Do We Take Our Personalities With Us To Spirit Prison?

[Brian's Mom]

Growing up in the Church, I was taught that we do take our personalities with us when we die. However, I am almost certain I read something fairly recently that clarified this, and said it was not necessary true. Well, actually it said it wasn't true.

I have searched a number of places, and just finished a very nice conversation with one of the online missionaries, but he couldn't answer my question.

Has anyone here heard this is not true, and that we don't take our personalities with us after we die? Or is it as I was taught when I was growing up, that we do take our personalities with us after death.

Thank you,

Brian's Mom

[charity's child]

I don't have anything I can cite, but I believe the evidence is that we take our personalities with us. sorry I can't quote chapter and verse for you.

[hagoth7]

Has anyone here heard this is not true, and that we don't take our personalities with us after we die?

I frankly don't know - and haven't heard one way or the other.

But as my opinion, since our personalities appear to be somewhat tied to our mortal physiology, I wouldn't count on it.

The lens through which a spirit presents itself (personality) might shift considerably via the resurrection.

[jadams_4242]

Growing up in the Church, I was taught that we do take our personalities with us when we die. However, I am almost certain I read something fairly recently that clarified this, and said it was not necessary true. Well, actually it said it wasn't true.

I have searched a number of places, and just finished a very nice conversation with one of the online missionaries, but he couldn't answer my question.

Has anyone here heard this is not true, and that we don't take our personalities with us after we die? Or is it as I was taught when I was growing up, that we do take our personalities with us after death.

Thank you,

Brian's Mom

well being as a lot of us will need to "accept" the gospel in the spirit world;{repentance e;t;c.} I would consider that fairly strong proof of yes we do.

[annewandering]

who's else would we take?

we brought them with us and we take them with us. its the only thing we just cant get rid of no matter how hard we try!!

we can improve or ruin them, fortunately. maybe this is what is meant? we dont have to take our bad parts with us if we get rid of those first.

[Glenn101]

Growing up in the Church, I was taught that we do take our personalities with us when we die. However, I am almost certain I read something fairly recently that clarified this, and said it was not necessary true. Well, actually it said it wasn't true.

I have searched a number of places, and just finished a very nice conversation with one of the online missionaries, but he couldn't answer my question.

Has anyone here heard this is not true, and that we don't take our personalities with us after we die? Or is it as I was taught when I was growing up, that we do take our personalities with us after death.

Thank you,

Brian's Mom

I have read more than I can remember about this. I have read somewhere that we will take our likes, dislikes, lusts, appetites, passions, etc. with us when we die. I.E. a person who is adicted to cigarettes and drugs still will crave them in the after life, but will have no way to satisfy cravings of the flesh.

Alma 34 verses 33 and 34 give us a hint.

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.

That indicates to me that the spirit is the source of our personalities and therefore will continue with us in the next life and resurrection. There will be no magical attitude correction.

Glenn

[Bee Eff]

Growing up in the Church, I was taught that we do take our personalities with us when we die. However, I am almost certain I read something fairly recently that clarified this, and said it was not necessary true. Well, actually it said it wasn't true.

I have searched a number of places, and just finished a very nice conversation with one of the online missionaries, but he couldn't answer my question.

Has anyone here heard this is not true, and that we don't take our personalities with us after we die? Or is it as I was taught when I was growing up, that we do take our personalities with us after death.

Thank you,

Brian's Mom

If our post mortal self was not the same as our mortal self, any punishment would lack justification.

We are who we are, our pre earth existence is not something that will pop up and change this. Our future self will evolve in the same manner that our current self does.

Might I ask why you would think you would be any different at another place and time? Your concern here seems illogical to me.

[Pandorian]

If we didn't take our personalities with us, then would we REALLY be us?

[hagoth7]

Growing up in the Church, I was taught that we do take our personalities with us when we die. However, I am almost certain I read something fairly recently that clarified this, and said it was not necessary true.....

To offer some substantiation for my previous post, I recommend considering this post from Life on a Plate in the Psych Disorders thread. If you click into the blog, it basically presents the reality of personalities shifting dramatically just from a simple corrective pill. If one insists that we take our personalities with us, the question can fairly be asked, which personality? The medicated one? On which dosage? Or some other, unmedicated version? In my opinion, based on things like this, the argument for preserving our personalities doesn't hold up - at the very least not for everyone.

