One by One

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Just as Christ taught the people in Jerusalem, there is a record, found in Third Nephi of The Book of Mormon, about Christ coming down and teaching among the Nephites. These people had eagerly anticipated His arrival, but were not visited until after he had completed his mission on the earth, and been resurrected and reunited with the Father.  Once with them, however, he spent a great deal of time teaching and healing them individually. For example, soon after Christ descends among them, it is recorded that,

“And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come” (3 Nephi 11:15).

This demonstrates the incredible love and patience Christ has for us individually. It is simple enough, and I know I have done this for years, to quickly read over the part that mentions a multitude going up to Christ one by one. That must have taken hours, and yet Christ took the time for each and every person to discover for themselves that he was the Messiah.  

This experience also highlights the individualism of the Atonement. Those prints in his hands and feet, and that wound in his side, where physical markers of the Atonement he performed. He could have just showed everyone the marks at once, but instead Christ let everyone have their own personal experience. It was also up to the people to go up to Christ to feel the marks. In this way, we must come unto Christ before the full potential of the Atonement can be felt in our lives. We must face the pains he bore for us.

The Atonement is real, and individual. Christ suffered, so that we don’t have to. He is patient, and eager to heal our wounds, if we will only go to him.