This evening I received a beautiful e-card from my cousin with the Easter message, "He is risen."  I wished that I had something appropriate that I could send in return.

A little over two hours ago I knelt beside my bed to have my evening prayer.  I told my Father in heaven that in a few minutes I was going to finish another reading of The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  I expressed gratitude for the book, and for the testimony of my Savior which I possess, and asked that I might be given some thoughts about which I could write.  I asked that the Holy Ghost would teach me.

I got into bed, finished the book at about 9:20, and promptly fell asleep.  Normally I would sleep deeply until about 2:00.  That's what time I expected that it was when I came awake with the title of this article in my mind.  All sorts of thoughts were coming.  I came wide awake as I realized that the answer to my prayer was upon me, and that I must get up and write.  I rolled over and was shocked to see that the clock said just 11:10.

Each of the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John ends on a grand, triumphant note.  Each testifies that Jesus, who was crucified, rose from the dead, and appeared to His disciples.

The first to see Him was a woman, Mary Magdalene.  How interesting it is that she was the first of all humankind to see the resurrected Christ.  She went from the deepest, heartfelt sorrow, to a transport of joy as she suddenly recognized Him.

Jesus appeared to the Apostles.  Each was given the privilege of feeling the imprints of the nails in His hands and feet so that they could know and positively testify that He was, indeed, the very Person who had been crucified three days previously, and that He was now alive and back in His body.  This had never before happened in the history of the world.  It was a message that they were to bear to the world.  "Go ye therefore," Jesus said to them as He left them, "and teach all nations, baptizing them, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."  (Matthew 28:19-20).

Jesus appeared to them numerous times, and even to 500 at once.  (1 Cor. 15:6).  The glad message of His resurrection is the best-attested event in the history of the world.

And then what?

Many Christian thinkers will tell you that Jesus is a spirit, that God is a power or an essence that fills the universe, and that the Father and the Son are an unknowable mystery which we are incapable of understanding.

That thought itself is the mystery.  Do they think that Jesus died again?  If He left His body again, what was the point of His resurrection?

The grand message was that because He was resurrected, we will all be resurrected, too.  This is His great gift to all mankind.  This is the message that His disciples were to bear to the world.  The message is that in the garden and upon the cross He took upon Himself the combined sins, sorrows, pains, and afflictions of all mankind, and made the ultimate Atonement.  Because of Him repentance became possible.  These are the great gifts that He gave to mankind:  the Resurrection and the ability to repent.

Every sin that we commit must be paid for.  The great secret, the grand message that the disciples were to bear to the world, was that our sins are already paid for on condition of our repentance.  Jesus said:

"Therefore I command you to repent--repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and           by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore--how sore you know not, how            exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.

"For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they   would repent;

"But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

"Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain,            and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit--and would that I might not           drink the bitter cup, and shrink--

"Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the            children of men.

"Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power..."           (Doctrine and Covenants 19:15-20).

Jesus' disciples saw Him, felt Him, and testified of Him.

And then what?

Things got twisted thereafter.  Jesus told the people to repent and to be baptized.  Many Christian thinkers today reject the need for either.  For many centuries the Christian church taught that men could be forgiven of their sins by paying money.  Many churches today teach that baptism is optional.  Never mind what Jesus told His disciples as He was leaving them.

These are what The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, calls "false and vain and foolish doctrines."  (2 Nephi 28:9).

The Book of Mormon answers my question of, "And then what?"

Following Jesus' resurrection and appearance to the disciples in the Holy Land, He went to His other sheep in the Americas.  He appeared to 2,500 people gathered around the temple in Bountiful following the great destruction that accompanied His crucifixion.  As He had done in Jerusalem He invited the people to "handle me and see."  (Luke 24:39).

"And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:

"Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye         may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the             God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

"And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and          did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth      one by one, until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their         hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written           by the prophets, that should come."  (3 Nephi 11:13-15).

After all 2,500 had felt Him and verified that it was He, the very next thing that He did was to call twelve disciples, and gave them power to baptize.  He explained how it was to be done, and said:

"And again I say unto you ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in            my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.

"And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a             little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this         buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

"And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same            cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon            them.

"Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the           ends of the earth."  (3 Nephi 11:37-41).

The appearance of Jesus Christ to the people is the climax of The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  He told them that they were the other sheep that He spoke of in Jerusalem:

"And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said:  Other sheep I have which are           not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one   fold, and one shepherd.

"And they understood me not, for they supposed it had been the Gentiles; for they            understood not that the Gentiles should be converted through their preaching.

"And they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me          not that the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice--that I should not manifest myself   unto them save it were by the Holy ghost.

"But behold, ye have both heard my voice, and seen me; and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among those whom the Father hath given me."  (3 Nephi 15:21-24).

What an incredible, magnificent story!  There is no other message in the whole world as important as the message that Jesus atoned for our sins, that He was resurrected, that the Bible is true, and that it has a companion testament to back it up.

And then what?

The Bible and The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, are not the end of the story.  There are yet other witnesses that He is risen.  Two Personages appeared to the boy, Joseph Smith, exactly 200 years ago, in the state of New York, in answer to his prayer.  One pointed to the other and said, "Joseph, this is My Beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  (Joseph Smith-History 1:17).

Thus was set in motion the marvelous work and a wonder that Isaiah testified would take place in the latter-days.  (Isaiah 29:14).  Thus was set in motion the stone which Daniel saw that was cut out of the mountain without hands that would fill the whole earth.  (Daniel 2:34-35).  Thus was set in motion the  restitution of all things which was spoken of in Acts.  (Acts 3:19-21).

Nor was the Savior's appearance to Joseph in what we call "the first vision" the only time that Joseph saw him.  In 1832 He appeared to Joseph and Sidney Rigdon together, after which they testified:

"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony,            last of all, which we give of him:  That he lives!

"For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that        he is the Only Begotten of the Father--

"That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the        inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God."  (Doctrine and Covenants       76:22-24).

In 1836 the Savior came to Joseph and Oliver Cowdery.  They testified:

"We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet          was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.

"His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his      countenance shone above the brightness of the sun, and his voice was as the sound of the         rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

"I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate            with the Father."  (Doctrine and Covenants 110:2-4).

The resurrection of Jesus is the best-attested fact in the history of the world.  It is a message that everyone must hear.  It is a glad message.  It is the most important message of all.  Every Christian should rejoice that these other witnesses can attest to the truth of the story of the resurrection as told in the Bible.

The Savior lives.  He is risen.  I add my voice as another witness.