I’ve heard it said that America is a country in denial about death. It makes sense to me. I confess that my husband and I are in the same boat as 57 percent of Americans who say they don’t have a will. Death is not something we like to think about, much less plan for. And yet it is the one guarantee in life. Every one of us will die sometime.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (casually referred to as Mormons), I take comfort in my conviction that because Christ rose from the dead, I and all my family members will also. It’s something I take so for granted that the only time I ever think about resurrection is when attending someone’s funeral. Yet the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that Christ’s resurrection from the dead is at the very heart of all we believe as members of the Church:“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.” (“Chapter 3: Jesus Christ, the Divine Redeemer of the World,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, [2007], 45)
For those less familiar with the concept of resurrection, it begins with Christ’s own. Prior to His death, Christ declared to the unbelieving Jews that after they had killed Him He would rise from the dead on the third day. (John 2:19) Christ was to be the first person ever to be resurrected. As a result of His resurrection, all mankind would also be resurrected. Christ taught in a different setting that not only would all people be resurrected, but they would be brought to stand before Him to be judged for how they behaved while on earth (see John 5:25-29).
As resurrected beings, we will be immortal, meaning we will never again die. We will also be perfect in that we lack any malformations we might have experienced in life. We will be free from all disease. It is not a choice we may make. Every person who has ever lived on the earth will be resurrected.
Hearing this sometimes leads people to the disturbing conclusion that they will have to live forever with the likes of Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot. While Jesus Christ only will have authority to pass judgment on each individual, we may rest assured that those individuals who have willing embraced evil will not have the power to continue to impact negatively their fellow men and women, nor will they receive the same reward as those who’ve chosen to follow after Christ and righteousness.
