In My Flesh I Shall See God

This week two of my coworkers passed away unexpectedly. One was 38 and left his wife and two teenage children, the other just retired and left his wife and children behind. The funeral for one of them was Friday and the other will be tomorrow. It is times like these that we often question what will happen to us after we die. This is a question that we all have asked at some time. Job in the Old Testament gives us his testimony of what will happen:

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. (Job 19:25-27)

Job's words can bring comfort to those who have lost loved ones that there is life after death. We read of the Savior’s resurrection three days after his crucifixion. Several women came to the sepulcher and found the tomb empty. They ran back to tell the disciples what they found. Peter, John and Mary ran back to the sepulcher. When Peter and John saw that it was empty they left but Mary stayed and the scriptures say that while she was there she saw two angels who asked her why she was seeking the living among the dead. She turned and saw another man whom she thought was the gardener and she asked if he had taken the Lord’s body somewhere. The scripture continues:

 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:14-17)

Mary was the first to witness the reality of Job’s testimony, that there is life after death. There in front of her was Jesus, he indeed had been resurrected. Later that night Jesus appeared to ten of the disciples as they were talking:

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.

And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?

And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.

And he took it, and did eat before them.

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day. (Matthew 24:36-46)

With these scriptures we know that Jesus Christ died and was resurrected, not just as a spirit but with a physical body. Job’s testimony is that he will see God as a physical person as well, meaning that we will be resurrected in the same manner that Christ was resurrected. In Book of Mormon Amulek taught us:

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.
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.

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. (Alma 11:42-44)

When we are resurrected we will have everything restored in a perfect body and we will be brought to stand before Jesus Christ to be judged according to our works. The resurrection will come to every person that is born into this word, none will be left out. If we are judged to be worthy of God’s presence then we will dwell there eternally as families.

Elder Robert D. Hales, of the Quorum of the Twelve, bore this testimony of the resurrection not just as individuals, but as families:

“The knowledge and understanding of the doctrine that God lives and Jesus is the Christ and that we have an opportunity to be resurrected and live in the presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, makes it possible to endure otherwise tragic events. This doctrine brings a brightness of hope into an otherwise dark and dreary world. It answers the simple questions of where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going. These are truths that must be taught and practiced in our homes.

“God lives. Jesus is the Christ. Through His Atonement we will all have the opportunity of being resurrected. This is not just an individual blessing; it is much more than that. It is a blessing to each one of us and to our families. That we may be eternally grateful, that we can live in the presence of God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ, that we may be together in the eternities to come, that we might understand the joy, and that we not only teach this doctrine but live true to it in our lives and in our families, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.” (“The Eternal Family”, Robert D. Hales, General Conference, October 1996)

Our testimony to the world is that we are here for a reason, and that there is life after this life. The life after this life can be wonderful and exalting if we keep God’s commandments, are baptized by the proper priesthood authority and receive the temple covenants that bind our family together forever.
Knowing we will be together as a family is a great promise, but how do we get through the lonely times ahead when we miss a loved one that has passed beyond the veil? How do we endure the trials without a husband, father, mother, brother, sister or friend? We must rely on the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ that he can free us from our burdens and find peace. He has said:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29)

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Quorum of the Twelve, spoke about how we can find happiness even in the difficult times. He said:

“Above all else, ultimate happiness, true peace, and anything even remotely close to scriptural joy are found first, foremost, and forever in living the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Lots of other philosophies and systems of belief have been tried.  Indeed it seems safe to say that virtually every other philosophy and system has been tried down through the centuries of history.  But when the Apostle Thomas asked the Lord the question young people often ask today, “How can we know the way?” (and at your age in life that really translates, “How can we know the way to be happy?”) Jesus gave the answer that rings from eternity to all eternity, “I am the way, the truth, and the life . . . And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do. . . . If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

"What a promise!  Live my way, live my truth, live my life—live in this manner that I am showing you and teaching you—and whatsoever you ask will be given, whatsoever you seek you will find, including happiness.  Parts of the blessing may come soon, parts may come later, and parts may not come until heaven but they will come—all of them.  What encouragement that is after a blue Monday or a sad Tuesday or a tearful Wednesday!  And it is a promise the realization of which cannot come any other way than by devotion to eternal truth!  In the words of then newly ordained Elder David O. McKay just short of a full century ago, “[Unlike gratification or pleasure or some kind of thrill, true] happiness is found only along that well beaten [gospel] track, narrow as it is, . . . [and] straight [as it is], which leads to life eternal.”7  So love God and each other, and be true to the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (“Living After the Manner of Happiness”, Jeffrey R. Holland, BYU-Idaho Devotional Address, September 23, 2014)

The Gospel of Jesus Christ provides all the answers to the questions about the purpose of life and what will happen to us after we die. It is a comforting blessing to know we can and will be with our families through the eternities. When we lose a loved one and we have to go through our lives without them we know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the sealing ordinances of the temple, we will be with them again. We can find peace and happiness even when we feel alone if we follow the advice of Elder Holland and live the gospel and follow the Savior’s example of love and service.

I want the families of my two friends and coworkers to know that our family prays that the Lord will lift their burdens from them and they find peace in this difficult time. I know they have a testimony of the resurrection and that because they have been sealed by temple covenants their families are eternal. I know that after this life we will all see God and our families in the flesh and then dwell with them for all eternity.

Your comments and questions are welcome.

Why Do We Suffer?

