. Couples who were previously married by civil authority can receive these same blessings by preparing themselves and their children to go to the temple and be sealed to each other. Parents who legally adopt children may have those children sealed to them.

Many of our ancestors died without the opportunity to hear the gospel on earth and now live in the spirit world where they are taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who accept the gospel there in the spirit world are waiting for the temple ordinances to be performed for them here on earth. We can feel the joy of our ancestors as we perform these temple ordinances for them.

In order to do temple work for our ancestors, we must identify them by doing family history. When we have sufficient information, we can take the names of our ancestors to the temple to be sealed into the family relationship. The experience of doing temple work for an ancestor is a special and sacred experience.