I spoke in Church Today

Patrick and I were asked to speak in church today. The topic was witnesses of Christ's resurrection. I was asked to look in the New Testament and He was asked to look in the Book of Mormon.

I thought that I would post it for my friends and family who couldn't be there. Here it is:

My talk is about witnesses of Christ’s resurrection in the New Testament.
What about them? Why is it important to have witnesses any way? What is a witness?

Witnesses of Christ resurrection actually experienced, saw, heard or knew by personal presence or perception that Christ has risen again.

I imagine the miracle of that event would be hard for those present to truly comprehend. I am full of wonder when I attempt to imagine the experience of witnessing of Christ’s resurrection. To witness it is to hear the tender and powerful sound of his voice, to see his perfect and glorious form, maybe even to physically touch the scars… the very proof of his sacrifice for us. I imagine that it would be very difficult to trust our mortal eyes. I believe that we would need to rely on the Holy Ghost to testify to our hearts the reality of that moment.

On dictionary.com one definition of a witness is a person or thing that affords evidence. New Testament witnesses do provide the world with evidence of the great miracle of resurrection. Their testimonies are written in the scriptures as proof for us: to read, to believe with faith and to gain our own personal testimony.

So I decided to do just that. I found several witnesses of Christ’s resurrection in the new testament. In the interest of time I decided to focus on just one example.
The first witness I read about was Saul of tarssus who became the apostle Paul.

ACTS 9: 1-29

AND Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a achosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his ahands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that a destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

Imagine Pauls terror when he realized that Jesus Christ is our resurrected savior. Imagine how painful the process would have been for him to change his heart. The amazing thing about Paul is his fearless testimony.

This is Pauls testimony from acts 13 (The order and some of my interjections were taken from a talk by the Prophet Howard W. Hunter.)

“And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre."
“But God raised him from the dead."
“And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.” (Acts 13:29–31.)
Later Paul in Acts 17...
“[God] hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31),
Then to King Agrippa he asked this question: “Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?” (Acts 26:8.)
Paul bore his apostolic witness of the Resurrection again in his letter to the Saints at Corinth:
“Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? … For the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 9:1–2.)
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept … in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:20, 22.)

I believe the words of Paul’s testimony. I have always held the story of his conversion close to my heart.

I remember in Musicology class in college we heard an early Christian song based on the words “Saul, Saul why persecutes thou me?” The piece of music was very frightening… maybe that is because the ancient music was haunting and the text was in a very old german dialect. I remember sitting in my desk listening to that music and wondering how it would feel to face the lord after persecuting his followers and how frightening it would be to for me face the lord knowing of the sins i have commited in my life.

After that class I had the opportunity to study the new testament scripture. I decided to read the story from the bible. I expected to find a lengthy explanation of Paul’s experience. Paul had been a powerful and evil man who Christ’s disciples recognized and feared. I was extremely curious how a man like that could become an apostle. So I found his experience hidden in a few verses in Acts, but what I also found was verse after verse of Paul bearing witness. Over and over again I read of his testimony of the divinity of our Savior and the reality of his resurrection.

Instead of the terror I felt when listening to the song... while reading the bible I have been moved by God’s love for the apostle Paul. God must love Paul very much.

He didn’t strike Paul dead. He forgave him for all the evil and persecution he had committed. Christ personally taught Paul the truth, and Christ accepted Paul’s repentance. Christ made Paul into a powerful missionary and witness. And Paul must the love the Savior very much. After this experience he gave his life to spreading the message of atonement for our sins through Christ and the reality of the resurrection.

I have prayed for a deeper testimony and understanding of Paul’s experience so that I might pass on to you what I feel in my heart.

I know that sin and death are frightening things. But I believe that the scary part is over. I believe that Christ conquered death. I believe that just as much as death and sin are horrible and ugly, eternal life and complete forgiveness are wonderful and beautiful.

I deeply believe Paul. Christ has risen from the dead. And with this faith I have so much comfort.

However, the accounts in the new testament provide even more than the blessing of testimony.

Those who experienced Christ’s resurrection in the New Testament leave touching insight into the character of Jesus Christ. Paul’s experience affords us an opportunity to understand Christ’s ability to completely forgive us.


Ultimately, whether or not we have faith in these testimonies has no influence on reality. Christ’s resurrection remains a fact. His triumph over death happened whether we believe it or not. In the same way all of us will in turn be resurrected.

However, it is only through our willingness to accept his sacrifice that we will be blessed with the opportunity to live forever with him, to reside forever in his love.

In our last ward ("ward" means= congregation in mormonspeak) I was the music teacher for the little children on Sundays. and I had the blessed opportunity to teach the children the words to the song “I know that my redeemer lives.” It was a tender experience to hear their tiny voices sing:

“I know that my redeemer lives,
What comfort this sweet sentence gives.
He lieves he lives who once was dead
He lives my ever living head

“he lives to bless me with his love
He lives to plead for me above
He lived my hungry soul to feed
He lives to bless in time of need”

I want to add my testimony to theirs I know that my redeemer lives.