Over time the role of the glorious resurrection has been diminished or made less important than the crucifixion in the minds and hearts of most Christians. This should not be. Satan has successfully diminished the great importance of the infinite atonement, which was cap-stoned by the resurrection.
Today most Christians look to Jesus and His suffering on the cross to cover their sins for their path to salvation. The glorious resurrection of our Lord and of all Heavenly Father’s children is mainly left out in their deliberations toward salvation. And, the glorious resurrection of the saints back then is hardly mentioned. In the Bible, it also takes a lesser role. Matt.27:52-53. The resurrection of the saints back then is like “by the way this also happened.”
Bible Emphasis on the Resurrection
The Bible does not emphasize how the Christians back then went from the depths of despair to the heights of ecstasy with the resurrection of our Lord and of the many who “went into the holy city and appeared unto many.” We can only imagine the joy they felt in their souls when this happened.
The resurrection of our Savior and of the saints exploded the Christian movement at that time. Modern Christianity misses the excitement the early Christians felt, and which we should still feel. Apocryphal literature gives us a much better feel for these glorious events.
Early Christians Rejoiced
There is a need to be like the early Christians and be enthralled with the glorious resurrection. The Savior told the early saints that He would be crucified and rise again. But they didn’t want to believe this horrible prediction from Him that He would be crucified. Being under the cruel Roman rule, they hoped He would “restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)
We can only imagine the incredible trauma the saints went through while Christ was suffering for the sins of all humankind. Then when He was resurrected three days later, this trauma turned to exceeding great joy. In addition, the details of the joy they felt when, “the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. They came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many,” (Matt. 27:52-53) Unfortunately, important details have been left out of the Bible record. Apocryphal literature gives us much greater insights.
The Atoning Sacrifice
In the LDS scriptures, the “Atoning Sacrifice” is only mentioned once. In our LDS scriptures, we discover that there are seven critical steps to the Infinite Atonement of our Lord and Savior. The atoning sacrifice is only one of them. All seven of them are critical to the infinite atonement. Yet, in my church we often hear in testimonies and in sermons people express their gratitude for the atoning sacrifice, when they should be expressing their gratitude for the infinite atonement, if they better understood. President Russell M. Nelson mentions the “infinite atonement” in his testimony.
Modern Christians have a similar problem in their worship looking to the cross and not to the infinite atonement. We mortals cannot comprehend the glorious dimensions of the infinite atonement, but the more we do the closer we come to knowing our infinitely loving God.
The Resurrection Miracle
Given that the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior is the best-documented miracle in recorded history, why is it “left out” in the thinking of the millennials, of the wokeness people, of the atheists, and of the agnostics? Intellectual integrity should bring them to this most glorious documented miracle. The glorious resurrection is the capstone to the infinite atonement, which is the most important miracle in history.
The Resurrection Brings us into God’s Presence
The Book of Mormon makes it perfectly clear that it is Christ’s resurrection that brings us back into God’s presence. (2 Nephi 9:22; Alma 42:23) Without His resurrection, we “are just toast!” The same message is in the Bible but is more obscure. (1 Corinthians 15:13-44)
With His infinite atonement, Christ overcame death and hell. Our gratitude for our anticipated glorious resurrected bodies should penetrate to the depths of our souls, if we truly understood.
Without Resurrection Fullness Not Possible
Let us join with the early saints with the deepest feelings of gratitude to our infinitely loving Heavenly Father, who gave us His Beloved Son to provide that path for a fullness of joy, as He overcame death and hell. A glorious resurrected body is a crowning jewel in our mind’s eye as we contemplate His perfect Plan of Happiness.
David W. Allan
Photo: CC Pixfuel