Christ's Perfect Example in D&C 19

I love Doctrine and Covenants chapter 19. For those of you who don't know, the Doctrine and Covenants is a book that contains a compilation of many revelations from the Lord Jesus Christ to His modern prophets and apostles. They contain guidance concerning the doctrines of the Gospel and insight into how Christ would have His Church be run. It provides beautiful insights, especially considering the amount of light and truth that was needed in order to restore the fulness of the Gospel and bring clarity in such a confusing world. I love the book of the Doctrine and Covenants because it brings me peace. As Christ gives individual, specific counsel and comfort to His children in the pursuit of His work through this book, I feel like He gives me personal comfort and counsel, too.

Now, back to D&C (Doctrine and Covenants) chapter 19. I think this chapter is especially beautiful and so sacred, because in it, Christ describes His experience as. in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, He atoned and suffered for all of the sins, sicknesses, sorrows, and pains of the whole world. This chapter teaches me a lot about His character, because it shows me how much pain and agony He innocently suffered for us, and how He responded to it all so lovingly and perfectly.

These are the words that He personally used to describe His suffering:

"Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men." (D&C 19:18-19)

He then goes on to encourage us to repent, "lest. . .your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. . . lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit," (D&C 19:15, 20). What I love about this is He isn't trying to scare us or angrily threaten us. He just knows--so purely and perfectly and exactly--the intense pain that comes as a result of sin and He does not want us to have to suffer that for ourselves. After all, that is why He came to the earth and suffered for us--so we could not have to suffer for ourselves, and so that we could receive a fulness of the joy our Father in Heaven wants to give us.

He continues on by encouraging Martin Harris (the man to whom the revelation was personally directed) to revile not against revilers, be humble, and continue on preaching the Gospel and sharing the joy of God's truth with the whole world. I love this, because Christ is the perfect example of all of these things. He, the greatest of all, was the HUMBLEST of all. He descended below all things to glorify His Father and bring light and joy to the whole world. He reviled not against revilers and those who hurt Him and betrayed Him. He boldly and courageously and lovingly shared the good news and WAS the good news.

Finally, I love how Christ so lovingly invited Martin Harris (and each of us) to come unto Him. He called,

"Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me." (verse 23).

As I read about Christ's suffering in our behalf, His loving call for my repentance, and His invitation to join Him in sharing the joy and hope of the Gospel with the world, I can't help but feel peace in Him. I want to "walk in the meekness of [His] Spirit" and follow His example.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I love Him so much, and I am so grateful for Him. I am amazed and cannot fully comprehend the sacrifice of the Atonement that He made for me and for all of us to make us at one with the Father (thus the word "At-one-ment"), but I believe that it is real. I believe that He has the power to heal and comfort us, that He has perfect and beautiful love and compassion, and that He did the Father's will and is perfectly patient and willing to teach us how to do the same.

I love Him.

And I know that He loves me and all of us.

Let's accept His invitation to learn of Him and the sacrifice that He made in our behalf. Let us answer His call to live His Gospel a little more fully, apply His words to our lives personally, and feel of His peace in our lives.

Lots of love,

Abby