Five Scripture Passages to Broaden Our Perspective on Death

Before we were born, we lived as spirits with our Heavenly Parents. We were eager to obtain a physical body, like they had, and journey to this world to live and laugh and love and learn.

"The spirit and the body are the soul of [every person]" (D&C 88:15). These were joined together when we passed through the veil of our birth; and they are separated with our death.

Death has sometimes been described as walking through a doorway from one room to another, but some doors are heavier than others. When someone we love has passed through the veil of death, it evokes pangs of sorrow and shock among those left behind. We are rarely ready to let go. Though it may vary from time to time and person to person, the hurt is real. The only length of life that seems to satisfy the longings of the human heart is life everlasting.

Mourning is a natural response and deep expression of genuine love. President Nelson has taught that "the only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life." This is the way it is intended to be. The Lord commanded us to "live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die" (D&C 42:45).

In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord also promised: "blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). His comfort is found as we turn to him, study his gospel to understand more clearly, and seek to live our lives more aligned with his laws that govern comfort, healing, and happiness.

A broader, more eternal perspective can provide peace "which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). Our lives are like a long-awaited trip. Before we left our heavenly home, we sought assurance of a round-trip ticket. There was a plan developed for our salvation-- collectively, but also individually. Like the trips we have all experienced, returning home is one of the best parts of the journey. For those of us still here in our mortal destination, the only way home is through the doors of death that cannot be circumvented.

There are several scriptures that help us adopt a broader, more eternal perspective on the life that continues after death. Consider these five passages, for example:

Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection-- Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they are good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

And then it shall come to pass that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow... until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works.

The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body, yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame (Alma 40:11-12, 21, 23).

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

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... and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit... to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil (Alma 11:42-44).


For it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him. For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfill the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Wherefore it must needs be [that] an infinite atonement [is provided for us]-- save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man [meaning the fall] 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!... And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave. And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death [or the separation of mankind from God], shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is 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.

... and all men [and women] become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect (2 Nephi 9:5-13).


And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.

He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death (Mosiah 16:7-9).


And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us-- That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him; Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands, except those [few]... who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him (D&C 76:40-43).


This life is a time to prepare to meet God (Alma 34:32). We will all die, but through Christ we will also all be resurrected or, in other words, saved from physical death to live in a kingdom of glory.

Yet, our ability to be redeemed from spiritual death and return to our heavenly parents to live the life they enjoy, also called eternal life, depends on the choices we make in this life. That redemption is available to each of us, no matter what has happened in the past, if we remain willing to make and keep covenants with the Lord. This begins with having faith in Christ, repenting of our sins, covenanting with the Lord through baptism for the remission of sins, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and continuing to strive throughout our lives.

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:20).

Some doors are heavier than others, but through Christ we can receive the steadfast hope and comfort that what I have shared today from the scriptures is true. We can receive assurances of our own ability to return to live with God as we make covenants with him and strive to keep them. Our families can be sealed together for time and eternity through temple ordinances. We can satisfy the longings of our hearts for life everlasting. And we can look forward to being reunited with those we love, resurrection to a perfect, immortal body, and the gift of eternal life that God desires to give each of his children.

Walking on Water

All of us have heard the story about the time that Christ, and for a short time, Peter, walked on water. We know that the wind was blowing and that Peter took a few steps on the choppy sea before he began to doubt and sink. We’ve talked at church and at home about the importance of keeping our focus on Christ and how Christ will help us when we falter. We know this stuff, and it is important, but we also miss a lot when we examine this experience as an isolated incident. Consider for a moment the many lessons available for us in the context of this story:

Less than 24 hours before Christ traversed the surface of the stormy sea, he learned that his cousin, friend and predecessor, John the Baptist, had been killed unjustly to satisfy a young woman who had danced for the king. The news was a heavy blow and Christ soon boarded a ship across the Sea of Galilee to the wilderness where he could be alone to grieve.

