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The Work for the Dead

If anyone doubts that we live after we die or that the spirit world is closely connected to this one, please consider these experiences of Joseph Stacy Murdock. He tells of a time when he and other family members were doing work for the dead in the temple in St. George. Joseph said:

“I was the last one dressing and came out of the dressing rooms into the baptismal chamber. Here stood three ladies, side by side. One of them spoke to me and said, ‘Here are three of your aunts that you have missed in your work.’ I did not know them. They had died before I knew them. …I…found my sister Betsy. She was 15 years older than myself, and told her that we had missed three of our aunts. She thought not. I told her we would look over the papers. We did so and soon found the three aunts we had missed, and I had their work done. I bear my testimony that I saw them with my natural eyes and heard their voices with my ears.”

On another occasion, presumably, somewhere near the end of his life Joseph described seeing his father, long-since-deceased, in a dream.

“He came to me one night and told me that he would give me until ten o’clock on the third day to live on the earth. I understood I would have to die and leave my family, children and all. It seemed to me I never could have had anything more real come to me. After all my thoughts, I told Father that I had no excuse to make, if he said, “go”, go it was, but there was one thing I had thought of, and I did not know that I was worthy to carry it out. He stopped and studied me and said, ‘What is it, Joseph?’ I said it was in relation to our dead that I would be willing to do for them all, if I could. He then said he would see me again about that. He returned to me again that same night and told me I had better tarry on the earth, but he was very busy and needed me very much, and I woke up. So you see, the dead have something to do. I had one of my sons die, by the name of Nymphas Hyrum Murdock. He was killed by a log in the Provo River. I am satisfied he is with my father in the Spirit World.”

And lastly, what is it that the dead have to do once they have died? Joseph, who obviously had the spiritual gift of dreams and revelations, said this:

“My brother John, who is dead, came to me in a dream. He stood at my bedside, looking very anxious for me to speak to him. I spoke to him. I said, ‘John, are you perfectly happy?’ ‘No,’ was his reply, ‘nor no man can be when he first leaves this earth.’ ‘I will explain myself by saying when we were little boys, we had to learn our letters, beginning with a, b, c, and so on. When we pass through the veil into the Spirit World, we go by degrees from one to another and so on. I don’t want you and mother to worry any more about me. I am a great deal better off than I was on earth. I have had power given me to waft myself from one place to another. For that reason, I have come to see you and tell you that it takes time for perfect happiness.’”

This is one man’s experiences with the world beyond. He speaks of those who lived true and faithful on the earth. His dreams are consistent with the Lord’s doctrines, as taught by the prophets. For us, it is simple—keep the commandments, be true to this work, and get ready.

Source:

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWJD-VKH