Before the Nephites "saw a Man descending out of heaven . . . clothed in a white robe: (3 Ne. 11:8), they had been taught of the Savior's birth, ministry, crusifixion and resurrection.
"The story of Jesus is a two-continent story," said Dennis L. Largey in a paper at a BYU symposium on the Book of Mormon. "He is actively concerned with both areas of the world, for as Mary and Joseph were making preparations for the advent of Jesus' birth in the manger at Bethlehem, Jesus was speaking to Nephi, giving comfort and instruction." (3 Ne. 1:13.)The story of Jesus Christ is also a "two-book story." The Bible and Book of Mormon are testaments of His gospel. "The two testaments of Christ complement each other," said Largey.
To illustrate this, Largey compared teachings on several topics, including the resurrection.
He said of 104 references to the resurection in the New Testament, doctrine is explained in 25 of them.
From these verses, said Largey, one may learn the following:
1. Jesus would rise on the third day (Johyn 2:19) with a body of flesh and bone. (Luke 24:36-39.)
2. His resurrection would bring the resurrection of all men. (1Cor. 15:22.)
3. Jesus was raised for our justification. (Rom. 4:25.)
4. Each will be resurrected in his own order. (1 Cor. 15:23.)
5. Jesus' resurrection will bring the resurrection of the just and unjust. (Acts 24:15.)
6. Just as the sun, moon and stars differ in glory, so will the resurrected bodies of men. (1 Cor. 15:39-42.)
7. The second death will have no power over those worhty to come forth in the first resurrection. (Rev. 20:5.)
8. The resurrectio brings a lively hope. (1 Pet. 1:3.)
"Almost in every case the Book of Mormon acts as a second witness tot he New Testament doctrine on the resurrction, and then goes beyond, to offer aditional insights," said Largey. He said, for example, if one wrote down all doctrine gleaned form the New Testament o the subject of resurrection one could then add the following information from the Book of Mormon:
1. Deatils concerning the resurreciton of the just and the injust. (2 Ne. 9:10-18.)
2. The fate of the spirit, were it not for an ifinite atonement. (2 Ne. 9:7-9.)
3. A definition of the resurrectio of damnation. (Mosiah 16:11.)
4. Specific qualifications to achieve the first resurrection. (Mosiah 15:21-24; 18:9.)
5. The necessary relationship of resurrection to universal judgment. (3 Ne. 27:13-18.)
6. Information on the space of time between death and resurrection. (Alma 40.)
7. The inseparability of the spirit from the body after resurrection. (Alma 11:45.)
8. A clear definition of what resurrectionis. (Alma 11:44; 40:23.)