During my time as a missionary in Kentucky, I rarely found a topic that captured people's interest more than the spirit world. It seems that people are very anxious to know what happens to them after they die, and rightly so. Brigham Young said, "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" (Teachings, ch 38). I have found a few different sources of information about the conditions in the spirit world, which I will attempt to present in an organized manner.
Where is the spirit world?
"Where is the spirit world? It is right here.... Do [the spirits] go beyond the boundaries of this organized earth? No, they do not." (Journal of Discourses, 3:369)
What is meant by paradise and prison?
Two common terms used when speaking of the spirit world are "paradise" and "prison." However, I believe these differences refer only to a state of being, and not of a specific location.
"Hades or Sheol, these two significations mean the world of spirits. Hades, Sheol, paradise, spirits in prison, are all one. It is a world of spirits. The righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of spirits until the resurrection." (Joseph Smith)
Besides this, there is also the matter of temptation.
"President Brigham young explained that if we die firm in the faith of Jesus Christ the devil and wicked spirits will have no influence over our spirits. Whereas all others, when they die will still be subject to temptation." (1)
See also D&C 138:12-22
What will we remember in the spirit world?
Neal A. Maxwell said,
"The veil of forgetfulness of the first estate apparently will not be suddenly, automatically, and totally removed at the time of our temporal death. This veil, a condition of our entire second estate, is associated with and is part of our time of mortal trial, testing, proving, and overcoming by faith— and thus will continue in some key respects into the spirit world." (The Promise of Discipleship, p. 111)
Also,
"We do not now know precisely how God handles things in the spirit world so that life there is an extension of walking by faith. Death does not suddenly bestow upon the disbeliever full awareness of all reality, thereby obviating the need for any faith. Instead, what follows death is a continuum of the basic structure in mortality-until the Judgment Day, when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ (see Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10; D&C 76:110). Until then, we “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). How will God ensure this condition in the spirit world? We do not know. Yet He has certainly so handled the second estate in relation to the first estate, hasn’t He? The memories of the first estate are not accessible in the second estate. The spirit world will be so arranged that there will be no legitimate complaints later over the justice and mercy of God (see Mosiah 27:31; Alma 12:15). Furthermore, the gospel, when preached in the spirit world, will bring the same responses as here: “some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not” (Acts 28:24). [That Ye May Believe, pp. 93-94] "
What does the spirit world look like?
Jedediah M. Grant "spoke of the buildings he saw [in the spirit world], remarking that the Lord gave Solomon wisdom and poured gold and silver into his hands that he might display his skill and ability, and said that the temple erected by Solomon was much inferior to the most ordinary buildings he saw in the spirit world.
In regard to gardens, says brother Grant, “I have seen good gardens on this earth, but I never saw any to compare with those that were there. I saw flowers of numerous kinds, and some with from fifty to a hundred different colored flowers growing upon one stalk.”"
(Journal of Discourses, 4:135-137)
Does work happen in the spirit world?
President Wilford Woodruff "told of a vision he received in which he spoke with Joseph Smith: “I saw him at the door of the temple in heaven. He came to me and spoke to me. He said he could not stop to talk with me because he was in a hurry. The next man I met was Father Smith [Joseph Smith Sr.]; he could not talk with me because he was in a hurry. I met half a dozen brethren who had held high positions on earth, and none of them could stop to talk with me because they were in a hurry. I was much astonished. By and by I saw the Prophet again and I got the privilege of asking him a question.
“‘Now,’ said I, ‘I want to know why you are in a hurry. I have been in a hurry all my life; but I expected my hurry would be over when I got into the kingdom of heaven, if I ever did.’
“Joseph said: ‘I will tell you, Brother Woodruff. Every dispensation that has had the priesthood on the earth and has gone into the celestial kingdom has had a certain amount of work to do to prepare to go to the earth with the Savior when he goes to reign on the earth. Each dispensation has had ample time to do this work. We have not. We are the last dispensation, and so much work has to be done, and we need to be in a hurry in order to accomplish it.’”
(Wilford Woodruff, Ch. 3, p. 125–34)"
“Some may wonder if many in the spirit world will accept the gospel message when it is presented to them. President Wilford Woodruff gave the following assurances:
“I tell you when the prophets and apostles go to preach to those who are shut up in prison, and who have not received the gospel, thousands of them will there embrace the gospel. …
“There will be very few, if any, who will not accept the gospel. Jesus, while his body lay in the tomb, went and preached to the spirits in prison, who were destroyed in the days of Noah. After so long an imprisonment, in torment, they doubtless gladly embraced the gospel, and if so they will be saved in the kingdom of God. The fathers of this people will embrace the gospel” (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 152, 158).”
Where is the spirit world?
"Where is the spirit world? It is right here.... Do [the spirits] go beyond the boundaries of this organized earth? No, they do not." (Journal of Discourses, 3:369)
What is meant by paradise and prison?
Two common terms used when speaking of the spirit world are "paradise" and "prison." However, I believe these differences refer only to a state of being, and not of a specific location.
"Hades or Sheol, these two significations mean the world of spirits. Hades, Sheol, paradise, spirits in prison, are all one. It is a world of spirits. The righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of spirits until the resurrection." (Joseph Smith)
Besides this, there is also the matter of temptation.
"President Brigham young explained that if we die firm in the faith of Jesus Christ the devil and wicked spirits will have no influence over our spirits. Whereas all others, when they die will still be subject to temptation." (1)
See also D&C 138:12-22
What will we remember in the spirit world?
