The Ageold Question Where Do We Go...

• The age-old question "Where do we go when we die?" has been asked by old people and young people among all nations from time immemorial. ¶

Many disbelievers, cynics, and atheists today maintain that nothing exists for man beyond the grave — that death is the end. ¶

Life Beyond the Grave

The greatest of all teachers, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, proclaimed an entirely different doctrine. He taught that there is a glorious life beyond the grave in the presence of the Eternal Father, and that by compliance with certain laws we may go there and enjoy it. For example, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came unto Jesus at night and in course of their conversion, Jesus declared: ¶

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5.) The Savior revealed to Joseph Smith, a modern prophet: ¶

"Take upon you the name of Christ, . . . ¶

"And as many as repent and are baptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved. ¶

"Behold, Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be saved." (D&C 18:21-23.) ¶

The Resurrection and the Life

On a certain occasion, a dear friend of the Master in Palestine was very ill. ¶

His sisters, Martha and Mary, sent for Jesus to come and heal their brother. ¶

The Savior did not come for a few days, and when he did come Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days. ¶

Martha was told that Jesus was approaching, and so she hurried out to meet him. She said: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. . . . ¶

"Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. ¶

"Martha saith unto him, I know he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." ¶

Jesus replied: "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: ¶

"And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" (John 11:21-26.) The night before his crucifixion, Jesus gave his apostles additional information regarding his Father's kingdom. He said to them: ¶

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go now to prepare a place for you. ¶

"And if I -go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3.) ¶

What Is Death?

What is death? It is nothing more than the separation of the spiritual body from the physical body. The physical tabernacle becomes diseased, worn, and aged, and, therefore, no longer a fit home for the spirit. Thus the spirit — the real person, in which all the good deeds committed, also the bad deeds committed, the personality — goes on alive as a spirit personage in the spirit world. Some departed spirits go to paradise, a place of peace and happiness where they can continue to work and progress. Others go to a spirit prison. Certain prophets have termed it a hell. The apostle Peter proclaimed that Christ who suffered death for our sins "went and preached unto the spirits in prison" (1 Pet. ¶

3:19) who had been there from the time they were drowned in the flood in Noah's day. ¶

Thus they were in the spirit prison for nearly twenty-five hundred years, because they had rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ and had lived wicked lives. ¶

Vision of Judgment Day

John the Revelator saw in vision the resurrection and judgment of the human family. He described it as follows: ¶

"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. ¶

"And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." (Rev. 20:12-13.) The ancient American prophets taught that there would be a universal resurrection. Amulek stated: ". . . the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works." ¶

(Al. 11:41.) Jacob, the brother of Nephi, described the judgment day: "Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness." (2 Ne. 9:14.) ¶

Modern Revelations

The most profound and marvelous revelations that exist on life after death and the final destiny of man were received by the Prophet Joseph Smith. They are recorded in Sections 76, 88, 131, and 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants. In addition, other visions he had on the immortality of man are not recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. ¶

Three Degrees of Glory

God revealed to the Prophet that there are three degrees of glory — the celestial, the terrestrial, and the telestial. If a person's body at the resurrection is "quickened by a portion of the celestial glory," he shall later receive a fullness of that glory. The same holds true for the other two degrees of glory. On February 16, 1832, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were translating the Bible at Hiram, Ohio, when they had a marvelous vision. ¶

"And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about. ¶

"And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness; "And saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever. ¶

"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! ¶

"For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father — "That by him, and through him, . . . ¶

the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God." (D&C 76:19-24.) ¶

The Celestial Degree

Who will go to the celestial degree of glory and live with the Father and the Son? ¶

From another vision of celestial glory had by Joseph Smith, we receive the following information: ¶

"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." (Documentary History of the Church, vol. 2, p. 381.) By revelation the Lord set the age eight as the age of accountability for little children. (D&C 68:27.) In addition to little children, others who go to the celestial glory are those who receive a testimony of Jesus, in other words, the gospel of Jesus Christ. ¶

They must be baptized by immersion in water and receive the Holy Ghost by one having authority. Also, they must keep the commandments, and be those who are "overcome by faith and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true." (D&C 76:53.) Certainly many of the people in celestial glory will be holders of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood. ¶

"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]; "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.) ¶

Other Degrees of Glory

The Lord has declared that the honorable people of the earth who do not accept the true gospel of Jesus Christ will go to the terrestrial glory. ¶

The wicked people of the earth who have not denied the Holy Ghost — "they who are thrust down to hell . . . ¶

until the last resurrection" — will be assigned to the telestial glory. ¶

The people who commit the unpardonable sins of denying the Holy Ghost or shedding innocent blood shall be cast off with the devil and die the second death. ¶

Where We Go After Death

Where do we go when we die? It depends on how we live while here in mortality, and how much light and truth we receive, and how much opportunity we have had. Also, for those who have not had a chance to hear the gospel while here in mortality, they will have an opportunity in the spirit world and temple work will be done for them. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith: ¶

"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 to 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 the kingdom for I, the Lord, will judge all men, . . . according to the desires of their hearts." (DHC, vol. 2, p. 380.) I bear testimony that the true gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to earth again. It is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ¶

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