CHAPTER 1
UNDERSTANDING THE HOLY RESURRECTION
When Jesus comes, the shadows depart. ~ Inscription on a Scottish Castle
What lies ahead after mortality has been for many an awesome mystery, yet God has revealed many truths concerning the resurrection and our eternal reward. In seeking to understand the resurrection, some basic questions arise, which when answered will help us in our exploration of these truths. What is eternal life and salvation? How do we define the resurrection? What does the term firstfruits mean? What is the law of restoration? What does perfection mean? How does the resurrection help us understand God? How does the resurrection fit into the eternal plan of salvation? Why is the resurrection essential to our eternal progression? How does the resurrection relate to receiving a fullness of joy? In what way does the path of progression intertwine with our three estates of existence? And is there a difference between restoration to life, translation, and the resurrection?
Let us briefly examine each of these questions in an effort to lay a stronger foundation for understanding the doctrine of the resurrection.
Defining Eternal Life
Words and phrases often have multiple layers of meaning. For example, there can be a literal, spiritual, general, and specific meaning to a word or phrase. By examining the exegesis, or critical meaning of scriptural passages, and doctrinal concepts, a deeper and richer understanding can result. This is true of the phrase eternal life. All of God’s children are eternal in nature. The scriptures tell us that even the elements are eternal. They have no beginning and they have no end. Similarly, our spirits, “have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal.” In this general sense, all of God’s children have eternal life, for they are eternal beings.
Christ has also declared that all those who are on His right hand in the day of judgment inherit eternal life, while the wicked are cast out. This scripture more narrowly defines eternal life as being more than eternal beings. Having eternal life includes occupying one of God’s kingdoms of glory.
Yet, in its fullest sense, eternal life is to inherit God’s life, or the type of existence He enjoys. It is to dwell in His presence, to inherit all things, and to continue one’s posterity throughout eternity. This is what God has foreordained for His children, and for which all true saints are striving. All who receive eternal life in its fullest sense will have no end. They will receive an everlasting, unending, and expanding inheritance with God their Eternal Father. This is what God is referring to when He says, “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” It began before this earth was formed and for the faithful saints will go on through eternity. God views this as His greatest gift for we are told that, “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.”
The Savior’s parable of the pearl of great price applies to the gift of eternal life. He taught, “the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” All who inherit the fullness of eternal life, having given all to obtain it, will find themselves experiencing a fullness of joy and eternal progress throughout the eternities, having obtained this precious pearl.
The gift of eternal life is synonymous with the gift of salvation, which also is said to be the greatest of all the gifts of God. Next let’s examine the definition of salvation, a companion concept of eternal life.
Defining Salvation
The scriptures teach us that salvation is also the greatest gift of God. It is made available to all of humankind as a gift from a loving Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is the author of humankinds’ salvation, which is brought about through His Atonement. As Paul teaches in his letter to the Thessalonians, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” In its broadest sense, salvation is to be saved within God’s realm, which encompasses three kingdoms of glory, whether it be the celestial, terrestrial, or telestial kingdom. We read that even those who inherit the telestial kingdom, the least of the three, will be heirs of salvation and will be redeemed.
This general salvation is not the type of salvation that the saints of God should desire or seek. Settling for such salvation would be like gaining entrance to a coveted event with the anticipation of being seated on the front row, but upon arrival finding oneself only qualified to be seated on the row farthest back and behind a pillar. In its fullest sense, similar to eternal life, salvation is to be saved through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and live in the presence of God and Christ—to dwell with them eternally, becoming a joint heir with Christ, and receive all power. It is to have not only immortality, but eternal lives. Full salvation comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, good works, obedience to the Gospel, and obtaining all the ordinances and obeying all the principles required for a person to receive their exaltation. This type of salvation is what all true saints seek and what most scriptures concerning salvation allude to.
Since the resurrection is an essential part of our salvation it is important to define the nature of the resurrection.
Defining the Resurrection
We know that through birth into mortality, humankind’s spirit bodies are combined with physical bodies, helping humankind progress and become more like their Heavenly Father, who possesses an exalted body of flesh and bones. But that uniting of spirit and body at birth is temporary due to the separation of the spirit and body at death. Following death, the resurrection reunites humankind’s spirits and bodies for eternity. Thus, we can define the resurrection as the reunion of a spirit body and physical body in its perfected and eternal state.
Jesus Christ was the first to be resurrected and is called the firstfruits of the resurrection. Let’s analyze the meaning of the phrase “firstfruits” as it pertains to Jesus Christ and to humankind.
