Will I be healed so I can kneel when Christ returns?

Question

Gramps,

I will gladly bow before Christ and praise Him. The only problem I have is that at age 14 I injured my knees. Time and age have taken a toll on my knees and it is really hard to bend my knees. When Christ comes, will He heal my knees so I can bow before Him and do it painlessly?

Susan

Answer

Dear Susan,

I am so sorry to hear about your knees, and admire your dedication to Christ.

The prophecy that “every knee shall bow” can be found in all four books of scripture. There’s a few things you should consider about the prophecy.

The first is the metaphorical nature of the phrase. In the Old Testament, where the phrase is first used, bowing often referred specifically to kings. Eventually the word was used among the Hebrews to mean both physically bowing, and the attitude of submitting yourself to your king.

Another thing you should consider is the timing of the prophecy. Most references to “every knee shall bow” only refer to an unspecified future time. But D&C 88:104, puts the prophecy in its chronological context, not only after the Second Coming, but also after the first resurrection, when Alma teaches “limb and joint shall be restored to their proper frame.”

It is likely, then, that you won’t have to meet the prophecy of bowing before the Savior until after your body has been resurrected.

But perhaps that misses the point of your question. If you are like me, you look forward to the Second Coming of Christ and worshiping Him as He arrives. Rest assured, if you are alive, your bodily ills will not rob you of that opportunity.

When Jesus appeared to the Nephites, every one of them fell to the Earth in worship even though many of them were sick and injured. And though Christ healed them eventually, He did not have to do so before they could bow before Him.

Gramps