What will I be doing and learning after I die?
I would like to address the topic today of what we actually do in terms of progression after we leave this mortal sphere.
I remember after my Grandmother Kinney passed away, my mother and I had a discussion about what Grandma Kinney believed. She was a special little lady. Only 4 ft 10 inches and her name was Bessie. I was born on her birthday. She grew up part of her life in the hills of Kentucky and referred to herself as a Kentucky Hill Billie. I loved this little lady but she passed away from throat cancer when I was in my senior year of high school, actually just a few days after our birthdays. She had attended a Primitive Baptist church in Kentucky and believed that after we die she would just float on a cloud playing a harp. She was my father’s mother and when my father died tragically at the age of 24 she really had a hard time with his death.
I think about her idea of our state of existence after we die and it doesn’t excite me at all. I think that would be fine for a short time but really, how boring. Well I have learned from all the research and impressions from my son Kory that that is just not the case. We will be very busy and happy about it.
The Spirit world is a place of great learning. We will continue to learn and progress after this life. But we are told that what we learn here while we are on this earth will go with us and will be to our advantage there, in the world of spirits. I know that my son Kory spent the first several months, in the spirit world after his death, learning and progressing before he was given assignments to teach and assist.
We will continue to learn through out eternity but it is imperative what we do here on earth as to the level we will be able to attain and progress to in the hereafter. We must attain certain keys through ordinances here. Let me explain:
There are several levels of progression, we will be able to continue to progress within a certain level through out eternity. We can start from the bottom and progress by learning to the top of our assigned kingdom, if we so choose. But what we do here on this earth right now dictates which level we will be living in through out all eternity.
See Image: 
Within each kingdom there are many levels of progression.
Please click here to see link for more information on the Plan of Salvation.
In the Spirit World if we have attained the necessary ordinances we are busy teaching others. Once they hear the gospel of Jesus Christ they can accept it or reject it. But everyone is given the opportunity to hear and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. The one thing we need to remember is if we have had the opportunity to hear it here on the earth, it will determine our final plain of existance in the eternities. We will not be given the opportunity again in the spirit world. We have made our choice, and even if the ordinances are preformed in temples for us after death we made our choice while here on earth and we will attain the appropriate kingdom.
In Mormon Doctrine by: Bruce R. McConkie I states on pg. 685-687
SECOND CHANCE THEORY:
There is no such thing as a second chance to gain salvation by accepting the gospel in the spirit world after spurning, declining, or refusing to accept it in this life. It is true that there may be a second chance to hear and accept the gospel, but those who have thus procrastinated their acceptance of the saving truths will not gain salvation in the celestial kingdom ofGod.
Salvation for the dead is the system by means of which those who “die without a knowledge of the gospel” (D&C 128:5) may gain such knowledge in the spirit world and then, following the vicarious performance of the necessary ordinances, become heirs of salvation on the same basis as though the gospel truths had been obeyed in mortality. Salvation for the dead is limited expressly to those who do not have opportunity in this life to accept the gospel but who would have taken the opportunity had it come to them.
“All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel,” the Lord said to the Prophet, “who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom, for I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.”
This is the only revealed principle by means of which the laws pertaining to salvation for the dead can be made effective in the lives of any persons. There is no promise in any revelation that those who have a fair and just opportunity in this life to accept the gospel, and who do not do it, will have another chance in the spirit world to gain salvation. On the contrary, there is the express stipulation that men cannot be saved without accepting the gospel in this life, if they are given opportunity to accept it.
“Now is the time and day of your salvation,” Amulek said. “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; (Alma 34:31-35, 2 Nephi 9:27, 3 Nephi 28:34; Luke 9:62)
Those who have a fair and just opportunity to accept the gospel in this life and who do not do it, but who then do accept it when they hear it in the spirit world will go not to the celestial, but to the terrestrial kingdom. This includes those to who Noah preached. “These are they…who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son visited, and preached the gospel unto them, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh; Who received no the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it.” (D&C 76:72-74)
Thus the false and heretical doctrine that people who fail to live the law in this life (having had an opportunity so to do) will have a further chance of salvation in the life to come is a soul-destroying doctrine, a doctrine that lulls its adherents into carnal security and thereby denies them a hope of eternal salvation. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, pp. 181-196.)
Looking at the importance of this concept we will be teaching each other for this life is like a great University. We are here to learn. In the Spirit world we continue and we teach others. We will be very busy. Kory is busy teaching in the spirit world with his Grandfather Kinney, my father. They were called over to that side to complete this work.
We will also learn of temporal things. In the book “Glimpses Beyond Death’s Door” by Brent L. & Wendy C. Top pp. 134; it tells of the following experiences that people had during their brief visits to the Spirit world.
