The First Presidency Easter Message
This Easter season, we invite you to ponder the Savior’s atoning sacrifice and glorious Resurrection, which bless all of us.
Through our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, we receive this message of hope: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The Savior promises that as we keep His commandments and ordinances, we will have “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:23).
We testify that Jesus Christ lives! “He is risen” (Matthew 28:6). Because of Him, we can be guided and strengthened as we bear the burdens we face in mortality. Through our faith in the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, the bonds of sin cannot hold us and the trials that we experience in life will have no lasting power over us. “The sting of death is swallowed up in Christ” (Mosiah 16:8).
The Book of Mormon stands as an additional, convincing witness that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, “manifesting himself unto all nations” (title page of the Book of Mormon) and offering salvation to all who come unto Him. In addition, this second witness also makes it clear what salvation means. This is why Nephi, Jacob, Mormon, and all the prophets labored so “diligently to engraven these words upon plates”—to declare to future generations that they too “knew of Christ, and … had a hope of his glory,”
READ Jacob 4:3–4 The Nephites knew of Christ
Jacob 4:3 Now in this thing we do rejoice; and we labor diligently to engraven these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren and our children will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them that they may learn with joy and not with sorrow, neither with contempt, concerning their first parents.
4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.
13 BofM SS Lesson: March 25-31 Easter “He Shall Rise … with Healing in His Wings”
Easter in The Americas READ When the people of the Book of Mormon were encompassed in the overwhelming darkness described in 3 Nephi 8, the record states that they were “mourning and howling and weeping” (3 Nephi 8:21). Sometime toward the end of the three days of complete darkness, they heard a voice. Amid the message given to them they heard, “I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. . . . I am the light and the life of the world.” Not long after the voice had spoken, “the darkness dispersed from off the face of the land . . . and the mourning, and the weeping, and the wailing. . . . did cease; and their mourning was turned into joy, and their lamentations into the praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer.”
Not long after, the resurrected Lord appeared to the Nephite people. Their confusion about what was happening slowly turned into comprehension. As they processed the reality of his presence, and all that it meant, they fell to the earth in worship. This was not a dream. This was not a hallucination. It was Jesus Christ. He was right there in front of them to see, hear, and touch. It was overwhelming in every sense. Among many other things, his presence was an irrefutable witness of life after death—his life after death and the life after death of so many loved ones. Annihilation quickly became a myth of yesterday. After this day, all about yesterday would seem like a completely different life. It is no wonder why Elder Jeffrey R. Holland referred to it as “the day of days!” (Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997), 251)
The Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, our brother and friend, turns darkness into light and mourning into joy. His entire existence witnesses the reality that death is not the end. Like the first glimmer of dawn turns into a glorious morning sun after the darkest and coldest of nights, he has gloriously risen as the supreme embodiment of light and life. Weeping did endure for a night, but joy has come with the rising Son. (Hank R. Smith, Mourning with Hope, Learn of Me,Religious Studies Center, BYU Unpublished at this point)
Because of Jesus Christ, I will be resurrected.
Let us look at insights the Book of Mormon offers about resurrection?
READ Alma 11:42-45
-What is the death spoken of in verse 42?
READ Elder Dallin A. Oaks…in Additional Resources
-Who is to be raised from this death?
-What is restored in this resurrection? In what form? 43
READ President Joseph Fielding Smith…in Add’l Res
-Who is restored? 44 Why are we brought before the bar?
-On what basis are we judged? 44
-Can we die again physically? 45
READ 3 Nephi 26:4-5
-What will happen on the last day?
-What are the possible results?
This Easter season, let us reflect on the testimonies in the Book of Mormon that the Savior’s power is both universal and personal—capable of redeeming the whole world and redeeming each of us.
Alma 11:42 Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.
43 The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.
44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
45 Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption.
