Crucial Doctrines

Reading: Alma 8-12

These chapters in Alma set forth some very important beliefs.  These beliefs are so important they govern the way we live our lives.  Here is a passage in Alma 11:42-45


 42 Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.

 43 The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.

 44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.

 45 Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption.

Summarize:
42: The death and resurrection of Christ makes it possible for us to overcome death and and be resurrected as well.

43: Resurrection means our bodies and our spirits will be reunited at a designated time after death (implying that our spirit and body are united in earth life).  We will ALL be

able to stand before God after this life and account for our life "and have a bright recollection of all our guilt," or as I once read, having a bright recollection of our guilt, including when we have used the atonement to work through guilt.

44: Our bodies will be restored to perfectness - no sickness, maladies, physical issues! And we will be judged according to our works (works includes whether or not we relied on Christ's atonement to work through everything) before the three members of the Godhead: God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit - three separate beings, but all with one purpose - to help us!

45: After we are resurrected, we will be immortal, our bodies and spirits will never be divided again and incorruptible.

How does this effect how we govern our life now?  WHAT WE DO IN THIS LIFE MATTERS! This life is not as the Savior says in Luke 12:19-20:
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

This life is not just this life, there is more.  This life is a test to see if we will actually rely on God to get through and live and thrive.  While this seems like a simple way to live or to some may seem a pointless way to live, I can only say that once a person has asked God for help and that person receives help, there is a deep feeling, almost a remembrance that there is more to this life than just trying to survive from day to day.