CHAPTER TWENTY

Question: "What will the state of mankind be at the resurrection? This question was raised when discussing the resurrection of the Savior. He appeared to his disciples with the wounds in his hands, feet, and side. When we come forth in the resurrection, will the earthly scars we get and the deformities remain? If we lose a part of the body, like a hand, arm, or leg, will we be made whole?

Answer: A little sound thinking will reveal to us that it would be inconsistent for our bodies to be raised with all kinds of imperfections. Some men have been burned at the stake for the sake of truth. Some have been beheaded, and others have had their bodies torn asunder; for example, John the Baptist was beheaded and received his resurrection at the time of the resurrection of our Redeemer. It is impossible for us to think of his coming forth from the dead holding his head in his hands; our reason says he was physically complete in the resurrection...
When we come forth from the dead, our spirits and bodies will be reunited inseparably, never again to be divided, and they will then be assigned to the kingdom to which they belong. All deformities and imperfections will be removed, and the body will conform to the likeness of the spirit...
We must not judge the resurrection of others by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is true that he appeared to his disciples and invited them to examine the prints of the nails in his hands, his side, and in his feet, but this was a special manifestation to them...

THE RESURRECTION FROM A SCIENTIFIC POINT OF VIEW

Dr. Joseph S. Amussen, several years ago, wrote an article on the resurrection from the scientific point of view. From that article I quote the following:

There is a "star-dust" in our bodies. A glorious substance that is an inheritance from the divine past. It is a material that is immortal and links the eternity of the past with that of the future. It is a "star-dust" which forms the intelligent and organizing principles which compose our real, individual bodies, and which clothes itself with the food substances we assimilate and use temporarily.

Joseph Smith was the first to call attention to these particles of matter. He called them the fundamental parts of our bodies.
It is interesting to note that scientists are approaching the same conception which was first given to the world by the Prophet.
In this article statements made by the prophets of God and by men of science will be compared in an effort to show that science is beginning to support this doctrine of the resurrection as held by the Latter-day Saints.
In discussing the resurrection, Elder Orson Pratt remarked that man's body changes every seven years. The Prophet Joseph Smith who was present, then made this statement:
"There is no fundamental principle belonging to a human system that ever goes into another in this world or the world to come; I care not what the theories of men are. We have the testimony that God will raise us up, and he has the power to do it. If anyone supposes that any part of our bodies, that is, the fundamental parts thereof, ever goes into another body, he is mistaken." --History of the Church, Vol. 5:339.

While reading The Romance of Chemistry, by J. Arthur Thompson, I came across these words: "Some biologists hold the view that there is an 'ultimate molecule' of life hidden in the protoplasm, which holds the secret of the endless building up and breaking down. Sir Ray Lankester gives this 'supreme life stuff' the name of 'plastogen,' and says in regard to its workings that while they can be grouped with the chemical and physical qualities of other bodies, they so far transcend them in complexity and in immensity of result, (the whole creation of plant and animal life) that their appearance constitutes in effect, a new departure, a sudden and to us unaccountable acquirement."
This corroborates the teachings of the Prophet, and indicates that men of science are beginning to recognize the doctrine of a "fundamental principle" of matter in our bodies, and some to give it a name, refer to it in such terms as "the ultimate molecule of life," "supreme life stuff," and "plastogen." --The Improvement Era, Vol. 30, p. 701.

Question: "While telling the story of the resurrection of Jesus, one of the children asked, 'Why did Jesus come alive again?' The only answer I could give was that he was so good that he just could not stay dead. I have read the scriptures on the crucifixion, but cannot seem to get the full reason for the necessity of his death, and how he had the power over death. Will you please explain this to me as it is given in the scriptures?"

Answer: The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ form the very foundation of the plan of salvation. They are the most fundamental doctrines of all the teachings in the scriptures......
The plan of salvation was prepared before the foundation of our earth was laid. We were then the spirit children of our Eternal Father. In the course of our progression it was necessary that we have the privilege of corning to this earth and here receive our bodies of flesh and bones and pass through this period of morality where we are subject to all the conditions we find in this life: pleasure and pain, happiness and sorrow, and be tried and tempted to see if we would be true to our Eternal Father and keep his commandments when we were not in his presence as we kept them when we were spirits living in his presence. This earth is a probationary state, or a place prepared where we are tested and given the privilege of walking by faith, that we may become worthy to return to our Father to dwell in his presence, and become his eternal sons and daughters.

