Claim. Spirits in the spirit-world cannot perfect themselves alone; they must descend through their earthly descendants to complete the work they failed to finish on earth, inverting the usual living-pray-for-dead direction.
Elaboration. SMM grounds the principle in the angel-Adam relation: “Since we stand in a similar position to Adam, the fundamental rule is to have your ancestors, who naturally stand in a heavenly position, to support the descendants who are in the position of Adam and Eve” (3.3. Perfection of the spirit person can only come through people on earth, 140-200, 1986.2.9). The condition is descendant-quality: “Live according to the principle and the law. You should practice this in your life. If you do, the spirit world will help you and you will surely prosper” (ibid, 145-116, 1986.4.30). Spirits “cannot avoid pain without going through people on earth. Since they cannot be freed from their sins, they always seek their earthly dwelling places. They seek out their kith and kin or those related to them, and continue to send them signals” (ibid, 293-249, 1998.6.1). The inversion is doctrinal: earth is the active site of restoration; the spirit world is reactive. Ancestral cooperation is not automatic but conditional on living descendants’ fidelity to heavenly principle.
See also. csg-spirit-world-blessing-of-ancestors