RSS
Home
Is there a heaven? What happens when we die?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
Michelangelo's 'Last Judgment'
Is there a heaven? What is heaven? We all suppose that it is a wonderful, glorious place. Whenever we attend a funeral or hear of the loss of someone's loved ones, we always hear people speak of assurances that we'll be with that individual again, that he or she is in a better place, etc.
What do we know about heaven? What do the scriptures tell us? Is eternity to be spent floating on clouds and playing harps? Do we have friends and family relationships like we have here? Will we recognize each other? Does everyone who dies go to heaven? If not, what are the qualifications to go there? Is there more than one heaven? Is there a hell?
All these questions are important. Latter-day Saints know the answers to these questions by revelation. The prophet Joseph Smith said, " Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 324) Joseph Smith saw and conversed with God the Father and Jesus Christ. On other occasions, he had extended visions where he was permitted to "gaze into heaven" and see the order, majesty, and glory of the eternities.
Let's answer some of those important questions. The easiest way to simply relate what the scriptures and the revelation tell us about the order and sequence of events that occurs when a person dies.
"SHEOL" -- THE SPIRIT WORLD
A prophet from the Book of Mormon named Alma explained what happens to us at the moment of death. These verses are from Alma, chapter 40.
"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. 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 from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow."
When we die, all of us go to Jesus where we receive a judgment. Those who are righteous will be received in a "state" of happiness, of peace, and of rest called paradise. Note that it doesn't call it a place. The righteous are happy because of their righteousness. Because they were righteous, they didn't fear the judgment and the meeting with their Maker was beautiful and glorious. This will be their condition until they are called forth in the resurrection, when their spirits will be rejoined with their bodies in a glorified, perfected form forever. For the wicked, this is not the case. Alma continued in his description:
"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 estate, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection."
Those whose works are evil are full of darkness. When they approach the glorious light of their Redeemer, they fear destruction. They are filled with an anguish of spirit and shame that is intolerable. No unclean thing can enter into the Lord's rest, and they know it. Thus they seek to flee from him. The wicked into a state of fear, waiting for the final judgment that comes when they will be resurrected. This state is one we call the spirit prison. This is what the scriptures refer to as hell.
The reason I make the distinction here that paradise and prison are "states" and not "places" is that they are one spiritual realm. As they do on earth, the righteous gather together, associate with one another, and shun evil. As they do on earth, the wicked gather with others who are wicked. Those who have subjected themselves to God in mortality will be immune from any influence of the Adversary. However, those who have subjected themselves to follow Satan's promptings in mortality will still be subject to him there.
The Hebrew word "sheol" is used to describe both states. It simply means an abode of spirits. The righteous will anticipate the resurrection and last judgment with joy, whereas the wicked will "burn" with miserable fear, dreading the awful experience of returning into Jesus' presence in a state of unworthiness again.
Brigham Young, the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said this of the righteous spirits in this place:
"I can say with regard to parting with our friends, and going ourselves, that I have been near enough to understand eternity so that I have had to exercise a great deal more faith to desire to live than I ever exercised in my whole life to live. The brightness and glory of the next apartment is inexpressible. It is not encumbered so that when we advance in years we have to be stubbing along and be careful lest we fall down. We see our youth, even, frequently stubbing their toes and falling down. But yonder, how different! They move with ease and like lightning. If we want to visit Jerusalem, or this, that, or the other place—and I presume we will be permitted if we desire—there we are, looking at its streets. If we want to behold Jerusalem as it was in the days of the Savior; or if we want to see the Garden of Eden as it was when created, there we are, and we see it as it existed spiritually, for it was created first spiritually and then temporally, and spiritually it still remains. And when there we may behold the earth as at the dawn of creation, or we may visit any city we please that exists upon its surface. If we wish to understand how they are living here on these western islands, or in China, we are there; in fact, we are like the light of the morning. … God has revealed some little things, with regard to his movements and power, and the operation and motion of the lightning furnish a fine illustration of the ability of the Almighty." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young,"The Spirit World; Discourses of Brigham Young, p.380.)
THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THE DEAD
In this place we call the spirit world, there is a work of redemption that goes on. Many millions of people who died without a knowledge of the gospel receive the message of its good news from authorized servants of Jesus Christ. The preaching of the Gospel was initiated by Jesus himself, during the three days his mortal body lay in the tomb. Let's look at the Bible for guidance here.
Centuries before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah prophesied:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound... " (Isaiah 61:1)
Jesus said in John, chapter 5, verse 25:
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live."
After Jesus died on the cross, his body was placed in the tomb. His spirit went to the spirit world to preach to the spirits there. Of this, Peter wrote:
"For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." (1 Peter 4:6)
He also wrote:
"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..." (1 Peter 3:18-19)
When we reflect upon the glorious message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, wherein he saved us all from the chains of death, many Christians overlook the content of the first recorded conversation of a resurrected being with a mortal. Mary, who wept at the tomb looked inside and found the Lord's body was gone. She beheld two angels there. A voice spoke to her and asked her why she was weeping. Thinking it was the gardener, she asked him about the whereabouts of Jesus' body. When she turned to see him, she recognized him and sought to embrace him. Jesus forbade her to do this saying:
"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." (John 20:17)
On that first Easter morning, when Mary's sorrow transformed instantly into joy, note that Jesus explained that he had not yet ascended to his Father in Heaven. That's why he wouldn't let her touch him yet. If had not been to heaven yet, where had he gone? We know the answer from the scriptures above. He went to preach to the spirits in the spirit world.
From Latter-day visions and revelations to living, modern prophets, we know that Jesus went and preached deliverance to the captives. His resurrection would break the chains of death for them. He organized the righteous and commissioned them to find those who died without knowledge and to teach them to repent and believe on his name.
For them to be "judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." they must receive the same opportunities that are available to those living in mortality. Jesus commanded all people to repent and be baptized for a remission of their sins. For this reason, Latter-day Saints perform proxy baptisms for the dead as did ancient Christians. (1 Corinthians 15:29) If an individual has accepted the gospel in the spirit world, who died in ignorance of its saving principles, the proxy baptism can count for him as if he or she was baptized in the flesh.
The description of paradise, as a place where spirits rest from their mortal toils, might be called heaven by many Christians or people of other faiths. For Latter-day Saints, we understand that this is not the final destination.
THE RESURRECTION AND THE THREE HEAVENS
There comes a time when all of us will be judged according to our works. This judgment, as recorded in the Bible, takes place when we are resurrected. For most of humanity, the resurrection and assignment to kingdoms of glory takes place when the "thousand years are ended," or one thousand years after the return of Jesus. The Revelation of John tells us:
"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." (Revelation 20:12-13)
Note here that it says that "death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them." Hell has an end for most of God's children. The mission of those in the spirit prison who went in as unrighteous souls is repentance. During their time there, their task is to repent of their sins inasmuch as possible. The only spirits who will inherit the "second death" are those who have placed themselves beyond the reach of Christ's atoning sacrifice. Yes, there is an unpardonable sin, but that discussion goes beyond the intended scope of this article. (See Luke 12:10, Mark 3:28-29, Jacob 7:19, Alma 39:6 for more info.)
When death and hell are emptied, everyone will stand before and receive their eternal reward, according to their works, according to that which is written in the books. The last chapter of the Revelation of John tells us:
"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:14)
Of the resurrected, the apostle Paul taught the Corinthian Christians:
"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." (1 Corinthians 15:40-42)
Paul likens these degrees of heavenly glory to the sun, the moon, and the stars, which differ drastically in magnitude from one another. This coincides with the Lord's own teachings at the Last Supper, where he said:
"In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2)
Among those many mansions prepared are three kingdoms of glory. Paul names two of them, one is the celestial glory and another terrestrial. The bodies of those resurrected into those kingdoms are different from one another. We know the name of the third degree of glory by modern revelation. It is called the "telestial" glory. Referring to himself in the third person, out of humility, Paul spoke of a man who saw the "third heaven."