This useful service and interdependence of spirit world inhabitants seems to be a major contributor to the happiness they enjoy. “Performing useful tasks is the delight of everyone’s life,” submits Swedenborg. “Clearly then, the Lord’s kingdom is a kingdom of useful activities.” (Heaven and Hell, p.160.) It may also be responsible for the comments of some NDErs about the “busy” nature of the afterlife. Heber Q. Hale, mentioned previously, left this testimony. “The people I met there, did not think of themselves as spirit but as men and women, self-thinking, and self-acting individuals, going about important business in a most orderly manner. There was perfect order there, and everybody had something to do and seemed to be about their business.” ( As quoted in Life Everlasting,p.79.) “I arrived at a place it’s very hard to put this into words, but I can only describe it as heaven,” explained an experiencer. “It’s a place of intense light, a place of intense activity, more like a bustling city than a lonely country scene, nothing like floating on clouds or harps or anything of that sort.” (The Return from Silence, p. 232.)
A woman who had lost her husband and two children was reassured at her short-lived grief for her loved ones, she knew better. “They aren’t dead. They are all alive, busy and waiting for me.” (As quoted in Heading Toward Omega,p.82.)
One man’s… account seems to underscore the reality of the principle that joy is obtained through service and lives of usefulness in God’s spiritual kingdom.., This man was taken to visit an angelic choir and then an art gallery. “It contained the work of the great masters of all time and all places…Some of the great works seemed familiar. Others were unlike anything I had ever seen, indescribable.” Then he found himself in a computer room, where he perceived that he met a spirit being whom he recognized as Albert Einstein, a man whom he had always admired.
In my book “Kory” Chapter 11: Great Libraries and Learning: I discuss this concept of learning. I would like to close with an excerpt from my book.
Kory’s arrival into paradise was spent getting reacquainted with generations of relatives who had passed into this spiritual sphere before Kory had been born into mortality. He had already spent time with his Grandfather Kinney. Now Kory was introduced to his grandfather’s parents, his father’s grandparents, and his grandmother’s parents. It was a great family reunion. Although Kory had not regained his former memory of these individuals, he could feel a special bond with them. They loved him dearly.
Kory was residing with his grandfather, David Kinney, who acted as Kory’s guide until his initial instruction and orientation was completed. Not long after Kory’s arrival in heaven, Kory’s grandfather escorted him to a wonderful place of learning. There are many great libraries on Earth, but none could compare with the library Kory was now standing in. He beheld rows and rows of towering bookshelves; volumes of books, scrolls, and parchments filled the shelves. Students sat at the tables, engrossed in their books.
“Why is everyone studying? Is there a test?” Kory joked.
“No, no test, my dear young grandson,” Grandfather Kinney said. “Here, you can learn about anything your heart desires. We all are able to improve and grow in all the subjects that interest us, and we have great abilities here that allow us to study and retain all that we learn at an incredible speed, not to mention with total recall.” Grandpa Kinney raised his eyebrows. “As you say on Earth, pretty awesome, huh?” he added with a chuckle.
On Earth, Kory had been attending high school as a junior. Spending his precious time there in a library was not appealing. But here, it was amazing! Gone were the limitations of the physical body and time. Kory could immerse himself in a subject of interest and keep reading and studying until he was satisfied. That put a whole new spin on the concept. In his new condition, reading and learning now greatly appealed to him. His mind was buzzing with excitement and curiosity. Kory did not have a set study guide or required learning. He could browse the great depository of knowledge at his will, feasting on whatever subject would satisfy the current interest. He had always been curious about sciences and immediately found a volume that addressed the creation process. He was shown that everything is created first spiritually. Kory spent many hours feeding his hunger for knowledge without the physical hindrances of his mortal body. He did not grow physically tired or hungry. He could read until he was satisfied on a particular subject, then go to another.
Kory returned to the celestial library again and again over the next few days. History, especially the maps, held Kory’s interest during many visits. He found that having an enlightened understanding was an interesting process, rather like an artist creating a picture. When the artist stands very close to his creation, he can see detail, but it’s not until he steps back to view the entire piece that he can truly see with perspective.
Kory really liked being able to study artists’ works. Not only could he see the pieces and read everything that had ever been written about them, he could also, as a bonus, talk to the artists themselves! Now that is a complete picture that was most satisfying to the soul!
One course of study that Kory found interesting was the evolution of various societies throughout history. He could study a particular time and era, or a society from one of those eras, and formulate a conclusion as to historical events that followed. When questions arose, Kory had the unique privilege of going to talk to someone who actually lived in mortality at the time of the event.
Kory came upon a particular time period that held his fascination in his studies. It was the time in history he knew his ancestors lived in before they immigrated to the Americas. He felt an overwhelming gratitude to have lived in a time when reading was common and access to great resources of the written word was available for all.
I hope that we can see that we will continue to grow and develop. I am excited by this concept. There are so many things I want to learn and skills I want to master.
Until next week keep on learning!