Immortality

From The Encyclopedia of Mormonism

See this page in the original 1992 publication.

Author: Andersen, Dan W.

"Immortality is to live forever in the resurrected state with body and spirit inseparably connected" (MD, p. 376). The Fall of Adam brought death, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ brought life. Immortality is as broad as the Fall; since all creatures die, all will be given everlasting life (1 Cor. 15:22).

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were not subject to death until the Fall. When they partook of the forbidden fruit, they were ushered out of God's presence; mortality and its consequent death descended upon them, and subsequently upon all mankind and all other living things.

That humans became mortal was a necessary step in the Lord's eternal Plan of Salvation for his children. The conditions of mortality, however, left mankind subject to death and incapable on its own of reclaiming the dead from the grave. Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, was the only one capable of redeeming the human family from the effects of the Fall, thus providing for a resurrection of the physical body.

The individual spirit that inhabits and gives life to the mortal physical body is not subject to the same death that is common to mortality. All spirits are immortal (cf. Alma 42:9; TPJS, p. 207; see also Soul; Spirit).

The Lord himself died a physical death in order to bring about the resurrection of all the dead and to grant immortality to all mankind. The prophet Lehi said, "Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise" (2 Ne. 2:8).

During his earthly life, Jesus Christ raised several from the dead; however, they were restored only to mortal life. By his later Atonement and resurrection of his physical, tangible body (Luke 24:36-40), Jesus provided the means by which every person will be resurrected to immortal life, with a tangible body of flesh and bones, even as he has. Paul taught, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22), and "When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Cor. 15:54; cf. Rom. 6:5).

Immortality is a free gift for all mankind. Amulek, a Book of Mormon prophet, taught that "this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; …every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body,…that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided" (Alma 11:44-45). Immortality, or the resurrection from the dead, will be given to all forms of life, for God glorifies himself "by saving all that His hands had made, whether beasts, fowls, fishes or men" (TPJS, p. 291; D&C 29:24-25).

Although sometimes used interchangeably, the words "immortality" and "eternal life" are not synonymous. All who obtain eternal life will also have immortality, but not all who receive immortality will have eternal life. The term "eternal life" has reference to the type or quality of life that God has, which is given only to the faithful, and includes much more than living forever. "And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation-that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe" (D&C 29:43). [See also Immortality and Eternal Life.]