The Postmortal Spirit World

Yesterday during Relief Society I heard the most amazing story ever.  The sister teaching it started the lesson with the story of her great uncle.  Her uncle, we'll call him Bob (because I can't remember his name;), had a vision that war was going to be declared in the US & in the vision he found himself wearing a blue military uniform.   3 days later, WWI was officially declared & he went to his mother to tell her of this vision that he'd had.  As Bob was only 17, he had to convince his mother to let him enlist in the military, but his vision was a persuasive tool.  With his mother's permission, Bob went down to the recruitment station & searched among the branches to discover which had the blue uniforms of his vision.  He ended up enlisted as a Marine.


During the course of the war he found himself in the trenches in Europe when on July 19, a bomb went off.  When Bob woke up, he found himself in a white room, where everything inside was also white.  He was greeted by a guide to whom he said, " I presume I am in the Spirit World?" His guide replied, "Your presumption would be correct."

Bob knew that he couldn't stay here.  He had promised his mother that he would come home to her & then he proceeded to explain the vision that had led him to enlist in the first place.  The guide said, "I cannot let you return, I do not have that authority, but I can take you to those who can grant your desire."  Then they left that white room & white building and were out on a street where there was a beautiful, pristine park.  Bob later wrote that everyone was wearing white and were going about their business with focus and deliberate action.  No one was rushing or in a hurry, but they were busy with purpose.  He also noted that there were no benches or places to rest.  Everyone was working!

Bob met with those who could grant his request to return to Earth to finish his work & they said, "are you sure you want to go back?" He again told the story of his vision & the promise he made to his mother.  They told the guide to take him around for a while and then to come back & they could grant his request.  So Bob & his guide walked around and showed Bob more of the Spirit World (the details of which, Bob had been forbidden to disclose) until Bob grew anxious to return & asked if they could do so.  So his guide took him back to those with authority & they said, "We gather you no longer have the desire to return to Earth after being here, correct?" But Bob was still determined to fulfill the mission he was sure had been cut short & to return to his mother, and he communicated this to them.  They let him return.

On July 22, THREE DAYS after the bomb explosion, Bob & the others who had also been killed in the blast were confirmed dead and were placed in body bags.  Their remains were not being sent back to the US (that wasn't practiced as it is today), but were going to be deposited in a mass grave with the other fallen troops.  The body bags were placed into the burial trench & the men burying them began to return the removed dirt to it's hole in the ground.  Then Bob's body bag started to move & the gravediggers were terrified!

Bob had been dead for THREE DAYS and had been allowed to return. This is a true story I heard from his great-niece.  Isn't this an amazing account!? She took this history from her ancestor & compared it to what we know about the Postmortal Spirit World:

There will be 2 states:

The State of the Righteous, with the following attributes:

• Happiness
• Paradise
• Rest
• Peace
• No troubles, sorrow or cares

 & The State of the Wicked, with the following attributes:

• Darkness
• Fear
• Anxiety of receiving God's wrath
• Sorrow
• Unrest

Each shall remain in their earned states until the time of own resurrection.  The hope in this is that if a soul is in the state of wickedness they can accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ, repent of their sins & move into the state of righteousness.  This must come with a great change of heart, as we enter into the Postmortal Spirit World with the same attitudes of devotion or antagonism towards things of righteousness that we held while on Earth.  We will also have the same appetites & desires that we had here & be in adult form.  We were adults before our mortal existence & will be in adult form after death, even if the person died as an infant or child.

Isn't this the Gospel of HOPE!? How beautiful that the plan encompasses such forgiveness and mercy for all.  That is the legacy of a loving Heavenly Father & a compassionate Savior, Jesus Christ.  They are so wonderful and gracious to give us so many chances to repent & come into their love.

I'm SO grateful to know of the Gospel of Jesus Christ & to know that their is a marvelous plan for all of us!