Question: Members of the Restored Church say
Jesus still has a living body. Is Jesus really alive now?
“And it came to pass, as they understood they cast
their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a
white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them…” 3 Nephi 11:8 The Book of Mormon
“Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your
hand into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my
hands and in my feet, that ye may know
that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been
slain for the sins of the world.” 3 Nephi 11:14 The Book of Mormon
Members of the Restored Church believe
that Jesus Christ has his body even now, and is a living God.
Jesus was not
perfected until after He had come to Earth. He lived a perfect sinless life,
but was part mortal, so physically imperfect.
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. …” Hebrews
2:9
Pharisees
threatened Him with death and ultimately did kill Him, but Christ knew His
death through the atonement, His obedience and sacrifice, would lead to His own
physical perfection.
“[T]here came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto
him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he [Jesus]
said unto them …the third day I shall be
perfected.” Luke 13:31, 32
Christ suffered
many things and was obedient to His Father’s will. His obedience and sacrifice,
his love in its fulness, led to His perfection and eternal life.
“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being
made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him.” Hebrews 5:8-9
He became perfect
just as His Father was perfect. He was perfect in spirit (proved by His sacrifice
through obedience) and then perfected in body. That horrible hell-filled day
when Jesus died was the end of His mortal story. Three days later He rose from
the dead and began His eternal one.
After His
resurrection Christ was seen many times by His disciples. The word of His appearance spread. Soon after
some disciples stood together discussing these events and Christ appeared to
them.
“And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the
midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified
and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto
them, Why are ye troubled? and why do
thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I
myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” Luke 24:36-39
The apostle Thomas
heard that many had seen Christ, but he refused to believe it.
“But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my
finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” John 20:25
Then one day when
several disciples were gathered again, Jesus appeared to them and to Thomas.
“Then saith he [Jesus] to Thomas, Reach hither thy
finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my
side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto
him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen
me, thou hast believed: blessed are they
that have not seen, and yet have believed.” John 20: 27-29
Christ broke the
bands of death that came over all humanity from the fall, both spiritual and
physical death. Through Him all men: sinners, saints, the old, infants, will be
resurrected from death.
“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even
over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression. …
But not as the offence, so also is the
free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by
grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto man.” Romans
5:14-15
“[T]here shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” Acts 24:15
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:22
Christ did what no
one else had done before. He was raised
from the dead and into an eternal and exalted state. Because of Him and His
grace you have endless possibilities.
Because of Him, one day your mortal story will also end, and your
eternal one will begin.
The resurrected
Christ spent time on Earth. While here
He taught and prepared the apostles of His priesthood to go out and bring
others to Him, so that all God’s fallen children could be partakers of His
atonement. He promised the apostles that they would receive the Holy Spirit to
help them be witnesses of Him.
“But ye shall
receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and
in Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8
When Jesus had
finished preparing them He ascended into heaven in a miraculous manner.
“And when he had spoken these things, while they
beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while
they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by
them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing
up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is
taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him
go into heaven.” Acts 1:9-11
One day in the
future Christ will return as He left. He will come down from the heaven, down
from a cloud. It will be obvious and apparent to all the inhabitants of the Earth.
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow … And
that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11
When He comes again the brightness and glory
of His presence will be completely unbearable for the wicked.
“As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before
the fire, so let the wicked perish at the
presence of God.” Psalms 68:2
“Howl ye; for the day of the
LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: And they
shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in
pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.” Isaiah
13:6-8
“The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence,
yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.” Nahum 1:5
Next Chapter
Watch- And There Shall Be No More Death