1 THE first day of the week [ What Is the Significance of “The First Day of the Week”? “Because Jesus came forth from the grave on the first day of the week, to commemorate that day and to keep in remembrance the glorious reality of the resurrection, the ancient apostles, as guided by the Spirit, changed the Sabbath to Sunday. That this change had divine approval we know from latter-day revelation, in which Deity speaks of ‘the Lord’s day’ as such and sets forth what should and should not be done on that day. (D. & C. 59:9–17.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:841.) ] cometh Mary Magdalene early, [ For what purpose did Mary Magdalene and Other Faithful Women Set Out to Visit the Tomb? “At the earliest indication of dawn, the devoted Mary Magdalene and other faithful women set out for the tomb, bearing spices and ointments which they had prepared for the further anointing of the body of Jesus. some of them had been witnesses of the burial, and were conscious of the necessary haste with which the corpse had been wrapped with spicery and laid away by Joseph and Nicodemus, just before the beginning of the Sabbath; and now these adoring women came early to render loving service in a more thorough anointing and external embalmment of the body.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 678.) ] when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

4 so they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. [ What clues did Peter see that would indicate to him that this was not a thief of the body? The fact that the linens were removed and placed in order. Thieves would have taken everything and would have been in a hurry to not get caught. So this was the first indication that something else had happened as the linens were removed and placed. ]

8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

11 ¶ But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, [ Mary is broken hearted - this is almost as if to say; why can't they even let him alone when he is dead? ]

12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. [ “How much there is incident to the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord which ennobles and exalts faithful women. They wept at the cross, sought to care for his wounded and lifeless body, and came to his tomb to weep and worship for their friend and Master. And so it is not strange that we find a woman, Mary of Magdala, chosen and singled out from all the disciples, even including the apostles, to be the first mortal to see and bow in the presence of a resurrected being. Mary, who had been healed of much and who loved much, saw the risen Christ!”(McConkie, DNTC, 1:843.) ]

17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: [ Why Did the Lord Forbid Mary to Touch Him? “One may wonder why Jesus had forbidden Mary Magdalene to touch Him, and then, so soon after, had permitted other women to hold Him by the feet as they bowed in reverence. We may assume that Mary’s emotional approach had been prompted more by a feeling of personal yet holy affection than by an impulse of devotional worship such as the other women evinced. Though the resurrected Christ manifested the same friendly and intimate regard as He had shown in the mortal state toward those with whom He had been closely associated, He was no longer one of them in the literal sense. There was about Him a divine dignity that forbade close personal familiarity. To Mary Magdalene Christ had said: ‘Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.’ If the second clause was spoken in explanation of the first, we have to infer that no human hand was to be permitted to touch the Lord’s resurrected and immortalized body until after He had presented Himself to the Father. It appears reasonable and probable that between Mary’s impulsive attempt to touch the Lord, and the action of the other women who held Him by the feet as they bowed in worshipful reverence, Christ did ascend to the Father, and that later He returned to earth to continue His ministry in the resurrected state.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 682.) The ancient coronation ceremonies also fulfill the ancient prophecies of Christ, who the scriptures foretold would be the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and who would rule with a sceptre of truth and justice and mercy. After three days in the underworld Christ steps out into the Garden and sees Mary. As she comes to Him, he bids her to “touch me, not, for I have not yet ascended unto my Father.” He indicates He needs to return and report to His Father that he has been true and faithful in all things His Father had asked him to do. Then He can sit on His Throne and take His rightful place and rejoice with all creation. The term “three days” in scripture always represents a movement from one environment into a new environment. Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale; Jesus spent three days in the tomb; Moses pled with Pharaoh to allow the Children of Israel to travel three days into the wilderness so that they could make sacrifices unto the Lord their God (Exodus 3:18). If you do a word search on “three days” you will discover some interesting things. In most every case, you will see the movement from one environment to another. It's another pattern. Alma was out for three days; King Lamoni was out for three days; Paul was out for three days. Changes took place in all of them. ] but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; [ What Is the Significance of Jesus’ Words “I Ascend unto My Father, and Your Father; and to My God, and Your God”? “Such careful choice of words was in keeping with his unvarying custom of maintaining a distinction between himself and other men. He was the son of God, literally; other men had mortal fathers. Thus, for instance, he was careful to say. ‘I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God and your God’ (John 20:17), not unto our Father and our God.” (McConkie, DNTC, 1:413.) ] and to my God, and your God.

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

19 ¶ Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

24 ¶ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

26 ¶ And after eight [the number eight always points to a new beginning, purification, or the Atonement. It is found in association with temples, ordinances, or other holy themes. To help illustrate this, it helps if we first understand that the symbolism of eight is directly related to the symbolism of seven. In Genesis, we read: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished . . . And on the seventh day, God ended his work which he had made” (Gen. 2: 1-2). Seven, therefore, in the Hebrew tradition means finished, whole, or complete. What then becomes of the eighth day? The eighth day then becomes the first day of a new period. In other words, not the beginning, but a new beginning. By exploring a few scriptures, we see that this new beginnings represents purification the Atonement of Christ. For example, animals used for sacrifices stayed with the mother seven days, and then were slain on the eigth day. These animals were symbolic of Christ as an eternal sacrifice. Similarly, the priests of Aaron under Moses were to purge seven days, and on the eighth day they could enter the tabernacle, being purified, and make an atoning sacrifice. We learn in Ezekial that “upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord” (Ezekiel 43:26-27). ] days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. [ Jesus appears to the Apostles in Jerusalem, he bade them to feel and handle Him because a spirit did not have flesh and bones. He specifically instructed Thomas to place his fingers in his side and to feel the wounds on his hands and feet. Those are the signs one could recognize if a true messenger came with power from God. Joseph taught in D&C 129 that when you shake the hand of an angel you are testing him for the tokens. Thomas got labeled a “doubting Thomas,” but in fact, he had been taught how to recognize a true messenger from God. When he declared that he would not believe unless he could see and test for himself, he was doing exactly what he had been taught to do—he was testing Christ for the signs of the Crucifixion! Elder Gordon B. Hinckley said: “Have you not heard others speak as Thomas spoke? ‘Give us,’ they say, ‘the empirical evidence. Prove before our very eyes, and our ears, and our hands, else we will not believe.’ This is the language of the time in which we live. Thomas the Doubter has become the example of men in all ages who refuse to accept other than that which they can physically prove and explain—as if they could prove love, or faith, or even such physical phenomena as electricity. … “To all within the sound of my voice who may have doubts, I repeat the words given Thomas as he felt the wounded hands of the Lord: ‘Be not faithless, but believing’” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1978, 90; or Ensign, May 1978, 59).]

28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

30 ¶ And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God; [ What was John’s reason for writing down some of the things that the resurrected Jesus said and did? ] and that believing ye might have life through his name.