"I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third dheaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." (2 Corinthians 12:2-3)
This man saw the celestial paradise, which is the kingdom of glory where the spirits in the spirit world's paradise will enter when they are resurrected. Like Paul, the Prophet Joseph Smith also saw this kingdom. In Section 137 of the Doctrine and Covenants, a book of modern revelations, he wrote:
"THE heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell. I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire; Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son. I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold."
I find it fascinating that Christian sects preach a fearsome, fiery damnation, that the glory of God's kingdom is often described as "flaming glory." Isaiah wrote:
"Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off." (Isaiah 33:14-17)
In the Ethiopian Book of Enoch is not recognized as a canonic work by Latter-day Saints, but which was once used as scripture by ancient Christians (Jude quotes a prophecy from it in the New Testament. See Jude 1:14), In it, Enoch repeatedly describes heaven as being filled with a holiness that appeared as "tongues of fire." The day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles comes to mind also. Enoch recounts his approach to God's heavenly throne:
"A fire also of great extent continued to rise up before Him; so that not one of those who surrounded Him was capable of approaching Him, among the myriads of myriads (22) who were before Him. To Him holy consultation was needless. Yet did not the sanctified, who were near Him, depart far from Him either by night or by day; nor were they removed from Him. I also was so far advanced, with a veil on my face, and trembling. Then the Lord with his own mouth called me, saying, Approach hither, Enoch, at my holy word." (Enoch 14:25)
Joseph Smith taught that the "same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with beternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy." In heaven there are buildings, gardens, trees, animals, streets, etc. People associate with one another like we do now, but there will be no evildoers. Satan has no influence there. There is no sickness, disease, aging, pain, or death. People will live in family groups and we will also be a part of Heavenly Father's family as we were before we came to earth. We will know our loved ones and they will know us. If we do right on earth, we will be with them forever.
When the Lord appears at the Second Coming, the earth will be burned as stubble at the glory of his appearing. A word search of the Bible turns up dozens of scriptures that describe this glory as a flaming fire that consumes the wicked, but which the righteous can miraculously withstand.
RESURRECTION OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE DAMNED
The assignment of they type of body we receive at the resurrection is based on our faith and obedience in the flesh. Jesus said in John chapter 5, verses 28 and 29:
"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
The Book of Mormon prophet Alma explained this principle of "restoration" to his son when he instructed him in these words:
"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. And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame—mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption—raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on one hand, the other on the other—The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh. And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness...Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness." (Alma 4:3-6, 10)
That's a fairly long explanation, but it simply says that, because what we do is driven by our desires, our works will be good if our desires are good. If our works are good, we will be happy. In the resurrection, the righteous continue in their happiness. The wicked are restored to their wickedness, which is a course of unhappiness and damnation.
What then, does it mean to be saved? To be saved is to be delivered and ransomed from death and hell. In that case, the atonement of Jesus Christ saves almost everyone. Almost everyone will enter one of the three kingdoms of glory. Those who enter the celestial glory will, as Jesus promised, inherit all the Father has. They will continue to learn and develop in knowledge, truth, and light until they comprehend all the things God has to teach us. In the inferior kingdoms, this progression will not take place.
When you build a dam on a river, what happens? The forward process of the water ceases. What is damnation then? It is the blocking of one's spiritual forward progress. In eternity, the resurrected beings in the telestial and terrestrial kingdom will abide worlds without end, never progressing beyond the bounds of their kingdoms. They do not inherit all the Father has. This restriction comes upon them because they exercised their agency, their ability to choose, and chose to reject some portion of the greater light God offers.
Thus Latter-day Saints do not believe that members of other Churches are condemned to a burning hell. Neither do they expect that every Latter-day Saint will go to heaven. God will judge us according to our works, in accordance with the light and truth we accept and put into practice in our lives.
These things have been made known to us by revelation. It is only by the Grace of Jesus Christ that any of this is possible for any of us. Without Jesus Christ, we would be forever lost, unable to overcome the effects of physical death and sin.
Related Articles:
Comments
.jpg)
