The Savior's death sealed the testimony of His love for all mankind; His resurrection opened the gates of salvation to the sons and daughters of God of all generations, declared President Gordon B. Hinckley in an address during the April 1985 general conference.

President Hinckley, then second counselor in the First Presidency, spoke of the final events during the Savior's mortal ministry, from the time Jesus met with His apostles in the Upper Room, through the mockery of His trial and the people calling out to Pilate, "Crucify him, crucify him!" (Luke 23:21.)"With stumbling steps He walked the way to Golgotha, where His wounded body was nailed to the cross in the most inhumane and pain-ridden method of execution that sadistic minds could conjure," President Hinckley said.

"Yet He cried out, `Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' (Luke 23:34.)

"The hours passed as His life ebbed in pain. The earth shook, the veil of the temple was rent. From His parched lips came the words, `Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.' (Luke 23:46.)

"It was over. His mortal life was finished. He had offered it as a ransom for all.

"Gone were the hopes of those who loved Him. Forgotten were the promises He had made. His body was hurriedly but tenderly placed in a borrowed tomb on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath. That Sabbath came and went. Then, early in the morning of Sunday, Mary Magdalene and other women came to the tomb. They wondered as they hurried how the stone might be rolled from the door of the sepulcher. Arriving, they saw an angel who spoke to them: `I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.' (Matt. 28:5-6; see Luke 24:1-6.)

"It had never before happened. The empty tomb was the answer to the question of the ages. Well did Paul say: `O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?' (1 Cor. 15:55.) . . .

"All of us will die. But that will not be the end. Just as He in the spirit world taught those who once had been disobedient in the days of Noah and were capable of being taught, even so shall each of us continue as individual personalities capable of learning and teaching and other activities.

"And just as He took up His body and came forth from the tomb, even so shall all of us enjoy a reunion of body and spirit to become living souls in the day of our own resurrection."