THE GREATEST HOPE

 

Imagine this mortal experience being wasted. All your learning, your progress, your growth, your suffering, your family associations, disappearing and coming to naught. What a fruitless and nonsensical exercise this life would be! But the approaching Easter stands before us as a symbol of the greatest hope ever given to mortal men. What is that hope? It is the promise of immortality through the Atonement of the Saviour Jesus Christ. One part of the Atonement in particular, the Resurrection.

From Elder Dallin H. Oaks: “I wonder if we fully appreciate the enormous significance of our belief in a literal, universal resurrection. The assurance of immortality is fundamental to our faith. 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 other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], p 121). Of all things in that glorious ministry, why did the Prophet Joseph Smith use the testimony of the Saviour’s death, burial and resurrection as the fundamental principle of our religion, saying that all other things….are only appendanges to it? The answer is found in the fact that the Saviour’s Resurrection is central to what the prophets have called ‘the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death’ (2 Nephi 11:5) (In CR Apr 2000, 17; or Ensign May 2000, p 15)

This is the importance of deliverance from death: “….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). Imagine that as our eternal destiny!

The Saviour’s resurrection offers us something that nothing else can, it offers us a fulness of joy forever (D&C 93:33-34). This is the power of the resurrection for each of us:

We are born into corruption but raised to incorruption;

We are born into dis-honour but raised to glory.

We are born into weakness but raised to power.

(1 Corinthians 15:42, 43)

May we look past the Easter bunny and the chocolate, even past the crucifixion and all the suffering and look towards the greatest hope for all humankind, the gift of resurrection. And may we thank our God for it every day, now and forever….. 

With what heavy steps

You approached the garden’s gate!

You suffered, You atoned,

You hung lifeless on the cross,

As you met Your appointed fate.

 

I waited for my turn on earth

And watched with angels

Your rise from the darkened tomb

That could not contain

The magnitude of You.

 

I saw Your glory that shone so bright

Defeating death and making all anew

And I wept for the greatness of hope

That rose with You. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Clouds of Heaven by Chris Brazelton)