Added to the Pearl of Great Price in 1976 and moved to the Doctrine & Covenants in 1979
 

- The Lord Jesus Christ's coming to the spirit world after his crucifixion was not a surprising or unexpected event--the righteous spirits were expecting His coming  (15-16)

- The wicked, the ungodly, the unrepentant, and the rebellious did not enjoy his visit  (20-21)

- Among those spirits, darkness reigns  (22)

Darkness reigns among them perhaps due to the confusion of not knowing for sure where they are and what they are supposed to do, especially when many of them never believed in conscious existence after death.

In addition, we must envision the presence of millions of preachers from thousands of ancient and contemporary religions, each offering a different explanation to their new status and possibly confused and upset with the fact that now they exist in a place where the "Mormons" are "running the show"

To make matters even worse, those spirits also have to endure the presence of tyrants, dictators, crime bosses, and assorted criminals, all still striving to harass and exercise control over the people (see Alma 34:34)

- The Lord organized a missionary force among the righteous  (30,36-37)

• They would free the captive spirits who wished to repent  (31)
• These spirits would be redeemed through obedience  (58)

- Spirits assigned to come to earth in the latter days also received instructions in the pre-mortal world  (53-54,56)

- All faithful elders continue their labors in the spirit world  (57)

- The deceased consider the separation of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage  (50)

Bondage: subjection to a power, force, or influence; confinement; physical restriction or impediment

From this we learn that even our imperfect mortal bodies are a blessing, no matter what they look like or how properly they function--without them, progress is limited

For more information on the Spirit World, check the reading assignments in my REL 431-Doctrines of the Gospel class. Click here.

Questions for Review

1. How did the Lord Jesus Christ preach the gospel to the wicked spirits in prison? (138:29-30)

2. What did the dead consider the absence of their spirits from their bodies? (138:50)