"I know that [a dead person] is now ..."

[JohnnyL]

I see this so often, it makes me wonder what happens to us when someone dies.

We've all been taught the plan of salvation. We know that when we die, we go to the spirit world. No matter how innocent or righteous we were/are, we don't go to the celestial kingdom (heaven), we don't go to HF (not until after the final judgement), and we don't even go to meet Jesus.

Yet so many times when I hear about someone dying, a devout and learned LDS will say or write, "I know that X is now in heaven", "X is now with their HF", "I know that X is happy in the arms of Jesus, and he is holding them, and ...", etc.

How come when someone dies we LDS often go "all Evangelical"?

(Lol, I wonder if I'll do this in the future and get my answer that way...)

[Juliet]

In D&C 76, it says in verse 109 that "the inhabitants of the telestial world...were as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore;" and in verse 112 it states that "where God and Christ dwell they cannot come".
The verses 106 and 110-111 teach that these are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God until the fulness of times, where they shall bow and confess Jesus, and then shall be judged and given his own dominion in the missions prepared for them.

When I read this, it surprised me to see that most people, as many as the sands of the sea, will go to hell for a period of time before receiving a dominion from the Father, and they are the telestial kingdom.

[FTC]

Because people can't stand giving up pride because they have to concede that they don't know. Plus, everyone's outlooks have been polluted with a never ending waterboarding of happily ever after. So, they just jump to the warm fuzzy so they don't have to deal with uncertainty.

[Finrock]

I see this so often, it makes me wonder what happens to us when someone dies.

We've all been taught the plan of salvation. We know that when we die, we go to the spirit world. No matter how innocent or righteous we were/are, we don't go to the celestial kingdom (heaven), we don't go to HF (not until after the final judgement), and we don't even go to meet Jesus.

Yet so many times when I hear about someone dying, a devout and learned LDS will say or write, "I know that X is now in heaven", "X is now with their HF", "I know that X is happy in the arms of Jesus, and he is holding them, and ...", etc.

How come when someone dies we LDS often go "all Evangelical"?

(Lol, I wonder if I'll do this in the future and get my answer that way...)

11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

-Finrock

[JohnnyL]

I see this so often, it makes me wonder what happens to us when someone dies.

We've all been taught the plan of salvation. We know that when we die, we go to the spirit world. No matter how innocent or righteous we were/are, we don't go to the celestial kingdom (heaven), we don't go to HF (not until after the final judgement), and we don't even go to meet Jesus.

Yet so many times when I hear about someone dying, a devout and learned LDS will say or write, "I know that X is now in heaven", "X is now with their HF", "I know that X is happy in the arms of Jesus, and he is holding them, and ...", etc.

How come when someone dies we LDS often go "all Evangelical"?

(Lol, I wonder if I'll do this in the future and get my answer that way...)

11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

-Finrock

Yeah, I've heard that, but how literal is that? One mention, at the beginning of understanding of the spirit world by the Nephites, by one prophet, with nothing expounded on the "taken home to that God who gave them life"--which includes "good or evil" people...
vs.
DC138, and numerous prophetic teachings on the subject, to the contrary.

[Finrock]

I see this so often, it makes me wonder what happens to us when someone dies.

We've all been taught the plan of salvation. We know that when we die, we go to the spirit world. No matter how innocent or righteous we were/are, we don't go to the celestial kingdom (heaven), we don't go to HF (not until after the final judgement), and we don't even go to meet Jesus.

Yet so many times when I hear about someone dying, a devout and learned LDS will say or write, "I know that X is now in heaven", "X is now with their HF", "I know that X is happy in the arms of Jesus, and he is holding them, and ...", etc.

How come when someone dies we LDS often go "all Evangelical"?

(Lol, I wonder if I'll do this in the future and get my answer that way...)

