SINCE THE PASSING of our daughter Maggie last August, I have thought often of the afterlife.
As someone of faith, I know that God is in charge and that in the end, everything will be fine. I believe in the Resurrection of all of God’s children through the Atonement of Jesus Christ; including you and me, and my daughter Maggie.
My faith in the Resurrection is foundational to my ability to carry on.
But what about right now?
What about the time between death and resurrection? That has occupied my mind more than ever. I often wonder, what is she doing right now? We don’t know all the answers, but we do know some things.
After Jesus Christ was crucified, and before His resurrection, He visited those in the spirit world. Jesus was the firstfruits of the resurrection. Everyone who had previously died still awaited that delightful day. Jesus Christ preached to them (1 Peter 3).
Our state of being after death is one where we can understand things just as we do now. The prophet Alma taught that the righteous who have died are in a state of happiness, or what some call paradise. It’s a state of rest and peace (Alma 40:12).
In John 5:25 it says, “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.”
Everyone has agency.
Both the living and the dead can choose whether or not to follow Jesus Christ. The preaching of the gospel continues today among those in the spirit world. Spirits are given the chance to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as a living person would.
On Oct. 3, 1918, Joseph Fielding Smith had a vision of these spirits who were awaiting Jesus Christ.
He said, “Their sleeping dust was to be restored unto its perfect frame, the spirit and the body to be united, never again to be divided, that they might receive a fulness of joy. While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful. And there he preached to them the everlasting gospel,” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:17-19).
Heaven is where God dwells and where His righteous followers will dwell.
It is different than the spirit world, which might be considered more of a waiting place as our spirits await our final destination after the resurrection and final judgment.
God wants us all to return to live with Him again. “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man,” (Moses 1:39).
This is why our Father in Heaven sent Jesus Christ, to save each of us from sin and death. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16).
I think of my daughter every day. I pray for her happiness. I pray that she may be close to my late grandmother. I pray that she may be close to us when possible, even though we can’t see her. It is a terrible thing to be separated from her. But it is just that, a separation for a season.
If you mourn the loss of a loved one, continue to have hope and faith in Jesus Christ. We may have departed loved ones, but as the prophet Joseph Smith taught, “They are not far from us.” They are now spirits, but they are not gone.
I know that one day, everyone will have the glorious blessing of the resurrection. I cannot imagine all the tears of joy we will shed. I look forward to that day and often pray that it may come quickly.
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Issues of Faith is a rotating column by religious leaders on the North Olympic Peninsula. Bishop Jason Bringhurst is the leader of the Mount Pleasant Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Port Angeles. His email is jasonbring@gmail.com.
