ATONEMENT-INTIMATE
& INFINITE-Elder Merrill J. Bateman, Ens. May, '95, 13-14.
The Savior, as a
member of the Godhead, knows each of us personally. Isaiah and the prophet
Abinadi said that when Christ would "make his soul an offering for sin, he
shall see his seed" (Isa. 53:10; compare Mosiah 15:10). Abinadi explains
that "his seed" are the righteous, those who follow the prophets (see
Mosiah 15:11). In the garden and on the cross, Jesus saw each of us and not
only bore our sins, but also experienced our deepest feelings so that he would
know how to comfort and strengthen us...
...The Savior's
atonement in the garden and on the cross is intimate as well as infinite.
Infinite in that it spans the eternities. Intimate in that the Savior felt each
person's pains, sufferings, and sicknesses. Consequently, he knows how to carry
our sorrows and relieve our burdens that we might be healed from within, made
whole persons, and receive everlasting joy in his kingdom. May our faith in the
Father and the Son help each of us to become whole. In the name of Jesus
Christ, amen.
