He Suffered For Us-Taken From My Talk On 9/11/11

A group of energetic teenagers take off in a car on their lunch break, intending to be back in time for 5^th period and are taken in a tragic car accident. A mother carries a baby to full term, endures 14 hours of labor to deliver her son still born. A few days ago a man walked into an IHOP in Carson City and started to shoot. Among his victims was a wonderful woman name Mirada that was one of my closest high school friends. A man that has been athletically active his entire life, and played basketball daily on his lunch hour, is diagnosed with 3 different forms of arthritis and can no longer support his family, or help his wife around the house. Even walking to the kitchen to get a drink is hard for him to do. A young single mother of 3 little boys, is diagnosed with 2 aggressive and deadly diseases and no doctor is sure how to treat her. She is told to prepare herself and her children for her death. And ten years ago today, hundreds of travelers board 4 morning flights, off on business or anxious to return to their families. Many thousands of others kiss their loved ones goodbye and headed off to just another day at the office in the World Trade towers.

Whether there is personal hardships or having somebody in your family making bad choices. Whether they're personal trials or national tragedies, we might ask why do these things happen? Chances are, one of these days you might ask these questions or have them asked of you. Philosophers and theologians have spent many thousands of years trying to answer the simple question of "why do bad things happen to good people?" We are so lucky to have the gospel in our lives and have these questions, answered for us.

Early in the Book of Mormon an angel asks Nephi a tough question, 1 Nephi 11:17 Knowest thou the condescension of God? Nephi answers "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." Nephi's answer is the perfect statement for us to remember in times of trial. We don't know the meaning of all things. We don't have all the answers to explain all the tragedies in the world. However we DO know FOR SURE that God loves His children.

Something wonderful happens when we really know, without a doubt, that God loves us- our questions completely change. Instead of asking Why did this happen to me? Or Why doesn=t God care about me? We say, Well, I know God loves me. So, what can I learn from this experience? My older sister Julie is often heard saying I wish I would hurry up and learn what it is I'm supposed to learn from this trial, so I can move on!

Sometimes we think our trials come because we did something wrong. That's not always true. Adversity is simply part of earth life. From it we can grow and progress if we choose to. Yes, some trials come because of our own disobedience, but many trials are simply part of life.

Truman G. Madsen once asked President Hugh B. Brown why the Lord would put Abraham through the experience of being asked to sacrifice his own son. Obviously, God knew that Abraham would be willing to do anything God commanded, and if that was so, why did the Lord put him through such a test? President Brown simply answered, Because Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham.

God already knows what we're made of, but perhaps He wants US to learn what we're made of. I think we would all agree that we learn more from our tough times than from our easy times. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. We don't know the meaning of all things, but we know God loves His children! And because He loves us, He will NEVER desert us.

The biggest lesson I have learned through my trials is that the atonement is not just for the pain of our sins, but the Lord suffered ALL of our pains.

"Part of the reason the Savior suffered in Gethsemane was so that He would have an infinite compassion for us as we experience our trials and tribulations. Through His suffering in Gethsemane, the Savior became qualified to be the perfect judge. Not one of us will be able to approach Him on the Judgment Day and say, "You don't know what it was like." He knows the nature of our trials better than we do, for He descended below them all."

Alma 7:11-12 reads:

"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.

Talk about comforting! He has felt it ALL and has suffered it ALL so that He knows how to help us individually if we willingly allow Him to.

Those of you that know me, know I write a blog about my current struggle with cancer. It's called "Keri and Her Rain". Early on in this process of treatment and chemotherapy, I wrote a blog post about how life is a big storm, but the Lord gives us our own umbrellas to help us and protect us from the storm.

About 15 years ago, I had the opportunity to travel Europe with my parents and my sister, Kathryne. We got to spend a few weeks in the British Isles. The day we got to Stonehenge, it was a cold, windy, rainy day and not many people were too keen about having to get off of our nice cozy coach, and trudge across the wet highway to go look at some rocks. I certainly wasn't prepared for weather like that, as I was wearing my standard jeans and flip-flops. But, I decided that a little water had never killed anybody and I hopped off the bus, pulling on my hoodie sweatshirt and made my way over to that wonderful site. Less than 3 minutes after I got off of the bus, I was already regretting my decision to go out into the storm. I turned around and right behind me stood my mother, huddled under an umbrella, dry and smiling at me like I was a total idiot. But, she offered to share that umbrella with me.

Recently I've thought a lot about that day. My earthly mother, who loves me more than I could ever imagine, shared her umbrella with me because she didn't want to see me suffer and shiver in the storm. If my earthly mother loves me that much, I can only imagine how much my perfect Heavenly Father loves me. He has given me many protections and "umbrellas" to help protect me from the storm of life. I have phenomenal parents, wonderful friends, and the gospel as umbrellas, but the biggest umbrella is my Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, who came to this Earth to suffer all manner of afflictions and die on the cross, so that He might be able to hold us up and protect us from the storm.

