The Beginning of Forever

 So much can be written about this day. The magnitude of the events of this day over 2000 years ago is so grand in scope, so eternal in significance that I feel like I don't have adequate words to describe the power of the Savior's and our Father in Heaven's magnificent gift.

Yet, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is simple and beautiful and although I do not fully comprehend all things pertaining to the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, I do know that it did, in reality, take place.

A Book of Mormon prophet teaches us that if Jesus had not overcome sin and death then this life truly would have been the end (2 Nephi 9). We would have "become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more....shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who...stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness." 2 Nephi 9:8-9

 Sit for just a minute and think about those words and what they mean to you personally...

This life would have been THE END. THE END. THE END.

There would have been no escape from this.

But the word "Gospel" means "good news" and so the good news is that Christ kept His promise. He overcame sin and death so that is why our "Forever" began on the day of His resurrection.

Read what Jacob, the Book of Mormon prophet quoted above, said about this: "O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; death and hell...wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel. O how great the plan of our God!..."(2 Nephi 9: 10-13)

On this day we celebrate that our families can be forever - instead of ending at our death.

On this day we celebrate that each baby born is a joyful event instead of a sad reminder of our mortality.

On this day we celebrate that we will be reunited with our loved ones who have passed on before us.

On this day we celebrate that gaining knowledge and expanding our horizons and developing our talents is a worthwhile cause because what would be the point if we were all just going to end up as "angels to the devil"?

On this day we celebrate that although we are imperfect, and we make mistakes and we stumble along our path, God the Father and God the Son made a way for us to pick ourselves up, be forgiven and keep moving forward because they made a "forward" for us to move toward.

Today is the celebration of the beginning of forever. We will live forever because a perfect Man, our dear, dear Brother, came to earth and overcame those awful monsters sin and death so that we could too. He built a bridge over the chasm that would keep us from our Heavenly Home and eternal progression. I have to agree with Jacob,  

"O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things and there is not anything save he knows it." (2 Nephi 9:20)

The sweetest and most touching part of all of this is that the Savior kept His promise and our Father in Heaven let Him because they LOVE us. You can analyze and study and ponder their gifts all you want but you will always come to the same conclusion - it all happened because they LOVE us - it is just as simple as that.

On this day we celebrate love.

He came. He lived. He taught. He healed. He atoned. He allowed Himself to die. He was resurrected. 

He will come again. 

"Lift up your hearts and be glad, your redemption draweth nigh. Fear not, little flock, the kingdom is yours until I come. Behold, I come quickly. Even so. Amen." (Doctrine and Covenants 35:26-27)