Question
Hey Gramps,
I just had a question about our abilities in the spirit world. Brigham Young said that when we are there we will be able to visit places such as Jerusalem at the time of Christ, the Garden of Eden, etc. Will this be a gift to those who are worthy members of the church, or to all people? And would this be just for our pleasure, as we will be busy doing missionary work? Cheers!
Jake
Answer
Dear Jake,
Brigham was describing some of the conditions in the spirit world. When he said “we”, I assume that he was referring to all spirits, not just worthy members of the church. I believe that you are referring to the following quote-
“The brightness and glory of the next apartment is inexpressible. It is not encumbered so that when we advance in years we have to be stubbing along and be careful lest we fall down. We see our youth, even, frequently stubbing their toes and falling down. But yonder, how different! They move with ease and like lightning. 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 behold Jerusalem as it was in the days of the Savior; or if we want to see the Garden of Eden as it was when created, there we are, and we see it as it existed spiritually, for it was treated first spiritually and then temporally, and spiritually it still remains. And when there we may behold the earth as 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 here on these western islands, or in China, we are there; in fact, we are like the light of the morning.”
Discourses of Brigham Young, p.380
I also assume that the faithful members of the church following mortality will not be spending full time doing nothing but missionary work.. That, of course, will be the assignment of many of the Saints, but I would imagine that the spirit world would be filled with opportunities and activities that far surpass those of mortality. We will have vastly improved abilities and live in an environment that is vastly more extensive than what we find in our mortal experience. It must be a much more desirable and fascinating environment in which to live. Brigham Young’s preface to the above quote is-
“I can say with regard to parting with our friends, and going ourselves, that I have been near enough to understand eternity so that I have had to exercise a great deal more faith to desire to live than I ever exercised in my whole life to live.”
Gramps