In the last conference, Kent F. Richards of the Seventy spoke on the atonement and said:

"I have pondered about the purpose of pain. None of us is immune from experiencing pain. I have seen people cope with it very differently. Some turn away from God in anger, and others allow their suffering to bring them closer to God. Like you, I have experienced pain myself. Pain is a gauge of the healing process. It often teaches us patience. Perhaps that is why we use the term "patient" when referring to the sick.

Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote:

No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education we come here to acquire

Much of our suffering is not necessarily our fault. Unexpected events, disappointing circumstances, illness, and even death surround us and penetrate our mortal experience. Additionally, we may suffer afflictions because of the actions of others. Opposition is part of Heavenly Father's plan of happiness. We ALL encounter enough to bring us to an awareness of our Father's love and of our need for the Savior's help.

The Savior is not a silent observer. He Himself knows personally and infinitely the pain we face.

He suffereth the pains of all men, yea the pains of every living creature, both men, women and children.

Sometimes in the depth of pain, we are tempted to ask "IS there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?" I'm here to tell you that there is a physician. The Atonement of Jesus Christ covers all these conditions and purposes of mortality.

Alma also prophesied that "He shall go forth suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind and He will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. That His bowels may be filled with mercy, that He may know according to the flesh how to comfort His people according to their infirmities."

Elder Richards, who spent his career as a surgeon, shared an experience:

"Late one night lying in a hospital bed, this time as a patient and not as the physician, I read those verses over and over again. I pondered; 'How is it done? For whom? What is required to qualify? Is it like forgiveness of sin? Do we have to earn His love and help?' As I pondered, I came to understand that during His mortal life Christ CHOSE to experience pains and afflictions in order to understand us. Perhaps we also need to experience the depth of mortality in order to understand Him and our eternal purposes.

President Eyring taught:

"It will comfort us when we must wait in distress for the Saviors promised relief, that He knows, from experience, how to heal and help us....And faith in that power will give us patience as we pray and work and wait for help. He could have known how to succor us simply by revelation, but he CHOSE to learn by His own personal experience"

I have, many times, felt the encircling arms of His love in the long nights of physical pain, tears streaming down my face, mixed with tears of gratitude for His presence with me.

Matthew taught about Christ's mortal ministry and later wrote

"When the evening was come, they brought unto Him many...and He healed ALL that were sick. He healed ALL that came to Him. None were turned away."

As Elder Oaks has said,

"Healing blessings come in many ways, each suited to our individual needs, as known to Him who loves us best. Sometimes a healing cures our illness or lifts our burden. But sometimes we are healed by being given the strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us. All that will come may be "clasped in the arms of Jesus". All souls can be healed by His power. All pain can be soothed. In Him, we can "find rest unto our souls" Our mortal circumstances may not immediately change, but our pain, worry, suffering and fear can be swallowed up in his peace and healing balm.

To all of us the Savior has said;

"Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.

Fear not, little children, for you are mine. Wherefore I am in your midst."

Our greatest personal challenge in mortality is to become a saint through the Atonement of Christ. The pain you and I experience may be where this process is most measured. In extremity, we can become as children in our hearts, humble ourselves, and pray and work and wait patiently for the healing of our bodies and our souls. As Job, after being refined through our trials, we shall "come forth as gold".

I am ashamed to admit that I have spent many many hours crying out to my Lord, begging for relief from the pain. Asking "why me?" Why was I given those 3 wonderful little boys to raise on my own when I'm so sick that my parents have had to shoulder the bulk of their care. I cry to my friends, begging for help in understanding why this is happening to me. A wonderful friend, Holly, often reminds me that the Lord is with me always, that my sons are mine for a very specific purpose and that if I just turn to my Lord for help He WILL help me shoulder the pain.

My Favorite scripture is Joshua 1:9

"...Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest"

No matter what, the Lord is with us. Through our trials and our happiness. Through laughter and tears. Through single motherhood and cancer...If we but ask, He will be with us. He has suffered it all and knows the pain of everything we experience.

This life is a test, and sometimes that test is so painful that we have no way of coping with it. We just have to remember that the Lord IS with us ALWAYS and He KNOWS each and every pain we suffer, trial we endure, and heartbreak that is ours.

The entire time I was writing this talk, one hymn kept running through my head...over and over...and I felt like maybe that was because I should share it's amazing lyrics with you

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,

Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,

That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine

To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,

That he should extend his great love unto such as I,

Sufficient to own, to redeem and to justify.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!

Such mercy, such love, and devotion can I forget?

No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,

Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Oh it is wonderful that he should care for me

Enough to die for me

Oh, it is wonderful,

Wonderful to me