The Basic Plan For Our Salvation (Happiness) in Brief

Much of what sets Mormons apart from other religions is our robust belief in Heavenly Father's plan for our salvation. It answers some fundamental questions:

Who am I?
Why am I here?
Where did I come from?
Where am I going?

Everyone asks themselves these questions. You are here on earth for a reason. This life is an assignment. You are here to learn and do some specific things.

The Plan of Salvation, often called the Plan of Happiness, is Heavenly Father's plan for our lives. He loves all of us and designed this plan to maximize our happiness and our ability to progress.

What follows is the Plan in brief. For more detailed analysis, see the Plan of Happiness or this subcategory. For a visual representation of the Plan, see this poster, or this picture.

What follows is a brief introduction to a large topic!

Premortal Existence

Premortal Life universe plants starts — Mark Stevenson / Stocktrek Images / Getty Images

We lived with Heavenly Father before we came to earth. In this premortal life, we existed as spirits. Spirit beings do not have physical, tangible bodies. We wanted to come to earth to receive bodies.

Most of us agreed to the circumstances that would exist on earth. Some did not. These spirits followed Satan. They will not have the privilege of receiving a body here on earth.

Creation and Birth

A conceptual image of the universe with its mixture of rich colours and cosmic objects. — Mark Stevenson / Stocktrek Images / Getty Images

This earth was created for us so that we could receive mortal bodies, as well as learn and progress.

Adam and Eve experienced this earth first. They are the first parents of everyone who is born here. Their actions paved the way for us all to be born into mortality

Mortality

Earth (USA View) — deliormanli / E+ / Getty Images

We are born into mortality for several reasons. We are here to:

Enable our eternal progression
Receive bodies
Learn self-discipline and self-mastery
Build and demonstrate faith
Be tried and tested
Learn to make righteous choices
Demonstrate our willingness to make righteous choices

Heavenly Father does not want us to be miserable here. He wants us to have joy, both here and eternally. Mortality is a step in our eternal happiness.

Death

Reaching out from the beyond — PeopleImages / DigitalVision / Getty Images

Death is a step in our progression, not the end of our existence. Our spirits must separate from our bodies for a time.

We have been assured that our bodies and our spirits will be reunited at some future time. Jesus Christ's Atonement makes this possible.

We will be resurrected, just like Christ was.

Post Mortal Spirit World

An angel — Design Pics / Don Hammond / Getty Images

We will live as spirits for a time. There is life after death. In this post mortal life, we will live as spirits in a spirit world.

This spirit world will be divided into two major parts. One will be Paradise, the other will be Spirit Prison.

People who were righteous during mortality will teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the spirits in prison.

In addition, necessary spiritual work will be done vicariously for the spirits who did not, or could not, do this work for themselves while in mortality.

Resurrection

Jesus Christ Extending Welcoming Hand — RyanJLane / E+ / Getty Images

Jesus Christ is resurrected. Eventually, we will all be resurrected. We know that this will occur in stages.

For example, the most righteous will be resurrected at Jesus Christ's second coming. The next most righteous will be resurrected soon after that.

The most unrighteous will have to wait until the Millennium concludes to be resurrected.

Judgment

Dove with olive branch and world map — Comstock / Stockbyte / Getty Images

We will have to account for how we spent our lives on earth. This is often referred to as the final judgment.

The difference in this final judgment is that our judgment will be perfect. There will not be any mistakes or problems. Heavenly Father's judgment is perfect, and just.