Did Jesus Christ Overcome Death by Being Resurrected?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to 1 Corinthians 14-16 in a lesson titled “God Is Not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace.” This counsel preceded the lesson: “Record your impressions while you read 1 Corinthians 14-16. Pray about what the Spirit has taught you, and ask Heavenly Father if there is more He would like you to learn.” The lesson was introduced as follows. 

Because the Church and its doctrines were relatively new in Corinth, it is understandable that Corinthian Saints encountered confusion. Paul had previously taught them the fundamental truth of the gospel: “That Christ died for our sins … and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). But some members soon began teaching that “there is no resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:12). Paul implored them to “keep in memory” the truths they had been taught (1 Corinthians 15:2). When we encounter conflicting opinions about gospel truths, it is good to remember that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Listening to the Lord’s appointed servants and holding to the simple truths they repeatedly teach can help us find peace and “stand fast in the faith” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

The above paragraph reminds me of the statement: “The gospel of Jesus Christ is beautifully simple and simply beautiful.” The principle that I have chosen to discuss in this post is from 1 Corinthians 15:1-34, 53-58: “Jesus Christ gained victory over death.”

The lesson stated, “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is so fundamental to Christianity, one might say that without it there is no Christianity – to use Paul’s words, ‘then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain’ (1 Corinthians 15:14).” The Saints in Corinth had been taught about Jesus Christ and His Resurrection, but they were teaching, according to 1 Corinthians 15:12, that there would be “no resurrection of the dead. Paul gives several conditions that would result if Jesus Christ were not resurrected.

12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Paul taught that our preaching and our faith would be in vain IF Christ were not resurrected. In addition, we would still be full of sin, without hope, and miserable. Then Paul testified that Christ did rise from the dead. Therefore, all humanity will die because of the sin of Adam, but all humankind will live after death because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Eternal Goals

                    Do you follow the New Year tradition of setting goals for yourself?  Have you been successful in meeting those goals or do you become frustrated with yourself for failing to meet them?  What kind of goals do you set?  Why do we need to set goals?  What difference does it make in our lives?

                    Setting goals for ourselves, our families, and our organizations is a plan of what we want to accomplish or where we want to be at some time in the future.  It is wise to have goals for different periods of time - daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, five years from now, when we retire, when we die, and where we want to spend eternity. 

A goal is a plan and is much like a road map.  We usually know where we are and where we want to be, but we don't always know how to arrive at our chosen destination.  There are often a variety of ways to travel and eventually reach our destination, but sometimes there is only one road.  When my husband and I drive from Anchorage, Alaska, to Idaho, we know that we have to access the Alaska Highway.  We can take the long way up the Parks Highway to Fairbanks and access the Alaska Highway there or we can take the GlennAllen Highway to GlennAllen and make another decision there.  We could decide to take the Richardson Highway up to Delta Junction and access the Alaska Highway there or we could take an even shorter route up the Tok Cutoff to Tok which is the last place we could access the Alaska Highway.  From Tok, Alaska, to Watson Lake, British Columbia, there is only one road to take - the Alaska Highway.  At Watson Lake, another decision needs to be made - continue on the Alaska Highway or drive down the Cassiar Highway.  There are no further choices on the Cassiar until the end of that highway, but there are numerous choices if continuing on the Alaska Highway.  A road map is always a necessity as well as weather conditions!

Our life here on earth is often called a journey.  Sometimes the journey is short, and sometimes it is long, but a "road map" is always necessary for this journey also.  Our loving Heavenly Father has a plan - or a road map - whereby all of us, His spirit children, can return to His presence to live with Him forever.  His plan is called the Plan of Salvation or the Plan of Happiness.  His plan includes our pre-earth life, the Creation of the earth and everything on it, the Fall of Adam and Eve, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the spirit world, the final judgment, the resurrection of all His mortal children, and a final destination (Celestial Kingdom, Terrestrial Kingdom, Telestial Kingdom, or outer darkness).

Because Heavenly Father loves us, He gave us agency - the power to choose - while we still lived with Him in heaven.  We had the choice of whether to come to earth where we could receive bodies or to follow Satan.  You can believe it or not, but one-third of all the hosts of heaven chose to follow Satan and will live throughout eternity without bodies because of that choice.  They were cast out of heaven along with Satan and came to earth where they tempt us to join them.  Their final destination is outer darkness.  (See Revelation 12:4, 9.)

Those of us with bodies know that we chose to follow Heavenly Father's plan and to follow Jesus Christ.  We came to earth where we received bodies and are allowed to make more choices.  Heavenly Father sent us to earth with a plan on how we can return to His presence.  The most important part of the plan is the Atonement of Jesus Christ; other valuable parts are prayer, scripture study, and following the counsel of prophets. The choices we make each day will determine where we spend eternity.  Knowledge and understanding of Heavenly Father's plan for our eternal happiness helps us to make wise decisions.

