Mormon addresses his remarks to the members of the Church, those, he says, "Who are the peaceable followers of Christ." One of the first fruits of an association with Christ, or an acquaintance with His teachings, is peace, sometimes called "God's most precious gift." And in this connection, we will not forget the words of Isaiah; quoted by the Savior to the Nephites when He visited them in the Land Bountiful shortly after His resurrection: "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." (Isaiah 9:6)
From these and many other passages of both Nephite and Hebrew Scripture, we can easily see why Mormon addressed his words to the "peaceable followers of Christ."
Mormon coupled that quality of the Saints of God with another of outstanding importance, and thus we may read his salutation: "I speak unto the peaceable followers of Christ who have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord." Mormon adds further to his thought of hope, that the happy expectation of rest in the Lord will be followed by "rest with Him in Heaven." This doctrine is consistent with the magnific and sublime understanding which the Nephites had of the great Hereafter. Alma, in instructing his son upon some points of doctrine which his son, Corianton, wished to become enlightened, gave him this rather detailed description of what the "rest of the Lord" expression really did mean:
"Therefore, there is a time appointed that they shall rise from the dead; and there is a space between the time of death and the resurrection. And now, concerning this space of time, what becometh of the souls of men is the thing which I have inquired diligently of the Lord to know; and this is the thing of which I do know.
"And when the time cometh when all shall rise, then shall they know that God knoweth all the times which are appointed unto man.
"Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection-Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.
"And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.
"And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil-for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house-and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.
"Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.
"Now, there are some that have understood that this state of happiness and this state of misery of the soul, before the resurrection, was a first resurrection. Yea, I admit it may be termed a resurrection, the raising of the spirit or the soul and their consignation to happiness or misery, according to the words which have been spoken.
"And behold, again it hath been spoken, that there is a first resurrection, a resurrection of all those who have been, or who are, or who shall be, down to the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
"Now, we do not suppose that this first resurrection, which is spoken of in this manner, can be the resurrection of the souls and their consignation to happiness or misery. Ye cannot suppose that this is what it meaneth.
"Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but it meaneth the reuniting of the soul with the body, of those from the days of Adam down to the resurrection of Christ.
"Now, whether the souls and the bodies of those of whom has been spoken shall be reunited at once, the wicked as well as the righteous, I do not say; let it suffice, that I say that they all come forth; or in other words, their resurrection cometh to pass before the resurrection of those who die after the resurrection of Christ.
"Now, my son, I do not say that their resurrection cometh at the resurrection of Christ; but behold, I give it as my opinion, that the souls and the bodies are reunited, of the righteous, at the resurrection of Christ, and his ascension into heaven.
"But whether it be at his resurrection or after, I do not say; but this much I say that there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both, soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
"Yea, this bringeth about the restoration of these things of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets.
"The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.
"And now, my son, this is the restoration of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets-
"And then shall the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of God.
"But behold, an awful death cometh upon the wicked; for they die as to things pertaining to things of righteousness; for they are unclean, and no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God; but they are cast out, and consigned to partake of the fruits of their labors or their works, which have been evil; and they drink the dregs of a bitter cup." (Alma 40:9-26; Italics are the Editor's)