Getting to know Jesus Christ

Today we had a nice lesson in Relief Society about our Savior. We talked a little about how he is our foundation, our friend, the Savior and the one who makes the Atonement valid. We talked about how we can come closer to Him (scripture study, prayer, covenants, using the Atonement). I had a lot of things that I could have said but I found it more beneficial to listen to others. I learned a few things like the Sacrament is really the only ordinance that we get to enjoy together as a family. I also left church today with a real desire to study the Savior in my personal study so that I can get to know Him better. The index has pages about the Savior!! In the section "Jesus Christ, Atonement through," I found these verses:

"Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him - Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life." (D&C 45:3-5)

I've obviously read this before because it was marked but it seemed like it was the first time I've read it. The image that came to my head was that God was a judge on a high wooden platform with a mallet, and Jesus was standing up for me and pleading my case while I stood in the background only a step in front of several people watching the judgment. The difference between this scene and a typical court case was the love that was radiating from God and Jesus for each other and for me. Jesus Christ was pleading with the Father with all his heart, as if I was his most important client. He looked back at me with hope and yearning in his eyes. The yearning was for me to trust in Him completely or His case wouldn't work. And at the same time Heavenly Father, of course, was listening to the words of Jesus, even though he already knew what he would say. Only this time it was about me. Heavenly Father looked at his Son with love and watery eyes because he knew that it was true that his Only Begotten Son had suffered a grief beyond any mortal imagination. And He had done this for me. The problem was that I had no string to God. I had a string in my hand and Jesus held the other end. It held it so well and so tight that it was as if it was glued to his hand. Jesus also had another string, but it was a brilliant and beautiful string. His Father held the other end of that string. Neither of them had to hold on to that string very tightly. It seemed to be a natural channel between the two of them. It was a perfect connection. In fact it seemed that if one of them walked out of the room that brilliant string would just stretch and grow around the doorway and continue to keep the channel between them as strong as if they were in the same room. Neither would have to give any more slack like you must do with the vacuum cleaner cord if you step too far away from the outlet. I held one more string. It was frayed and dirty from neglect and being dropped many times. God held the other end of that string. However, those two ends were no longer connected. Somewhere along the way the middle of this string was severed. It looked like it was burned in several places, actually, and was almost severed in a few different spots. But there was one burn that was especially severe, leaving the ends uneven, charcoaled and ashy. I remembered where those burns came from. Even more than painful - it was sorrow to remember. While Jesus had this seemingly perfect connection to God, my string was not even long enough to reach half way across the room. While Jesus was guiltless and at one with God, I came severely short to being worthy to be in his presence. And while I was so obviously distanced from Heavenly Father, Jesus was pleading for me. His love almost propelled me forward. And hearing his plea for me turned my regeretful tears into tears of hope. Soon not only I was crying, but Jesus and God as well. The love in the room was thick and almost tangible. If it were not for Jesus Christ, my Savior, I would have had no hope nor right to come before God my Heavenly Father. I looked behind me and saw that there were hundreds of thousands awaiting their judgment. Each of them held two strings in their hands. One string was also held by the Savior, but the other was dirty and frayed, burned and severed.