THE AFTERLIFE

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that, “The Lord in his wisdom has implanted the fear of death in us, that we might cling to life and thus accomplish the designs of the Creator.”

However, Joseph also taught us that: “We must study and learn as much as we can about the subject…All men know that they must die and it is important that we should understand the reasons and causes of our exposure to the vicissitudes of life and of death and the designs and purposes of our coming into the world, our sufferings here and our departure hence.

It is but reasonable to suppose that God would reveal something about the matter. It is a subject that we ought to study more than any other; we ought to study it day and night, for the world is ignorant in reference to their true relation and condition. If we have any claim on our Heavenly Father for anything, it is for knowledge on this important subject.”

Brigham Young explained:
“As quickly as the spirit is unlocked from this house of clay, it is free to travel with lightening speed to any planet or a fixed star or to the utter most part of the earth or to the depths of the sea, according to the will of him who dictates.

Spirits move with ease and like lightening. If we want to visit Jerusalem or this, that or the other place, and I presume we will be permitted, if we desire, there we are looking at its streets. If we want to see the Garden of Eden when it was created, there we are and we see it as it existed spiritually, for it was created first spiritually and then temporally and spiritually it still remains. When there we may behold the earth as it was at the dawn of creation or we may visit any city we please that exists upon its surface. If we wish to understand how they are living on the western islands or in China, we are there.

In fact we are like the light of the morning or I will not say like electricity but its operation on the wires. God has revealed some little things with regard to his movements and power and the operation of the lightning furnish a fine illustration of the ability and power of the Almighty. When we pass into the spirit world, we shall possess a measure of this power.”

Elder Orson Pratt taught:
“How do you suppose that spirits, after they leave these bodies, communicate with one another? Do they communicate their ideas by the actual vibrations of the atmosphere, the same as we do? I think not. I think if we could be acquainted with the same kind of language by which spirits communicate with spirits, we would find that they have a more refined system among them of communicating their ideas.

This system will be so constructed that they can not only communicate at the same moment upon one subject, as we have to do by making sounds in the atmosphere, but communicate vast numbers of ideas, all at the same time on a great variety of subjects, and the mind will be capable of perceiving them. If the mind has such faculty as this, then there must necessarily be a language adapted to such a capacity of the mind.”

Elder Orson Pratt continues: “Well, inquires one, can you imagine up any such language in the world. I can imagine up only one; but it cannot be made practical here, from the fact that the mind of man is unable to use it. For instance, the Book of Mormon tells us, “that the angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; and man, when under the influence of it, speaks the language of angels. Why does he speak in this language?

It is because the Holy Ghost suggests the ideas that he speaks and it gives them utterance to convey them to people. Suppose that instead of having arbitrary sounds, such as we have here on earth, to communicate these ideas, that the Holy Ghost itself, through a certain process and power should enable him to unfold that knowledge to another spirit all in an instant.

Our ability to absorb and comprehend and remember information is greatly enlarged. We shall learn many more things there. We need not suppose our five senses connect us with all the things of heaven and earth, eternity and space. We need not think we are conversant with all the elements of nature through the medium of the five senses God has given us. Suppose He should give us a sixth sense, a seventh, an eighth, a ninth or a fiftieth. All these different senses would convey to us new ideas; as much so as the senses of tasting, smelling or seeing communicate different ideas from that of hearing. How long a time would it take man in the next world if he had to gain knowledge as we do here, to find out the simplest things in nature?

He might reason and reason for a thousand years and then hardly have got started. But when the Spirit of God, this great telescope that is used in the celestial heavens is given to man and he through the aid of it gazes upon eternal things, what does he behold? Not one object at a time but a vast multitude of objects rush before his vision and are present before his mind; filling him in a moment with a knowledge of the world, more numerous than the sands of the sea shore. Will he be able to bear it?”

Elder Orson Pratt concludes: “Yes; his mind is strengthened. It is this tabernacle, in its present condition that prevents a more enlarged understanding. I believe we shall be freed in the next world from these narrow, contracted methods of thinking. Instead of thinking in one channel and following up one certain course of reasoning to find a certain truth, knowledge will rush into our spirits from all quarters. It will come like the light that flows from the sun, penetrating every part, informing the spirit and giving understanding concerning ten thousand things at the same time; and the mind will be capable of obtaining and receiving all.”