[Anijen]

Yes, we take our personalities with us.

To offer some substantiation for my previous post, I recommend considering this post from Life on a Plate in the Psych Disorders thread. If you click into the blog, it basically presents the reality of personalities shifting dramatically just from a simple corrective pill. If one insists that we take our personalities with us, the question can fairly be asked, which personality? The medicated one? On which dosage? Or some other, unmedicated version? In my opinion, based on things like this, the argument for preserving our personalities doesn't hold up - at the very least not for everyone.

Don't confuse personality with emotion

[hagoth7]

Don't confuse personality with emotion

I'm genuinely interested in understanding the distinction. Any pointers?

[Anijen]

To offer some substantiation for my previous post, I recommend considering this post from Life on a Plate in the Psych Disorders thread. If you click into the blog, it basically presents the reality of personalities shifting dramatically just from a simple corrective pill. If one insists that we take our personalities with us, the question can fairly be asked, which personality? The medicated one? On which dosage? Or some other, unmedicated version? In my opinion, based on things like this, the argument for preserving our personalities doesn't hold up - at the very least not for everyone.

Don't confuse personality with emotion.

There will be no altering drugs to take so what we take will be a life time of required habits (good or bad) etc plus I am willing to bet some premortal quirks will come back too.

[jkfrost]

I have read more than I can remember about this. I have read somewhere that we will take our likes, dislikes, lusts, appetites, passions, etc. with us when we die. I.E. a person who is adicted to cigarettes and drugs still will crave them in the after life, but will have no way to satisfy cravings of the flesh.

Alma 34 verses 33 and 34 give us a hint.

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.

That indicates to me that the spirit is the source of our personalities and therefore will continue with us in the next life and resurrection. There will be no magical attitude correction.

Glenn

The question has been answered above BOM scripture Alma 34:34 that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life,

that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.

here are some more scriptures on the subject

[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.

[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 state, as well as the righteous in paradise,

until the time of their resurrection.

D&C 138:57 I beheld that the faithful elders of this dispensation,

when they depart from mortal life, 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 dspirits of the dead.

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/138/57#57 <-- check out the chapter

[William the Conqueror]

I'm genuinely interested in understanding the distinction. Any pointers?

Yes I am sure that your personality exists in spirit prison or Hell where you are going. I'm certain Dives retained all his personality in Hades while he looked across the gulf at father Abraham. Of course there will probably be remorse for rejecting the truth but it is your being or personality that has the remorse. "If they do not believe Moses and his words then neither will they believe if someone rises from the dead."

[talisyn]

To offer some substantiation for my previous post, I recommend considering this post from Life on a Plate in the Psych Disorders thread. If you click into the blog, it basically presents the reality of personalities shifting dramatically just from a simple corrective pill. If one insists that we take our personalities with us, the question can fairly be asked, which personality? The medicated one? On which dosage? Or some other, unmedicated version? In my opinion, based on things like this, the argument for preserving our personalities doesn't hold up - at the very least not for everyone.

Consider this, ALMA 40:23-24

23 The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.

24 And now, my son, this is the restoration of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets

notice the phrase 'their proper and perfect frame'. This would imply to me that everything that may be wrong with us from bi-polar to hypothyroidism to epilepsy will be taken care of in the afterlife.

[alter idem]

Growing up in the Church, I was taught that we do take our personalities with us when we die. However, I am almost certain I read something fairly recently that clarified this, and said it was not necessary true. Well, actually it said it wasn't true.

I have searched a number of places, and just finished a very nice conversation with one of the online missionaries, but he couldn't answer my question.

Has anyone here heard this is not true, and that we don't take our personalities with us after we die? Or is it as I was taught when I was growing up, that we do take our personalities with us after death.

Thank you,

Brian's Mom

Is this sort of like the people who think they are going to get a completely different looking body when they are resurrected?

Um...I think we might as well face that fact that we are stuck with the personality we have shaped in this life. Sorry, no tradsies, upgrades, or returns. And no, we won't wake up on the other side and find out we are really a great person when we were a total jerk in mortal life.

