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For Christians, the empty tomb is the preeminent sign of God's victory
over evil. Christ's resurrection offers us hope: that tragedy is never
the end of the story; that the forces in this world which wreak violence,
fear, and despair will not prevail; that everything which prevents God's
creatures from filling the measure of their creation and knowing joy can
be overcome. To say that Christ rose from death is to say that he has
power over all things (D&C 20:23-24; Eph. 1:19-23).
This in turn means that by Christ's power we can accomplish all things.
Because he rose from death, Christ is still with us (D&C
61:36; 68:6). The scriptures describe the risen Lord both advocating
for us in heaven (Mosiah 15:8-9) and working
among us here on earth (Mark 16:20). Whenever
two or three gather in his name, Christ is in their midst (D&C
6:32; Matt. 18:19-20). When we affirm that Christ lives, we testify
that we have felt his continuing presence in our lives: strengthening,
comforting, guiding, and transforming us.
Christ's resurrection is the type of the new life we experience through
spiritual rebirth and discipleship (Mosiah 27:22-26).
Baptism by immersion is not
only a symbol of Christ's death and resurrection;
in a mystical sense, baptism makes us participants
in Christ's death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-8).
Because we have received his Spirit, Christ lives in us, both individually
and collectively as the church, which is Christ's
body.
| I Know That My Redeemer Lives (Hymns
136) |
| Abide with Me! (Hymns
166) |
| Robert L. Millet: Sometimes
we tend to focus so much upon the fact that Jesus Christ died
for us that we do not attend to an equally important facet of
his redemptive enterprise—the fact that he also came to live
in us. |
| "The Only
Sure Foundation: Building on the Rock of Our Redeemer," Helaman
through 3 Nephi 8: According to Thy Word (Provo : BYU Religious
Studies Center, 1992), 22 |
Chieko N. Okazaki:
Paul explained to the Romans that Christ submitted Himself to death
but, "being raised from the dead[,] dieth no more; death hath
no more dominion over him" (Rom. 6:9). Jesus Christ, our Savior,
has always been the master of life, but through His atoning sacrifice,
He also became the master over death. . . .
Think what this means! Because of our Savior’s victory, we
too can be victorious. In the face of this good news, this triumphant
shout from the battlefield of ultimate victory, then we can see
why our everyday sacrifices, our ordinary hope, is so tough, so
versatile, so difficult to turn into meaninglessness and despair.
. . .
I testify that the forces of life are always stronger than the
forces of death. If we choose, if we even desire to choose, if we
even hope for the desire to choose, we set in motion powerful forces
for life that are led by Jesus Christ himself. . . .
[C]hoose life even though the forces of death seem strong! Choose
hope even though despair seems close! Choose to grow even though
circumstances oppress you! Choose to learn even though you must
struggle against your own ignorance and that of others! Choose to
love, even though ours are days of violence and vengeance. Choose
to forgive, to pray, to bless another’s life with simple kindness. |
| "Raised
in Hope," Ensign, November 1996, 89-90 |
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