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Hi Gramps,

After the resurrection, our bodies and spirits will be the age where we were in our prime, right? How old are spirits once they leave this earth? Are the babies still babies? I wonder because I know a man who just passed away, his wife passed 30 years ago. Are they the ages they were when they passed, or are they the same? Thanks so much for sharing your time and knowledge. I look for answers here often.

Heather

Dear Heather,

Our spirits have been around a long time. While we can’t say how old they are because earth measurements of time of meaningless in this area and we have no record. Our spirits look adult or mature, but our process of growing is clearly not done.

In the resurrection we are not told what age we will be. We are told our bodies will be perfect and to many this means we will be in our physical prime. This seems likely to me, although I always try to remember that God’s definition of perfect is better then mine.

As for babies who die young, President Joseph F. Smith probably explained it best:

mormon-baby-boy“Joseph Smith taught the doctrine that the infant child that was laid away in death would come up in the resurrection as a child; and, pointing to the mother of a lifeless child, he said to her: ‘You will have the joy, the pleasure, and satisfaction of nurturing this child, after its resurrection, until it reaches the full stature of its spirit.’ There is restitution, there is growth, there is development, after the resurrection from death. I love this truth. It speaks volumes of happiness, of joy and gratitude to my soul. Thank the Lord he has revealed these principles to us.” (Gospel Doctrine, pp. 455–56.)

Gramps

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