The Spirit World – Prison and Paradise

2 Corinthians 5:8 – We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

While Mormons claim to be Christian they choose to follow many heretical doctrines that defy logic and ignore basic biblical teachings. One these doctrines gives those who have died a second chance at salvation. It’s a customized version of universalism that says every person, good and bad alike will have a chance to redeem themselves through Mormonism when they die. Accepting this religion after they’re dead will guarantee they receive a certain amount of glory and a place in one of the three levels of Heaven. In order to understand what that means, first we need to define salvation according to their doctrines.

According to Mormon doctrine there are many necessary steps one must take to receive the full blessings of eternal life and exaltation. The first step is accepting the Book of Mormon as the word of God and Joseph Smith as a prophet of God. The Second is baptism by someone holding the Mormon priesthood and receiving the Holy Spirit; the third would be receiving your own temple endowments, and the forth is marriage for time and all eternity to a worthy member of the Mormon Church.

Along the road to Mormon salvation there are little stops along the way such as males receiving the priesthood, remaining worthy to hold a temple recommend, raising a righteous family and participating in temple works for the dead.

Based on Mormon doctrine there two realms of the spirit world where the dead reside until the resurrection. The first is Paradise. This is a place reserved for those who were faithful members of the Mormon Church while on earth. They lived a righteous life, did all they could to advance the kingdom and spread the Mormon gospel on the earth.

The second place is Spirit Prison. This place is for those who were wicked and evil, and those who rejected the Mormon gospel, as well as those who didn’t have a chance to learn about Mormonism while they were alive. It’s here those who didn’t have the opportunity to accept the Mormon gospel will be taught and have the chance to do so. Mormons believe that when the dead hear the Mormon gospel they will see it as being true and accept it, and be allowed admittance into Paradise. If however they decide to reject it, they will remain in Spirit Prison until they are resurrected.

Joseph Smith told church members –

“The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us, is to seek after our dead…They without us cannot be made perfect.”

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”

Gordon B. Hinckley said –

“Just as our Redeemer gave His life as a vicarious sacrifice for all men, and in so doing became our Savior, even so we, in a small measure, when we engage in proxy work in the temple, become as saviors to those on the other side.”

This is how church leaders entice… encourage….guilt trip the members into doing temple work for the dead. Members are told fictional stories of how long people have waited in the Spirit World for the work to be done for them. These people have been taught and accepted Mormonism with open arms, and all they need is for you to do those lifesaving ordinances for them so they too can enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

The finished work on the cross will only get them up to the gate of the Celestial Kingdom where God dwells, but it won’t allow them passage through it. Just thinking about being separated from family is enough to influence all Mormons to attend the temple regularly until all the work for their family is completed.

Doing genealogy work is something that is pounded into their brains from the moment they step out of the baptismal font. They’re strongly encouraged to search various records and documents to find family members who lived long ago and prepare their names for the temple so their work can be done for them. It’s not uncommon for them to search for family who lived generations ago, most Mormons go back several generations to make sure all the work has been done for their progenitors.

What we know very clearly from scripture is that now is the time to prepare to meet the Lord. There is no second chance to meet God, no get out of hell card one can use on behalf of their dead that gives them a second chance to accept Jesus Christ after they rejected Him.

Furthermore the notion that one must accept one religion to be with God is beyond blasphemy. Jesus is the only one you have to accept because it’s through Him you have any hope of being in Heaven with the Father. It’s His blood that covers your sins and makes you acceptable to God (Hebrews 9:20-22).

God’s Word makes it clear that all will have a chance to accept Jesus and all are without excuse when it comes to knowing there’s a God (Romans 1:20). He’s all powerful, and can orchestrate events in a way that will allow for someone to have a chance to accept his Son.

Those who are in Christ have no reason to fear. We know that when we die we’ll be present with the Lord, and not shuttled off to a Mormon purgatory to await further instructions.

In Christ,

Melissa Grimes

melissa@lifeafter.org

References –

Gospel Principles Chapter 41 – http://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-41-the-postmortal-spirit-world?lang=eng

Joseph Smith – Times and Seasons 5:616; Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 147; History of the Church 6:313

Ezra Taft Benson – Conference Report, Apr. 1971, 18; or Ensign, June 1971, 33

Gordon B. Hinckley – Closing Remarks, Ensign, November 2004, 105

http://forums.carm.org/vbb/showthread.php?156238-Spirit-Prison&p=4624819#post4624819

http://www.lds.org/ensign/1986/04/i-have-a-question?lang=eng

http://www.mrm.org/heaven-and-hell