Lessons from the Vision of the Redemption of the Dead

I think we learn several things about the Spirit World from President Joseph F. Smith's vision in section 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants.  The most obvious takeaway of course is that there is an organized missionary effort to preach the core principles of the gospel to those who have not yet accepted it.  In addition to that, we get a sense that the righteous will be gathered together in one general spot and that the wicked will be in their own spot.  We see that in the fact that he saw that "there were gathered together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just" and that where the spirits of the wicked resided "darkness reigned," suggesting that there was some kind of natural separation between these two groups (v12, 22).  We also see that spirits there have the same kind of emotions as we have here, for "they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand" (v15).  The spirits of the dead converse and communicate just as we do here, for President Smith saw that "this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death" (v18).  They could even sing without bodies: "They sang praises unto his holy name" (v24).  Being in the Spirit World will not dramatically change our emotions or our way of communicating with others. 

           The revelation seems to suggest as well that spirit bodies are in the image of our physical bodies, for the Saints "and the saints rejoiced in their redemption, and bowed the knee and acknowledged the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell" (v23).  Even without a body, they could bow the knew before the Savior.  This is consistent with the experience of the brother of Jared to whom the premortal Jehovah said, “this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit.”  Moroni commented, “Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto the Nephites” (Ether 3:16-17).  Our spirit bodies are in the same image as our physical bodies.  That said, the revelation clearly indicates that when we have only our spirit bodies we are not complete: “For the dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage,” and they only received a “fulness of joy” when “the spirit and the body [are] united never again to be divided” (v17, 50).     

            One other important message of the revelation is that our service in the kingdom of God will not end we die.  Though we may rest from worldly cares and trials, we will not sit idle.  In the spirit world the righteous "continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead" (v57).  And even once we are resurrected and out of the Spirit World, our service will still not end: "The Lord taught, and gave them power to come forth, after his resurrection from the dead, to enter into his Father’s kingdom, there to be crowned with immortality and eternal life, And continue thenceforth their labor as had been promised by the Lord, and be partakers of all blessings which were held in reserve for them that love him” (51-52).  We continue our labor even in the celestial kingdom.  This reminds me of a quote I came across recently from Melvin J. Ballard: "Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made. Knowing that service is what gives our Father in Heaven fulfillment, and knowing that we want to be where He is and as He is, why must we be commanded to serve one another? Oh, for the glorious day when these things all come naturally because of the purity of our hearts. In that day there will be no need for a commandment because we will have experienced for ourselves that we are truly happy only when we are engaged in unselfish service."  The vision on the redemption of the dead confirms that no matter where we are in our eternal journey, if we are righteous then we will be placed in a position to serve and labor for the Lord.