PAT - A discussion in Gospel Doctrine class led to a statment by one of the class memebers.... she said she read somewhere but did not remember where.... that just as there are Temple Ordinances that must be done by the living on earth ... either for the living or by proxie for the dead... that there are also Temple Ordinences that must be done in the Spirit World ....
and that those who are still living during the millinum will need someone in the spirit world to do those ordinances for them and that thus we
can not be made perfect with out our ancestors and they can not be made perfect without us.... Have you ever read about this? I wondered if this was something that there might be a reference for so I could read about it for myself.... so far I have not been able to find it anywhere.
JOEL - That's because it doesn't exist anywhere; at least not as official Church doctrine.
Those who are still living during the Millennium can do the temple work for themselves here on earth. All ordinances must be performed on earth for the living or the dead; otherwise why would we bother to do it now for the dead if it can also be done in the Spirit World?
Joseph Fielding Smith said:
"the ordinances of the Gospel must be performed on earth since they pertain to the mortal probation” (Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection, 165).
The performance of any ordinance requires a physical body, both for the one performing the ordinance and the recipient; that's why John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph Smith as resurrected personages, so they could perform the priesthood ordination ordinance.
The scriptures say "whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" (Matt. 16:19), suggesting that it is important to first perform the ordinance on earth so it will have effect in heaven.
I know of no other kinds of ordinances that spirits in the spirit world would have to perform for people still on the earth.
The scripture:
"For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect" (D&C 128:16-18), simply refers to the fact that in order for anyone to be made perfect and obtain exaltation we must be sealed to our ancestors and they must be sealed to us.
Joseph Smith said "we redeem our dead, and connect ourselves with our fathers which are in heaven, and seal up our dead to come forth in the first resurrection…[we] seal those who dwell on earth to those who dwell in heaven" (TPJS, pp. 337-38). This is the chain that binds the hearts of fathers and mothers to their children and the hearts of the children to their parents. And this sealing work "fulfills the mission of Elijah" (TPJS, p, 330)
We do our part by performing ordinances for our dead ancestors. Our dead ancestors are doing their part by either preaching to those in spirit prison who never had the chance to hear the gospel, or by listening to and accepting the gospel that is being preached to them.