Post Mortal Life

Neal A Maxwell said something like, “Life on earth is like a parent dropping off a child at school for the day. But oh, what a day!” That’s how short our life is compared to eternities.

This life is like a laboratory, and one of the most important things about it is that we are put in families. The family experience is most important for preparing us for eternities.

We are promised that we will never be tested more than we can bear. We are actually much stronger than we think.

There is a reason Mormon funerals are more like a graduation ceremony. We know that death is like walking through a door. We continue much like we are on the other side of the door.

D&C 42:46 says 46 And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them;

47 And they that die not in me, wo unto them, for their death is bitter.

To the righteous, death will be sweet. We are promised that no righteous man will ever be taken before his time.

So where is the Spirit world? It is right here, in a different dimension. As our spirit is inside our body, the Spirit world is in the heart of the world – Joseph Smith. The spirits are like next door neighbors. As soon as we die, we are shaking hands with family.

The spirit world is separated into different groups, according to their progression.

Alma 13 talks about pre-mortality; Alma 40 talks about the post-mortal life, but it is very outdated because it was written 100 years before Christ resurrected and began the first resurrection. After Christ died, he went to the spirit world and taught there - D&C 1:38.  After his resurrection, He visited all the House of Israel and taught about work for the dead. 1 Cor 15:29 proves the early saints did work for the dead.  There was no temple work done before Christ resurrected. If the people in spirit prison accepted the gospel they couldn’t leave spirit prison until their temple work was done. So now Alma 40 is outdated because now, as soon as spirits accept the temple work and the gospel, they can cross over to paradise.

In the spirit world, there are 2 divisions: Paradise where the righteous are, and spirit prison where the wicked are. The “wicked” includes good people who were not baptized and people who were baptized but didn’t stay true to their covenants to the end. Paradise includes all children who died under the age of 8 and those who kept their covenants. Spirit prison is divided between a school area where people can be taught, and a temporary hell. D&C 19 says it includes the disobedient who knew better. 

When Christ said to the robber on the cross, “today I will be with you in paradise” that’s a wrong translation. Joseph Smith said it actually says, “today I will be with you in the world of spirits.”

Alma 34:32-35 talks about death bed repentance and how we can’t wait to repent at the end because we will be the same person and won’t want to repent any more then than we do now. Repentance takes time. It isn’t just saying, “I’m sorry for all I did.” Repentance requires a change of who we are. It can’t be done on your death bed.

Upon death, there is a partial judgement and you are sent to either paradise or spirit prison. 

Alma the younger called himself the “vilest of sinners” but later became a prophet. This is a proof that repentance can completely change you, but it takes suffering, effort, and time.

We are all accountable – Moroni 7:16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man.  Everyone is guided by the Spirit of Christ to know good from evil. Members have the greater light, the Holy Ghost. If we sin, we are sinning against the great light and therefore have greater condemnation – Alma the younger.

It is much easier and quicker to repent now while Christ can help us than after we die.

The spirit world is sort of like Los Angeles – it’s a huge place with millions/billions of people, who are divided into areas. There’s a temple where the righteous are working, a university area where people are being taught the gospel, and an area with prisons.

On the Paradise side of the spirit world are the faithful saints. When we get there, we are given an assignment, like a calling, so that we continue to progress and are able to help others progress.

Elder Nelson was able to talk to his father who had died. He saw his father sitting on his, Elder Nelson’s, bed.

*The father said he got permission to visit him.

*He said 3 days after he died he received a commission (assignment or calling) to preach the Gospel. His companion was Erastus Snow.

*Elder Nelson asked if all believe when they are taught. The father said no. 

*Elder Nelson asked if the spirits could see us all the time. The father said No – we are busy.

*Elder Nelson asked if it is natural to die. The father said it is just as natural as walking through that door. He said it was way more organized there than on the earth; The Priesthood leaders keep everything very organized and orderly.

One sister in our class said her husband visited her after he died. He told her he was so happy with the work he was doing. (but didn't say what that work was.)

Another sister in the class said her mother died when (the sister) was 9. One year later her grandma died. Shortly after, she had a dream that her mother and grandmother came to her and were so busy and happy. They told her their deaths were part of the plan and that they were ok and she would be ok. As an adult she had forgotten that dream until her father reminded her. She said it was a great consolation to her when she was little.

Alma 5 says if ye were called to die now, are ye sufficiently humble? (We need to be ready spiritually to die at all times.)

Harold B Lee said “If you were called home now, would you want to stay her any longer? No. If you have any sense, you would want to go.”

In the spirit world, righteous men and women are called to do missionary work, but not everyone. Some are called to keep records, to record priesthood blessings and make sure they are fulfilled.

President Joseph F Smith (D&C 138) said spirits are given (and have to have) permission to visit earth to bring messages. He experienced visiting angels when his mother died when he was 13. He and his sister were given sacred experiences telling them that their parents were watching over them.

