Life After Death

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Introduction

1. "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God.... I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end.... 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 34:32-34).

Q Why is it important to understand that death does not change our personality, attitudes, or desires?

2. "Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die.... And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them" (D&C 42:45-46).

Spirit World

3. "When the physical body dies, the spirit continues to live. In the spirit world, the spirits of the 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). A place called spirit prison is reserved for “those who [have] died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets” (D&C 138:32). The spirits in prison are “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 [are] necessary for them to know” (D&C 138:33–34). If they accept the principles of the gospel, repent of their sins, and accept ordinances performed in their behalf in temples, they will be welcomed into paradise" (True to the Faith, Death, Physical).

4. "[Hell] is another name for spirit prison" (True to the Faith, Hell).

Q How are conditions in the spirit world similar to conditions in this life?

Q How does the preaching of the gospel to those in Spirit Prison demonstrate God's love and mercy? The power of the atonement of Jesus Christ?

5. "Latter-day prophets have said that the spirits of those who have died are not far from us. President Ezra Taft Benson said: “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” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1971, 18; or Ensign, June 1971, 33). President Brigham Young taught that the postmortal spirit world is on the earth, around us (see Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 279)" (Gospel Principles, The Spirit World).

Resurrection

6. "Because of the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, physical death is only temporary: “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Everyone will be resurrected, meaning that every person’s spirit will be reunited with his or her body" (True to the Faith, Death, Physical).

7. "[In the resurrection] the soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame" (Alma 40:23).

Q How did you gain a testimony of the resurrection? How has this knowledge blessed you?

The Final Judgment

We will be judged by our words, works, thoughts, and desires of our hearts (see Matthew 12:36-37, Revelation 20:12, Mosiah 4:30, Alma 12:14, Alma 41:3, D&C 137:9)

8. "And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good.... Therefore... see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again. For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again" (Alma 41:3,14-15).

9. "In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.... the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account.... The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan by which we can become what children of God are supposed to become. [A] spotless and perfected state will result from a steady succession of covenants, ordinances, and actions, an accumulation of right choices, and from continuing repentance" (Dallin H. Oaks, October 2000 General Conference).

Q How can we prepare now for the final judgment?

10. Jesus taught, " And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled [with the Holy Ghost]; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world. And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end" (3 Nephi 27:16,19).

Q What does it mean to endure to the end? Why is this a requirement for salvation?

Kingdoms of Glory

11. "During our mortal lives we make choices regarding good and evil. God rewards us according to our works and desires. Because God rewards everyone according to deeds done in the body, there are different kingdoms of glory to which we may be assigned after the Judgment" (Preach My Gospel).

12. "There are three kingdoms of glory: the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, and the telestial kingdom. The glory you inherit will depend on the depth of your conversion, expressed by your obedience to the Lord’s commandments. It will depend on the manner in which you have “received the testimony of Jesus” (D&C 76:51; see also 76:74, 79, 101)" (True to the Faith, Kingdoms of Glory).

Telestial

13. "Those who continued in their sins and did not repent in this life will receive their reward in the lowest kingdom, which is called the telestial kingdom. This kingdom is compared to the glory of the stars" (Preach My Gospel).

14. "These are they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus... neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant" (D&C 76:82, 101).

Terrestrial

15. "People who do not accept the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ but live honorable lives will receive a place in the terrestrial kingdom. This kingdom is compared to the glory of the moon" (Preach My Gospel).

16. "These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men. These are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fulness. These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father. These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus" (D&C 76:75-77, 79).

Celestial

17. "Those who have repented of their sins and received the ordinances of the gospel and kept the associated covenants will be cleansed by the Atonement of Christ.... They will live in God’s presence, become like Him, and receive a fulness of joy. They will live together for eternity with those of their family who qualify. In the scriptures this kingdom is compared to the glory or brightness of the sun" (Preach My Gospel).

18. "They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given— That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;  And who overcome by faith.... 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.... And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all things—where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever.... They who dwell in his presence... [receive] of his fulness and of his grace" (D&C 76:51-53, 69-70, 92, 94).

19. "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.... For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts. 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" (D&C 137:7-10).

20. "In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase" (D&C 131:1-4).

Conclusion

Q How can a knowledge what happens after death influence us in this life?

Q What does it mean to be "valiant in the testimony of Jesus"?

21. "In reality, every day is a day of judgment. We speak, think, and act according to celestial, terrestrial, or telestial law. Our faith in Jesus Christ, as shown by our daily actions, determines which kingdom we will inherit" (Gospel Principles, The Final Judgment).

22. "A testimony of the plan of salvation can give you hope and purpose as you wrestle with the challenges of life. You can find reassurance in the knowledge that you are a child of God and that you lived in His presence before you were born on the earth. You can find meaning in your present life, knowing that your actions during mortality influence your eternal destiny. With this knowledge, you can base important decisions on eternal truths rather than on the changing circumstances of life. You can continually improve your relationship with family members, rejoicing in the promise that your family can be eternal. You can find joy in your testimony of the Atonement and the Lord’s commandments, ordinances, covenants, and doctrines, knowing that “he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23)" (True to the Faith, Plan of Salvation).

Key talks about the Atonement of Jesus Christ can be found at

http://ldsgospellessons.blogspot.com/search/label/Atonement%20of%20Jesus%20Christ%20%28T%29

Key talks about the Plan of Salvation can be found at

http://ldsgospellessons.blogspot.com/search/label/Plan%20of%20Salvation%20%28T%29

Key talks about the Resurrection can be found at

http://ldsgospellessons.blogspot.com/search/label/Resurrection%20%28T%29

Key talks about Adversity can be found at

http://ldsgospellessons.blogspot.com/search/label/Adversity%20%28T%29