The Unshakeable Witness: Echoes of the Resurrection Through the Ages

Brothers and sisters, as the annual cycle draws us toward the sacred observance of Easter, the world takes notice of what we know to be the greatest event known to mankind. It is a reality that lifts the Savior above the status of any mere inspired leader or great man. To overcome death for all mankind—to secure eternal life for the covenant people—Jesus Christ had to be the literal Son of God, the Redeemer, and the Savior of the world.

For us Latter-day Saints, this miraculous event carries a profound, double-edged significance. We do not rely on a single account. We possess two powerful, divine witnesses. The first is the Holy Bible, and the second is the Book of Mormon—a sacred volume testifying of the same divine reality.

The Power of Dual Witnesses

The Book of Mormon, a compilation of the writings of prophets who dwelt in the ancient Americas, testifies of the life, death, and resurrection of the Savior. These prophets taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as their counterparts in the Holy Land did. They spoke of the birth in Bethlehem, the life, the agonizing death upon the hill of Calvary, and the ultimate triumph over death. This testimony, spanning continents and millennia, speaks to a divinity that cannot be refuted.

“I am Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord. Ye, even I am he, the beginning and the end, the Redeemer of the world.”

When we stand upon the bedrock of these scriptures, we are confronted with a doctrine that demands full intellectual and spiritual assent. The declaration of Christ Himself in the Doctrine and Covenants—that He is the beginning and the end—is not rhetoric; it is the eternal truth underpinning our covenants.

The Terrible Price of Redemption

It is easy, in the fervor of testimony, to focus only on the glorious dawn of the resurrection. But a disciple of Christ cannot, and must not, forget the terrible price paid. As the Lord taught, we must never forget the agony of Gethsemane, the mockery of the trial, the vicious crown of thorns, the blood-cry before Pilate, the lonely burden to Calvary, and the piercing agony of the nails. This was the cross. It was the instrument of torture, the recompense for His miraculous ministry.

He cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” That sacrifice was vicarious, purchased for each of us who stands in the covenant path. The gloom of that Sabbath evening, when His body was laid in a borrowed tomb, threatened to drain the hope from even the most ardent disciples. They saw only death.

The Dawn of the Sabbath

Yet, when the first day of the week dawned, the angel’s declaration pierced the darkness: “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen as he said.” This was not merely a miracle; it was the fulfillment of prophecy, echoing the words of Isaiah: “He was despised and rejected of man, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”

This testimony, from the early Church leaders to the modern prophets, is a call to action. It is a call to deepen our faith, to study the scriptures with the diligence worthy of those who know the truth, and to prepare ourselves to be part of the Lord’s Battalion. Our study of the Restoration, our adherence to the covenants, and our preparation for the temple—all point back to this central, glorious, yet costly, resurrection.

We must use the tools at our disposal—our scholarship, our understanding of the priesthood, and our commitment to the Spirit—to build a corpus of knowledge that testifies of this truth to every generation. The work of gathering Israel continues, and the Spirit guides us to deeper study.