Area Leadership Message
The Miracle of the Resurrection
When I was seven years old, our family tragically lost my younger brother, who was only six years old. It was a very hard time for my parents; the pain of losing such a young son was immense to them and perhaps very unfair. Instead of blaming someone or something, I saw my parents seek comfort in the gospel and in the Savior. This helped them to develop and to increase their faith in Christ and in the hope that one day they could see their beloved son again. That faith and hope which they developed over the years helped them bear the loss of their son with courage. The temple was one of the keys for them to gain enough understanding and strength to cope with this difficult physical separation. Because they had received the sacred ordinances of the temple many years before, these covenants gave them hope that they could one day rise up as parents and children again.
This hope that all of us seek when we lose someone that we love comes through the Resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ. Thanks to that gift, we can know that one day we will see again those who have left again.
The Resurrection is one of the greatest gifts we have received from our Heavenly Father. Are we aware of this great gift? Do we really believe that it will happen?
The Prophet 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 the other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”1
If it were not for the Resurrection of the Savior, the plan of redemption could not be carried out, the Atonement would not have completed its purpose, and the entire human race would be lost and without hope. The Apostle Paul taught the Corinthians: “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”2
The Resurrection is one of the key doctrines of our religion and of Christianity. It is essential to attaining eternal life. When we increase our faith in Christ, our testimony and understanding of the Resurrection increases, our hope increases, our ability to endure adversity and life’s challenges as well as all the trials we are and will be subjected to.
Thanks to the Resurrection, we have the hope that we will live again and meet again, regardless of the physical imperfections that we may have had in this life. The Resurrection is a free gift, it is unconditional and applies to all who have lived, to those who are living and to those who will still live.
The Savior taught that there is certainty of a life after this one. He said: “I am the resurrection and the life: he who believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”3
In a world as confused and uncertain as the one in which we live today, we can find hope that everything will be better. I am certain that better times will come, and the Resurrection is the doctrine that brings us this hope. If we focus our lives on the Savior, everything will make sense, even if it seems lost for a while. This is one of the greatest blessings that our Heavenly Father has given us, that His Son has died for us to give us life again.
I know that one day my family and I will meet again with my younger brother, at that moment resurrected. I also know that, if we are faithful, we can be together as eternal families. I know that Christ is risen and lives! I know by the Holy Spirit that it is true. The Resurrection is not only a great gift, but it is an expression of the love that God has for us.