Defining Firstfruits
As mentioned previously, words and phrases often have layers of meaning. The term “firstfruits” also can be viewed in different ways. Literally, the term firstfruits referred to a Jewish festival. Shortly after God gave Israel the Ten Commandments, He gave another commandment to them saying, “Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread…And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year.” These celebratory events were to help the Israelites give thanks and remember their God and His blessings, while acknowledging that He was the creator and owner of all things. The feast of firstfruits involved making an offering late in the spring from the barley harvest, the first grain to ripen. The priest would wave a sheaf of green barley from side to side, to the four points of the compass, seeking acceptance from God, which was followed by the offering of a year-old male lamb without blemish. The lamb represented the coming Messiah. The ritual helped develop grateful hearts by acknowledging the gift of fruitfulness, life, and that God was the Lord of the harvest. Today through tithing, fast offerings, and other donations, we give of our harvest, recognize our blessings, show our gratitude, and acknowledge that all things belong to God.
The term firstfruits has another meaning and includes a component of time when referring to Jesus Christ. He was the firstfruits of God in the pre-earth existence, being the Firstborn. Specifically, Christ is described as the firstfruits, of them that slept. We read that Christ, “layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God. He is the first to come forth as an eternal, perfected, and exalted being. Thus, He was the first born in mortality to obtain exaltation. He becomes, in a very personal sense, our Mentor, teaching us how to join Him eternally in God’s presence, and like Him become the firstfruits of God’s harvest.
With humankind, the term firstfruits is not time-related, but rather event-related. It refers to what is being produced and denotes that other fruits will be harvested later. It is part of a total harvest. Spiritually speaking, those who have passed through mortality and have obtained exaltation are called the firstfruits. As James writes that God, “Of his own will begat [sic] us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” In this light as a general group, exalted humankind is the first of God’s harvest amongst His children, no matter when the timing of their resurrection and exaltation is, when compared to those who come forth in a later harvest and do not obtain all that God has to offer His children. Jacob, a Book of Mormon prophet, said, “Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God.” Like the first harvest of berries, which are the most succulent and flavorful, we should all strive to become the firstfruits of Jesus Christ’s salvation and grace and inherit exaltation or God’s life.
Having analyzed the meaning of firstfruits, let’s now review how the law of restoration has a critical impact on the future and nature of humankind’s resurrection.
Defining the Law of Restoration
Have you ever seen someone receive a reward they did not deserve, or perhaps more challenging, not receive one they did deserve? In our egalitarian society, although life is not fair, fairness is viewed as an important component of life. Most want to be treated fairly, or justly, and likewise try to treat others the same. While others may not always be fair to us, we know our God is perfectly fair, just, and merciful.
The law of restoration is a law whose foundation is based on these principles of fairness, justice, and mercy. It is a guiding and overarching principle that impacts the resurrection. In doing so, the law of restoration encompasses three broad areas. It restores us back to the presence of God to then be judged according to our works, it restores to us our physical bodies to then arise according to our works, and it restores our knowledge of our pre-earth existence works while maintaining a knowledge of our mortal existence and works. This threefold impact connotes divine backing and influence. Let us examine each of these three areas.
First, the law of restoration restores us to the presence of God for judgment. Humankind having been cut off from God’s presence by the fall of Adam is restored to that which was lost. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we are able to stand again in His presence. As Helaman taught, “But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.” However, although the resurrection restores us back to God’s presence that situation is only temporary. Our ability to remain with God is based upon how we have conducted our lives while in mortality. The law of restoration thus restores to humankind only what they are entitled to. Alma the Younger captured this idea by teaching, “And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good. And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order.”
Second, the resurrection restores our physical bodies to us following death. Death, which comes upon all humankind through the fall of Adam, is overturned and all of humankind receive their bodies once again. We read that, “it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself.” However, the law of restoration also requires that the type of body we receive in the resurrection be based upon our faith in Christ, acceptance of the Gospel, and our good works–restoring to humankind only that which they merit. The Doctrine and Covenants teaches this when it says, “For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory. And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory. And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.”
Finally, with the law of restoration, the characteristics and knowledge that we develop in mortality through our earthly experiences will arise with us. For, “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.” The law of restoration also means that our memories of our premortal existence will be restored to us. As Nephi teaches, after the resurrection, we will, “become incorruptible, and immortal…having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.” It rightly restores that which we have obtained through our efforts and diligence. It does not restore that which we have not previously gained or sought to obtain. Thus the law of, “restoration more fully condemneth the sinner,” and justifies the faithful while undergirding the justice and mercy of God.
Let’s now consider the concept of perfection and its role in the resurrection.