Today when I arrived home from my meetings at the Married Student Stake that I serve in my wife told me about two families that have had tragedies strike them. One family is a neighbor of ours and the husband is a member of our church and the wife is not. The wife has been planning on being baptized this coming Saturday, March 8^th and the family has been excited and anticipating a great spiritual experience. Things changed earlier this week, when she took two of her medications too close together instead of one in the morning and the other in the evening. When the paramedics came she was only breathing about 4 times a minute and had lapsed into a coma. After doing several tests and finding no brain activity she was taken off the life support but she suddenly started breathing on her own. The family is by her side and hoping for a miracle but there has been no change.

The other family has four children, two of them serving missions. The two younger children (a 14 year old boy and a 12 year old boy) and both parents died of carbon monoxide poisoning the evening of February 22^nd and the two missionaries have returned home to bury their family members. Neighbors found the family after they went looking to see why they did not come to church on Sunday.

When see suffering like this we often ask, “Why do things like this happen to such good people? The two missionaries were serving the Lord, why would God not do something to protect their family? If God loved them as the scriptures say why would he allow such a tragedy happen to a family who had given so much to send two sons in the mission field at the same time? Why couldn’t God have caused the other woman to realize what she was doing? Why do bad things happen to good people?

Kenneth H. Beesley, in a New Era article explained why suffering is part of this life:

“God allows us to enter this world with all its risks, aware that facing and overcoming such perils is essential to our eternal progression. You recall that Joseph Smith while in Liberty Jail pleaded with the Lord concerning his own sufferings and those of his fellow Saints. The Lord answered, “If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea; … if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; … if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shaft be for thy good.” (D&C 122: 5, 7. Italics added.)

“What seems to be a tragedy (and a cause for suffering) may from an eternal perspective be a blessing and a cause for rejoicing. Sufferings have the potential of blessing man. They may strengthen us for future tasks. They can make us sensitive to the pains of others and more willing to sacrifice for others. (Christ suggests that one must lose his life to find it.) They may help us appreciate Christ’s atonement; they may help to purge our imperfections and to purify us.” (“What is the Purpose of Suffering”, New Era, April, 1975)

Elder Ronald E. Poelman added his thoughts on suffering in a general conference address in 1989:

“Adversity in the lives of the obedient and faithful may be the consequence of disease, accidental injury, ignorance, or the influence of the adversary. To preserve free agency, the Lord also at times permits the righteous to suffer the consequences of evil acts by others. (See 1 Ne. 18:16.)

“Some may respond to such innocent suffering with resentment, anger, bitterness, doubt, or fear. (See 1 Ne. 17:20.) Others, with a knowledge and testimony of the divine plan of salvation, often respond with faith, patience, and hope born of that “peace … which passeth all understanding.” (Philip. 4:6–7.)

“The plan of salvation presented to and accepted by us in our premortal state includes a probationary period on earth, during which we experience opposites, make choices, learn the consequences thereof, and prepare to return to the presence of God. Experiencing adversity is an essential part of the process. Knowing this, we elected to come into mortality. (See 2 Ne. 2:11–16.)” (‘Adversity and the Devine Purpose of Mortality”, Elder Ronald E. Poelman, General Conference, April 1989)

In another conference talk Kent Richards explained what he learned about pain and suffering:

I have pondered about the purpose of pain. None of us is immune from experiencing pain. I have seen people cope with it very differently. Some turn away from God in anger, and others allow their suffering to bring them closer to God.

Like you, I have experienced pain myself. Pain is a gauge of the healing process. It often teaches us patience. Perhaps that is why we use the termpatient in referring to the sick.

Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. … It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.” (“The Atonement Covers All Pain”, Elder Kent F. Richards, General Conference, April 2011)

From these teachings and others we learn that suffering is part of this mortal existence and always will be. The scriptures tell us that there must be an opposition of all things. If not we would not be able to enjoy the good things that are part of life:

“For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.” (2 Nephi 2:11)

The prophet Joseph Smith suffered at the hands of wicked men most of his life. During one time when he was in a Liberty, Missouri jail he cried out to the Lord:

1 O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?

 2 How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?

 3 Yea, O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them? (Doctrine and Covenants 121:1-3)

After being unjustly held for more than six months in jail, having been poisoned and subjected to many other degrading experiences, he plead for the welfare of his friends and people. He did not ask for his relief, but the relief of others. In answer to his prayer the Lord said:

8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

 9 Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

 10 Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job. (Doctrine and Covenants 121:8-10)

7…if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

 8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7-8)

Even Christ, the only person to live in this mortal life perfectly, suffered and learned from the things he suffered (Hebrews 5:8). Speaking of his suffering he said:

16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

 17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

 18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

 19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men. (Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19)

None of us are exempt from pain and suffering. When it comes, how we deal with it will be determined by how much faith we have in our Heavenly Father and our testimony that the Savior Jesus Christ can heal all wounds, all pain, all suffering and we can be made whole again.

When others are suffering, we have the opportunity to provide Christ-like service by being there to comfort and provide hope. Often times we don’t know what to say or what to do. The best thing may be for us to just go visit and cry with them, to tell them we are praying for them, give them a hug. Even going and doing the dishes or laundry, anything will help, just be there with them.  When we lose ourselves in service to others our own pain and suffering is often healed as well.

My heart goes out to the two families and others that are suffering with the loss of loved ones. I unite my prayers with many others who are praying that they will feel the healing power of our Savior Jesus Christ and that they will be comforted in the knowledge that families are eternal and they will be with them again.

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.