How do I put into words- that which cannot be expressed by words alone?
Jesus Christ.
He knows first hand what it feels like to loose everything- to be torn apart by others-to feel absolutely alone and helpless. He knows what it feels like to be confused and lost- to feel regret and sorrow- to feel worthless and hated.
And yet- How could one man understand so much on such a personal level?
The Atonement.
"Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite Atonement - save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.
O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.
And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.
O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit."
O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.
And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.
O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit."
The only way to satisfy Justice was for a infinite being to "atone" for the sins of each of us. Or pay for them in a sense. Alma taught- for each Law of God "a punishment is affixed." When a law is broken, justice demands that the penalty be paid. In other words, when a sin is committed or an eternal law is broken- someone must pay for that sin. "justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God" (Alma 42:22)
Elder Dallin H. Oaks said that According to eternal law, the consequences that follow from the justice of God are severe and permanent. When a commandment is broken, a commensurate penalty is imposed. This happens automatically. Since all men violate the laws of God through sinful acts,
"by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever" (2 Nephi 2:5). By perishing from that which is good- we would not be able to be in our Heavenly Father's presence for he is good.
This is why we look to Christ we talk of Christ we rejoice in Christ and we prophesy of Christ
HE DID IT!
Our Elder Brother- completed God's work. He came to Earth and lived a perfect life and Atoned for the sins of the world.
"the Son . . . suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people. And after all this . . . he shall be led, crucified, and slain . . . And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death" (Mosiah 15:5-8). He did not once give way to temptation- but rather, lived in perfect obedience. Aligning his will to the Father's.
After partaking of the sacrament, he went to the Garden of Gathsemane and prayed. He then began to suffer miserably. "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." We are told he suffered all things spiritual and physical relative to mans fall. "Can we, even in the depths of disease, tell Him anything at all about suffering? In ways we cannot comprehend, our sicknesses and infirmities were borne by Him even before they were borne by us. The very weight of our combined sins caused Him to descend below all. We have never been, nor will we be, in depths such as He has known. Thus His atonement made perfect His empathy and His mercy and His capacity to succor us, for which we can be everlastingly grateful as He tutors us in our trials."-Neal A. Maxwell.
Because Christ descended below all things he came to "know according to the flesh how to succor his people" (Alma 7:12). This gave him the power to be a Savior to all men. By taking upon himself our infirmities- he knows exactly how to strengthen us and heal us.
What infinite gratitude we should have. The Eldest brother- of whom we knew before this life- came down and suffered immensly for each one of us- so that if we repent we will one day live again with our Father.
"And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the day of his probation--that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe;
"And they that believe not unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not;
"For they love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey."
Jesus Christ knows you and loves you individually. He knows your sorrows and trials, but most of all he knows how to heal you.
He is perfect. He loves and understands "you" more than you.
None is below Him- for He descended below us all. And None is so far that He can not redeem them.
Let him heal you.
for their is always a hope in Christ.
"He paid the price
Knowing death would be the costSaving souls that would be lostAnd I believe...That he lives
I know he lives
And every day
He's watching over me
And his great love
Will never end
For he's my brother, my savior, my friend"
-Hilary Weeks
