My brethren and sisters: To my own prayer I humbly ask you to add yours, to strengthen me in my weakness, and to so order it that what I shall say in the few minutes I stand before you may be helpful and upbuilding to all of us.

Today is the day in which we commemorate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Always on this day, I like to run over in my mind the events that happened on that morning of the resurrection. We cannot be too certain of the order, but it could have been, and probably was, as I shall attempt to narrate.

Before it was light, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene, the great lover, went to the tomb of Jesus and found the stone rolled back. Looking in, she perceived the body was not there. She hastened back to Peter and John and told them. They, running, John outrunning Peter, reached the tomb. John looked in but did not enter. Courageous Peter, coming up, strode in and saw the burial clothes lying about  John 20:1-10 They then apparently returned to their quarters.

MARY FOLLOWED

It seems that Mary followed along after Peter and John, and, seeing a figure, she approached the figure, thinking it was the gardener, and asked where they had lain her Lord. The figure spoke, "Mary"  John 20:14-16 She recognized him and would have embraced him but he said, "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 20:17

Shortly afterwards, the women from Galilee, carrying spices with them to prepare the body of Jesus for its final burial, came up. They looked in and the angels inside the tomb said, "Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified"  Mark 16:6 " . . . Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen"  Luke 24:5-6 I am sure that at this moment, if not before, the dense darkness that had enshrouded this great Western Hemisphere broke, the clouds rolled back, the light came, for the life and the light of the world had left the tomb.

The angels told the women to go and notify the disciples. They did, but the disciples thought the words were idle tales and believed not  Luke 24:11

APPEARS TO PETER

Later in the day, two of the disciples were on their way to Emmaus. The Lord drew near and walked with them. They did not know him. He inquired as to their sadness as they walked. They asked if he did not know what had happened in Jerusalem in these days. He feigned an ignorance of what they were thinking. They recounted the arrest, the trial, the crucifixion, and the empty tomb. Declaring to them, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe"  Luke 24:25 he explained to them all the prophets that had prophesied concerning this great event. They entered the village and sat at meat; he broke bread and blessed it. Then they recognized him as he vanished from their sight  Luke 24:13-32

During the same day he appeared to Simon Peter  Luke 24:34 In the evening, of the same day, the ten disciples (Thomas absent) had assembled together in a room. The doors and windows were shut, but suddenly Christ stood in their midst. They were affrighted. He disclosed himself to them, and ate with them  Luke 24:36-39  John 20:19

A week later, the disciples were again assembled together, Thomas this time being there. He had said he would not believe unless he could touch the body of the Savior. Christ came again to them, though the doors were shut, and again instructed them  John 20:26-29

Thereafter, at the sea of Tiberias  John 21:1-14 he appeared to several of the disciples, those who had gone fishing, thinking their work was over. Then took place that great conference, where he asked Peter if Peter loved him, and Peter saying "Yes," Jesus said, "Feed my sheep"  John 21:17

He appeared to James  1 Cor. 15:7 apparently separately, then to a great multitude  1 Cor. 15:6 then again to the disciples at the time of the ascension  Acts 1:9 He continued to walk with them at times over a period of forty days  Acts 1:3 and then came the ascension.

Thus his resurrection was abundantly verified.

The Jews and the pagans of the time seem to have had little difficulty with the idea of a Messiahship. The pagan theology was filled with pseudo-gods and goddesses who were merely glorified human beings. They could glimpse Messiahship. But they seemed to have had no concept of the resurrection.

APOSTASY BEGAN

Early in the Christian Church there began to arise heresies regarding the Christ. These heresies were aided by the attempt of the early Christians to harmonize their beliefs with the pagan beliefs, by adopting pagan beliefs. But finally, in the main, these basic anti-Christ heresies disappeared, and Jesus was recognized as the Christ.

Then the apostasy began. The Church began to transgress the laws, to change the ordinances, and to break the everlasting covenant  Isa. 24:5 The simple principles of Christ's gospel were lost or changed. That was the first great apostasy.

But as time went on, some of the ancient heresies reappeared, and this reappearance has been increasing in volume. The heresies began to question whether Jesus was the Christ, and that question, of course, really questions the Messiahship. Today one great body of the Christian world has abandoned Christ as the Messiah, the Atoning Sacrifice, the Redeemer of the world; they regard him now only as a great teacher and philosopher.

Another great section of the present Christian world has more or less taken away from the Savior a great part of that spiritual personality which he gave himself, and which his early Apostles gave, and which we give him. They are dividing their worship between him and his mother.

We know, and it is our responsibility to carry forward what we do know, that Jesus is the Christ, that he is the Son of God, that he was in truth an atoning sacrifice for the fall, that through him and by him all mortals, whoever they are, will be resurrected, that through his gospel and by it, all may be saved, not only, but exalted in the kingdom of God.

It seems that we are almost alone in clinging to the Christ as he described himself and declared himself. This must be because we are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ours is the responsibility to see to it that no act or thought or teaching of ours shall in any way question the divinity of Jesus, nor in any way question that he was the Son of God, nor in any way question the atoning sacrifice which he made for us. If we do, we shall become guilty of that great offense where we shall crucify to ourselves the Son of God afresh  Heb. 6:6 for which I am sure we shall hardly gain forgiveness.

Brethren and sisters, cling to the Savior. Accept him as he, himself, described himself: "I am the light and the life of the world"  John 8:12 Salvation comes only through him, and as Peter said to his accusers: ". . . there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved"  Acts 4:12

May the Lord help us to keep this testimony in our hearts and increase it; may he give us the courage proudly to proclaim it; may our influence in the world be extended until we shall be able to bring the righteous everywhere to the knowledge which we possess that they, along with us, if we shall hold our course, shall be saved and exalted in the celestial kingdom, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.