Alma finally moves to answer the question about what happens to the soul between mortal death and the resurrection. The first important understanding is that all souls continue to live. While modern revelation makes greater distinctions than did Alma, he simply declares that “the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life?”
There is a preliminary judgment that separates the good from the evil, and each is given a place. The good are in a “state of happiness, which is called paradise.” The evil will be discussed in the next verses.