In the second book of Nephi, Jacob, the brother of Nephi, shares important truths concerning two deaths. As we were born into this physical, fallen world, we understand that all things here are temporary. All things in this physical existence decay and die, thus the first death. Spirits are eternal, and existed before this physical heaven and Earth. Spiritual death is death number two.
Jacob explains that God will raise each of our physical bodies from physical death by the power of His resurrection. This wonderful event will take place prior to the final judgement of this heaven and Earth. We will stand before God to be judged of our works, and we will be standing in our physical bodies.
Jesus completed His mission and attained to the power of the resurrection. He has power over death and is able to save each one of us. The resurrection of our physical bodies is possible because of Him. Glory to God!
Our spiritual bodies are in much greater peril than our physical bodies as we now understand that our physical bodies will be perfected. Our physical bodies will be repaired and perfected by Him, even Jesus Christ.
The spiritual body that lives within each of us, and enables our physical bodies to exist in this fallen physical experience, are eternal. Our spiritual bodies will enjoy eternal happiness or eternal misery, long after this heaven and Earth pass away.
We (our bodies and our spirits) are part of this fallen heaven and Earth, because we are sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. This fallen Earth is not like the other creations of God, which is why this one Earth has been termed a Telestial world by Joseph Smith. The other worlds all fall into two categories, either Celestial or Terrestrial and both types of worlds have glory.
Our Earth has fallen, this knowledge is shared throughout our scriptures. Glory here in our fallen world does not exist, except when Jesus, or one of His messengers visits our Earth and brings His glory with them.
More about our fallen world available in a post from July 25, 2020.
Understanding the extent of our dire circumstances within this fallen state, Paul taught "we stand in jeopardy every hour". Jacob explains that because we are here in this fallen existence, our spirits are located within everlasting death. We are stuck in this fallen world and the only way to escape the fall is Jesus. This is why Jesus taught this very simple and important truth: He is the way, the only way to life eternal.
Jacob explains in very clear language, it is through the power of the atonement that Christ is able to save us from spiritual death, also known as everlasting death. How do we access the atonement of Christ? We turn ourselves towards Him, also known as repentance. We ask for His mercy and forgiveness. We follow Him into the waters of baptism. We emerge from the waters clean and reborn. We continue following His voice while trying to live as He lives - patient, kind and longsuffering.
And remember after ye are reconciled unto God that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved. Wherefore, may God raise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen.
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