The Physical Body and the Power of the Atonement

By Merrill J. Bateman
Presidency of the Seventy

Evergreen International 14th Annual Conference
September 18, 2004

I congratulate those who are striving to live the gospel of Jesus Christ in spite of the many challenges and temptations that exist. Also, it is wonderful that there are many people who are willing to support those who struggle. Almost everyone wants a productive life and, for those who are willing to submit their will to eternal truths, there is hope.

Evergreen’s work is not often fully understood or appreciated. It takes courage and commitment for them to continue in the face of frequent criticism. We operate in a world where values have been turned upside down in a relatively short period of time. What was valid yesterday suddenly becomes invalid today in the eyes of many in spite of the benefits that have accrued to society from these time-tested principles.

Fortunately, the revealed gospel of Jesus Christ is a polar star which guides the earthly mariner through rough seas and beyond the swirling, temporary winds of the day. Like the North Star, gospel principles signal the direction to a safe harbor. Truth does not change with the whims of society. The world may try to distort the Lord’s standards, but truth will outlast every attempt to distort it. “Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.” (D&C 93:24.) Truth does not change. Truth is the power by which lives are changed. Truth is the source of happiness.

The Purposes of Mortality

In order to appreciate the seriousness of the distortions that are being perpetrated, consider the reasons given by the Lord for the creation of this earth. The grand purpose of the first estate, the premortal world, was to prove ourselves so that we could be “added upon.” What additions were we to receive. One addition was a physical body. Another was having “glory added upon [our] heads for ever and ever” (Abr. 3:26). A third was becoming part of and initiating an eternal family. These three mortal purposes are interdependent and the physical body is key to the other two. I wish to speak to the importance of the body in time and eternity.

The Prophet Joseph Smith stated that “We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom.” He also stated that “The great principle of happiness consists in having a body.”¹ We know that the devil was denied this instrument. Satan understands that a person with a body has power over one who does not and looks for those who will yield their body to him.² His followers were even willing to enter the body of swine when denied entrance to a human tabernacle (see Matt. 8:31).

Why is the physical body so important to happiness given that many in the world discount and denigrate it? The scriptures teach that the body is not only important for this life but also for eternity. In fact, the body is so important that Christ gave His life to overcome physical as well as spiritual death. In doing so, he made possible a resurrection for everyone and the restoration of the body to the spirit forever (see 1 Cor. 15:19-22). Again, why is the body so important? There are four reasons.

First, the body may serve not only as a temple for man’s spirit but also for the Holy Spirit. If one lives a virtuous life, the Holy Ghost may come and dwell with a person and be in him (see 1 Cor. 6:19-20; D&C 130:22). The Holy Ghost serves as a link between us and the Father and the Son. Under divine direction, he serves as a guide, a testifier, and a provider of knowledge and power. A relationship with him is a prerequisite for those who enter the celestial kingdom. The respect one has for the physical body partially determines one’s access to the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Second, the physical body is an instrument of the mind. President Boyd K. Packer taught this concept in a CES satellite broadcast two years ago.³ In a physical world, the body, directed by the mind, is able to perform physical acts. No doubt, a personage of spirit is able to do many things to serve others, but the physical body increases the range of activities that can be performed. Many acts of love, kindness and service require a physical body. President Joseph F. Smith, in his vision of the spirit world, learned that the “dead . . . looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage” (D&C 138:50). When the body is a servant to the spirit, a person’s sphere of operation is enlarged. The spirit, following death, will yearn for the resurrection and the freedom it brings.

Third, the physical body contains the sacred power of creation. This power is given to mortal man and woman for a limited period of time. Its purposes are manifold. These purposes include the fusing of two complementary beings into one and thus providing a foundation for the family. The family, in turn, provides an opportunity for God’s spirit children to enter mortality in a protective and nurturing environment. If this sacred power is used in a manner consistent with the divine purposes, and if a man and a woman enter into and live according to the appropriate covenants, this sacred power will be restored to them in the eternities (see D&C 131:4, 132:19). The scriptures state that one receives a fulness of joy when the body and the spirit are inseparably connected (see D&C 93:33). A fulness of joy is also contingent on the type of body one receives in the resurrection and the degree of glory and power with which it is filled (see D&C 88:28-32).

A fourth purpose of the physical body is its capacity to hold light. It is a receptacle for light in this life and for glory in the world to come. Every physical object, animate or inanimate, can hold light. Rocks hold light as evidenced by the sixteen small stones touched by the Lord’s finger as the Brother of Jared sought light for his ships (see Ether 2:18-3:6). The destiny of this earth is to become a celestial orb filled with light as it “abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law. Where-fore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.” (D&C 88:25-26).

In like manner, the physical body and the spirit are inseparably connected in the resurrection and the body will be filled with the degree of light appropriate to the course of life lived in mortality. And those raised with a fulness of celestial light will receive a “continuation of the seeds forever and ever” (D&C 132:19).

These four reasons indicate the importance of the physical body both in mortality and in eternity. The body is one of the great gifts of life. The physical body is necessary for one to receive a fulness of joy in the hereafter. In the resurrection, bodies differ in their capacity to hold light. A celestial body will be filled with more light than a terrestrial or telestial body (see 1 Cor. 15:39-43; D&C 88:28-32).

In order to achieve the blessings of a celestial life, it is important for us to care for the body, to keep it clean and not profane the sacred powers within it. As Alma counseled his son, Shiblon, we must “bridle all [our] passions” in order to receive the blessings of the Holy Ghost (Alma 38:12). We must not yield to the temptations of the flesh but reserve the power to give life for the marriage relationship.

