"Mormon" immortality: Why death is not the end, my grandma's funeral, and the miracle of Easter

Even though we all know that death is a part of life, we long for immortality or the ability to live forever. In literature explorers search for the fountain of youth or the Holy Grail, Percy Jackson fights evil as a demi-god, and Bella will only be satisfied when she is turned into a vampire. But guess what? In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we know the real secret to immortality. In the Pearl of Great Price, a book of scripture, the Lord Jesus Christ tells Moses, "For behold, this is my work and my glory---to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). All of us who come to the earth will have immortality. We don't have to search for it or wish we could stay young forever. Every one of us will live after we die. Jesus Christ died and was resurrected and because of that we will be resurrected too. There are no conditions. If you have a body, if you lived on the earth, you will live again with your spirit and body reunited. Jesus Christ, the son of the Living God, a god Himself, laid down his life and took it up again so we could live after we die. That is the miracle of Easter. And that is one reason why I was not sad when my grandma died last week.

As I told my friends that I would be going to Utah for my Grandma Roundy's funeral, each said, "I'm sorry. That's sad." I responded that it wasn't sad because she was 90 years old and had lived a good life. I also knew that she would receive the second part of Jesus Christ's work and glory---eternal life. Eternal life is life with our Heavenly Father. My grandma was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was married in the temple to my grandpa, participated in all the saving ordinances, kept the commandments, and served faithfully throughout her life. That does not mean she was perfect or that she made no mistakes. For a long time she had no contact with a couple of her daughters. That's where the greater miracle of Easter played a part. Because of the atonement, because of forgiveness, because of the power of family, all six of my grandma's children were at the funeral. And that's where I saw the immediate immortality of my grandma---through the lives of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  I love my family. I loved sharing memories, catching up on each other's lives, giving hugs, sharing smiles, shedding tears, and especially singing together at the funeral. I know Grandma was there with us, her heart overflowing with happiness as we came together to sing one of her favorite songs.

What causes me sadness and uncertainty is that some members of my family are no longer active in our church. They are great people whom I love and who have remarkable talents and abilities. I know my grandma wished that they would come back. In visiting with my family members, I couldn't see how our Heavenly Father can deny them eternal life or life with Him. I want all of us to be together and it sounds judgmental to say that some will and some won't. From Preach My Gospel, A Guide to Missionary Service, I read last night that "As we continue to exercise faith in Christ, repent, and renew our covenants, we enjoy continued guidance from the Holy Ghost. If we endure to the end of our lives in being true to our covenants, we will receive eternal life. A few members do not endure or remain fully active. However, enduring to the end is a personal responsibility. We 'work out [our] own salvation' (Phillippians 2:12) and we serve and love those whose faith has grown weak through inactivity" (pg. 88). This idea is connected to the post I wrote about being worthy to go to the temple. I related that the commitments we make in the temple are like being part of a lacrosse team that works hard enough and is committed enough to win games and succeed. While I don't understand how Christ will judge each of us after this life, I have faith that all will be made right.

Because of my grandma's life, my family members have bodies that are connected genetically and behaviorally. Because of her death, we came together and were reminded of our family bonds. Because of Christ's atonement and resurrection, we will each be able to see her again as immortal beings, our bodies and spirits reunited. Immortality is not a myth. It is a reality.