11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

-Finrock

Yeah, I've heard that, but how literal is that? One mention, at the beginning of understanding of the spirit world by the Nephites, by one prophet, with nothing expounded on the "taken home to that God who gave them life"--which includes "good or evil" people...
vs.
DC138, and numerous prophetic teachings on the subject, to the contrary.

The Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth. I believe the book is true and teaches correct doctrine. Instead of trying to minimize it, try understanding it. Perhaps your understanding is wrong.

-Finrock

[JohnnyL]

I see this so often, it makes me wonder what happens to us when someone dies.

We've all been taught the plan of salvation. We know that when we die, we go to the spirit world. No matter how innocent or righteous we were/are, we don't go to the celestial kingdom (heaven), we don't go to HF (not until after the final judgement), and we don't even go to meet Jesus.

Yet so many times when I hear about someone dying, a devout and learned LDS will say or write, "I know that X is now in heaven", "X is now with their HF", "I know that X is happy in the arms of Jesus, and he is holding them, and ...", etc.

How come when someone dies we LDS often go "all Evangelical"?

(Lol, I wonder if I'll do this in the future and get my answer that way...)

11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

-Finrock

Yeah, I've heard that, but how literal is that? One mention, at the beginning of understanding of the spirit world by the Nephites, by one prophet, with nothing expounded on the "taken home to that God who gave them life"--which includes "good or evil" people...
vs.
DC138, and numerous prophetic teachings on the subject, to the contrary.

The Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth. I believe the book is true and teaches correct doctrine. Instead of trying to minimize it, try understanding it. Perhaps your understanding is wrong.

-Finrock

"EVIL [people] are taken home to that God who gave them life"--could you explain that?

[Finrock]

-Finrock

Yeah, I've heard that, but how literal is that? One mention, at the beginning of understanding of the spirit world by the Nephites, by one prophet, with nothing expounded on the "taken home to that God who gave them life"--which includes "good or evil" people...
vs.
DC138, and numerous prophetic teachings on the subject, to the contrary.

The Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth. I believe the book is true and teaches correct doctrine. Instead of trying to minimize it, try understanding it. Perhaps your understanding is wrong.

-Finrock

"EVIL [people] are taken home to that God who gave them life"--could you explain that?

Read the next few verses in Alma 40 and it explains it:

First they are taken home to that God who gave them life...

12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

13 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.

14 Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this estate, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.

God condescends to speak and interact with imperfect and evil people all of the time. Think and Cain and Abel. Can you think of other examples of God condescending?

-Finrock

[butterfly]

What about spirits of loved ones who stick around and visit their families?

I don't think spirit paradise is very far away, but just on the other side of the veil. And if you're happy there, it's because you yourself are a happy person. If you walk with the Savior, it's because you know how to receive Him in your life. The paradise doesn't come automatically just because you're dead.

I think after we die is very much like life here except it's in spirit, which technically speaking, being in the spirit could be considered going home to that God who gave you life.

[DesertWonderer]

They say it b/c it makes them feel better.

[Teancum]

When I read this thread, I was reminded of this interview with Howard Storm:

It is actually a 4 part interview, but I found all of his experience to be heartwarming, thought provoking, and self introspection generating.
Very highly rated in my opinion.

From being an avowed staunch atheist, to being embraced in the arms of Jesus, I find his experience of being in hell and then taken towards heaven, to be very instructive of the afterlife.

Last tidbit, I think the afterlife experience IS deffinitely uniquely tailored for each person according to what kind of person they are.

[drtanner]

Joseph Fielding Smith (Quorum of the Twelve)
These words of Alma as I understand them, do not intend to convey the thought that all spirits go back into the presence of God for an assignment to a place of peace or a place of punishment and before him receive their individual sentence. "Taken home to God," (Compare Ecclesiastics 12:7.) simply means that their mortal existence has come to an end, and they have returned to the world of spirits, where they are assigned to a place according to their works with the just or with the unjust, there to await the resurrection. "Back to God" is a phrase which finds an equivalent in many other well known conditions. For instance: a man spends a stated time in some foreign mission field. When he is released and returns to the United States, he may say, "It is wonderful to be back home"; yet his home may be somewhere in Utah or Idaho or some other part of the West. (Answers to Gospel Questions, 2: 84)

