Thanks for offering the Email link, but I'll say what I have to say about Jesus Christ publicly.
How can you put in words how you feel about the one who would allow Himself to take on all the pain and suffering from all the sins of everyone who will lives, has ever lived or will ever live? Not only did He do that so that he could take all the sins of everyone on his own shoulders, but he did it to take the responsibility for my own sins.
Can you possibly imagine what it would have been like for Him to learn of His mission in this life? I mean, He wasn't born with that knowledge. The point of His being born and living a life here on earth was so that He could experience mortality along with us. However, somewhere along the way, he learned of His mission. Then, He had to come to terms with his purpose and accept it... then allow it to be carried out.
In the Garden of Gesthemanie He prayed. He asked God, the Father to take this cup from Him. I think that was the point that He completely comprehended what He was supposed to do. Not just die for us... lots of people have died for others. Death alone is not what was required of Him to satisfy the demands of Justice. No, in sin there is suffering. For Him to take on the sins of the world (right down to you and me) he had to take on the whole of the suffering of the world.
Of course, we know that the cup was not taken from Him, and Jesus accepted what He was about to go through. He stood, he rejoined the Apostles and he was betrayed.
What really goes beyond any explanation or understanding, this person who was mortal and diety had to complete this purpose as a man. "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me!"... Jesus cried out this prayer because God the Father had taken all that was diety from Him. As He was suffering from the worst, He did it as a mortal man.
Of course, He succeeded in his quest. He satisfied the demands of justice.
Now, we have a choice. We can either accept his sacrifice for ourselves, or refuse. In accepting the pain and death He suffered, we are accepting His offer to "take this cup" from us. If we reject His sacrifice, then we consign ourselves to satisfy the demands of justice on our own.
He does not force redemption or Heaven on anyone. He freely offers it to all, and let's us decide for ourselves.
I accepted that for myself, was baptised by immersion and took on His name in Frankfurt Germany. I fasted and prayed and asked my Father in Heaven if what I had been taught was from Him. Through the Holy Spirit, my prayers were answered and I knew at that point that Jesus is my Savior, the Our Heavenly Father loves us and wants nothing more than our happiness and return to His presence.
Since then I have been in His service, and at times have fallen. I have been both a great example of what a Christian and Member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint is meant to be; and an example of what neither should ever be. I have both lived up to my covenants with Christ and fallen for temptation and sin.
For the sins, I repent and try to overcome them. For the times I was a great example, I just hope that's when someone who was searching noticed, and used that example to pray for the first time, read the scripures, or merely ask a few questions. If that led them to accepting Christ and taking on His name, I'm just glad I could be a tool in their hands.
I don't know how long Our Heavenly Father plans for me to be stomping this ground, but as long as I am here, I hope that I can be that tool. Until that great day when I can once again look upon His face and sit with Him.
Again, thank you Preacherman for this opportunity.
