Alma — Chapter 40
Alma keeps talking to Corianton.
1 Now, my son, I want to say something else to you. I see you are worried about the resurrection of the dead.
2 There will be no resurrection (or our imperfect bodies will not become perfect) until after Christ comes.
3 He will cause the resurrection of the dead, but the resurrection [has] not [happened] yet. I will tell you about this mystery. There are many mysteries only God knows, but I will tell you about this one — about the resurrection — which I have worked hard to learn from God.
4 There is a time for all to rise from the dead. No one knows when this time is except God.
5 It does not matter if there is more than one time for people to rise from the dead, because God knows these things. All I need to know is that there is a time for all people to rise from the dead.
6 There has to be a time between when people die and when they are resurrected.
7 Now I ask, what happens to people’s souls between the time they die and the time they are resurrected?
8 It does not matter if there is more than one time for people to rise from the dead, because people do not all die at once. All this life is just like one day to God. Time is only for people in this life.
9 So there is a time for all to rise from the dead, and a time between when people die and when they are resurrected. I asked the Lord many times to tell me what happens to people’s souls between the time they die and the time they are resurrected, and this is what I know:
10 When people rise from the dead, then they will all know that God knew all about the times given to them.
11 Now, about the time between death and the resurrection: An angel told me that when all people die, their spirits, whether good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.
12 The spirits of righteous people go to a place of happiness called paradise, where they will rest from all their troubles and sadness.
13 The spirits of evil people — the wicked who have no part of the Spirit of the Lord in them, because they chose to do evil instead of good, giving the devil all power over them — those spirits will be thrown into outer darkness. There will be weeping, and crying, and grinding of teeth. The devil takes them prisoner because of their own sins.
14 The souls of the wicked are in darkness, and they are very afraid of God’s anger. They stay in that place, just as the righteous stay in paradise, until they are resurrected.
15 Some have thought that these places of happiness or unhappiness for the soul could be called a kind of first resurrection. Yes, I think it can be called a kind of resurrection — taking the spirit to a place of happiness or unhappiness, as I have said.
16 It has also been said that there is a first resurrection — a resurrection of all those who lived before Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
17 Now, we do not think that this first resurrection, as it is talked about in this way, can be the resurrection of souls to places of happiness or unhappiness. You cannot think this is what that means.
18 I tell you, No. This resurrection means the coming together again of spirit and body of those people who have lived since the time of Adam and Eve down to the time of Christ’s resurrection.
19 I do not know if every person’s body and spirit will come together again all at one time, wicked as well as righteous. But I do say they will all be resurrected before the people who die after Christ’s resurrection.
20 My son, I do not say that their resurrection will happen at the same time as Christ’s resurrection. But I think the souls and bodies of the righteous will be resurrected when Christ is resurrected and goes up to heaven.
21 I do not say if it will happen when he is resurrected, or after. But I do say there is a time between death and the resurrection of the body, when spirits are in a place of happiness or unhappiness until the time God has chosen for the dead to rise and have bodies and spirits come together again, to stand before God and be judged by their works.
22 This is the restoration of all things which all the prophets talked about.
23 The spirit will be restored to the body, and the body to the spirit. Every arm or leg or bone will be restored to its body. Yes, not even one hair of the head will be lost, but everything will be restored as it should be.
24 Now, my son, this is the restoration which all the prophets talked about.
25 Then the righteous will shine in God’s kingdom.
26 But an awful death will come to the wicked, because they will be dead to all righteous things. They are filthy, and no filthy thing can live in God’s kingdom, so they are thrown out. They will have to live with the evil things they have done, and they will drink from a terrible cup [of punishment].
easyreadbkmormon.com 