[Brian's Mom]

Might I ask why you would think you would be any different at another place and time?

I never said I believed our personalities would not stay with us after death, and frankly, I'm baffled why people took my post to mean the same.

I said I had been taught this was true, but that I thought I had read a clarification that it was not true. I was going to discuss this on another board, but, as I often do when I'm not certain I am accurate, I searched for the quote to be sure I was accurate, and I found nothing. As a last resort, I then came to MADB, becaue I find its members are extremely well-versed in Church doctrine.

Since asking my question, many people here gave me the Alma quote, and I think it clearly states we do take our personalities with us. Therefore, I am obviously wrong about having heard otherwise. I accept that, and will not bring up the "clarification" I thought I had heard, as there is no longer a reason to do so.

Your concerns here seems illogical to me.

And your assumption that I meant to disprove this belief is illogical, since I never said anything of the kind.

The topic came up on another board, and I wanted to mention this clarification that we did not take our personalities with us. However, I needede to verify I had, indeed, heard that, and so I did an extensive search, and came up with nothing. So I came to MADB and posted the question, as its members are usually very-well informed about these things.

In other words, I was looking to determine if I was correct or not. I've discovered I was wrong, and I appreciate the clarification. There were no nefarious motives on my part, and if you read my post again, I think you'll see that.

Brian's Mom

[BCSpace]

Alma 34 verses 33 and 34 give us a hint.

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.

There is also....

1 When the Savior shall aappear we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man like ourselves.

2 And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy.

D&C 130

Not exactly a reference to Spirit Prison or personality, but I can't imagine a senario where we lose our "sociality" and then get it back.

[consiglieri]

I have read more than I can remember about this. I have read somewhere that we will take our likes, dislikes, lusts, appetites, passions, etc. with us when we die. I.E. a person who is adicted to cigarettes and drugs still will crave them in the after life, but will have no way to satisfy cravings of the flesh.

Alma 34 verses 33 and 34 give us a hint.

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.

That indicates to me that the spirit is the source of our personalities and therefore will continue with us in the next life and resurrection. There will be no magical attitude correction.

Glenn

Alma 34:34 has, indeed, become the LDS proof-text for the idea that we are the same personalities both before and after the resurrection. As John Tvetdness pointed out some years ago, however, this interpretation is almost surely in error; as reading the passage in context reveals that the "spirit" being referred to is either the "Spirit of God" or the "spirit of the devil," and what Amulek means is that at the point of death, whichever one of those two spirits possesses our body will have power to possess it in that eternal world.

Also, as to what our bodies will look like in the resurrection; I believe we have only one example of a person being resurrected and then appearing to those who knew him in mortality, which is Jesus Christ. It seems that in every instance where the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples, they did not recognize him by sight, leading to the conclusion that he looked quite differently.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[jkfrost]

Growing up in the Church, I was taught that we do take our personalities with us when we die. However, I am almost certain I read something fairly recently that clarified this, and said it was not necessary true. Well, actually it said it wasn't true.

I have searched a number of places, and just finished a very nice conversation with one of the online missionaries, but he couldn't answer my question.

Has anyone here heard this is not true, and that we don't take our personalities with us after we die? Or is it as I was taught when I was growing up, that we do take our personalities with us after death.

Thank you,

Brian's Mom

â??We will meet the same identical being that we associated with here in the fleshâ??not some other soul, some other being, or the same being in some other form, but the same identity and the same form and likeness, the same person we knew and were associated with in our mortal existence, even to the wounds in the flesh. Not that a person will always be marred by scars, wounds, deformities, defects or infirmities, for these will be removed in their course, in their proper time, according to the merciful providence of God. Deformity will be removed; defects will be eliminated, and men and women shall attain to the perfection of their spirits, to the perfection that God designed in the beginning.â? (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, pg. 23)

[alter idem]

Alma 34:34 has, indeed, become the LDS proof-text for the idea that we are the same personalities both before and after the resurrection. As John Tvetdness pointed out some years ago, however, this interpretation is almost surely in error; as reading the passage in context reveals that the "spirit" being referred to is either the "Spirit of God" or the "spirit of the devil," and what Amulek means is that at the point of death, whichever one of those two spirits possesses our body will have power to possess it in that eternal world.