Some life experiences help us to understand the plan and why it is necessary.  Bishop H. Burke Peterson, who was a member of the Presiding Bishopric, told the following personal story. 

My parents and grandparents were born and raised in Utah.  However, my mother and father began their married life in Phoenix, Arizona.  That is where my three brothers and I were raised.  Almost every summer my father and mother would take all of us to Utah … to enjoy the association with our cousins and other relatives.

… One spring before school was out I asked my father if I could go to Salt Lake City to work and then return to Phoenix at the end of the summer to be with my family and begin school again.  After thinking it over, my parents decided it would be fine.  When school was out in May, Dad took me with him to the [bus station] and, since I had no money of my own as yet, bought me a ticket to Salt Lake City.  I was somewhat taken back when I found out that he had purchased for me a one-way ticket instead of a round trip.  He said he would take the responsibility to see that I arrived in Salt Lake City but it would be up to me to do what was necessary while I was there to purchase the ticket for a return home to Phoenix at the end of the summer.  As you can imagine, I was most anxious to come back home after my work experience as I had burning in my memory the happy experiences we had always enjoyed in our home.  I enjoyed the association with and loved my three brothers and was most happy and comfortable with my parents.

When I arrived in Salt Lake City I immediately set about to find work.  This I was able to accomplish, and as soon as my first paycheck was given to me, guess what I did.  First I paid my tithing, and then I took the rest of the money to the bus depot downtown in Salt Lake City and purchased a return trip ticket to Phoenix.  I wanted to be sure that when summer was over there would be nothing to stand in the way of my returning home.  I loved my home very much.  For the rest of the summer I was particularly mindful of taking good care of myself and doing everything necessary to insure my return home to Phoenix.  More than anything else I wanted to enjoy again the experience of being with my family.  (See "Return Trip Ticket Home," New Era, Apr. 1974, 5.)

We all had a family in our pre-earth life and were happy there with our Heavenly Parents and our spirit brothers and sisters, particularly our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ.  We wanted to stay there, but we understood the plan.  We knew that Heavenly Father loved us and wanted us to be with Him for eternity.  We knew that we each needed to come to earth in order to gain a body, learn by experience, show that we will be obedient to God's commandments, and return to Him stronger and wiser.  We understood that experience on earth was necessary in order that we could be with Heavenly Father again and also be like our Heavenly Father.  The decision to leave our heavenly home and come to earth was ours, but Heavenly Father took the responsibility to help us arrive here safely.  Heavenly Father provided only a one-way ticket; whether or not we return to His presence to be with Him and our family for eternity is up to us.  Where we live for eternity will depend on our choices and actions while we are here on earth.

Heavenly Father's most important work is helping His children to return to live with Him again.  God told Moses, "For behold, this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 1:39).

This scripture names two parts to God's work - to bring to pass immortality and eternal life.  The words immortality and eternal life do not refer to the same thing.  Immortality is a state of being resurrected, of being free from physical death.  This blessing will come to all people.  Eternal life is living with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the celestial kingdom and being like Them.  This blessing - which is also called exaltation - comes only to those who keep the commandments and make the necessary covenants.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ brought to pass the resurrection of all mankind.  It also brings the promise that we can repent of our sins and become clean and worthy in order to regain the presence of the Father and the Son.  Exaltation is my eternal goal.  I will not be satisfied with anything less!

Exaltation

In our pre-earth life, Heavenly Father called all of His children together and explained His plan for our eternal progression. He told us that if we followed His plan, we could become like Him, an exalted being. As part of His plan, we would need to leave His presence and come to earth for a time. He explained that this temporary separation was necessary in order that we might prove whether we would keep His commandments when we were no longer with Him. Another part of His plan provided that we would be judged and rewarded according to our faith and obedience.

The scriptures teach that there are three kingdoms of glory in heaven. In 2 Corinthians 12:2, the Apostle Paul mentioned that he knew a man who was “caught up to the third heaven.” Paul told us the names of two of the kingdoms in heaven: the celestial and the terrestrial (see 1 Corinthians 15:40-42). The celestial kingdom is the highest, and the terrestrial kingdom is second. The Lord revealed through latter-day revelation that the third kingdom is the telestial kingdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 76:81). We also know from latter-day revelation that the celestial kingdom has three heavens or degrees in it (see Doctrine and Covenants 131:1).

All those who prove faithful to the Lord will live in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of heaven and will become exalted. They will live with Heavenly Father in eternal families. Exaltation is the greatest gift of God to His children (see Doctrine and Covenants 14:7).

