42 Now, there is a
death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the
bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal
death.
43 The spirit and the
body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be
restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be
brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright
recollection of all our guilt.
44 Now, this
restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both
male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so
much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its
perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be
arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy
Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works,
whether they be good or whether they be evil.
45 Now, behold, I have
spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning
the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is
raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto
life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never
to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no
more see corruption.
46 Now, when Amulek
had finished these words the people began again to be astonished, and also
Zeezrom began to tremble. And thus ended the words of Amulek, or this is all
that I have written. (Alma 11:42-46)
Amulek continues.
We all experience a temporal death. Christ’s death will
loose the bands of temporal death. All will be raised from temporal death.
“And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death
which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless
there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this
life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to
prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after
the resurrection of the dead” (Alma 12:24).
“Many living witnesses can testify to the literal
fulfillment of these scriptural assurances of the resurrection. Many, including
some in my own extended family, have seen a departed loved one in vision or
personal appearance and have witnessed their restoration in ‘proper and perfect
frame’ in the prime of life. Whether these were manifestations of persons
already resurrected or of righteous spirits awaiting an assured resurrection,
the reality and nature of the resurrection of mortals is evident. What a
comfort to know that all who have been disadvantaged in life from birth
defects, from mortal injuries, from disease, or from the natural deterioration
of old age will be resurrected in ‘proper and perfect frame.’”[1]
The spirit and body will be reunited during the
resurrection. “O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the
paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave
deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored
to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are
living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be
that our knowledge shall be perfect” (2 Nephi 9:13).
“The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the
soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a
hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their
proper and perfect frame” (Alma 40:23).
We will stand before God with the knowledge we’ve gained. “Whatever
principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in
the resurrection” (D&C 130:18).
We will also remember our guilt. “Wherefore, we shall have a
perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and
the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their
righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of
righteousness” (2 Nephi 9:14).
“And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of
their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the
presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence
they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own
souls” (Mosiah 3:25).
“Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the
tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance
of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a
remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God” (Alma 5:18).
“The principle of restoration also means that persons who
are not righteous in mortal life will not rise up righteous in the
resurrection. Moreover, unless our mortal sins have been cleansed and blotted
out by repentance and forgiveness, we will be resurrected with a ‘bright
recollection’ (Alma 11:43) and a ‘perfect knowledge of all of our guilt, and
our uncleanness’ (2 Ne. 9:14; see also Alma 5:18). The seriousness of that
reality is emphasized by the many scriptures suggesting that the resurrection
is followed immediately by the Final Judgment. Truly, ‘this life is the time
for men to prepare to meet God’ (Alma 34:32).”[2]
All will receive this restoration.
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and
the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life:
and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works.
“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death
and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every
man according to their works.
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is
the second death.
“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:12-15).
All will be restored to each person. “[N]ot a hair of their
heads will be lost” (Alma 11:44). Then, they will be brought before the
judgement bar and be judged according to their works.
“Almost in every case the Book of Mormon acts as a second
witness to the New Testament doctrine on the Resurrection and then goes beyond
to offer additional insights. For example, if one wrote down all doctrine
gleaned from the New Testament on the subject of resurrection, one could then
add the following information from the Book of Mormon: Details concerning the
resurrection of the just and the unjust (2 Nephi 9:10—19); the fate of the
spirit were it not for an infinite atonement (2 Nephi 9:7—9); a definition of
the resurrection of damnation (Mosiah 16:11); specific qualifications to
achieve the first resurrection (Mosiah 15:21—24, 18:9); the necessary
relationship of resurrection to universal judgment (3 Nephi 27:13—18);
information on the space of time between death and resurrection (Alma 40); the
inseparability of the spirit from the body after resurrection (Alma 11:45); and
a clear definition of what resurrection is (Alma 11:44; 40:23).”[3]
He reminded them he had spoken of death and the resurrection
of the mortal body. “The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to
the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea,
even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to
their proper and perfect frame” (Alma 40:23).
“And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the
soul” (D&C 88:16).
Once they have been resurrected, they will die no more. “And
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for
the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
“Then, I say unto you, they shall be as though there had
been no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to God’s
justice; and they cannot die, seeing there is no more corruption” (Alma 12:18).
“[T]he whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can
no more see corruption” (Alma 11:45). “It is sown a natural body; it is raised
a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians
15:44).
“Resurrection is requisite for eternal perfection. Thanks to
the atonement of Jesus Christ, our bodies, corruptible in mortality, will
become incorruptible. Our physical frames, now subject to disease, death, and
decay, will acquire immortal glory. Presently sustained by the blood of life
and ever aging, our bodies will be sustained by spirit and become changeless
and beyond the bounds of death.”[4]
Having heard his words, the people were astonished and
Zeezrom began to tremble. “And thus ended the words of Amulek, or this is all
that I have written” (Alma 11:46).
[1] Resurrection,
President Dallin H. Oaks, April 2000 General Conference.
[3] The
Book of Mormon, an Interpretive Guide to the New Testament, Dennis Largey,
Maxwell Institute.
[4] Perfection
Pending, President Russell M. Nelson, October 1995 General Conference.
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