It seems self-evident that any Christian worthy of the name ought to embrace Jesus's teachings. His references to being the "Resurrection and the Life," His specific teachings on the topic, His literal resurrection and demonstration of His physical reality, the resurrection of others and the teachings of the apostles all make life after death an integral part of the faith.
One of my Christian fellow panelists writes this week: "I am a complete agnostic about the afterlife." Did I miss something? Choose to accept or reject the idea of an afterlife by all means, but let's not pretend that Jesus Christ and his apostles didn't teach it.
So, the answers to the questions:
1.Do you believe in life after death? Unequivocally, yes.
2.Have you ever been visited by the spirit of a dead relative or friend? No. But I remain open-minded toward those who say they have.
3.Do such visions or visitations have any theological meaning? Depending on the context and who is visiting whom, the theological significance may be foundational.
Specifically, the resurrection of Christ holds the promise of continued conscious existence for all of us. For Christians who believe we are here for a purpose, life is gutted of much of its meaning without it.
Note for those who want more depth:
Latter-day Saint doctrine has a lot to say about what happens to our spirits after death the subsequent resurrection and continued existence and progression. Anyone interested in following these links will find hundreds of scriptures on the topics from the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon and modern revelations.
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