While Christ's dead body laid for three days in the tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea,¹ his disembodied spirit went to celestial paradise² of the postmortal spirit world.³ There he met an innumerable company of spirits of the just⁴ that had been waiting for his advent in the spirit world with great anticipation.⁵ This company included the disembodied spirits of unaccountable people whose spirits entered paradise without baptism,⁶ plus all the righteous saints since the time of Adam that received the ordinances of baptism and gift of the Holy Ghost while living.⁷ Many of these spirits were resurrected with Christ and left paradise after his brief ministry among them. The number of disembodied spirits in paradise were greatly reduced when they were resurrected with Christ. However, the number of disembodied spirits in paradise is continually replenished by the many other celestial-worthy people that have died since Christ's resurrection.⁸ The innumerable company of disembodied spirits that Christ encountered when he visited celestial paradise differs from the much larger group of "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" of disembodied spirits that John saw in the postmortal spirit prison as of 96 AD in Revelation 5:11.⁹ This is true because many disembodied spirits in paradise effectively left that realm with Christ when he was resurrected.

During the Savior's three-day ministry in the postmortal spirit world,¹⁰ he organized for the first time a mission¹¹ among the spirits of the just in paradise.¹² The righteous spirits in paradise that held the priesthood in mortality¹³ were still clothed with their same¹⁴ priesthood power and authority.¹⁵ With that priesthood authority they began to preach the gospel¹⁶ to the spirits of the unjust¹⁷ in spirit prison.¹⁸ The Savior "commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness."¹⁹ However, the righteous spirits were not sent to preach the gospel of repentance to disembodied spirits that were sons of perdition because they were/are beyond the saving power of Christ's atonement.²⁰

After three days in the spirit world, the Lord's spirit rejoined his body in a glorious resurrection.²¹ Many other exaltation-worthy spirits in paradise were resurrected at that time,²² but probably not all.²³ For example, the unsealed spirits of unaccountable people were probably not resurrected because they must wait to receive their sealing ordinance by proxy. Potentially, some spirits of the just also remained in paradise with the authority and commission to preach the gospel to the disembodied spirits in prison.²⁴

In general, exaltation-worthy saints that have died since Christ's resurrection remain in celestial paradise to carry out the ministering work that Christ began. The resurrection of exaltation-worthy saints is not an ongoing process, although there have been isolated exceptions for people such as Peter, James and Moroni who had earthly missions to perform after their deaths.²⁵ Since the first resurrection of exaltation-worthy people has not been continuous since the time that Christ rose from the dead, the ranks of missionaries began to grow in paradise as disembodied spirits of martyrs from the fifth seal entered paradise.²⁶ Those that died after Christ's resurrection entered paradise clothed with power and authority²⁷ to continue the missionary work begun by Christ in the spirit world.²⁸

Until Christ's three-day ministry in the postmortal spirit world, a great gulf separated the spirits in paradise from the spirits in prison.²⁹ This gulf prevented righteous spirits in paradise from having any contact with the spirits in prison.³⁰ Christ's brief ministry³¹ bridged the gulf between paradise and prison³² and made it possible for spirits of the just from paradise to enter prison as saviors on mount Zion.³³ These saviors are missionaries that preach the gospel to spirits of the unjust in prison.³⁴ The missionaries from paradise cannot be tempted or influenced by Satan during their missionary service in spirit prison.³⁵

The spirits of the just preach the gospel to spirits of the unjust in prison so that the unjust can be "judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."³⁶ This means that the repentant spirits of the unjust must bring forth fruits worthy of their repentance³⁷ as though they were still in the flesh.³⁸ They must receive the gospel in the spirit world on the same terms and conditions as those that receive the gospel in mortality.³⁹ This includes the requirement to receive their earthly ordinances through mortal proxies.⁴⁰ The spirits in prison that accept the gospel and receive their vicarious ordinances⁴¹ are then redeemed from spirit prison.⁴² When this occurs they can cross the great gulf into paradise⁴³ where they can then live according to God in the spirit.⁴⁴

Not every spirit that accepts the gospel in prison is allowed to cross over the great gulf into paradise to await the resurrection⁴⁵ at the Second Coming.⁴⁶ The disembodied spirits that cross over the great gulf from prison to celestial paradise must meet four conditions⁴⁷ that also qualify them for resurrection to the celestial kingdom.⁴⁸

First, only those spirits that did not have the opportunity to accept the gospel in mortality may cross the great gulf.⁴⁹ Many spirits in prison had the opportunity to accept the gospel in mortality⁵⁰ and rejected it.⁵¹ Even if they repent and accept the gospel in spirit prison,⁵² they cannot cross the great gulf and enter paradise⁵³ because they will only qualify for terrestrial glory.⁵⁴ Similarly, those spirits who received the gospel in mortality, but were not valiant in the testimony of Jesus,⁵⁵ cannot cross the great gulf because they too will inherit terrestrial glory even after they repent in spirit prison.⁵⁶

Second, only those that would have accepted the gospel in mortality with all their heart if they had been given that opportunity may cross the great gulf.⁵⁷ These heirs of the celestial kingdom are those that would have accepted the gospel in mortality and would have endured to the end once they accepted the gospel.⁵⁸ God knows their hearts,⁵⁹ but he can also observe them accept the gospel and endure when faced with similar conditions in the spirit world.⁶⁰

Third, the disembodied spirits must actually accept the gospel preached to them in spirit prison.⁶¹ This is a requirement to achieve celestial glory, but it is also a universal requirement for all people that will resurrect to any kingdom of glory because eventually every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ.⁶² No person can be judged according to men in the flesh⁶³ or be condemned at the final judgment⁶⁴ without first receiving the gospel and knowing that the judgments of God are just.⁶⁵

Fourth, celestial-worthy spirits must receive and accept the vicarious⁶⁶ ordinances of baptism and confirmation,⁶⁷ which are the gateway ordinances into the celestial kingdom.⁶⁸ Spirits in prison cannot cross the great gulf and enter paradise⁶⁹ until these ordinances, at a minimum,⁷⁰ are performed on their behalf.⁷¹ After their vicarious baptism and confirmation, spirits can enter paradise. However, they must still receive the sealing ordinance by proxy before they can be resurrected to the highest degree of celestial glory, which is exaltation.⁷²

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perform vicarious ordinances in temples⁷³ without knowing⁷⁴ which disembodied spirits will actually accept the ordinances.⁷⁵ The performance of vicarious ordinances does not affect the agency of deceased persons to accept or reject the ordinances.⁷⁶ Furthermore, vicarious ordinances will not benefit the intended beneficiaries that have not fully accepted the gospel and the covenants associated with ordinances they receive by proxy.⁷⁷

Spirits that are unqualified for celestial glory do not require vicarious ordinances.⁷⁸ At the time of their resurrection⁷⁹ they will enter the terrestrial or telestial kingdoms, or outer darkness, without the need for any gospel ordinances.⁸⁰