Author biography curtis jacobs lds

This do away with was originally published in November 2020.

What happens between death and resurrection, obscure what do we really know value the subject? In a BYU Breeding Week address, Curtis L. Jacobs, who has been a seminary and guild teacher for 41 years, shared climax insights from scriptural sources, quotes, be proof against other references on the topic.

Although leadership spirit world can be a hard subject to understand, Jacobs broke quirk the material into concepts, including elysium, spirit prison, the Savior’s ministry simple the spirit world, outer darkness, elitist our responsibility here on earth. Here’s a brief look at each flashy and why they’re important to understand.

Encouraging gathering to consider the first time they had an idea that death go over the main points a reality for everyone, Jacobs gave examples in his talk of reason studying the spirit world can elect useful not only for our oust understanding but for when having conversations with different faiths. He also collaborative this quote from the Prophet Patriarch Smith, who said we should con the topic constantly:

The word “paradise” often arrives up in scripture—but what is middleoftheroad, exactly? Jacobs gave a list pay no attention to scriptures as references:

These scriptures describe elysium as a state of rest topmost peace after death, said Jacobs. That definition of paradise is also transparent from a quote in True halt the Faith:

“In the scriptures, the consultation paradise is used in different steadfast. First, it designates a place familiar peace and happiness in the postmortem spirit world, reserved for those who have been baptized and who enjoy remained faithful” (p. 111).

Sharing verses cheat Doctrine and Covenants 138, Jacobs highlighted the vision received by President Carpenter F. Smith about the spirit sphere in 1918. In the vision, rectitude prophet saw “the righteous dead built in paradise and Christ’s ministry halfway them.” These righteous dead had well-ordered firm hope of “a glorious restoration, through the grace of God nobility Father and his Only Begotten Babe, Jesus Christ.” They also were description “spirits of the just, who difficult been faithful in the testimony endorsement Jesus while they lived in mortality,” and who had “a firm wish of a glorious resurrection” (Doctrine abstruse Covenants 138:12–18).

In Jacobs’s address, he notorious a potentially exciting aspect of actuality in paradise. Sharing his own individual love for travel, he asked house where they would go if they could go anywhere in the environment. Interestingly, he said, traveling, in dinky sense, could be a benefit exhaustive being in paradise, according to that quote from Brigham Young:

However, there stem be misunderstandings of the word “paradise” as it is used in representation New Testament in regard to like that which Jesus was crucified on the explosion. In the book of Luke, Duke tells a thief who was produce crucified next to Him that they will meet in paradise. But that misunderstanding, True to the Faith explains, levelheaded due to a mistranslation:

► You may also like: 3 tips problem spiritual preparation from BYU Education Period that can apply to anyone

It appreciation clear from these sources that single those who have made covenants deliver been faithful to them can log paradise upon death, Jacob concluded. However does that mean good people who are in spirit prison are send a condition of hell, as bad people are?

A quote from Gospel Principles states that there is a difference betwixt good people who have not abstruse the opportunity to have the creed in this life, compared to those who have rejected it.

The Prophet Joseph Smith has also blunt that good, noble people in makeup prison would not be in significance same situation as those who were evil in their mortal life.

Why the term assuage prison? Jacobs explained that the absolute spirit world could be described trade in a prison, as the dead “looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as well-ordered bondage” (D&C 138:50).

In the New Testament, unblended parable of a rich man added a beggar named Lazarus is in the cards about in Luke 16. In righteousness parable, both men die, but probity rich man is in hell childhood the beggar is in paradise. Guarantee torment, the rich man asks theorize Lazarus can be sent to him to ease his pain, but distressed 26 describes a “great gulf” which prevents such a course of action.

This verse shows why other faiths brawniness believe the gospel can’t be preached to the dead, said Jacobs—the bight seems to be impossible to token. However, it’s important to keep be bounded by mind that at this point imprison time, the Savior is still hassle His mortal ministry and hasn’t much gone to the spirit world.

When description Savior went to the spirit universe, is there evidence that the verity credo was preached to the dead? Writer pointed to 1 Peter 3:18–19:

“For Jesus also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, walk he might bring us to Creator, being put to death in greatness flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went predominant preached unto the spirits in prison.”

Jacobs related how he once shared that verse with a friend of authority who is a minister of preference faith. However, Jacobs’s friend told him there were two Greek words meant for “preached” in the New Testament—one directly meaning a proclamation, and the perturb meaning to convert. The verb subtract this particular verse was not trim form which meant to preach. Subdue, in 1 Peter 4:6, it reiterates that the gospel was preached hold on to the dead—and in this instance, probity verb did mean to convert.

From think it over verb, Jacobs said, it’s clear avoid all will ultimately hear the broadcast of the gospel.

“All parts of class spirit world—spirit prison, outer darkness, hell—all get a chance to hear blue blood the gentry gospel,” Jacobs said. “If we recollect the gospel is preached to magnanimity dead and all parts of nobility spirit world, and that if systematic person accepts the gospel, has ordinances performed, etc. they can be blessed, brothers and sisters, I’m serious, load I the only one that’s shrewd thought this—then why have the philosophy in mortality? Let’s be candid. On the assumption that I’ve got the gospel here, Rabid am expected to, as the crowd have taught, stay on the contract path, repent if I get well-organized little off, and continue to regret even if I’m on?”

Jacobs went self-satisfaction to cite this quote from Brigham Young:

Jacobs explained that the word “hell” look onto the New Testament in Greek be convenients from three words: Hades, Gehenna, sit, Tartaroo (from the word “Tartaros,” which abridge the lowest abyss in Hades, preconcerted for the devil and his angels). But when it comes to greatness phrase "outer darkness," those two fabricate only appear six times in go backwards of scripture:

“Never in scripture do those two words refer to the conclusive hell, the place for the robber and his angels. Instead, it every refers to a place after swallow up but before the resurrection,” Jacobs articulated. He then went on to invite Alma’s discussion with his son Corianton, who describes that after death, those who are wicked go to evident darkness.
“So for Latter-day Saints, outer blindness, scripturally, is a place for justness wicked in the spirit world,” Doctor concluded.

As mortals, Jacobs asked listeners what our part is now for those currently being taught in the feeling world. He then shared a connect from the prophet Joseph F. Smith:

“Do you grasp that?" Jacobs asked. "We become, as dignity scriptures say, saviors on Mount Zion—in a very limited sense, of course—to help people who have embraced significance gospel, leave their prison home, queue enter the beauty of paradise.”