I joked with them that this prime minister could never lose an election. Not only is he popular with the wealthy class — He’s popular with the dead! Of course, then I went on to tell them that we know someone who really is popular with the dead.

Jesus has been crucified and His body has been sealed in a tomb. As far as His enemies are concerned, the story is over. However, the story is far from over. The plan of God is moving forward as planned — the next step is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

What does it mean to say that Jesus was going to resurrect? Did it just mean that He was going to come back to life and continue His life on earth? No, it didn’t mean that at all. Lazarus and some other people in the scriptures were dead and were then brought back to life on earth, but they later had to die again. When Jesus resurrected, He received a “spiritual body” that would live forever. Likewise, all who resurrect from the dead receive an incorruptible spiritual body.

“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:42,44)

But why was this necessary? Why did Jesus need to live on earth, be killed and then resurrect from the dead? Well, to put it simply, it was all for our sakes — because God wants us to be with Him forever. From the very beginning, when the “original sin” separated mankind from God, this plan of redemption was put in place to allow mankind a way to be with God without having God go back on His word (which will never happen, since God cannot lie).

The original story is a familiar one. Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden and were told they could eat from any tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told them if they ate from that tree, they would die. The devil (in the form of a serpent) told them that they wouldn’t die and got them to eat from that tree. This became the first (original) sin — disobedience to a commandment from God. (See Genesis 2-3).

As a result of their sin, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden and angels (cherubims) were placed at the gate to prevent them from going back in. What is sometimes overlooked is that the reason they were banished from the Garden of Eden wasn’t just to punish them — it was to prevent them from eating from the tree of life, which would have caused them to live forever (and make God a liar, since He said they would die if they disobeyed Him). (See Genesis 3:22-24.)

“Now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God; and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people. And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou shalt surely die.” (Alma 12:22-23)

So, Adam and Eve eventually died, as all of us will eventually die. However, since God wants us to be with Him, He created a way for us to go from this life into His presence — a resurrection from the dead. And He sent His Son to go through all of the steps first — life on earth, death and resurrection. Once Jesus resurrected, the way was established for all to resurrect.

“For behold, he (Christ) surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord.” (Helaman 14:14)

“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” (Matthew 27:52-53)

So, Jesus actually helps us in two ways to be able to dwell with God for eternity. First, He took our sins upon Him on the cross, making it possible for us to repent of our sins in this life. And then, He resurrected, paving the way for each of us to resurrect in the future and be brought into the presence of God, fully prepared (after repentance, baptism and enduring to the end) to meet Him, having been forgiven of our sins and therefore eligible to dwell with God for all time!

Praise the Lord for what He’s done for us! No wonder He’s popular with the dead!