Harold B. Lee (Quorum of the Twelve)
What does it mean to return to that God who gave us life? I had a call from someone who was disturbed about that question. He said, "Now, does that mean all the wicked will return back into the presence of God? How shall they be worthy to stand in the presence of the Lord? Now, how could that be possible?" Well, that started me on a bit of thinking, and then I found the prophet Alma explaining to his son Corianton this same matter. You will find in the fortieth chapter of Alma how Alma explained this matter to his son Corianton. He said:[quotes Alma 40:11]. Now you note the difference? In one place it suggests that we shall enter into the very presence of; In the next place it says that we shall go home to that God who gave us life.
In discussing this matter I have found the quotation from President Brigham Young contained in his Discourses, which says: "[The scripture] reads that the spirit goes to God who gave it. Let me render this scripture a little plainer; when the spirits leave their bodies they are in the presence of our Father and God, they are prepared then to see, hear and understand spiritual things. But where is the spirit world?" He answers by saying this:
"If we go back to our mother country, the States, we there find the righteous, and we there find the wicked; if we go to California, we there find the righteous and the wicked, all dwelling together; and when we go beyond this veil, and leave our bodies which were taken from mother earth, and which must return, our spirits will pass beyond the veil; we go where both Saints and sinners go; they all go to one place.
"If the wicked wish to escape from his presence, they must go where he is not, where he does not live, where his influence does not preside. To find such a place is impossible, except they go beyond the bounds of time and space." (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1941], pp. 376-77.)
As I understand what President Young is saying, when we go home to God, it is just like going back to our home country. We may not go into the presence of the governor of the state where we live, but we will go to the home country, and there we shall find our level among the people with whom we are most accustomed to associate. (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, pp. 57-58)

George Q. Cannon (First Presidency)
Alma, when he says that "the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body . . . are taken home to that God who gave them life," has the idea doubtless, in his mind that our God is omnipresent--not in His own personality but through His minister, the Holy Spirit. He does not intend to convey the idea that they are immediately ushered into the personal presence of God. He evidently uses that phrase in a qualified sense. . . . Solomon, makes such a similar statement: "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." The same idea is frequently expressed by the Latter-day Saints. (Gospel Truths, p. 73.)

[JohnnyL]

The Gospel Principles book explains the OP quite well. Maybe it would behoove us to read and pray about it.

[Rachael]

I see this so often, it makes me wonder what happens to us when someone dies.

We've all been taught the plan of salvation. We know that when we die, we go to the spirit world. No matter how innocent or righteous we were/are, we don't go to the celestial kingdom (heaven), we don't go to HF (not until after the final judgement), and we don't even go to meet Jesus.

Yet so many times when I hear about someone dying, a devout and learned LDS will say or write, "I know that X is now in heaven", "X is now with their HF", "I know that X is happy in the arms of Jesus, and he is holding them, and ...", etc.

How come when someone dies we LDS often go "all Evangelical"?

(Lol, I wonder if I'll do this in the future and get my answer that way...)

Alma 40:11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

[Rachael]

And Luke 23:42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you, Today shall you be with me in paradise.

[Finrock]

Joseph Fielding Smith (Quorum of the Twelve)
These words of Alma as I understand them, do not intend to convey the thought that all spirits go back into the presence of God for an assignment to a place of peace or a place of punishment and before him receive their individual sentence. "Taken home to God," (Compare Ecclesiastics 12:7.) simply means that their mortal existence has come to an end, and they have returned to the world of spirits, where they are assigned to a place according to their works with the just or with the unjust, there to await the resurrection. "Back to God" is a phrase which finds an equivalent in many other well known conditions. For instance: a man spends a stated time in some foreign mission field. When he is released and returns to the United States, he may say, "It is wonderful to be back home"; yet his home may be somewhere in Utah or Idaho or some other part of the West. (Answers to Gospel Questions, 2: 84)

