Lessons on the Plan of Salvation
Lesson No. Thirty-Five

Enabling the Dead is an Essential Reason for Temples and Temple Worship

God grants what we desire whether it is unto salvation or unto destruction – The Book of Mormon teaches this doctrine:  “I know that [God] granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life;  yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction” (Alma 28:4).

Many people desire righteousness but don’t know where to find truth – We believe “there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12). 

In the spirit world we will have the same desires we left this life with – No one dies having obtained perfection, and so we will all need to continue to improve and repent in the spirit world.  As we enter the spirit world we will have the same desires and attitudes, whether for good or for evil, that we leave this life with.  The Book of Mormon refers to this doctrine as the plan of restoration. (See Alma 41:2-4)

Many people in spirit world will accept the gospel – “When the gospel is preached to the spirits in prison, the success attending that preaching will be far greater than that attending the preaching of our elders in this life.  I believe there will be very few indeed of those spirits who will not gladly receive the gospel when it is carried to them.  The circumstances there will be a thousand time more favorable” (Lorenzo Snow, General Conference Oct 6, 1893).  Wilford Woodruff also said: “There will be very few, if any, who will not accept the gospel in the spirit world” (Discourses, p. 158). 

Our ancestors are even are more likely to accept the gospel – “We are of the house of Israel.  We learn that through revelation; and that being true, then we reach the conclusion…that our ancestors were also of the house of Israel…. “Therefore, our fathers are more likely to receive the gospel (if they did not hear it in this life, to receive it in the spirit world), than are those whose descendants are not in the Church and who refused to receive the gospel here” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation II, p. 133).   

Enabling the dead is an essential reason for temple worship including family history – We have the assurance that many people are very likely to accept the gospel in the spirit world when it offered to them.  They have the same desires that the Founders of our nation when they came to the St George Temple and demanded that their temple work be done.  (See Lesson 8 in my book Lessons of Freedom and Patriotism)  The fact that most people in the spirit world will accept the gospel and want their temple work done gives us a great reason and responsibility to do as much family history and temple work as we can reasonably do,  especially for our own ancestors.