As I was writing an essay contrasting the Ancient Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife against those taught by the Church, it struck me how little detail we actually have about the Spirit World and the three Kingdoms of Glory. We know the basic hierarchy of the afterlife, but the Ancient Egyptians knew the geography. Some Ancient Egyptians were even buried with maps.
And yet, as envious as I am of their knowledge of their afterlives, I wouldn't trade places with them. Their detailed information describes horrible hazards, such as poisonous serpents, impenetrable darkness, and dismembering demons, whereas the one "detail" we have about the lowest, telestial kingdom is that its glory "surpasses all understanding" (D&C 76:89).
I don't know much about what awaits me in the LDS afterlife, but I know it's better than what the Ancient Egyptians thought they knew awaited them. Sure, I'd like to know what the next stage of my life is going to be like, but so long as it has to be a surprise, at least I'm confident that it's going to be a pleasant one.
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