Also, as to what our bodies will look like in the resurrection; I believe we have only one example of a person being resurrected and then appearing to those who knew him in mortality, which is Jesus Christ. It seems that in every instance where the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples, they did not recognize him by sight, leading to the conclusion that he looked quite differently.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

I don't think Jesus looked "differently"--I think they didn't recognize him because they knew he was dead--they were not expecting to see him walking around alive. Also, Jesus told the Bro. of Jared that his spirit looked like his body. There's no reason to believe he looked completely different as a resurrected being--when his body and spirit looked the same. Personally, I think this notion of looking very different is wishful thinking on the part of some people who don't like how they look.

Ether 3:16 Behold this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh.

[OMWO2]

Thanks to the OP for this topic. I have pondered this a lot for a number of different reasons since leaving the LDS church. First, if we do take our personalities, thoughts etc... with us then missionary work is only needed for those who have "not" been taught mormonism correct? So in the case of my paternal grandparents, both of whom were taught the LDS gospel several times and rejected it while alive, they should not be taught again? However, my parents (Dad) holds to the belief that after they both died he and my Mom did their temple work and my Dad believes they accepted the gospel and are now married for eternity. Of course it is a nice belief, but not rooted in any doctrinal soil is it? BTW, my cost saving measure/suggestion to the LDS church is to discontinue missionary work on the earth. The more efficient and effective method would be to do it in the afterlife. Just kidding on the last part!

[alter idem]

Thanks to the OP for this topic. I have pondered this a lot for a number of different reasons since leaving the LDS church. First, if we do take our personalities, thoughts etc... with us then missionary work is only needed for those who have "not" been taught mormonism correct?

Incorrect. There is still time to repent before the final judgement--thus, we'll still be doing missionary work.

[TJane]

Thanks to the OP for this topic. I have pondered this a lot for a number of different reasons since leaving the LDS church. First, if we do take our personalities, thoughts etc... with us then missionary work is only needed for those who have "not" been taught mormonism correct?

I think we will all still be 'us' in the spirit world unless the 'us' here on earth was influenced by our physical bodies/brains somehow. So that follows that the people who heard the missionary discussions and rejected them here will again reject them in the spirit world.

However, I've heard two answers to that - besides the obvious that we know missionary work is happening on the other side.

First is that just because a person hears the discussions doesn't mean that they have had the Spirit witness to them that the gospel as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. Thus, they would need to have that witness before they would be held accountable for their choice.

Second, they may have 'rejected' the Church in this life for various reasons that may not be in effect in the spirit world - concern for temporal well-being of their family overriding their spiritual needs. I'm guessing that when a person dies - especially if he didn't think there was an after-life, he'd have some rethinking to do, even if they don't accept the missionaries there.

So, I think that only Heavenly Father and Christ knows when a person will reject the message 'for the last time'. I know many people who had the discussions several times before they joined the Church. It's a good thing that our missionaries on this side of the veil didn't say "Oh, you've met missionaries before and turned them down? Well, in that case ... see ya!!"

And. last of all, we've been commanded to do the work for the dead. If they accept fine. If they don't, fine. And if your father believes that his parents finally accepted, what's wrong with that?

Jane

[Rob Osborn]

Just to add to what has already been said, spirit prison/ paradise is set up for the purpose of conversing and learning the gospel. In fact, most of the missionary work success will come in the afterlife mostly due to the fact that most mortal individuals either do not hear the gospel or if they do hear it they do not understand it's eternal and factual impact on their soul.

Personally i believe that almost everyone who hears the gospel in the afterlife will accept it with a whole heart. Satan is very busy here on earth confusing mankind that it makes it very hard to discern what is right to do. I do not believe that old standing notion of our mortal lives being the "final test" for the rest of eternity. If it were the case, the gospel and the rules to the game would be spelled out a lot clearer and everyone would have a perfect opportunity to accept the gospel and all of it's principles andordinances before death. Mortality to me is more just about gaining a physical bodyt and learning how to use it and bridal passions. Accepting the gospel whole-heartedly will not even happen for most mormons until after death anyway.