Brigham Young taught that the righteous are in a state of rest, but that doesn’t mean they are lying around, relaxing. Their rest is from Satan’s temptations and power. Once a righteous person dies while keeping covenants, the devil can never tempt them again. We are safe. That’s why it’s so important to stay righteous all the time, so we are on the path when we die. Then the devil has no influence more over us. All others are still subject to the devil and his legions. The righteous that have been baptized and stayed faithful cannot be bothered by the devil again.

Those in spirit prison not baptized or not faithful to their covenants, still have temptations from the devil.

Ezekial 3:20 says: Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

That’s why it’s so urgent to rescue the inactive members, or else all the good they did will not count. Enduring to the end means enduring until death. This is the day and age of the rescue. We need to rescue inactives before they die so they can be on the path at death and escape spirit prison. That’s also why temple work is so urgent for those in spirit prison. When they accept the work and the gospel, they are released to Paradise and immediately Satan can’t influence them any more.

There is a man from Madera who was Sheriff. Sheriff F Bates (?) was a non-member but a very good man. After he retired, his wife died. One day when getting ready to go to the dentist, he turned to see his wife sitting on the couch. She said, “I’ve found great true joy and happiness. Will you do the same?” then she was gone. Two weeks later the missionaries found him and said, “We have a message for you that will bring great true joy and happiness.” He lived outside of Madera, in an area where missionaries didn't tract. When they knocked on his door, he asked them how they found his house.

He got baptized and as soon as he could go to the temple, he wanted to do his wife’s work, but he found it had already been done by a distant relative. When he checked the date it was done, he realized it was the same day that she had appeared to him. A date he remembered because he had a dentist appointment. So he could see that as soon as the relative did his wife's work, she was released from spirit prison and immediately got permission to visit him with the happy message. Now he’s 92 and lives in Oakhurst. Many in the class know him personally.

All the children who died under the age of I will be in Paradise, but they will be in the form of young adults.

How do spirits in the spirit world find out how we are doing? They ask someone who recently died for reports on their loved ones.

President Hinckley, when a reporter asked him how he felt when he was sustained as president and prophet by millions of people. He said, “I was thinking about what my mother. I hope she’s pleased.”

George Q Cannon (apostle) said when we die, our memory will be quickened and expanded.

Jedediah Grant, father of Heber J Grant and counselor to Brigham Young wrote a book called Mormon Thunders. He passed back and forth from the spirit world. He said it is very organized and orderly. The buildings are more beautiful, the flowers are more beautiful, with many colored flowers on a single branch, the houses, etc. are more beautiful.

There was a sister named Nellie who crossed the plains. Her toes were frozen and had to be amputated. She married one of the rescue party and had children,but her husband died and she was left to raise the children alone. She was inconsolable.  One day a man came and told her husband’s death was the will of the Lord. She chased him out of her house with a broom. She was terribly devastated by his death. Later her husband was given permission to appear to her to show her the mansion he was building for her. 

(so we will have homes/mansions to live in.)

Brigham Young talked about how we get around in the spirit world. He said spirits move easily there – like lightening – but only with permission, they can be anywhere immediately, at the speed of thought.

Here on earth we have opportunities to listen to the general authorities in general conferences or when they come to visit our area. In the spirit world we will have the Father, Jesus, and angels speak to us. There will be amazing opportunities to hear from them even though they don’t live there.

After the resurrection, all spirits will be resurrected and the spirit world will empty out. If we die before the 2^nd coming and resurrection, we could meet all those great ones who are waiting for the resurrection – past prophets, leaders, etc.

What language will we speak? We will speak thought to thought.

Harold B Lee lost his wife of 39 years. He said the death of a loved one is the most difficult of any trial. If you can continue faithful after the death of a loved one, you can handle anything. Nothing will be more difficult than that.

President Monson said spirits can attend their own temple ordinances.

Those who resurrected at the 1^st resurrection don’t live in the spirit world – the universe is their campus, but they can go to the spirit world. Scripture: flesh and bones (resurrected being) can go where flesh and blood cannot. (like  through walls, to Paradise.)

Brent Top has written some books on the spirit world – Journey beyond Earth’s door and others. You can see videos of his Ed week talks on You tube.

He says that those who die and come back from the spirit world come back changed. They want to learn more and love more.

There was a man working on the Salt Lake City temple whose brother had died. That brother appeared to him and told him, “I didn’t listen to you while I was alive, but I heard there was a meeting with the Mormon Elders, so I went and now I want my work done.”

Spirits want their temple work done so they can be set free from spirit prison and pass to Paradise.

President Hinkley was so concerned about temple work that every morning he would call the temple department and ask, “how many did we set free yesterday.”

Imagine the warm reception we will receive by those whose work we have done. Thelma King decided she wanted to do 20,000 endowments before she died. She died 1 week after she finished the 20,000. Imagine the reception she will receive.

It was a wonderful class. There were many tears.