Spirit (or Soul)

We are all children of heavenly parents. Because of this, we have “a divine nature and destiny.” In other words, we are literally God’s spiritual daughters and sons, and we can become like Him and return to live with Him again. Before we came to earth, we existed as spirits. When we were born to mortal parents as part of God’s plan, our spirits received a physical body.³

The scriptures teach that when we physically die, our spirit lives on. It separates from the body⁴ and lives in the postmortal spirit world. During the Resurrection, our spirit is reunited with our body, “never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal.”⁵

The scriptures also teach about the nature of spirits. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord revealed that “all spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure.”⁶ The Lord also revealed that “the spirit of man [is] in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created.”⁷ As God’s children, our spirits, as well as our mortal bodies, are in His image—we look like He does.⁸

As spirit beings, we will carry with us into the next life the knowledge and Christlike attributes we gain in mortality.⁹

In scripture, the term soul is sometimes used as a synonym for spirit. It can also refer to a body and spirit together on earth. Soul can also refer to an immortal, resurrected person whose spirit and body have become inseparably united for eternity.¹⁰