3 Nephi 26:4 And even unto the great and last day, when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—
5 If they be good, to the resurrection of everlasting life; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of damnation; being on a parallel, the one on the one hand and the other on the other hand, according to the mercy, and the justice, and the holiness which is in Christ, who was before the world began.
Jesus Christ took upon Himself my sins, pains, and infirmities.
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ atoned for our sins. The Book of Mormon expands our understanding of Christ’s sacrifice and suffering in important ways.
READ Mosiah 3:7
-How much did the Savior suffer?
READ Mosiah 15:6-8
-Whose will was satisfied here?
-What power is given to the Son through his resurrection?
READ Alma 7:11-13
-How does the savior know our afflictions and individual transgressions?
READ Elder Neal A. Maxwell…in Add’l Res
-What do you think about his statement “He bore our infirmities before we bore them”?
-What does “succor” mean?
READ SUCCOR…in Add’l Res
READ Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
-How does temptation affect us differently than Christ?
-Where do we need to come boldly?
Mosiah 3:7 And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.
Mosiah 15:6 And after all this, after working many mighty miracles among the children of men, he shall be led, yea, even as Isaiah said, as a sheep before the shearer is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
7 Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.
8 And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men—
Alma 7:11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
Jesus Christ can cleanse me and help perfect me.
It could be said that the Book of Mormon is an account of people who changed because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
READ Mosiah 5:1-2
-What was the might change wrought here?
READ A Mighty Change…in Add’l Res
READ Alma 13:12
-How could those who were sanctified look upon sin?
-Wouldn’t this be a mighty change?
However, even after a person has been sanctified and has felt cleansed by the Holy Ghost, he or she will continue to be tempted throughout mortality. Modern revelation warns, “Therefore let the church take heed and pray always, lest they fall into temptation; yea, and even let those who are sanctified take heed also” (D&C 20:33–34 and Institute Manual).
READ Ether 12:27
-Why do we have weaknesses?
READ President Thomas S. Monson…in Add’l Res
READ Moroni 10:2-33
READ President Brigham Young…in Add’l Res
READ The Scriptures Testify…in Add’l Res
Mosiah 5:1– And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they believed the words which he had spoken unto them.
2 And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.
Alma 13:12 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.
Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
Moroni 10:32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
LAST WORDS: On the spring morning of Sunday, March 20, 1842, Joseph Smith stood in a grove of trees near the construction site of the Nauvoo Temple. He was speaking to a group of Saints who had gathered to hear him preach on baptism. However, because of the recent death of a young child, a two-year-old girl named Marian S. Lyon, the Prophet had altered his remarks to include thoughts on death and resurrection. At one point in his sermon, the Prophet said, “[We] mourn the loss but we do not mourn as those without hope.”
Joseph’s statement may be taken to mean that in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we do mourn the deaths of our beloved friends and family members, but we mourn differently than others. One might say we mourn with hope and a testimony of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the very core of who we are as a Church and who we are as disciples of Christ. Joseph Smith declared, “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.” Latter-day Saints boldly believe in literal everlasting life.
If there is one recurring theological constancy of the Book of Mormon, it is that Christ was born, that He lived and died in Jerusalem, that He was literally resurrected, and that His atoning sacrifice for sin happened in time and place.” G. Stanley Hall, an American psychologist, wrote in 1915, “The most essential claim of Christianity is to have removed the fear of death and made the king of terrors into a good friend and boon companion.”
From Elder Holland we read that all are welcome: “Jesus Christ has made it clear that all Heavenly Father’s children have equal claim on the blessings of His gospel and Atonement. He reminds us that all “are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden” (2 Nephi 26:28).
“He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33).
“He inviteth them all”—that means all of us! We should not place superficial labels and artificial distinctions on ourselves or others. We should never put up any barriers to the Savior’s love or entertain thoughts that we or others are beyond His reach. As I have said before, “It is not possible for [anyone] to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Laborers in the Vineyard,” GC April, 2012)
This coming Easter, and every day thereafter, let us all rededicate our hearts and minds and accept this invitation letting Him wrap His arms around us. We will be blessed beyond measure for our discipleship and receive what Jacob calls “a hope in Christ.”
