While Christ suffered on the cross, the rulers of the Jews mocked him saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God (Lu 23:35). What would have happened if Jesus had taken the opportunity to save himself? That he had power over death and more that 12 legions of angels at his disposal is without dispute (Matt 26:53). So what would have happened if he used this power? If he got down from the cross, killed the Roman soldiers, the chief priests, and rulers of the people? This would have saved him from death and the resurrection. All these acts would have been acceptable to the justice of God but they would have destroyed his plan of mercy. The fall of Adam would have remained in force, and all of God’s children would have been left as Adam was—cast out of the presence of God—forever.
The scriptures teach us of several different things that would happen if the flesh should rise no more:
While in Gesthemane, Christ prayed Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done (Lu 22:42). What would have happened if the Father had removed this cup? What would have happened if Jesus had decided not to go through with it? Jacob encapsulates the answer in his explanation, our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil. What does it mean to become as Satan, to be an angel to a devil? Again the scriptures tell us of several unpalatable consequences:
Fortunately, neither the Father nor the Son wanted these terrible things to happen. According to the mercy of the Father, who watched from the heavens as his son plead for another way, He required His Only-Begotten to suffer the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam (v. 21). He was only able to comfort His son by sending him an angel, And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him (Lu 22:43). Because of Christ’s great love for us, He partook and finished [His] preparations unto the children of men (DC 19:19).
For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent (DC 19:16) Because of His great sacrifice, we do not need to worry about whether the flesh will rise no more. It will—for every person who ever lived on the earth. We are left to rejoice, as did Paul and Jacob, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:55,57). O how great the goodness of our God… O how great the plan of our God!… O the greatness and the justice of our God! (vs. 10,13,17).
Joseph Smith
“If the resurrection from the dead be not an important point, or item in our faith, we must confess that we know nothing about it; for if there be no resurrection from the dead, then Christ has not risen; and if Christ has not risen He was not the Son of God; and if He was not he Son of God there is not nor cannot be a Son of God, if the present book called the Scriptures is true; because the time has gone by when, according to that book, He was to make His appearance … And if He has risen from the dead, He will by His power, bring all men to stand before Him; for if He has risen from the dead the bands of the temporal death are broken that the grave has no victory, if then, the grave has no victory, those who keep the sayings of Jesus and obey His teachings have not only a promise of a resurrection from the dead, but an assurance of being admitted into His glorious kingdom.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 62. as taken from McConkie and Millet’s, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 240)