Sunday, February 19, 2012

He Knows How to Succor Us

One of my favorite scriptures is Alma 7:11-12.
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."
To me that is a beautiful scripture and speaks volumes about the love that the Savior has for us. The purpose of the atonement was to overcome physical and spiritual death. Through Christ's suffering in the garden and on the cross, his death, and subsequent resurrection, we will be resurrected and be able to overcome our sins. Christ paid the price for our sins through the atonement. Overcoming sin and death was what was required of Christ's atonement, but our Savior did so much more. He not only experienced the pain of our sins, but He voluntarily experienced our other pains as well. He chose to experience the pain of our weaknesses, sicknesses, infirmities, and temptations. He chose that because He wanted to be able to truly understand us and know how to help us when we hurt. Elder Henry B. Eyring taught, "He could have known how to succor us simply by revelation, but He chose to learn by His own personal experience." (Adversity) What incredible love.
We all have pains, temptations, and weaknesses. I truly believe that sometimes the only way that we can come to know and understand the Savior is through the things we suffer, just as He came to know and understand us through the things He suffered.