April Visiting Teaching Message: The Redeemer
“Heavenly Father … sent His Only Begotten and perfect Son to suffer for our sins, our heartaches, and all that seems unfair in our own individual lives." (Linda K. Burton)Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. He redeemed us from the fall. He redeems us from our own sins and transgressions. He has paid the price we cannot pay. Through the priceless gift of His sinless life we are made free from the bondage of sin and the trials of mortality. I personally have experienced the sweet joy of repentance. I have felt the weight of sin lifted from off my shoulders. I have "come to sing the song of redeeming love." I am eternally indebted to the Savior for wiping away my tears of sorrow and remorse and filling me with hope. I love the song "Amazing Grace" because I have experienced the chains of hell and I have also been set free. There is no one so lost that Christ cannot find, no one so broken that He cannot heal. I have a sure knowledge of this sweet truth.
As if personal redemption from sin wasn't enough to fill your heart with eternal gratitude, the Atonement also reaches deeper into our soul to relieve the suffering and injustices of mortality. Elder Christofferson eloquently teaches,
The Savior truly "makes all things right." I rejoice in that thought. Mortality is not fair, but Jesus Christ is fair and all things will be rewarded "good for good and evil for evil." This concept was thoughtfully explained by Elder Bradley D. Foster of the Seventy,"Having satisfied the demands of justice, Christ now steps into the place of justice; or we might say He is justice, just as He is love. Likewise, besides being a 'perfect, just God,' He is a perfect, merciful God. Thus, the Savior makes all things right. No injustice in mortality is permanent, even death, for He restores life again. No injury, disability, betrayal, or abuse goes uncompensated in the end because of His ultimate justice and mercy." (The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, April 2014 General Conference)
"Heavenly Father placed us in this lone and dreary world to teach us what we need to learn so that we may become like Him. Our lives are changed daily by the incorrect decisions of others, by our own poor judgment, by the laws of nature, and by unforeseen circumstances in a world that was never designed to be fair.
Heavenly Father loves us so much that He provided the means necessary to find fulfillment and joy with Him in the eternities and here during our sojourn on earth. The means for this is our Savior Jesus Christ. I love Him. I am so grateful to Him for all that He has done for me. He has removed the burdens of my sins and He daily lightens my burdens of mortality. He is there for everyone of us. He is truly our Redeemer."I have learned much from a book titled Why Did This Happen to Me? by Ray Pritchard. He says: 'Sometimes we will face things for which there is no earthly explanation. In those moments we need to erect a sign that reads, ‘Quiet: God at Work.’ Meanwhile, hold on, child of God. Keep believing. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Let God do His work in you. The greatest tragedy is to miss what God wants to teach us through our troubles.” (Trials, Tribulations, and Trust in the Lord, March 2014 Ensign)
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