Exaltation means to have eternal life or the kind of life that God lives. God is perfect and lives in great glory. He possesses all knowledge and all wisdom. He is the Father of spirit children. He is a creator. If we are worthy of exaltation, we can become like our Heavenly Father.

Heavenly Father is perfect, and He created a perfect plan for the salvation of His children. He wants all of us to become like Him. His work and glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

By exercising faith in Jesus Christ, we can receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom as well as other special blessings. The Lord promised, “All things are theirs” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:59). Some of the special blessings given to exalted people are: 1) They will live eternally in the presence of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (see Doctrine and Covenants 76:62). 2) They will become gods (see Doctrine and Covenants 132:20-23). 3) They will be united eternally with their righteous family members and will be able to have eternal increase. 4) They will receive a fullness of joy. 5) They will have everything that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have – all power, glory, dominion, and knowledge (see Doctrine and Covenants 132:19-20).

President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “The Father has promised through the Son that all that he has shall be given to those who are obedient to His commandments. They shall increase in knowledge, wisdom, and power, going from grace to grace, until the fullness of the perfect day shall burst upon them” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols, [1954-56], 2:36; italics in original).

If we desire to receive exaltation and these special blessings, we must meet the requirements now (see Alma 34:32-34). President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “In order to obtain the exaltation we must accept the gospel and all its covenants; and take upon us the obligations which the Lord has offered; and walk in the light and the understanding of the truth; and `live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God’” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:43).

The first requirement for exaltation is to place our faith in Jesus Christ and continue in that faith to the end of our lives. We show our faith in Jesus Christ when we repent of our sins and obey His commandments. He commands us to receive certain ordinances. Those ordinances are: 1) We must be baptized. 2) We must receive the laying on of hands to be confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 3) Brethren must receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and magnify their callings in the priesthood. 4) We must receive the temple endowment. 5) We must be married for eternity, either in this life or in the next.

Other commandments besides the required ordinances are: 1) Love God and our neighbors. 2) Keep the commandments. 3) Repent of our wrongdoings. 4) Search out our kindred dead and receive the saving ordinances of the gospel for them. 5) Attend our Church meetings as regularly as possible in order to renew our baptismal covenants by partaking of the sacrament. 6) Love our family members and strengthen them in the ways of the Lord. 7) Have family and individual prayers every day. 8) Teach the gospel to others by word and deed. 9) Study the scriptures. 10) Listen to and obey the inspired words of the prophets of the Lord. 11) Receive the Holy Ghost and learn to follow His promptings to us.

To all those who are faithful disciples of Christ to the end of their mortal lives, the Lord promises, “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7. President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “If we will continue in God; that is, keep his commandments, worship him and live his truth; then the time will come when we shall be bathed in the fullness of truth, which shall grow brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:36).

The Prophet Joseph Smith explained how to achieve exaltation: “When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel – you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil [died] before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 268).

The Prophet Joseph Smith also taught: “It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God. … He was once a man like us; … God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 345-346).

Heavenly Father loves each of His children. He desires all of us to return to Him. He knows our trials as well as our weaknesses and sins. He has compassion for our struggles and offers mercy to us. He wants us to succeed like He did. I can imagine the great joy felt by those who return home to our Father and hear Him say, “Well done…; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:23).

Christ's Gifts

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you! Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the reason why we celebrate this season. He came to earth in the same way that all babies come, but He is the Son of God. We don’t celebrate His birth simply because He was born. We celebrate His birth because of the life He lived. Because He lived a perfect life, and then was willing to give up His life, all of us may live again after we leave this mortal life.

Jesus Christ gave us many gifts. He gave us freedom from death through the power of His Resurrection. By His power over death, He made it possible for all of us to have our bodies and spirits united in such a way that they will never be separated again.

Jesus Christ also gave us freedom from sin through the power of His Atonement. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and exercises that faith in the process of repenting for his/her sins will have the sins forgiven and will become clean. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the principle of repentance, we can all enjoy freedom from sin.

Freedom from death and freedom from sin are not the only gifts that God has given to His children. We received our very first gift - agency, the freedom to choose – before we left our Father’s presence. Other gifts or freedoms come from living in obedience to the commandments and teachings of Jesus Christ. By living as God wants us to live, we can be free from causing abuse or divorce or contention or war. Jesus Christ is the great Peace Maker. Those who follow His teachings receive the great gift of peace in their lives no matter what happens around them. They will also receive the greatest gift of all - the gift of eternal life. I hope that you enjoy your celebration even more today because you know that Jesus Christ has given us the greatest gifts of all.