Harold B. Lee (Quorum of the Twelve)
What does it mean to return to that God who gave us life? I had a call from someone who was disturbed about that question. He said, "Now, does that mean all the wicked will return back into the presence of God? How shall they be worthy to stand in the presence of the Lord? Now, how could that be possible?" Well, that started me on a bit of thinking, and then I found the prophet Alma explaining to his son Corianton this same matter. You will find in the fortieth chapter of Alma how Alma explained this matter to his son Corianton. He said:[quotes Alma 40:11]. Now you note the difference? In one place it suggests that we shall enter into the very presence of; In the next place it says that we shall go home to that God who gave us life.
In discussing this matter I have found the quotation from President Brigham Young contained in his Discourses, which says: "[The scripture] reads that the spirit goes to God who gave it. Let me render this scripture a little plainer; when the spirits leave their bodies they are in the presence of our Father and God, they are prepared then to see, hear and understand spiritual things. But where is the spirit world?" He answers by saying this:
"If we go back to our mother country, the States, we there find the righteous, and we there find the wicked; if we go to California, we there find the righteous and the wicked, all dwelling together; and when we go beyond this veil, and leave our bodies which were taken from mother earth, and which must return, our spirits will pass beyond the veil; we go where both Saints and sinners go; they all go to one place.
"If the wicked wish to escape from his presence, they must go where he is not, where he does not live, where his influence does not preside. To find such a place is impossible, except they go beyond the bounds of time and space." (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1941], pp. 376-77.)
As I understand what President Young is saying, when we go home to God, it is just like going back to our home country. We may not go into the presence of the governor of the state where we live, but we will go to the home country, and there we shall find our level among the people with whom we are most accustomed to associate. (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, pp. 57-58)

George Q. Cannon (First Presidency)
Alma, when he says that "the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body . . . are taken home to that God who gave them life," has the idea doubtless, in his mind that our God is omnipresent--not in His own personality but through His minister, the Holy Spirit. He does not intend to convey the idea that they are immediately ushered into the personal presence of God. He evidently uses that phrase in a qualified sense. . . . Solomon, makes such a similar statement: "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." The same idea is frequently expressed by the Latter-day Saints. (Gospel Truths, p. 73.)

I think Alma 40 means exactly what it says. I think the apostles being quoted here are trying to shape the scripture to fit their own prejudices and biases. It's called special pleading. Concerning Joseph Fielding Smith, it would make sense that he would need to minimize Alma 40 because he had rejected the Lectures on Faith. He completely rewrote and misrepresented history when he commented on why they were removed. The Lectures on Faith also speak to the condescension of God towards His children.

-Finrock

[Finrock]

The Gospel Principles book explains the OP quite well. Maybe it would behoove us to read and pray about it.

The Book of Mormon is scripture. Gospel Principles book is not. It would behoove all to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and accept the truths taught in it without trying to shape them or force them in to dogma or creeds that are created by men and not God.

-Finrock

[JohnnyL]

The Gospel Principles book explains the OP quite well. Maybe it would behoove us to read and pray about it.

The Book of Mormon is scripture. Gospel Principles book is not. It would behoove all to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and accept the truths taught in it without trying to shape them or force them in to dogma or creeds that are created by men and not God.

-Finrock

Finrock,
We aren't going to agree on this. The BoM is in your interpretation, which conflicts with other scriptures. I've already explained a problem or two with it. DC is scripture too, right? Well, maybe to some, not to others. We have many other teachings that have become doctrine, and that is what the GP book teaches. If you want to disagree, no problem, but it is doctrine.

[Rose Garden]

I see this so often, it makes me wonder what happens to us when someone dies.

We've all been taught the plan of salvation. We know that when we die, we go to the spirit world. No matter how innocent or righteous we were/are, we don't go to the celestial kingdom (heaven), we don't go to HF (not until after the final judgement), and we don't even go to meet Jesus.

Yet so many times when I hear about someone dying, a devout and learned LDS will say or write, "I know that X is now in heaven", "X is now with their HF", "I know that X is happy in the arms of Jesus, and he is holding them, and ...", etc.

How come when someone dies we LDS often go "all Evangelical"?

(Lol, I wonder if I'll do this in the future and get my answer that way...)

I've always understood that the church teaches that Jesus comes to meet us when we die.

[Rose Garden]

I see this so often, it makes me wonder what happens to us when someone dies.

We've all been taught the plan of salvation. We know that when we die, we go to the spirit world. No matter how innocent or righteous we were/are, we don't go to the celestial kingdom (heaven), we don't go to HF (not until after the final judgement), and we don't even go to meet Jesus.

Yet so many times when I hear about someone dying, a devout and learned LDS will say or write, "I know that X is now in heaven", "X is now with their HF", "I know that X is happy in the arms of Jesus, and he is holding them, and ...", etc.

How come when someone dies we LDS often go "all Evangelical"?

(Lol, I wonder if I'll do this in the future and get my answer that way...)

11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

-Finrock

Who is the God who gave them life? Heavenly Father? Jesus? Is it the same God for every person? Where is home?

[Hivetyrant36]

I think the problem with the heaven or hell thing is that it doesn't align with LDS doctrine at all. Here you have a popular, but mostly catholic or baptist or Protestant idea, and people often shove it into the plan somehow, even if it doesn't fit.

The basic problem is, heaven and hell are not places, and even mormons make this mistake. When we die, we don't "go" anywhere. Our spirit stays where our body died, and we can wander the earth freely, unless a messenger takes you up to visit god because you have work to do.
Hell is a mindset. Many people misquote Jesus as saying hell is a lake of fire and brimstone, but no, he said it was LIKE a lake of fire and brimstone. If you died, knowing all your sins, knowing what you could have become, knowing how far you had fallen, you would be in hell. You could call upon christs power and cease to be experiencing hell. Most people are still concerned with their temporal belongings when they die, and that causes hell, but the most important thing to remember is that we often experience hell while living. Without it we would not know to repent.

There is a prison prepared for those who do not follow Christ, it I would argue that it is either their own minds and/or the earth itself. People who are still wicked when the die will often seek to live out their addictions through other living people who sin, adding to the number of evil spirits as time goes on. The third will instigate the temptation, and the deceased will use it to satisfy their carnal needs. The third love this setup because they can not only tempt you, but countless other dead people at the same time. Do not take sin lightly.
Those who are righteous will usually have protection from such things, as we do while living, though we don't physically see it. Those following Christ have righteous spirit guards. Just because you are dead doesn't mean you are freed from temptation, and without a changing mortal body it is harder to let go of addiction.

[JohnnyL]

Here are a few readings that will help clarify church doctrine on the spirit world and what happens after people die:

DC 138

https://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-princ ... irit-world" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-br ... chapter-38" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here [the faithful] shall be perplexed and hunted by him; but when we go into the spirit world there we are masters over the power of satan, and he cannot afflict us any more, and this is enough for me to know (DNW, 1 Oct. 1856, 3).

https://www.lds.org/youth/article/print ... ter-we-die" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What Do We Know about the Spirit World?

Where is the spirit world?
President Brigham Young (1801–77) taught that the spirits of those who once lived on earth remain around us on this earth, though we can’t see them.1

What is the spirit world like?
That depends. The righteous will experience paradise—happiness, rest, and peace, without troubles, care, and sorrow (see Alma 40:12). The wicked will experience hell (see Alma 40:13–14). Hell may be defined as “the torment of disappointment in the mind of man.” 2

What do spirits look like?
People’s spirits had an adult form in premortal life and will have that same form in the spirit world, even if they die as infants or children.3

