Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1966 The Nature of the Spirit World, as Taught in the Holy Scriptures and by the Prophets, Seers, and Revelators of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Roger T. Ralphs Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Mormon Studies Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Ralphs, Roger T., "The Nature of the Spirit World, as Taught in the Holy Scriptures and by the Prophets, Seers, and Revelators of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" (1966). Theses and Dissertations. 5058. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5058 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. 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THE KATURENATUREOF THE SPMTSPIRIT woaldWOODWORLD AS TAUGHT IHIN THE holzbolyBOIXHOLY SMUPTURES andAMAHD BY THE PROPIMMsPROPHETS SRSsewssems AND revetatcsisrevetatorsREVETATORS OF THE CHURCH OFoy ssusesusJESUS CHRIST OF UTTSRDMLATTERZAX saintssalkisSAXKTSSAXNTS A thesis Prwantedpresented to the department of Grafgraduatetatskalskale studies in relikellkeilreligionsA mouismoulsimtruatioinstruction brigham roungyoung Vidurmvarsityuniversity in parttnl puhlllmnt of thethatho requirement for the dewdepdegreedegroe noternotormotornestermastermester of arts lyby roger T ralphs kunstkupstkugustaugust 1966 acknowledownackkowledgmeot ththerhe writer evrssesexpresses simerosincere appreciationreciationreciaesclaeselarecitationtionllonwion to the following who hareherehavehavo made it possible to bring this work to its present f01formidormi thethorho advisory oomdttcommittee roy W dazerdoxendazeydexeydoxey and james R clark abowhowbo hahave vilwllwillinglyablyaglydevoted their time and haveheysheye gemgiven valuable counsel mdandend adviceadviest hishiahlahig wowifewire joan who has sacrificed aaorachorackorucha& tintinewlm and exexercisedsadsod mulhisuchhsuch effort and patience to the completion of this thesis hishiehj otheraether marlmarimarlemariemavie for her constant preyersprayers1 1 hishie fgratherretherther leonard T for hihiehibis exam3examsexamplee batsetsatnot uhliewhileummie presidentprovident of thethobhekhekho american fallsmeilamanspans stakesiekeand hiskishiekleposition as stakstekstake patriarch he ifie lovIOVloved wa rtodetedatodebedrespected by silsiiall sadaadsndand an inspiration in thoteetuebhebhouee writerwriterstf afuflife iii TABLE OF CONTESTSCONTENTS chapter page I1 introduction 1 the problem 1 idaiitations1464tations 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 & 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 justification 0 0 0 0 & 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 scumssources s a 3 rebainUrminurminalogytenninologyTenninalogyology 3 onanisationorganisationorganization 6 appendix 6 AFTSRAFTER DEATH 40 10 I1 IIIL11 LIFELIPE 0 0 & 0 9 0 a 0 0 0 0 7 amimmi144m Is spirit 7 chrichriatianstianatlan dodogma about life after death 8 death A birth 12 A peopled commilcommnlgoibbanityty 0 0 13 4 m summary 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 14 liiIII111 LOCATION ANDAMD description 0OF THE SPIRIT WORLD 15 spirit world where 0 0 0 15 deserdaserdesordescriptioniptionoption of the spirit world 18 sunsarysunaary 0 a a 0 0 0 0 0 a 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 IV PURPOSE OF THE SPIRIT WORLD 0 22 wicked defined 0 22 beubenheuhell definedderdorDollined 22 a3aaall1 spiritsspirita in bondage 23 continueContinuacontinuancewo of attitudattitudeAttiattitudestud aw2414 A place of preparation and development 26 1 summarymma 0 & Is 10 0 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 YV DMSIONDIVISION ISIN THE SPIRIT WORLD 31 christ and the malefactortartorear 6 31 state of the Righterighteousousoum & 32 state of the wicked 38 A parable explained 41 division by association 43 48 iv chapter rawepagelm VI CHRISTICHRISTS5 VISIT TO THE SPIRIT WORLD ASDAND ITS MRANNGMBAMIKS 50 prophecies 50 chrifcbastosvisitcharifchyle visit a 0 4 52 lawlamlawandorgmizationand organization 60 missionary aotiviraotivitymotivity 63 viavlavioarlouavicasaousVioarlouaadious work for therabnabrae dead 69 ministeringministoringMinistoring spirits 6 0 70 1 1 I i I1 summaryI1 1 1 1 Y 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 76 VII conclusion 78 APPSSDIXAPPENDIX 4 0 0 0 81 statements on the spirit world 81 108 spiritualSpiriumi mmifostationsmanifeatationa & 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ah LIST OF PROPHETSPBOPBBTS SMSSEEKS AND RMLATORS QUOTED 0 1h14 bibliography s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 v CHAPTER I1 introduction the problem thetho church of jesusjasuschrist of latter day saints teaches that there are begalseveral estates through which man must pass on hisme wevvayveyway to walexaltationtation in the celestial kingdom thesethoserheseestates conconsistarlart of benbanmen as i1 a preaortalpremortalpre aortal spirit beimbelmbeing a literal offspring of godiood1bodilgodil 2 a 2 mortal belbeingbwl ng having physical an well as sarilusarituspiritualai&i parents 3 a POOporpostpoet mortal spirit being hishiehib spirit having withdrawn freefrom hiskiskinwin physical bodyhodyat deathdeethdeath3deatha 3 and 4 an immortal resurrresuraresurrectedted personage over which physical death has no acrenoremoremoro powerpowers the teachingstwwhings concerning thesetheiss estates form a goodly portion of the gospel plan as taught by the church of jesus christ of lattalattelatterlauterlauber daydeysaints god is desirous that mmman acomprehendaheraeherahishie future and the murwaymuy hshe austwustmust go in order to again return to his prpresencesewenemenemo ifhe has given mmman the holy spirit to guide andwidmid direct enalanaljtnalmrW 0of dieeoureeeD F SO IV losloaTAs angeles t gartner printing and litho co ineinorne 1956 21621502160 thethathorharherho jojoimial of miqigooweea isin a ooayila tion of spspeechesechos between ththe yeadyearsyear0 11851f sadaadandawd 15861886 publishedpuhushedbUshed by the presidents of the church of jesus christ of letterlatterdarday saints thethobhebho ommocounselorslors in the first Prosipresidencydemy the ambersbelabors of the aurqurquorum of twelve apostlesApostloslodiod and others therethorsthorethero arearoarmorm twenty six volumeslumosvolumes the original work wwaswespublished in liverpool vaand london throughout udsthis work the cita- tions temfromtrom thiss source viuvinwinwill bebo labeled in abbeabbreviatedsiviatodsivielviatod form asae JP hebrewsebraws 12129t 9 ajames3james3jaroes 226 4&mansromans 6gigt 9 2 hiehim on his journeyJOUMOV physical death is a realityreubyrenty trltrwrexareva which mortals cannotwt escape everyone has friends aadandmad family who hareherehavehayeheye passed into thethobhe spirit world the postmortalpost aortalmortal spirit world condition of amnanwenmen isin one of the least understood of thethobhebho estates of aennenmmman it ieIs not bommeommuncommon Uto hearhaarhaerboar amberargon tationballontatum upon ttheh majsubjectmbjsubjecksetwetwot when mentioned in elassclassclasses of instruction within the church of jesusjeansjoans christ of latter dvdaydeysaints it is possible that wuchmuehmuchof the disagreement coosomosomooeamesaamescomes from a laeklackieoklook of study wnupon thethobhekhesubject lisdtationslijaiitations in this thesis thetho writer willvm 4examineno data available rolatrelakrevakrelatingirW tto4 thethobhekhekko spirit world heho willwm lindtlimit himself to information provided by A B d53h noragon poe covnantg the standardstendardworks ms1&L b 122booklk ofgf mjm11noraon doepootrinePootrine andend andendwidmid peaelpeayl of0 great price andendthethobhe ftophotPropprophetshetas seersseera and rerolatorsrevelatorsrevelatory firedfirfireftitfittst presidency quorum of the tweitotwelve apostles and patriarch of thethobheuhechurch of jesus christ of latterletterday saints As ariteriacriteria for accepting materials and providing an order of preferenceproorawo the writer has betsetactsebdeb up thathoteetueuee following 1 scriptural texts vinwinwill be accepted aean a doctrinal basis 2 statements of thethobhe Propprophetskotshotskobs seers and revdatorsreyoutors wiahmiahwhich hareherehavehavo beenbeonboon passed upon by the first Prepresidencysideney and the nonanoma of avivtvivtwelve Apostapostleslesieslos and accepted by thenteenthemumenmeem asaa being dootilndoctrine willvm alseaisealsoaiso bbe considered 3 statements of the prophets seers and Revolarevdatorsrevolatorstorskorsbons which havhawhewhavehayeheyenot bebeen passed upon as being dostrinedoctrine will be exexaminedinsdined because of thethathokhekhabhewtnavextensive nature of infoinformationincowallonmationwalkon given upon ththe spirit world it has been necessary to place linriltationslationstationsupon the sub- ject this thesis viuvinwill concern itself only with the postmortalpost mortal spirit 3 world prior to the resurrection it winwill not disaussdiscussthe realms of satansaunseunsabanseban except when pertpertainingsining to the portposteposto mortals who inhabitwit teemueume spirit world the sonscmsemof perdition is not fteaussoddiscussed in this thesis hono attempt villwill be made in this thesis to establish thethoehowho do- ctrine of the church of jesus christ of latterlabber day selntsaintsaints concerning the spirit world it is the express purpose of thethobhe writer to present that chichvhichwhich is taughtbaught by the prophets sewsseers and revelatorrevdators JurtjurujustificationMotian thethorheconsiderable anountamountt of loeWormoeinformationmationmatlonupon