D&C 29:5; 38:7; 76:14, 20, 23; 110:2-4 He Lives
Through all eternity, two of the greatest announcements ever made are “It is finished” and “He is Risen” (John 19:30; Matthew 28:6). In those few words it is declared that Jesus Christ had fully completed the Atonement for all mankind, and that He had come back from death to live again. All blessings we have ever received and hope to receive hinge upon these two fundamental, indispensable, sacred accomplishments of the Son of God, whom we call “Savior.”
Among the many blessings of the Doctrine and Covenants are the multiple witnesses that after two millennia, Jesus still lives and He continues His work. Some of these witness statements come from Joseph Smith and others, while most come directly from Jesus. Just a few of the many examples include:
- “Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst” (D&C 29:5).
- “Mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst” (D&C 38:7).
- “The record which we bear is the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision” (D&C 76:14).
- “We beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father…. And we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father” (D&C 76:20, 23).
- “We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us…. His countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing 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&C 110:2-4).
Although we may not have the experience in mortality of literally seeing or hearing Jesus, we can still testify that we hear Him and know that He lives, and that because of His Atonement, He is our Savior and Advocate.
D&C 29:26; 42:46; 63:49; 88:14, 16-17; 138:17, 50 We Will Live
In the scriptures, mortal death—defined as the separation of our spirit from our body—is characterized as “darkness” (Luke 1:79), an “awful monster” (2 Nephi 9:10, 26), “bondage” (D&C 45:17; 138:50), “bands” and a “sting” (Mosiah 15:8; 16:7-8), being “cut off” and “lost forever” (Alma 42:6), and “miserable” (Alma 42:11). But the Lord promises that His followers need not fear the day of their death: “Those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them” (D&C 42:46).
Jacob explained what would happen if our body and spirit did not reunite: “If the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more, And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself” (2 Nephi 9:8-9).
In other words, our resurrected bodies—a free gift to all through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ—are needed in order to overcome the devil. Without an eternal body (regardless of the kingdom of glory to which we may be assigned), Satan would be able to bring us under his subjection and we would thus become like him. But this shall not be, because of the great plan of our God:
- “Michael, mine archangel, shall sound his trump, and then shall all the dead awake, for their graves shall be opened, and they shall come forth—yea, even all” (D&C 29:26).
- “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord … they shall rise from the dead and shall not die after, and shall receive an inheritance before the Lord, in the holy city” (D&C 63:49).
- “Through the redemption which is made for you is brought to pass the resurrection from the dead…. And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul. And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things” (D&C 88:14, 16-17).
- “Their sleeping dust [is] to be restored unto its perfect frame,… the spirit and the body to be united never again to be divided, that they might receive a fulness of joy” (D&C 138:17).
There are dozens of additional scriptures that teach the doctrine and details of the resurrection, and that testify regarding the literal resurrection of all who ever live upon this earth. The gifts from the Godhead are innumerable and immeasurable, yet the gift of resurrection may be considered one of Their greatest gifts.
D&C 18:10–13; 19:16–19; 45:3–5; 76:69–70 His Gifts For Us
Study these verses and ponder what Jesus Christ has done for all mankind, and for you personally. How does He influence your own faith and your repentance?
In 2018 President Russell M. Nelson spoke from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and taught:
“Because the Savior offered Himself as the infinite Atonement, you and I have the opportunity, the privilege, to be forgiven when we repent. We can also turn to Him for healing of our hearts, for strength where we are weak, and for help to do things we simply cannot do on our own…. In a coming day the Lord will return…. And then every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ. I testify that He is the living Christ, our Lord and Savior, Exemplar, Redeemer, and Judge.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/jesus-is-the-living-christ?lang=eng)
And in 1992 President Nelson testified: “I now speak in a very personal tone. In my lifetime I have visited all fifty states in the USA. I have also set foot upon the soil of eighty-six other countries of the earth. Wherever I walk, it is my divine calling and sacred privilege to bear fervent testimony of Jesus the Christ. He lives! I love him. Eagerly I follow him, and willingly I offer my life in his service. As his special witness, I solemnly teach of him. I testify of him.” (https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/russell-m-nelson/jesus-christ-master/)