ADAM AND EVE AS FIRST PARENTS

The great honor to come here and be the first parents of all men was given to Adam and Eve. They were placed by the Father in the Garden of Eden where there was no death. Adam and Eve in the condition in which they were when placed in the Garden of Eden could have lived there forever if they had not broken a law, but they would have lived alone and would have had no children. The Lord told them they could eat the fruit of every tree in the garden except the fruit of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil," and if they did eat this fruit they would surely die. Satan tempted them and they ate this fruit and broke this commandment. By doing this a change came over their bodies and they became subject to death, as the Lord has said, and they were driven out of the garden. After they were driven out children were born to them and they have spread over all the earth. All the children inherited death from our first parents, so we will all have to die as our ancestors have done before us. This made it necessary that something be done to redeem us from death and restore us to life again where there would be no death, for this transgression of Adam and Eve placed all of us subject to Satan's power after death. The Lord has told us through his prophets that if some remedy was not provided to restore life our spirits would become subject to Satan forever and he would have ruled over us while our bodies would have remained in the grave forever. Both justice and mercy demanded that this broken law which brought death would have to be mended to defeat Satan and bring us back to receive the mercies of our Eternal Father.

REDEMPTION FROM DEATH PREPARED IN PLAN

The means provided for our redemption from death were prepared in the plan of salvation before Adam and Eve were sent to the earth, and Jesus Christ volunteered to come and atone for this transgression and thus gain the victory over the devil. Therefore, he is called the "Lamb of God," who was chosen to be slain "from the foundation of the world." The only way this atonement could be made was for Jesus who was chosen to pay the debt to justice and mercy, and redeem us from the grasp of Satan, to come into the world with power over death, for no one who was under the bondage of death could pay the debt and restore us to live forever. Jesus was the only person who ever came into this world who had power over death, and having that great power, by the shedding of his blood on the cross he could redeem us and get the power of the resurrection. After he came forth from the tomb he had all power to call every other person forth from the grave. And after he came forth, on the third day after his crucifixion, he opened the graves of the righteous saints who had lived from the days of Adam to the time of his crucifixion.

Question: Do all who enter any of the three kingdoms, telestial, terrestrial, and celestial, receive the gift of eternal life?

Answer: Immortality as defined in the scriptures is the gift of God, through the atonement of Jesus Christ, to every creature. There must come the universal resurrection. Should one soul fail to receive the resurrection, the Savior's victory over death would not be complete. It was through the fall of Adam that death came into the world, and since Adam's posterity were not responsible for death, both the justice of our Father, and his mercy, demanded that the broken law which brought death into the world must be repaired and life be given, through the atonement, to every soul. This restoration is called immortality. It is true that immortality and the power to live eternally are synonymous, but the Lord has placed his interpretation upon this great gift which restores all and has called it immortality.

ETERNAL LIFE IS THE GREATEST GIFT OF GOD

Eternal life...is the greatest gift of God, far beyond the gift of immortality. Therefore he that is blessed with eternal life will be blessed with the fulness of the Father's kingdom.
They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things-
...they are gods, even the sons of God-
...Those who obtain eternal life will dwell with the Father and the Son. They become joint heirs with Jesus Christ in receiving the fulness of the Father's kingdom.

Question: Do animals have spirits? If so, will they on obtain the resurrection, and if so, where will they go?"

Answer: The simple answer is that animals do have spirits and that through the redemption made by our Savior they will come forth in the resurrection to enjoy the blessing of immortal life.
...As to where the beasts, birds, and fish, and all other creatures will go after the resurrection we can only express an opinion. John saw many of them in heaven in the presence of God. It is very probable that they, like mankind, will be distributed in the various kingdoms, celestial, terrestrial, and telestial. We may well believe that in each of these kingdoms such creatures will be assigned.

