Our Redeemer

As our Savior and Redeemer, Christ suffered for our sins. He suffered temptation. He suffered everything that we have suffered, everything we can imagine suffering. His compassion for us is whole and complete. There is nothing we go through that He has not also endured. He understands with a perfect understanding what it means to be sick, to be sad, to be lonely, to be desperate, to be hurt or abused. And in all this, He offers us healing. We can have hope and healing through the miraculous power of His Atonement for us.

Isaiah said, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:4).

Jesus Christ suffered all this for us because of His perfect love. "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old" (Isaiah 63:9).

Even though Christ knew our sufferings through the Spirit, He endured it in the flesh so that His Atonement was complete, fulfilling His role as our Redeemer. From the Book of Mormon, we learn:

"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.

"Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me" (Alma 7:11-13).

Anyone familiar with our Church's history knows that Joseph Smith suffered incredible and unjust persecution. At a particularly bad point, Joseph prayed and asked God how long he would have to suffer. The response, although kind of long, is so beautiful. Read the whole thing.

"If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;

"If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can't you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;

"And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

"The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

"Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not waht man can do, for god shall be with you forever and ever" (Doctrine and Covenants 122:5-9).

In summary, Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. He has redeemed us from hell and from our own sins, if we will repent. He has redeemed us through His sufferings. His suffering included everything that every person on this earth has ever suffered. Because His sufferings were complete, He was able to complete a perfect Atonement on our behalf. It is important for us to understand this. No matter what happens to us in this life--whether as a result of our own sin, someone else's sin, or because of sickness, physical weakness, or anything else--we can be assured that someone else has been there before. Christ's compassion is perfect. We are not alone. He has redeemed us and waits anxious to heal our hearts. I find great peace in this knowledge.