What Joy There Shall Be!

One of the greatest blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the knowledge of the Resurrection.  It is something that I have known from since I was a young girl, since I grew up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Because of the fall of Adam and Eve, we are subject to physical death, which is the separation of the spirit from the body.  I was taught from when I was young from the scriptures, that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all people will be resurrected and saved from physical death. In 1 Corinthians 15:22 it says,

 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

What a glorious doctrine that is!  The end of this life is NOT really the end.  Resurrection is the reuniting of the spirit with the body, in a perfected state, where we will not be subjected to illness or death.    

In The Book of Mormon, in Alma chapter 11, verses 42-44, the Resurrection is described vividly: 

“The death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.

“The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in itsperfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; …

“Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old andyoung, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall notso much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame”.

Some time ago, my husband and I were postulating about what we might all look like when we are restored to our "proper frame".  Does that mean we are all going to be the same height and same weight and be PERFECT?  Whatever perfect might be?  We came up with the thought that when we pass on to the other side, we will not be subjected to the same worldly ideas and perspectives that exist here - that that person weighs too much, they are not attractive, they are too tall or too short.   We decided that we will likely be much the same as we are now here on earth. Surely, of course, those with physical ailments or disabilities or shortcomings will be healed from those imperfections, but we will be able to see other's through our Heavenly Father's eyes.  I also believe those who may have battled addictions that led to physical problems will also be restored to a more proper frame - i.e. food addictions that led to obesity.  But perhaps for a majority of us, we will retain the proper frame/body that we have been blessed with here. 

In considering the doctrine of the Resurrection, we may also remember how Great is our God. How blessed we are that He loves us so much, that we may be blessed with this great plan. In our studies this week for my Pathways religion class, is 2 Nephi 9:13 -  "O how great the plan of our God! For on the otherhand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits ofthe righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of therighteous; 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." 

What a glorious thing!  I like that it says " our knowledge shall be perfect."  We are sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us, and once we pass to the other side of the veil and are resurrected, we will have much of the same knowledge as He does, and can receive eternal life.

I am so thankful for this knowledge, that I will return to live with my Father in Heaven, be resurrected and see my loved ones once again.