Here is a preview of my book that I just published on Amazon.com. If you want to read the entire book, you can get it at:
http://www.amazon.com/Resurrection-Afterlife-Mormon-Writings-ebook/dp/B009PURFG8/.
By
Michael
Robert Serovey, MA, MISM
Elder
in the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter Days Saints
Copyright Information Page
Copyright ©
2012 by Michael Robert Serovey. All rights reserved worldwide.
No part of this publication may be replicated,
redistributed, or given away in any form without the prior written consent of
the author/publisher or the terms relayed to you herein.
Michael Robert Serovey, Mike Serovey Enterprises
12708 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. #111, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
www.MikeSeroveyEnterprises.com
This publication is designed to provide accurate and
authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold
the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal,
accounting, or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert
assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should
be sought.
In this paper I
will attempt to explain, briefly, the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. concerning
death, resurrection, and the afterlife. In order to stay within the intende4
length of the paper, I will deal primarily with the Book of Mormon (B of M).
Where the B of M does not clearly cover a subject, I will refer to the other
works generally attributed to Joseph Smith, Jr. or reputable commentaries
thereon.
Before I begin
explaining the doctrines, I will briefly describe each of the works generally
attributed to Joseph Smith Jr. and there reported respective origins. First is
the Book of Mormon (B of M). The title page, which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated
from the plates themselves, best describes what it is.
The Book of Mormon
An Account Written by
The Hand of Mormon
Upon Plates
Taken from the Plates of Nephi
Wherefore, it
is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the
Lamanites--Written to the Lamanites, who area remnant of the house of Israel;
and also to Jew and Gentile——Written by way of commandment, and also by the
spirit of prophecy and of revelation--Written and sealed up, and hid up unto
the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—-To come forth by the gift and power
of God unto the interpretation thereof——Sealed by the hand of Moroni and hid up
unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile——The
interpretation thereof by the gift of God.
An Abridgment
taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared,
who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people,
when they were building a tower to get to heaven——Which is to show unto the
remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers;
and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off
forever——And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the
CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations——And now, if
there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the
things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment—seat of Christ.
TRANSLATED BY JOSEPH SMITH,
JUN.’ 1
Next is the
Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (D
& C). The D&C contain revelations and official proclamations received
by or put out by the presidents of the church. Most of these are by or through
Joseph Smith, Jr. This book was first published under the title The Book of
Commandments. The title was later changed by Joseph Smith Jr.
After Joseph
Smith was martyred the church collected several of his writings and published
them under the title The Pearl of Great Price (P of GP). The P of GP contains:
The Book of Moses, which is Joseph Smith’s retranslation of the first six
chapters of Genesis; The Book of Abraham, a translation of a papyrus scroll
found with an Egyptian mummy; Joseph Smith- Matthew; Joseph Smith’s translation
of Matthew— 23; and Joseph Smith—History an extract from History of the
Church Volume I.
In addition,
several of the sermons of Joseph Smith, Jr. were recorded by John A. Widstoe.
These records were compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith and published under the
title, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Of those listed
above, four are canonized scripture and are called the Four Standard Works.
They are: 1) the KJV Bible; 2) Book of Mormon; 3) D&C and; 4) Pearl of
Great Price. The official doctrines of the Church are found in these works and
any other proclamations of the First Presidency of the Church.
Bruce R.
McConkie in his book The Millennial Messiah points out that we cannot correctly
understand the teachings concerning death, resurrection and the afterlife
unless we understand the entire plan of salvation. We cannot understand the
entire plan of salvation unless we gain an eternal perspective on things.
McConkie outlines the seven ages of man as follows: First is “Creation and
Life as Spirits”. This is also called the premortal existence. This is when
the great Elohim created the spirits of all who ever had, do now, and ever will
dwell on this earth. This creation included the angels who were cast into outer
darkness and the spirit “Son who is the Firstborn,” YHWH. 2
The Book of
Abraham, Chapter 3, tells us of this ante mortal state, before the world was
created. In it we find that God revealed to Abraham the eternal nature of
spirits, pre—earth life, foreordination, the creation, the choosing of a
Redeemer, and the second estate of man.
“NOW the Lord had shown unto
me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and
among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these
souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said:
These I will make my rulers;
for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and
he said unto me:
Abraham, thou art one of them;
thou wast chosen before thou wast born. And there stood one among them that was
like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for
there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an
earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they
will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; And they
who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their
first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their
first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon
their heads for ever and ever.
And the Lord said: Whom shall
I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me, And
another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send
the first. And the second was angry, and ke not his first estate and, at that
day, many followed after him.” 3
Second is the “Temporal
Creation and Our Life as Mortals” This is when the physical earth is
organized. This is when Michael the Archangel
becomes Adam the premortal man. His wife Eve is created and placed in the
garden with him to be a helper. They fall and become mortal beings, subject to
both spiritual and physical death. 4
In the B of M,
2 Nephi 2:15-25, Nephi
tells his sons the story of the creation, how Adam fell, why the fall was
necessary, and what would have happened if the fall had not occurred.
“And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed
he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the Garden of Eden. And
all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which
they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever and had
no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained
in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good,
for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of
him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they
might have joy.”5
Third is “Redemption
and the Age of the Atoning One. This is the meridian of time. This is when
Jesus the Christ is born. We were present when the earth was created, Adam
fell, the flood of Noah, and again we are present to witness the miraculous
birth of our redeemer. We see how he grows up, begins his ministry, is baptized
by John in the Jordon
River, teaches and works
miracles, agonizes in the Garden
of Gethsemane, &
bleeds and dies for us on the cross. 6
The B of M
tells us that Jesus the Christ was known to the Nephite prophets by that name
before he was born, that this Jesus Christ is the same one who created the
earth, and that he would save us from our sins. In Mosiah 3:8 we read, “And he
shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth,
the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called
Mary.”
Again in Mosiah
we read:
“And because he said unto them
that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take
upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created
in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the
image of God, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take
upon Him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth.” 7
If you want to read the entire book, you can get it at: http://www.amazon.com/Resurrection-Afterlife-Mormon-Writings-ebook/dp/B009PURFG8/.
Mike Serovey, MA, MISM
