Alma Instructs His Son Corianton

“Now my son, Corianton, I perceive that you are worried about how the resurrection works, so let me explain it to you. People will not be resurrected until after Christ comes, for only He brings to pass the resurrection of the dead. Now I will explain a mystery to you. There are many mysteries known only by God, so I have prayed intently about the resurrection, to gain my own knowledge of it from Him.

“There is a time appointed, known only by God, when all people will come forth from the dead. It does not matter if there is a first, second, or third time when people come forth from the dead, for God knows all these things. It is sufficient to know that all will rise.

“There is a period between the time people die and when they are resurrected. I have prayed and asked, ‘What happens to people’s spirits after they die, and before they are resurrected?’

“Again, it does not matter if people are resurrected at different times, for they do not all die at the same time. Everything that happens may as well occur in one day to God, for time is only measured by people on earth. So a time is appointed for all people to rise from the dead, and there is a period of time between death and the resurrection. When the time comes to rise, all will know that God knows their appointed time to rise. It has been made known to me by an angel, that just as soon as their bodies die, the spirits of all men and women are taken home to God, who gave them life. This is the case for both the good and the evil.

“The righteous spirits are received into a state of happiness, called paradise—a state of rest and peace, where they rest from all their trouble, care, and sorrow. The spirits of the wicked will be sent into outer darkness. There will be weeping, wailing, and clenching of teeth over their own sinfulness—being led captive by the will of the devil. They are evil, having no part of the Lord’s Spirit because they chose evil works rather than good, and the devil’s spirit entered them. The wicked remain in this dark state, fearfully waiting for God’s fiery anger to come upon them, while the righteous remain in paradise until the time of their resurrection.

“Some people think that this state of happiness or misery after death is a first resurrection. I admit that it could be called a resurrection—the raising of the spirit to a consigned state of happiness or misery. Others believe the first resurrection is when everyone who lived before Christ is resurrected along with Him. Perhaps this is true, but in any case, the first resurrection is certainly more than the spirit being assigned to a state of happiness or misery.

“The first resurrection is the reuniting of spirits with their bodies, from Adam and Eve’s time to the resurrection of Christ. I do not know whether or not the spirits of the wicked and the righteous are resurrected all at once. It is enough to say that those who have died, from the time of Adam to the resurrection of Christ, will be resurrected before those who live after Christ’s resurrection. I do not say they will all be resurrected along with Christ, for it is my opinion that the righteous who lived before Christ will be resurrected with Him when He ascends into heaven. Whether they will be resurrected at that time or not, I do not know. I only know that there is a time between death and the resurrection—a state of happiness or misery—for all spirits, while they wait, according to God’s appointed time, to be reunited with their bodies—to be brought to stand before God and judged according to their works.

“This brings about the restoration of those things mentioned by the prophets. The soul will be restored to the body—to every limb and joint. Not even a hair of the head will be lost, for every part of the body will be restored perfectly. My son, this is the restoration of which the prophets have spoken. At that time, the righteous will shine forth in God’s kingdom. But an awful death comes upon the wicked, who die as to things having to do with righteousness, being unclean. And since no unclean thing can inherit God’s kingdom, they are cast out and must taste the fruits of their labors, or their works, which have been evil—and their fruit will be bitter.