Neal A. Maxwell said,
"The veil of forgetfulness of the first estate apparently will not be suddenly, automatically, and totally removed at the time of our temporal death. This veil, a condition of our entire second estate, is associated with and is part of our time of mortal trial, testing, proving, and overcoming by faith— and thus will continue in some key respects into the spirit world." (The Promise of Discipleship, p. 111)
Also,
"We do not now know precisely how God handles things in the spirit world so that life there is an extension of walking by faith. Death does not suddenly bestow upon the disbeliever full awareness of all reality, thereby obviating the need for any faith. Instead, what follows death is a continuum of the basic structure in mortality-until the Judgment Day, when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ (see Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10; D&C 76:110). Until then, we “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). How will God ensure this condition in the spirit world? We do not know. Yet He has certainly so handled the second estate in relation to the first estate, hasn’t He? The memories of the first estate are not accessible in the second estate. The spirit world will be so arranged that there will be no legitimate complaints later over the justice and mercy of God (see Mosiah 27:31; Alma 12:15). Furthermore, the gospel, when preached in the spirit world, will bring the same responses as here: “some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not” (Acts 28:24). [That Ye May Believe, pp. 93-94] "
What does the spirit world look like?
Jedediah M. Grant "spoke of the buildings he saw [in the spirit world], remarking that the Lord gave Solomon wisdom and poured gold and silver into his hands that he might display his skill and ability, and said that the temple erected by Solomon was much inferior to the most ordinary buildings he saw in the spirit world.
In regard to gardens, says brother Grant, “I have seen good gardens on this earth, but I never saw any to compare with those that were there. I saw flowers of numerous kinds, and some with from fifty to a hundred different colored flowers growing upon one stalk.”"
(Journal of Discourses, 4:135-137)
Does work happen in the spirit world?
President Wilford Woodruff "told of a vision he received in which he spoke with Joseph Smith: “I saw him at the door of the temple in heaven. He came to me and spoke to me. He said he could not stop to talk with me because he was in a hurry. The next man I met was Father Smith [Joseph Smith Sr.]; he could not talk with me because he was in a hurry. I met half a dozen brethren who had held high positions on earth, and none of them could stop to talk with me because they were in a hurry. I was much astonished. By and by I saw the Prophet again and I got the privilege of asking him a question.
“‘Now,’ said I, ‘I want to know why you are in a hurry. I have been in a hurry all my life; but I expected my hurry would be over when I got into the kingdom of heaven, if I ever did.’
“Joseph said: ‘I will tell you, Brother Woodruff. Every dispensation that has had the priesthood on the earth and has gone into the celestial kingdom has had a certain amount of work to do to prepare to go to the earth with the Savior when he goes to reign on the earth. Each dispensation has had ample time to do this work. We have not. We are the last dispensation, and so much work has to be done, and we need to be in a hurry in order to accomplish it.’”
(Wilford Woodruff, Ch. 3, p. 125–34)"
“Some may wonder if many in the spirit world will accept the gospel message when it is presented to them. President Wilford Woodruff gave the following assurances:
“I tell you when the prophets and apostles go to preach to those who are shut up in prison, and who have not received the gospel, thousands of them will there embrace the gospel. …
“There will be very few, if any, who will not accept the gospel. Jesus, while his body lay in the tomb, went and preached to the spirits in prison, who were destroyed in the days of Noah. After so long an imprisonment, in torment, they doubtless gladly embraced the gospel, and if so they will be saved in the kingdom of God. The fathers of this people will embrace the gospel” (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 152, 158).”
Will we continue to progress in the spirit world?
"We are in the school and keep learning, and we do
not expect to cease learning while we live on earth; and
when we pass through the veil, we expect still to
continue to learn and increase our fund of information.
That may appear a strange idea to some; but it is for the
plain and simple reason that we are not capacitated to
receive all knowledge at once. We must therefore
receive a little here and a little there." (Discourses of
Brigham Young, p.91)
"Much of our continuing to work out our own
salvation in the spirit world consists of our further
correcting our personal deficiencies. If, for instance, we
fully accept Christ as our Savior, this includes accepting
the fact that He asks us to become more like Him (see 3
Nephi 27:27). Clearly, in this rigorous process, not all
gets done on this side of the veil of death." (That Ye May
Believe. Neal A. Maxell, p. 93)
For those who are interested, I found a very lengthy collection of references that seems to have been put together by a professor at BYU-Idaho:
http://emp.byui.edu/satterfieldb/pdf/spiritworld.pdf
If you feel that I have left off anything important, please let me know. I know that God's plan of salvation for us is perfect, and that the spirit world is a very important part of that plan. To be resurrected means for the body and spirit to be joined again, never to be parted. In order for that to happen, the body and spirit must first separate in death. This is why death is not to be feared. As long as we are keeping the commandments, the transition from here to there is a positive thing.
(1) http://andmysoulhungered.blogspot.com/2010/01/spirit-world-and-resurrection-of-dead.html
For those who are interested, I found a very lengthy collection of references that seems to have been put together by a professor at BYU-Idaho:
http://emp.byui.edu/satterfieldb/pdf/spiritworld.pdf
If you feel that I have left off anything important, please let me know. I know that God's plan of salvation for us is perfect, and that the spirit world is a very important part of that plan. To be resurrected means for the body and spirit to be joined again, never to be parted. In order for that to happen, the body and spirit must first separate in death. This is why death is not to be feared. As long as we are keeping the commandments, the transition from here to there is a positive thing.
(1) http://andmysoulhungered.blogspot.com/2010/01/spirit-world-and-resurrection-of-dead.html
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