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CHAPTER 40Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection of all men—The righteous dead go to paradise and the wicked to outer darkness to await the day of their resurrection—All things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame in the resurrection. [About 73 B.C.] |
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1 NOW my son, here is somewhat more I would say unto thee; for I
perceive that thy mind is worried concerning the resurrection of
the dead.
2 Behold, I say unto you, that there is no resurrectiona—or, I would say, in other words, that this mortal does not put on aimmortality, this corruption does not bput on incorruption—cuntil after the coming of Christa. 3 Behold, he bringeth to pass the aresurrection of the dead. But behold, my son, the resurrection is not yet. Now, I unfold unto you a mystery; nevertheless, there are many bmysteries which are ckept, that no one knoweth them save God himself. But I show unto you one thing which I have inquired diligently of God that I might know—that is concerning the resurrection.
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2a no resurrection ... until after the coming of Christ All have been and were but spirits until the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, He being the firstfruit of the resurrection. Thus those who had died previously were but kept as spirits still until the time of their appointed resurrection which was not until after the resurretion of Jesus Chirst. And these spirits were held in a state of 'temporary' disembodyment' until the time of the reuniting of the body and spirit. And this time was looked upon by those so held in that condition as a time of 'spirit prison' or bondage in which the spirit is for a time consigned to be separated from its body, the resurrection being the restoring of the body to its spirit or of the spirit to be once again housed in its physical frame and temple. And this state of time in which the spirit is separated from its body is further presented in verse 21. |
2a
Mosiah 16:10 (10-13);
TG
Immortality b 1 Cor. 15:53 (42-54) c 1 Cor. 15:20 (20-23) 3a TG Resurrection b TG Mysteries of Godliness c D&C 25:4; D&C 121:26; D&C 124:41
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4 Behold, there is a time appointed that all shall
acome forth from the dead. Now when this time cometh no one
knows; but God knoweth the time which is appointed.
5 Now, whether there shall be one time, or a asecond time, or a third time, that men shall come forth from the dead, it mattereth not; for God bknoweth all these things; and it sufficeth me to know that this is the case—that there is a time appointed that all shall rise from the dead.
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4a
John 5:29 (28-29) 5a 1 Thes. 4:16; Mosiah 26:25 (24-25); D&C 43:18; D&C 76:85 b TG God, Omniscience of |
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6 Now there must needs be a space betwixt the time of death and
the time of the resurrection.
7 And now I would inquire what becometh of the asouls of men bfrom this time of death to the time appointed for the resurrection? 8 Now whether there is more than one atime appointed for men to rise it mattereth not; for all do not die at once, and this mattereth not; all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men.
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7a
Alma 40:21;
D&C 138;
TG
Soul b TG Spirits, Disembodied 8a 2 Pet. 3:8; TG Time |
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9 Therefore, there is a time appointed unto men that they shall
rise from the dead; and there is a space between the time of
death and the resurrection. And now, concerning this space of
time, what becometh of the souls of men is the thing which I have
inquired diligently of the Lord to know; and this is the thing of
which I do know.
10 And when the time cometh when all shall rise, then shall they know that God aknoweth all the btimes which are appointed unto man.
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10a
TG
God, Foreknowledge of b Acts 17:26 |
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11 Now, concerning the astate of the soul between
bdeath and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made
known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are
departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be
good or evil, are ctaken dhome to that God
who gave them lifea.
12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of ahappiness, which is called bparadisea, a state of rest, a state of cpeace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.
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11a taken home to that God who gave them
life Now it must be understood which God is being spoken of here
and as to which life, for the spirit had already been in existance and even so
was Christ who was Jehovah was a spirit, the first born of the Father in the
spirit. Thus this 'life' given unto the spirit, which was already in
existance, refers to that 'life' of mortality. Jehovah, who is Christ, is he
who created the heavens and the earth. And it is he who is given credit to
bestowing upon man the gift of life in terms of this second estate. And it is
Christ who we will be taken home to, to receive of that initial judgement
unto rest and peace in paradise or misery and wo in that spirit prison of the
wicked to receive of that 'eternal punishment' being God's punishment unto
the wicked. It is termed here by Alma as being 'outer darkness' for the
wicked therein are recepiants of the Spirit of the Lord nor the presence of
God. And the wicked will be consigned there to until that day of final
judgement.
