Faith Indicates Most Idahoans Believe Pets Are Waiting In Heaven

The idea of an afterlife is a belief that more people worldwide have faith in than don't, and when it comes to deceased pets, certain religious teachings are more clear on the subject. Mormonism is one such theology that teaches "beasts" (pets included) are also resurrected and might be waiting for us after we pass on.

It's no secret that Idaho has a large percentage of Mormons. Only Utah has more practicing Mormons than the Gem State. Nearly 70 percent of Utah practice the faith, and more than a quarter of Idaho are also devout Mormons. Studies on the afterlife have indicated that a large percentage of Americans believe in the existence of a sort of heaven for animals. Crossing the "rainbow bridge" is another way to communicate this process for animal lovers and originated from poetry.

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Having lived in Idaho for many years, I know how highly regarded pets are in the state. I'd like to believe that the dogs I've had the fortune of raising and loving still exist in some form or another, but I'm skeptical. My belief, like many others, is that life is purely physical, and our bodies are vessels that we leave behind once we pass on.

At the same time, I do still possess the ashes of my last two deceased dogs, and I do find comfort in that fact; I'm not sure if that's contradictory or not. We placed a remembrance marker in our home's garden along with the collars of our last two dogs.

As an Idahoan (Mormon or not), do you believe we are reunited with our pets in the afterlife?