Sealing Our Own Family To Us In...

It is the aim and responsibility of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to present the statement of the scriptures, which are clear in declaring the actual resurrection of the body. ¶

Christ, and the miracle of resurrection Christ is the first-fruits of the resurrection and the pattern of what is an eternal principle applicable to all mankind. As he took up the same body that was laid in the tomb, so will all the human family receive a renewal, each of his own body. The change is that the blood, which is the life of the mortal body, will not occupy the immortal one. ". . . flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 15:50.) ¶

It is evident, however, that flesh and bones occupied by immortal spirit can inherit the kingdom of God, for Jesus was the type and example. After his resurrection, he appeared unto many. He said to his disciples when they were "affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit": ¶

"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (Luke 24:37, 39.) ¶

He then showed them his hands and feet, which had been pierced with spikes in the terrible hour of his crucifixion. While he was with them, he called for food; and they gave him broiled fish and honeycomb, which he ate in their presence. ¶

What could be more real or tangible than this? When he was resurrected, many others received the same glorious blessing and came bodily out of their graves. ¶

"And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, ¶

"And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." (Matt. 27:52-53.) ¶

These, undoubtedly, were the bodies of the righteous who had embraced the gospel in the various dispensations prior to the coming and atonement of our Lord and Savior. The antediluvians who rejected Noah were not among this number. Peter informs us that the Messiah, when put to death in the flesh, was quickened by the Spirit: ¶

"By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; ¶

"Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah. . . ." (1 Pet. 3:18-20.) ¶

The Savior himself said to his disciples: ¶

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." (John 5:25.) ¶

The testimony of John John the Revelator declared: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." (Rev. 20:12.) ¶

Nothing could be more literal, more tangible, more real than this, nothing more just. The righteous are to come forth and enjoy absolute peace and freedom from the tribulations heaped upon them by the wicked, untrammeled with trials brought upon them by Lucifer, free from sickness, sin, and sorrow, living in the personal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, in full enjoyment of the earth and all its glory. ¶

The testimony of Job No wonder Job rejoiced in all his afflictions because his soul was enlightened with the visions of the future. Notwithstanding his bodily pains and the annoyance of friends who attributed his afflictions to his own failings, he claimed from the depths of his soul: ¶

"Oh, that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! ¶

"That they were graven with an iron pen . . . in the rock for ever! ¶

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: ¶

"And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: ¶

"Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." (Job 19:23-27.) ¶

Undoubtedly, this great and good man was resurrected when the Messiah was and received a partial fulfillment of this glorious vision, but whatever was lacking in the full realities of the prophecy will be complete when the Son of man shall come in his glory to reign on the earth. ¶

Paul, speaking to the Thessalonians, said: ¶

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." ¶

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." (I Thes. 4:14, 16.) ¶

This agrees with the testimonies already quoted from the Savior and the Apostle John in reference to the resurrection. ¶

The testimony of modern revelation In modern revelation, the Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith: ¶

"And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the prince, the archangel." (D&C 107:54.) ¶

The chief apostle, Peter, taught: ¶

"Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; ¶

"Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. ¶

"And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead." (Acts 10:40-42.) ¶

It is evident that the burden of the teachings and testimonies of the apostles was to establish the divinity of the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ. This necessarily included his atonement and resurrection. The fall of our first parents brought not only a banishment from the presence of the Lord, which may be termed a spiritual death, but it caused the death of the physical body. When an atonement was wrought out as a redemption from that fall, it would be incomplete unless it brought to pass immortality and eternal life to the body. ¶

The spirit and the body are the soul of man. The body is resurrected from the grave independent, whether the individual was in this life good or bad, as is shown by the declaration of scripture: ¶

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

(I Cor. 15:22.) Degrees of glory in the resurrection Paul describes in a very definite way the degrees of glory in the resurrection, which vindicates the justice of God and rewards man according to his works, thus establishing the free agency of man by holding him personally accountable for every act of his life. ¶

"There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. ¶

"There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differs from another star in glory. ¶

"So also is the resurrection of the dead. . . ." (I Cor. 15:40-42.) Jesus said to the apostles: ¶

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ¶

". . . that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3.) These assertions all agree that there has been a resurrection (so far as they refer to the resurrection of Jesus and those who came forth from their graves at the same time). The only reasonable conclusion to be reached by reading these testimonies is that the resurrection will be an actual reunion of the spirit and the body. ¶

The testimony of Ezekiel Should there still be doubt in the mind of anyone that there seems to be a deficiency in the conclusions from the statements quoted, may I suggest you read the account of the resurrection from the inspired writings of Ezekiel. Please read the entire 37th chapter of Ezekiel. The words of this prophet should dispel any doubt. ¶

To the Latter-day Saints, the doctrine of the resurrection is a living, tangible reality, because added to the testimonies of the Jewish scriptures, the Old and the New testaments, and the Book of Mormon, which corraborates the Bible, we have the testimony of men in this day who have seen the living bodies of resurrected beings. Joseph Smith was a man of unblemished character. His veracity was never impeached. His honor in religion, in morality, and in business transactions, as attested by friend and foe, was unsullied to the end of his mortal career, when he sealed his testimony with his innocent blood. ¶

His testimony is that he saw God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, the latter on several occasions. ¶

Visitation of Deity in modern times One such visitation was experienced by Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and Oliver Cowdery, in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio, April 3, 1836. The occasion was that of a Sabbath day meeting. The Prophet prefaces his record of the manifestations with these words: ¶

"In the afternoon, I assisted the other presidents in distributing the Lord's Supper to the Church, receiving it from the Twelve, whose privilege it was to officiate at the sacred desk this day. ¶

After having performed this service to my brethren, I retired to the pulpit, the veils being dropped, and bowed myself, with Oliver Cowdery, in solemn and silent prayer. After rising from prayer, the following vision was opened to both of us. . . ." (D&C 110, introduction.) "The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened. ¶

"We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber. ¶

"His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rush ing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying: ¶

"I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father." ¶

(D&G 110:1-4.) Visitations of heavenly beings Joseph Smith also had a visitation from John the Baptist, from Peter, James, and John, from Moses, Elijah, Moroni, and other ancient prophets of God who lived on the eastern or western hemispheres. He was not alone in being a witness to the existence of resurrected beings. Others in modern times also have seen these and have published their testimonies to the world. Those who have received the witness of the Holy Ghost and who also know that there is a resurrection and that the words of the Savior and the prophets are true and faithful are numbered in the thousands. ¶

The Son of the Living God This is my testimony of the subject. ¶

I testify in the name of the resurrected Redeemer that God has spoken from the heavens in this age of the world; that Jesus Christ is the son of God, the Redeemer of the world; that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Most High and received the revelations of God for the benefit of mankind; that angels and ancient prophets visited him and delivered to him the keys of the dispensation of the fullness of times; that Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. ¶

Smith, Heber J. Grant, George Albert Smith — each in his time has been the successor of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and that David O. McKay is now such successor. I also testify that all who receive this gospel with honest heart shall know that the doctrine is true, and if they are faithful unto death they shall come forth in the resurrection of the righteous, to live and reign with Christ a thousand years. ¶

Certainly these scriptures give evidence that God is not dead. He lives. ¶

Jesus Christ lives; and I further testify and bear witness to the reality of the resurrection for all mortal beings, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen. ¶