We All Inhabit a Spirit World After Our Deaths

Our life after death is part of the great Plan of Salvation. After we die, we will inhabit a spirit world.

Life After Death

Our spirit does not die when our body does but continues to live. After we die, our spirit leaves our mortal body and enters a spirit world, where we await the resurrection.

The Spirit World is divided into two parts: paradise and prison. Those who accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ and lived righteously upon the earth during mortality go to spirit paradise.

However, those who lived wickedly denied the gospel, or who never had the chance to hear the gospel during their earthly life will go to spirit prison.

The Spirit World Is Composed of Paradise and Prison

In the Spirit World, those in paradise experience happiness and peace and are free from trouble, sorrow, and pain. They continue to associate in family relationships and engage in worthwhile activities.

In the Book of Mormon the prophet Alma said:

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.

The spirits in prison are those who, for whatever reason, did not accept the gospel while on the earth. They cannot partake of the blessings received in paradise, nor are they allowed to enter it.

In this sense, it is considered a prison. However, those who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel during their earthly life will be given this chance while in spirit prison. 

Missionary Work Continues in the Spirit World

Jesus Christ's church has been organized in the Spirit World, in paradise, and continues to function as it does on earth.

Many spirits in paradise will be called as missionaries and will enter the spirit prison to teach those who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel while upon earth. Those in prison still have their agency and, if they accept the gospel, they will be allowed to enter paradise.

Those who rejected the gospel while on the earth will not have this opportunity. They will live in a state of hell until the resurrection. They will have to pay in full for their own sins because they rejected Christ.

For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

Salvation for the Dead

There will be many who will repent and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. Before they can enter paradise they will need to have the necessary saving ordinances performed in their behalf. These include baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost and all the temple ordinances.

Because they lack a physical body they are unable to perform these ordinances for themselves. Their work is performed on earth by those who have already received these ordinances for themselves. The Lord has commanded his servants to build temples for this purpose.

Those who do not repent will eventually pay the price for their sins, be resurrected and receive the lowest degree of glory.

What We Will Look Like

As spirits, we will appear much the same way as we appear now upon the earth. We will look the same, have the same personality and will believe the same things as we did during our earthly life.

We will also have the same beliefs and behaviors in the spirit world that we had on earth before we died. Our bodies will be spirits, but our attitudes and inclinations will be the same.

Because our spirits were already full grown before we left our premortal life, they will appear in adult form in the afterlife. There are no baby spirits in the spirit world.

Where is the Spirit World?

Brigham Young answered this question simply. He said the spirit world is here on earth. Only a veil separates the mortals from the spirits of the departed.

Updated by Krista Cook.