Can spirits in the spirit world see us?
Yes, when needed. President Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918) said that those in the spirit world can see us more clearly than we can see them and that “their solicitude for us and their love for us and their desire for our well being must be greater than that which we feel for ourselves.” 4

Can spirits in the spirit world still be tempted?
If you are faithful during this life, Satan will have no power over you in the spirit world. The wicked will be subject to Satan there just as they were on earth.5

What are spirits in the spirit world doing?
For one thing, we know that the spirits of the faithful who have not yet been resurrected are doing missionary work among the spirits in prison.6 We also know that among those who were faithful, family structure and a Church organization exist.7

1.See Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young (1997), 279.
2.Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 224.
3.See Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith (1998), 131–32.
4.Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. (1939), 430–31.
5.See Teachings: Brigham Young, 282; Alma 34:34–35.
6.See D&C 138:30; see also Teachings: Joseph Smith, 474.
7.See Gospel Principles (2009), 243; for more on the spirit world, see Dale C. Mouritsen, “The Spirit World, Our Next Home,” Ensign, Jan. 1977, 46–51.

In other words, no more temptation for the righteous.

https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrines-of ... irit-world" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Read Alma 40:11; 24:16; 2 Nephi 9:38. According to these verses, what happens to the spirit body at death? Point out that each verse suggests in slightly different words that the spirits are “taken home to that God who gave them life” (Alma 40:11). What does it mean to be “taken home to God”? Is it true that the spirits of all will enter the presence of God and see him where he dwells? To help answer that question, read the following statements:

“‘Taken home to God,’ simply means that their mortal existence has come to an end, and they have returned to the world of spirits, where they are assigned a place according to their works with the just or with the unjust, there to await the resurrection” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 2:85).

“Alma, when he says that ‘the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, … are taken home to that God who gave them life,’ has the idea, doubtless, in his mind that our God is omnipresent—not in His own personality but through His minister, the Holy Spirit.

“He does not intend to convey the idea that they are immediately ushered into the personal presence of God.” (George Q. Cannon, Gospel Truth, 1:73; see also Joseph F. Smith in Supporting Statements B on p. 84 of the student manual; or Gospel Doctrine, p. 448.)

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the terms we often use in describing life after death—such as Hades, Sheol, paradise, and spirit prison—all refer to “world of spirits” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 310).

Elder Bruce R. McConkie said, “Since disembodied spirits cannot gain a fulness of joy until their resurrection (D&C 93:33–34), they consider their habitation in the spirit world as one of imprisonment, and so the whole spirit world (including both paradise and hell) is a spirit prison” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 755).

https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-wi ... chapter-18" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Obrien]

In D&C 76, it says in verse 109 that "the inhabitants of the telestial world...were as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore;" and in verse 112 it states that "where God and Christ dwell they cannot come".
The verses 106 and 110-111 teach that these are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God until the fulness of times, where they shall bow and confess Jesus, and then shall be judged and given his own dominion in the missions prepared for them.

When I read this, it surprised me to see that most people, as many as the sands of the sea, will go to hell for a period of time before receiving a dominion from the Father, and they are the telestial kingdom.

How many people have you met? It shouldn't be surprising at all. Most people are too proud or disinterested in spiritual things to really seek / accept salvation by simply accepting Christ.

[Obrien]

The Gospel Principles book explains the OP quite well. Maybe it would behoove us to read and pray about it.

Philosophies of men, mingled with scripture. Go to the scriptures then ask for your answer.

[JohnnyL]

The Gospel Principles book explains the OP quite well. Maybe it would behoove us to read and pray about it.

Philosophies of men, mingled with scripture. Go to the scriptures then ask for your answer.

I disagree.

In addition, seeing as many modern-day prophets have "been there, done that" and reported on it, I need to just pray and believe--and I can report, "yes."

I am assuming you have a list of the philosophies of men in the GP book that you would like to share, ones that you have prayed about and found to be wrong? You know, ones where speculation rules over scripture? I'd love to see a new thread for this discussion.