Resurrection occupies a central place in the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, representing the ultimate victory over both physical and spiritual death. It is believed to be a universal event, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their choices during their mortal lives, will experience the reunion of body and spirit. Resurrection, according to Latter-day Saint doctrine, not only returns individuals to a state of physical life but also sets the stage for their spiritual progression, where their eternal outcome is determined by their adherence to the principles of the gospel and their acceptance of Jesus Christ's Atonement.

In Latter-day Saint teachings, all will be resurrected. Christ’s Resurrection is viewed as the precedent for all humankind’s resurrection. As declared in the Book of Mormon, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22, quoted in the Book of Mormon, Alma 11:43). This resurrection is a gift that comes from the Atonement of Jesus Christ, ensuring that everyone, from the righteous to the wicked, will be physically resurrected at the appointed time. Resurrection means that all individuals, regardless of their earthly deeds, will receive back their bodies, which will be restored to them perfect and immortal. This moment is described in the scriptures, with a distinct promise in Alma 40:23: "The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form."

Though all are resurrected, the nature of the resurrected body and the eternal destiny of individuals vary depending on the choices made during mortal life and the covenants they enter with God. Latter-day Saint theology teaches that the resurrected body will not be subject to pain, suffering, or death. In the Resurrection, every person will have a perfected body—free from the frailties of mortality and made in the image of God. The degree of perfection, however, will be linked to the moral, spiritual, and covenantal choices each person made during their mortal life. Those who have lived according to the teachings of Christ and entered into covenants with God will receive a celestial body of glory, in which they are capable of experiencing the fullness of joy in the presence of God. In contrast, those who chose to reject Christ and lived unrepentantly will receive bodies associated with lesser kingdoms of glory, including the terrestrial and telestial kingdoms.

Doctrine & Covenants 88:28-32 describes the types of glory that await the resurrected. Resurrection leads to a division not only of physicality but of eternal outcome, aligning each person’s experience in the afterlife with their adherence to divine laws.

The nature of the resurrected body, specifically, is significant within the context of Latter-day Saint doctrine. Resurrected beings retain all of the faculties that they possessed in their earthly existence, but these faculties are made perfect. No longer will any person experience illness, pain, or emotional torment in the Resurrection. The body, though carrying the distinct marks of mortality, will be spiritually infused with a divine purity. It is said to be made of “glory,” a description of purity and power that belongs to those who inherit the greatest rewards from God’s plan.

Although it may seem that the Resurrection promises an unchanging, fixed state, Latter-day Saints also believe that eternal progression continues after resurrection. Those who inherit celestial glory will have the opportunity to continue progressing toward godhood, receiving additional knowledge, authority, and power in the eternities. It is in this state that individuals will experience the fullness of the Father’s grace and participate in the divine work of creation, redemption, and service. Progression is an essential aspect of the resurrected experience, implying that the opportunity for spiritual growth extends even beyond physical resurrection, moving individuals closer to perfection.

The resurrection in Latter-day Saint teachings also differs from views held by many other Christian traditions. In traditional Christianity, resurrection is often viewed as a singular event—the reunion of body and spirit that happens at the final judgment, followed by the entrance into Heaven or Hell, depending on one’s deeds and faith. However, Latter-day Saint doctrine introduces a layered, more nuanced view of the afterlife, with the Resurrection being the initial event in an individual’s eternal journey. The afterlife for Latter-day Saints is not simply an ending but a new beginning, where the experiences of mortal life continue to shape eternal destiny in a way that provides room for further learning and spiritual refinement.

Other religious traditions may teach that resurrection leads directly to heaven or hell, without the opportunity for further growth or change. This can present challenges for adherents who worry about having made an irreversible choice, especially if they have not had the chance to experience divine guidance or redemption. Latter-day Saint theology, however, offers a view of resurrection and eternal life as connected with God’s grace, the work of Jesus Christ, and the possibility of progression within the different levels of glory. For Latter-day Saints, resurrection is not just a reward for obedience but an opportunity to choose, learn, and progress forever.

As Latter-day Saints understand it, no one will be irrevocably cast aside, and all will have the chance to continue their progression in a way suited to their choices and covenants. The division between the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial realms in the Resurrection therefore represents not an irreversible separation, but an eternal opportunity for improvement, growth, and ultimately, for all who follow Christ’s path to reach the fullness of their potential. Those who reject the gospel of Jesus Christ in this life still have a posthumous chance for salvation, providing all with an equal opportunity to receive the glories of God. The doctrines of resurrection and glory present a more expansive understanding of salvation, one that invites a broader sense of hope for God's children and assures that no one is ever lost beyond the grasp of divine mercy. Through the Resurrection, Latter-day Saints believe all of God's children can experience a perfect body and a limitless path toward eventual exaltation.

In this light, resurrection for Latter-day Saints is both an ending and a beginning—an end to the trials of mortality and a new beginning toward an eternal, continually progressing life. Resurrection promises that while no one will escape death, no one is doomed to remain apart from God forever. Instead, it opens the possibility for all to partake in the divine blessings God has intended for them in eternity.

Preface: Priesthood and Organization of the Church

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints boasts a broad and well-organized structure of leadership. This structure has been built over the last two hundred years through divine revelation. These revelations have biblical precedents in many instances and provide evidences of the Church’s claims to being a restoration of the primitive church started by Jesus Christ.

These gifts highlight the Church’s organization to develop leaders, ensure that no one receives all of the glory for leadership in the Church, and ensure that all responsibilities are adequately covered and evenly distributed.