Happy Easter. Greg
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described the “lively hope” [1 Peter 1:3-4] that comes to individuals who possess faith and trust in this sacred truth and the impact it can have on day to day living:
“The ‘lively hope’ we are given by the resurrection is our conviction that death is not the conclusion of our identity but merely a necessary step in the destined transition from mortality to immortality. This hope changes the whole perspective of mortal life.
…. “The assurance of immortality also helps us bear the mortal separations involved in the death of our loved ones. … We should all praise God for the assured resurrection that makes our mortal separations temporary and gives us the hope and strength to carry on” (CR, Apr. 2000, 17–18)
President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) explained what the Resurrection would do to our physical bodies: “There is no reason for any person to be concerned as to the appearance of individuals in the resurrection. Death is a purifying process as far as the body is concerned. We have reason to believe that the appearance of old age will disappear and the body will be restored with the full vigor of manhood and womanhood. Children will arise as children, for there is no growth in the grave. Children will continue to grow until they reach the full stature of their spirits” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 4:185).
Elder Neal A. Maxwell: “He knows by actual, personal experience, because not only did He suffer pains, afflictions and temptations of every kind during His second estate, but He took upon Himself our sins, as well as our pains, sicknesses and infirmities….Thus He knew, not in abstraction but in actuality, ‘according to the flesh,’ the whole of human suffering. He bore our infirmities before we bore them. He know perfectly well how to succor us. We can tell Him nothing of pain, temptation or affliction: He learned ‘according to the flesh,’ and His triumph was complete.” (We Will Prove Them Herewith, 46)
SUCCOR: [This word “is used often in the scriptures to describe Christ’s care and attention to us. It means literally “to run to.’ What a magnificent way to describe the Savior’s urgent effort in our behalf. Even as He calls to us to come to Him and follow HIm, He is unfailingly runnin to help us.” (Holland, “Come unto Me,” 22)
“A Mighty Change in Us” Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained the process by which we experience the change of heart: “Once we receive a witness of the Spirit, our testimony is strengthened through study, prayer, and living the gospel. Our growing testimony brings us increased faith in Jesus Christ and His plan of happiness. We are motivated to repent and obey the commandments, which, with a mighty change of heart, leads to our conversion. And our conversion brings divine forgiveness, healing, joy, and the desire to bear our witness to others” (CR, Oct. 2003, 31–32).
President Brigham Young (1801–77) defined sanctification as follows: “I will put my own definition to the term sanctification, and say it consists in overcoming every sin and bringing all into subjection to the law of Christ. God has placed in us a pure spirit; when this [the spirit] reigns predominant, without let or hindrance, and triumphs over the flesh and rules and governs and controls … , this I call the blessing of sanctification. Will sin be perfectly destroyed? No, it will not, for it is not so designed in the economy of heaven.
“Do not suppose that we shall ever in the flesh be free from temptations to sin. Some suppose that they can in the flesh be sanctified body and spirit and become so pure that they will never again feel the effects of the power of the adversary of truth. Were it possible for a person to attain to this degree of perfection in the flesh, he could not die, neither remain in a world where sin predominates. Sin has entered into the world, and death by sin. [Rom. 5:12.] I think we shall more or less feel the effects of sin so long as we live, and finally have to pass the ordeals of death” (Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon [1976], 2:248–49).
President Thomas S. Monson: “Should there be anyone who feels he is too weak to change the onward and downward course of his life, or should there be those who fail to resolve to do better because of that greatest of fears, the fear of failure, there is no more comforting assurance to be had than the words of the Lord: ‘My grace,’ said He, ‘is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them’” (CR, Apr. 2000, 61–62)
The scriptures testify that Jesus Christ can save us from our inadequacies as well as our sins: