Everyone is born and everyone will die, but birth was not the beginning and death is not the end.
There Is Life After Death
Many wonder what happens after we die. Some believe that we cease to exist, while others believe in a heaven and a hell. We lived before we came to earth, and we will continue to live after we die. We know this because God has outlined His whole plan for us in the scriptures. Knowing this plan can provide comfort and peace about death. While we mourn for those loved ones we’ve lost, there is hope—death is not the end.
What happens when we die?
When we die, our spirit and body separate. Even though our body dies, our spirit—which is the essence of who we are—lives on. Our spirit goes to the spirit world, which is divided into spirit paradise and spirit prison. For those spirits who lived good lives, paradise is a place of rest from earthly cares and sorrow.
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” – Luke 23:43 (The Holy Bible)
“And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.” – Alma 40:12 (The Book of Mormon)
While the righteous rest, those who were unrighteous in life will live in spirit prison (often referred to as “hell”). Spirit prison is not a final judgement or eternal punishment. Because God is loving and fair, those in prison will be taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and given the opportunity to accept the Savior, which can “make [them] free” (John 8:32).
The spirit world is a waiting period until we receive the gift of resurrection, when our spirits will reunite with our bodies. Our future resurrected body cannot die and will be perfect—free from pain, sickness, and imperfections. It is because of the infinite love of Jesus Christ that everyone will be resurrected.
“The soul shall be restored to the body …; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.” — Alma 40:23