When he reached the opposite coast however, Christ found that thousands of people had walked the several miles around the sea to be with him when he arrived. Rather than sending them away or being frustrated that he couldn’t get a moment for himself, Christ spent the rest of the day preaching and healing the sick.

When evening came and there was no food, Christ could have very easily dismissed the crowd with no ill will. Surely after the loss of John and a full day of ministering to the multitude, he would have been justified in doing so. But the scriptures say that he was moved with compassion and instead performed a miracle to feed the multitude.

Finally, sometime after dinnertime, Christ told the disciples to take the boat and head home. He stayed with the crowd a little longer and then sent them to their homes as well. It had been a full day. Christ was probably physically and emotionally exhausted, but he was finally alone. Still seeking solace himself, he climbed a nearby mountain to pray.

Hours later, the disciples were struggling to get home. The five-mile journey that might normally take about two hours had stretched into a very difficult nine or more hours of rowing in a choppy sea against a blasting wind. What physical strength they had was likely exhausted. Different personalities in the boat may have been upset or annoyed or even a little incredulous that they had battled through the entire night and were still stuck out in the middle of the sea. Some might have been scared that they weren’t going to make it across at all.

Then, sometime between three and six in the morning, the disciples saw a mysterious figure out on the water. Christ had seen them struggling from the temple-mountain where he had been praying and had walked the five or more miles to where they were. He was unrecognizable in the dark of night and the disciples cried out in fear of what they thought may be an evil spirit. Christ responded, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”

Peter recognized the voice of the Lord and answered, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” Peter’s qualifying statement, “if it be thou”, indicates that Christ was probably still at least partially hidden by the darkness. Christ told Peter to come to him.

Most of us recognize that it is a bit irrational under normal circumstances to get out of a boat that is nowhere near land. By this logic, it is then completely irrational to do so at night amid high wind and waves when you are completely exhausted from a full day of service and a full night of rowing and your peers are terrified of what they see outside the boat. Peter knew this, but Peter got out of the boat.

In utter contradiction to everything he knew to be possible, Peter then walked on the water. He took a few obedient steps before suddenly becoming aware again that he was in the middle of the storm and that what he was doing was impossible. As he sensed himself beginning to falter, he called out, “Lord, save me.” Immediately, the Savior stretched forth his hand and caught Peter. When both men had reached to boat, the storm ceased. The rest of the disciples then recognized the Lord and worshipped him.

The boat made landfall in early morning and again Christ was met by crowds of people seeking healing for themselves and their loved ones. Despite all that had happened and now more than 24 hours without sleep, Christ spent the day ministering unto the people, healing their sick, contending with the Pharisees, and performing another miracle to feed the multitudes.

In the 24 verses adjacent to the story of Christ walking on the water in Matthew 14, we find a rich context with filled with insightful details and instructive gospel lessons. In these verses we learn that Christ always has time for us and is always ready to provide help and healing. We learn that when we serve others even when we are grieved or sad, we are following the example of our Savior. We learn that we can find solace in the temple and in prayer, just as the Savior did.

The context prepares our heart and mind to learn that even though God might not always spare us from the storms of life, he is aware of us and will come to our aid; that we get credit for trying; and that if we will try to come to him he will catch us when we start to sink. It helps us see the power of love and the deceit of fear.

From Peter we learn that sometimes we cannot overcome our trials on our own or even with the support of friends and family; but that doesn’t mean our trials cannot be overcome. We learn the importance of recognizing the voice of the Lord and trusting his voice above the fearful voices of the world or even our own logic. We do not have to see Christ to know he is there. And though it may not always be rational or even possible to obey his voice, the Lord will help us do the impossible if we will just get out of the boat. Indeed, the boat is often our biggest obstacle.

The story of Christ walking on the water is one of the best-known Bible stories worldwide. Its richness is enhanced when we understand the emotions, symbols and other details surrounding it. And best of all, it is true and so are the principles we learn from it. Jesus Christ is the Creator of heaven and Earth. He is our Savior. He loves us. He wants each of us to come to him. He wants each of us to walk on water.