He lives!

"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" Alma 7:11-12

This passage of scripture has made an amazing impression on me in the last week. I had the opportunity to see a life-changing, incredible film, "Silence". The international cinema presented the edited version of this film. It boosted my hope for the good and faith that exists in the world. It is the story of Jesuit priests who preach their Christian faith to the people of Japan at a time when people were persecuted, tortured, and killed for living this way. It really moved me to see how people had such a strong faith in Christ that they were willing to die for Him. It made me reflect on my relationship with my Savior, but more than anything it made me reflect on Him and His sacrifice.

Most faiths focus on the fact that He was crucified for us. He was, indeed. However, He also suffered EVERY pain and sin imaginable for EACH of us. Yes, the people of this story suffered willingly and horrendously; however Christ not only suffered every pain ever felt by man. He suffered all of it in a moment's time or an hour. It blows my mind that as Alma describes, "He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind." And He does all of this so that He "may be filled with mercy." I love that. He is a merciful God. He did all of this, so that He could understand ALL of our pains. He could comfort us and be there for us when others literally and figuratively cannot.

I know that Christ walks with us. He carries us when we feel burdened, dejected, alone. He loves us more than we can imagine.  He loves you Morgan. He is with you every step of the way! Preach His perfect word with that incredible faith that you have! You will touch so many lives (companions, leaders, Chileans) with your testimony! I am so excited for you! Love you!

sent to a new-convert friend who just left for her mission