More often than not, when people think of the Atonement, we ponder on how the Savior atoned for our sins. We think of how he bled from every pore, suffering for all of the wrong of the world. We relate it to being forgiven and becoming clean again. But one thing we forget, is the peace that the Atonement brings and the wholeness that it provides when we have been wronged by others.
This past week, for some reason, I have been thinking about the innocent people that have been wronged in one way or another. My mind keeps going back to Columbine, Sandy Hook, and even the Holocaust.
Why does the Lord allow awful things to happen to good people?
"And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgment which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day." Alma 14: 10-11
"For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God." Alma 60:13
Bad things happen to good people so that the Lord can judge justly and correctly. He lets people make these horrible decisions and effect innocent people's lives so that he can judge accurately the wickedness of their hearts because they chose to do those things of their own free will.
This is where the beauty of the Atonement comes in. Not just for the sinner who is wanting to correct the wrong they have done. But for the broken spirited, for the suffering of a loved one, for the hurt we feel from being wronged. When Christ was in Gethsemane, he suffered all the pains of this world; the sadness, the depression, the heartache, and the loss, along with the wickedness and destruction of hope and happiness.
When we are in our darkest nights, not knowing if there will be a dawn, He knows what we are going through.
When we are broken hearted, thinking no one will ever love us, He knows how we feel.
When we have a hole in our heart too big to repair from losing a loved one, He knows how bad that pain feels.
No matter what the circumstance, He has suffered just as we are suffering. And He is there for us, to lift us up, to fill that empty void inside, to make us feel whole again.
He lives! To silence all my fears
He lives! To wipe away my tears
He lives! To calm my troubled heart
He lives! With blessings to impart
I don't think, at least for myself, we give Him enough credit for everything He went through in His last days. It is beyond my comprehension how much He suffered. I cannot fathom the hurt He experienced to save His brothers and sisters. Not to mention, He did it all willingly. What love He must have for all of us!
As I reflect back on what Easter means to me, chocolates and marshmallow Peeps don't come to mind, but instead the selfless gift of our Savior and His love for us. How our Father in Heaven gave His only son so that we could one day return to Him. Oh what a wonderful reunion that must have been! I can only imagine the love our Father has for His son and our brother, Jesus, when He returned. And how proud He must have been, knowing that He willingly suffered more than anyone should so that His children could return and live with them once more.
Christ is the best gift that I could have received.
Knowing His plan and where I fit in, and knowing that I can be made whole again is the best gift I could have received.
Feeling His love around me constantly is the best gift I could have received.
I know my Redeemer lives!
(Here is a song the Brianne (Howard) Kirkland sang while I played the piano in church one Easter. Yes, my grandpa recorded it with his hidden camera inside his scripture case...Please forgive the crying child at the end.)
I really enjoyed your post, it brought me to tears, thank you. I know we haven't been really close but I have seen your testimony grow over the years and I love it. I hope all is well with you guys, hope to see you soon.
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