Sermoncitos, a family tradition
God Knows Each of Us
There are many witnesses to the reality of the resurrection. The apostles of the New Testament give their personal testimony (Acts 4: 33). Others were resurrected at that time and appeared unto many (Matt. 27: 53). To the people in America Jesus said, “thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world” (3 Nephi 11:14). Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon proclaimed in 1832, “and now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father. That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:20-24). The resurrection is just part of the reason we celebrate Easter. “For behold, this is my work and my glory-to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).
There are many witnesses to his Omniscience (Alma 18:32). His suffering at Gethsemane and on the Cross was for our sins. As I contemplate this marvelous and wonderful work, it occurs to me that He suffered for what he knew of us; he suffered as he knew each of us. He qualifies to feel compassion toward us because of His intimate understanding of our past, present, and future. And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people. Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice (Mosiah 15:1,9).
Jesus knew the people he walked with in Jerusalem (John 4:17, Matthew 26:21, 34). He appeared unto many and showed them all from the beginning to the end (Abraham 1; Ether 3; Moses 1; Moses 7: 67; 1 Nephi 10, 11). While in mortality he was keenly aware of all the people of the earth (John 10:16). When Jesus, the creator of heaven and earth, died on the cross, the whole earth responded by shaking and the veil of the temple was torn (Matthew 27:51). The survivors of the destruction in America heard His voice as He named each of the cities and explained why they were destroyed (3 Nephi 9). When He came to America he called the names of his chosen apostles from the multitude (3 Nephi 11:18,22) Jesus knew the thieves on the cross and told them they would be with him in paradise (Luke 23: 43). While in paradise, Jesus organized the missionary work “that they might carry the message of redemption unto all the dead” (D&C 138:35-37; Isaiah 61: 1). What caused Him to suffer was an intimate knowledge of our shortcomings and misdeeds.
And surely every man must repent or suffer.... Therefore I command you to repent - repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore-how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; but if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; 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. (D&C 19: 4, 15-18). God knows you. Work to come to a knowledge of God and His Grace to you.