12a righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is call paradise After death we are taken to stand before Jesus Christ/Jehovah to be preliminary judged as to being righteous or wicked. The righteous are consigned to a state of happiness called paradise until the resurrection. Alma also will reveal to his son where the wicked will be consigned until their resurrection. |
11a
John 20:17 b Job 14:10; Luke 16:22-26; 1 Ne. 15:31-36; Alma 11:45; D&C 76:73 (71-74)22 c Alma 40:15 d Eccl. 12:7; 2 Ne. 9:38; Alma 24:16; Hel. 8:23 12a Isa. 51:11; Luke 16:22; D&C 138:15; TG Happiness b TG Paradise c 2 Kings 22:20; Alma 7:27; D&C 45:46; TG Peace of God
The Book of Mormon reveals many things clearly which are not undertood fully in the Bible. 1) Jesus Christ, who is the same as Jehovah, was prepared from the foundation of the world to be our redeemer, that what he would temporally create would be that which he would redeem. 2) As a God of Spirit, Jesus Christ as Jehovah created the temporal bodies of Adam and Eve in connection with the guiding direction of God the Father Elohim. 3) And thus when we die, we are taken home to that God who gave us life in our temporal bodies, who is Jesus Christ who at our time of death will be in his glorious resurrected body of flesh and bones. We may presume that we will recognize him by the signs and tokens of the 'scars' of his wounds in his hands, feet and side, which he has allowed to remain in order to be so identified by mankind as being their redeeming Lord and God. 4) At that time the 'righteous' well be consigned to a state of happiness known as 'paradise' until their time of resurrection. These matters are not as clearly explained in the Bible where men have made various presumptions as to these things, though there is reference to them. Thus in revealing the simple truth of such things, the Book of Mormon settles such contentions and Biblical understandings. |
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13 And then shall it come to pass, that the
aspirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold,
they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they
chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the
bdevil did enter into them, and take possession of their
house—and these shall be cast out into outer
cdarkness; there shall be dweeping, and
wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being
led captive by the will of the devil.
14 Now this is the state of the asouls of the bwicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, cfearful looking for the fiery dindignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this estate, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection. 15 Now, there are some that have understood that this state of happiness and this state of misery of the soul, before the resurrection, was a first resurrection. Yea, I admit it may be termed a resurrection, the araising of the spirit or the soul and their consignation to happiness or misery, according to the words which have been spoken.
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13a
TG
Spirits in Prison b TG Bondage, Spiritual c TG Damnation; TG Darkness, Spiritual; TG Hell d Matt. 8:12; Mosiah 16:2 14a TG Spirits in Prison b D&C 138:20 c Jacob 6:13; Moses 7:1 d TG God, Indignation of e Alma 34:34 15a Alma 40:11
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16 And behold, again it hath been spoken, that there is a
afirst bresurrection, a resurrection of
all those who have been, or who are, or who shall be, down to the
resurrection of Christ from the dead.
17 Now, we do not suppose that this first resurrection, which is spoken of in this manner, can be the resurrection of the souls and their aconsignation to happiness or misery. Ye cannot suppose that this is what it meaneth. 18 Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but it meaneth the areuniting of the soul with the body, of those from the days of Adam down to the resurrection of Christ.
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16a
Jacob 4:11;
Mosiah 15:21-23;
Mosiah 18:9 b TG Jesus Christ, Resurrection 17a D&C 76:17, 32, 50; TG Judgment, The Last 18a Matt. 27:52
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19 Now, whether the souls and the bodies of those of whom has been
spoken shall all be reunited at once, the wicked as well as the righteous, I
do not say; let it suffice; that I say that they all come forth; or in other
words, their resurrection cometh to pass abefore the
resurrection of those who die after the resurrection of Christ.
20 Now, my son, I do not say that their resurrection cometh at the resurrection of Christ; but behold, I give it as my opinion, that the souls and the bodies are reunited, of the righteous, at the resurrection of Christ, and his aascension into heaven.
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19a
Mosiah 15:26 20a TG Jesus Christ, Ascension of
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21 But whether it be at his resurrection or after, I do not say; but
this much I say, that there is a aspace between death
and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in
bhappiness or in cmisery until the time which
is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both
soul and bodya, and be
dbrought to stand before God, and be judged according to
their works.
22 Yea, this bringeth about the restoration of those things of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets. 23 The asoul shall be brestored to the cbody, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a dhair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and eperfect frame.
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21a there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body When Christ died he went to visit the spirits in the spirit world which were being held until the time of resurrection. Thus he did unlock the door of that spirit world unto the resurrection, that when he came forth in his resurrection that many of the graves of the righteous were also opened and they also came forth from the spirit world, being reunited body and soul. But not all came forth at that time for not all were prepared to so come forth to be resurrected, for many did stay held in 'prison' being not yet cleansed from their sins, having not yet repented sufficiently to so come forth in the 'first resurrection' of the dead. |
21a
Luke 23:43 (39-43) b TG Paradise c TG Spirits in Prison d Alma 42:23 23a Ezek. 37:14 (6-14); D&C 88:15-17; TG Soul b 2 Ne. 9:13; Alma 11:45 (40-45) c TG Body, Sanctity of d Luke 21:18; Alma 41:2; D&C 19:25 e Philip. 3:21; TG Perfection
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24 And now, my son, this is the restoration of which has been
aspoken by the mouths of the prophets—
25 And then shall the arighteous shine forth in the kingdom of God. 26 But behold, an awful adeath cometh upon the wicked; for they die as to things pertaining to things of righteousness; for they are unclean, and bno unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God; but they are cast out, and consigned to partake of the fruits of their labors or their works, which have been evil; and they drink the dregs of a bitter ccup.
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24a
Isa. 26:19;
TG
Resurrection 25a Dan. 12:3; Matt. 13:43 26a Ps. 94:3 (1-11); 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Ne. 15:33; Alma 12:16; D&C 29:41; TG Hell b Eph. 5:5; Alma 11:37; TG Uncleanness c Ps. 75:8
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