“Cast Out into Outer Darkness”

The other part of the spirit world is a prison, where wicked people have an opportunity to repent of their sins. It’s confusing that Alma’s language (or at least the English translation) refers to this as “outer darkness,” because Mormons believe that the temporary state that is spirit prison is actually quite different from the permanent hell that is outer darkness. Spirit prison comes to an end in one of two ways:

1. The prisoner repents sufficiently, accepts the gospel, and can then cross over into spirit paradise to await the resurrection with the righteous, or
2. The prisoner chooses not to repent or accept the gospel and meets the day of resurrection while still in spirit prison. If this is the case, the Lord will judge whether the individual deserves telestial glory (the lowest level of eternal paradise) or banishment into outer darkness, which is essentially an everlasting hell. Most will presumably go to the telestial kingdom. For more on LDS beliefs about the afterlife, see the commentary on 2 Nephi 9:10–12.

One unusual aspect of Mormon belief and practice is the ritual of performing baptisms for the dead. Since Mormons believe that human beings can still make choices in the spirit world and that baptism is a necessary precursor to attaining the fullness of eternal life in the celestial kingdom (the highest heaven), it follows that Mormons also believe that baptism for the dead provides many spirits with a necessary ordinance. Mormons point to the Apostle Paul’s comment about baptism for the dead in 1 Corinthians 15:29 as evidence that it was a spiritual practice of the first-century Christian church and has a biblical precedent.

It’s important to note that just because a Mormon can be baptized by proxy on some particular spirit’s behalf, that spirit has the choice of accepting or rejecting the ordinance. Merely having the ordinance performed does not “make” a person a Mormon against his or her will. It merely opens the door for that person to have every spiritual opportunity available when making crucial choices about his or her eternal fate. Mormons believe that individuals still continue to exercise their agency, even in the afterlife.