The Power of the Atonement

As noted earlier, Christ’s atonement had a physical as well as a spiritual purpose. His atonement in the Garden and on the Cross made it possible for every person to overcome death—both physical and spiritual. Death and the grave are not the end. Who is Christ? How is it possible that his life and death grants us the opportunity to be resurrected and overcome the effects of our sins?

The Gospel of John in the New Testament provides great insight as to who Jesus Christ is and the source of his power. The first three verses of the first chapter indicate that Christ was in the beginning with God, that he is an infinite and eternal being as is our Father in Heaven. He was a God before coming to earth. He is the creator of the heavens and the earth.

The ninth verse indicates that Christ is a source of light for every man that comes to earth. Moroni states that the “Spirit [or Light] of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil” (Moroni 7:16). This light, known as our conscience, provides order in the universe, teaches people right from wrong; and, if listened to, guides people to Christ and additional light (see D&C 88:7-13). The additional light is the gift of the Holy Ghost which is given to the faithful who enter into covenants with the Lord. This light, even more intense than one’s conscience, is conditional and depends on one’s faithfulness in living the commandments of God (see D&C 130:18-20).

In verse 14 of John, chapter 1, it states that Peter, James and John beheld the Lord’s glory on the mount of Transfiguration “as the only begotten of the Father.” With one exception, all mankind has a mortal father and a mortal mother. The one exception is Christ. His Father was immortal while his mother was mortal. Through his Father he received the capacity to live forever. As Christ said to the Jews: “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” (John 5:26.) And on a later occasion, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (John 10:17-18.)

From his Father, Christ received the power of an endless life. From his mother, he received the capacity to die. Christ is the only person to live on this earth for whom death was a choice. His infinite and eternal nature earned in the premortal world and preserved through his birth gave him the power to overcome both physical and spiritual death. The Apostle Paul recognized this when he said to the Jewish members of the Church, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he [Christ] also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14). To be a partaker of flesh and blood refers to being mortal or subject to death. The children of men are partakers of flesh and blood. Christ, however, “took part of the same” meaning that he was mortal only in part. He was mortal through his mother but immortal through his Father. Christ’s earthly parentage was part of the Father’s plan in that it gave him power over physical death and over the source of spiritual death, the devil.

Every person will be raised from the grave. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). Everyone’s body will be transformed from a corruptible to an incorruptible state, from a body laid down in weakness to one raised in power, from one of modest capacity to one raised in “glory” (see v 42-43).

The prophet Lehi understood the importance of the infinite Atonement and its impact on the resurrection of the body. In this vein, he clearly indicates the importance of the physical body in the eternities. He says the following:

Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.
O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.

And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be 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 transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness. (2 Ne. 9:7-9.)

Without the benefits of a physical body, we would eventually become like Satan. Our capacity to perform would be diminished, our power to create would be limited, the amount of light and truth within us would be lessened and Satan would have power over us.

The Savior’s atonement also blesses us in other important ways. The Apostle John records that Jesus “was slain to receive power” (Rev. 5:12). Matthew records that Jesus in speaking to the apostles following the resurrection states that “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). The Savior further told the Prophet Joseph Smith that he “received all power, both in heaven and on earth” (D&C 93:17).

The Redeemer not only received the power to heal the physical body but also the power to heal the spirit. He received power to overcome spiritual death, to cleanse people from their sins, to sanctify them and make possible their return to God provided they would exercise faith in him. Jesus became intimately acquainted with each human being during the Atonement in that he experienced not only their sins, but their pains, afflictions, temptations of every kind, their sicknesses and weaknesses so “that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities”(Alma 7:11-12). The scriptures declare that the Savior “descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things” (D&C 88:6). Consequently, he not only has the power to help us, but knows how to help us given his intimate knowledge of our needs.

No matter what the challenge or problem is, Jesus Christ can rescue us provided we submit our will to him. A young man struggling with a moral problem cannot say to the bishop, “No one knows my problem! No one knows how to help me!” A woman dying of cancer cannot say, “No one knows the depth of my suffering! There is no peace!” The answer is that there is a Person who does know and who can help, a Person who knows how to rescue a young man from sin or bring peace to a person dying of cancer.

In this same vein, a friend of mine has written the following:

If there are some of you who have been tricked into the conviction that you have gone too far, that you have been weighed down with doubts on which you alone have a monopoly, that you have had the poison of sin which makes it impossible ever again to be what you could have been—then hear me.

I bear testimony that you cannot sink farther than the light and sweeping intelligence of Jesus Christ can reach. I bear testimony that as long as there is one spark of the will to repent and to reach, he is there. He did not just descend to your condition; he descended below it, “that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth” (D&C 88:6).⁴

For those who may be struggling with nature, with thoughts and feelings that are opposite from what the Church teaches, please know that the Savior has the power to help. He can assuage one’s feelings, he will assist one in his efforts to abstain, he will help one live in harmony with the principles of eternity.

I testify that the body is one of the greatest of God’s gifts. Treat it with respect. Do not pollute the sacred powers within you. I further testify that Christ has paid a ransom for both your body and your spirit. Everyone will be resurrected and their bodies will be inseparably connected with their spirits. Live so that the body you receive may be filled with an abundance of light, with the power of life. Know that the Savior has power to save “all of the works of his hands” (D&C 76:43-44) and to exalt all who exercise faith in him. I bear witness of this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Notes:
1. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 181
2. See TPJS, 181
3. President Boyd K. Packer, “The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character,” CES Satellite Broadcast, 2 February 2003
4. Truman G. Madsen, Christ and the Inner Life, 14

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