Question: "It has been my understanding that all spirits at death were assigned to a spirit world prepared for them where they awaited the resurrection, and that they did not enter the presence of the Father until the resurrection...why did Jesus say to Mary, 'Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.' Or is the case of the Savior an exception?"

Answer: (The scriptures) as I understand them, do not intend to convey the thought that all spirits go back into the presence of God for an assignment to a place of peace or a place of punishment and before him receive their individual sentence. "Taken home to God," simply means that their mortal existence has come to an end, and they have returned to the world of spirits, where they are assigned to a place according to their works with the just or with the unjust, there to await the resurrection.
...Paradise is a term which means a place of departed spirits according to the Prophet Joseph Smith...

THE DEMAND OF JUSTICE

... the Lord does not delight in punishment, however there is the demand of justice which must be met, and therefore the wicked are forced to suffer, and this suffering helps to cleanse them from their sins. Before the visit of our Savior to the spirit world there was a gulf separating the righteous from the wicked, and the wicked were evidently without knowledge as to what fate awaited them. The Savior after his crucifixion bridged this gulf and the gospel was carried to those who sat in this darkness and through the instruction of those who held the priesthood, these miserable spirits were taught the gospel. They were granted some measure of blessing according to their works on earth and according to their opportunity or lack of it, to hear the gospel when living on theearth, and accept the same in the spirit world.
It seems to be evident from his words to Mary at the tomb, that Jesus had not ascended to, or been in the presence of, his Father, between the time of his crucifixion and his resurrection. These words of the Savior's to Mary seem to indicate the condition which confronts all who die, between death and the resurrection.

Question: "Does the Church (of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) believe that there is such a place as hell? It seems to me that hell is a place as well as a condition of misery for the souls of the wicked."

Answer: The Church does teach that there is a place called hell. Of course we do not believe that all those who do not receive the gospel will eventually be cast into hell. We do not believe that hell is a place where the wicked are being burned forever. The Lord has prepared a place, however, for all those who are to be eternally punished for the violation of his laws. In Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord has given us the clearest and most complete information in revelation to the salvation of mankind and the punishment of the wicked. Briefly stated it is this:

INDIVIDUALS TO BE GRADED

1. The celestial kingdom is prepared for the righteous, those who have been faithful in the keeping of the commandments of the Lord, and have been cleansed of all their sins. These dwell in the presence of the Father and the Son. They become like the Son and are joint heirs with him in the Father's kingdom.
2. The terrestrial kingdom. Into this kingdom will go all those who have lived clean lives, but were not willing to receive the gospel; also those who have lived clean lives but who, notwithstanding their membership in the Church, were not valiant, and those who refused to receive the gospel when they lived on the earth, but in the spirit world accepted the testimony of Jesus. All who enter this kingdom must be of that class who have been morally clean.
3. The telestial kingdom. Into this kingdom will go all of those who have been unclean in their lives. These people who enter there will be the unclean; the liars, sorcerers, adulterers, and those who have broken their covenants.
4. A place where those who cannot be redeemed and who are called sons of Perdition will go into outer darkness. This is the real hell where those who once knew the truth and had the testimony of it and then turned away and blasphemed the name of Jesus Christ, will go. These are they who have sinned against the Holy Ghost. For them there is no forgiveness, and the Lord said he had prepared a place for them.

MUST PAY PRICE FOR SINS

All those who enter the telestial kingdom, which will be a place, as each of these kingdoms will be, will be punished for their sins. Satan for a time will have dominion over them until they have paid the price of their sinning, before they can enter into that telestial kingdom.
This earth will become a celestial kingdom when it is sanctified. Those who enter the terrestrial kingdom will have to go to some other sphere which will be prepared for them. Those who enter the telestial kingdom, likewise will have to go to some earth which is prepared for them, and there will be another place which is hell where the devil and those who are punished to go with him will dwell. Of course, those who enter the telestial kingdom, and those who enter the terrestrial kingdom will have the eternal punishment which will come to them in knowing that they might, if they had kept the commandments of the Lord, have returned to his presence as his sons and his daughters. This will be a torment to them, and in that sense it will be hell.

