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KYLE - What happens to a member who is raised in the church in this life and at some point rejects the gospel? Will they have the opportunity to re-accept the gospel in the Spirit World? At what point will they no longer be able to accept the gospel? Certainly before the judgement & resurrection. Is that point at death? I know that the Spirit Prison consists of individuals who did not have the chance to hear or accept the gospel in this life. Is that where "those who were not valiant in their testimony of Christ while in the flesh" will go after death, to be taught again and allowed to accept the gospel again? Or is their chance to re-join gone after the end of this life?
JOEL -
It depends. Only God can make the judgment as to whether a person really did have a sufficient opportunity to accept the gospel while here.
We know what the scriptures say as in Alma 34: 32-34:
"For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
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.
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."
Amulek was talking to people who had already had a sufficient chance to hear and accept the gospel. Such people may not get a second chance.
The spirit prison is the place where church member who reject the gospel go along with those who never heard the gospel.
"Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets. (D&C 138: 32)
According to the Alma scriptures those who reject the gospel won't get a second chance there, and even if they did "that same spirit" they have might still prevent them from fully accepting it anyway
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith explained:
“Salvation does not come all at once; we are commanded to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. It will take us ages to accomplish this end, for there will be greater progress beyond the grave, and it will be there that the faithful will overcome all things, and receive all things, even the fullness of the Father’s glory." (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., comp. Bruce R. McConkie, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954-56, 2:18)
So there will be progress beyond the grave, but notice he said this refers to "the faithful".
Like I said only God can know a person's heart and whether or not he received a fair chance to accept the gospel here.
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