Question: "From time to time we hear speakers at funerals state that God had called the dead person home, which is the reason for that person's death. We are trying to harmonize the doctrine of free agency with this statement, but find difficulty in doing so. Is there any help you can give?"

Answer: One of the greatest blessings given to mankind is the gift of free agency. Without it there could be no salvation. It was Satan's plan to take away from the spirits assigned to come to this earth this great eternal blessing. Under false pretenses he offered to save all the children of our Eternal Father, without any exception, on the terms that our Eternal Father would surrender his throne to him. Such a salvation would have required each individual to surrender his divine gift of freedom of thought and action, therefore it could be no salvation at all. With the divine privilege of accepting or rejecting the eternal plan which had been prepared, each soul is placed in the category of freedom of action and will. Hence each soul is subject to the rewards and punishment based on individual conduct.

DISOBEDIENCE TO LAW MAY SHORTEN LIFE

...There can be little question raised contrary to the fact that men shorten their lives by violation of the commandments of the Lord. The use of narcotics, liquors, and other drugs and stimulants inevitably weakens and impairs the functions of the body, thus shortening the span of life.
Even good, faithful persons, who disregard the laws of health, may shorten the life span which otherwise could have been theirs. Moreover, we are all subject to the ravages of disease, disaster, accidents that could, and often do, shorten life.

ACCIDENTAL DEATHS ARE UNTIMELY

Nearly every day we read of innocent persons dying in automobile accidents, by drowning in some stream or lake, or in some other danger, death has overtaken them, and it was no fault of their own. We are all subject to the various vicissitudes and conditions in life which confront us which could not be foreseen. It would be contrary to sound thinking to assume that the Lord has decreed that these individuals had been called home by such accidents or calamities, and that "fate" had ordered it so.
It is true that some have been "called home" by sudden death. This was the case with the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. They had finished their work and the keys of authority, by divine revelation, had been lawfully bestowed upon the twelve. Joseph and Hyrum were in the vigor of their manhood, but the time had come for them to lay down their lives, for it was decreed in the heavens that their passing from this world should be by martyrdom. They had to seal their testimony with their blood and make that testimony binding upon an unbelieving world.

NOT ALL DEATHS ABE BY DIVINE DECREE

No one in reason would deny the right of our Eternal Father to call an individual home, should he will it. Nor would he argue that to take a person from the mortal life in his youth or early childhood, would be unjust, because it deprived the individual of the pleasures and sorrows of mortality, and the experiences to be gained here. He may call any person "home" at any time he chooses, whether in infancy, childhood, youth, or old age. We are all subject to the will of our Heavenly Father, but we cannot in truth declare that all the righteous dead were "called home" by divine decree.

Question: "Will you please give us the background of the 'theory' advanced of 'a Mother in Heaven'? Some feel that God is great enough to create spirits without any assistance, and if not, why then was not a Mother mentioned among the Godhead?"

Answer: In answer to your question about a mother in heaven, let us use reason. It may be true that the Bible does not speak of a mother in heaven... Permit me to call attention to the fact that mothers and wives are seldom mentioned in the Bible, although they are on certain occasions. The fact that there is no reference to a mother in heaven either in the (scriptures) is not sufficient proof that no such thing as a mother did exist there. If we had a Father, which we did, for all of these records speak of him, then does not good common sense tell us that we must have had a mother there also?
...If we are his offspring, then how did we become such, if we had no mother to give us spirit birth? We know that Jesus had a Father and that he had a mother, for the scriptures tell us so. Have you thought this passage through?
...It is my turn to ask a question. How can we be the offspring of God, how can he be the Father of our spirits, unless we had a mother and were born?
...Is it not feasible to believe that female spirits were created in the image of a "Mother in Heaven"?

Joseph Fielding Smith
Answers to Gospel Questions
Volumes I-V, (excerpts)
Compiled and edited by
Joseph F. Smith, Jr.
(c)1992 by Deseret Book