His Arms of Mercy and Love are Outstretched Still

Our Savior Jesus Christ is the very personification of truth and light, of life and love, of all that is beautiful and good. He is beyond description; but if there is one word that best captures the essence of his message, ministry and mission, it would be love. He did nothing but what it was done out of love. The terrible agony in Gethsemane and later upon the cross was borne out of his perfect love for all His Father's children. He suffered for you and for me because he loves us. He calls us to come unto him, knowing that in doing so we will learn of the Father who sent him. In Nephi’s words, “He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him” (Book of Mormon, 2 Ne. 26:24). The gift of his life extends to all, for he “inviteth … all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; … and all are alike unto God” (2 Ne. 26:33).

The Savior’s perfect and infinite arms of love give us the strength to endure heartache and hardship, the power to resist temptation, and the courage to keep the commandments even as we are being mocked and scorned by those in the “great and spacious building” (1 Nephi 11:36). From his own personal experiences, Paul clearly understood the strengthening power of the Lord’s arms of love. He testified:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 38–39).

Each of us is mortal. We are all, as King Benjamin described us, “natural,” fallen men and women, “enem[ies] to God” (Mosiah 3:19). No matter how strong we believe we may be, or how diligent, or how productive we think we are— these, alone, can never save us in the celestial kingdom of God. It is only through the Atonement of Christ that we can be saved. He not only can save us but also can strengthen us. That is what we call grace.

Grace is an enabling power. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught,

“The enabling power of the Atonement of Christ strengthens us to do things we could never do on our own.”

 

Consider this important principle is found in Matthew chapter 14. As the disciples watched the Savior walk on the Sea of Galilee toward their boat, they thought they were seeing a ghost. Jesus assured them that it was He and that they need not be afraid. Peter declared, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water” (verse 28). Jesus said, “Come.” Matthew then records, “And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus” (see Matthew 14:24–29).

What followed is significant. I can’t relate to walking on water, but I can relate to what Peter experienced next:

“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

“And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

“Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Matthew 14:30–33.)

All of us have had, are having, or will yet have a Peter-like “sinking” experience in some way and will at some time (probably many times) cry out, “Lord, save me.” Peter could not save himself. He needed the rescuing arms of Christ, and so do we. Can you imagine Peter—choking, flailing his arms while struggling to keep his head above water—saying as the Savior extends His arms: “You're very kind [gasp] but no, thank you. I'll just swim to shore. I sank myself [gasp], so I must save myself. Oh, which way to shore?”? Of course not. Sounds ridiculous doesn't it. The truth is we sometimes do just that.

We may recognize in our heads that we are deficient—in fact, utterly incapable of rescuing or redeeming ourselves—but we sometimes resist, even recoil from, the outstretched arms of the Savior's love. Sometimes we spiritually drown ourselves because we won’t reach up and take his hand. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve eloquently stated:

“May I be bold enough to suggest that it is impossible for anyone who really knows God to doubt his willingness to receive us with open arms in a divine embrace if we will but ‘come unto Him.’ …

“I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when he finds that his people do not feel confident in his care or secure in his hands.”

President George Q. Cannon (1827–1901) declared:

“No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, He will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character [to do so]. He is an unchangeable being; the same yesterday, the same today, and He will be the same throughout the eternal ages to come. We have found that God. We have made Him our friend, by obeying His Gospel; and He will stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments.” (George Q. Cannon, in Collected Discourses Delivered by President Wilford Woodruff, His Two Counselors, the Twelve Apostles, and Others (1988), 2:185.)

I am grateful for the Lord’s arms of love and mercy. I am grateful that He has rescued me, not only from physical death and sin but also from myself—my fears, my discouragement, my doubts, and my feelings of inadequacy. Reach up in faith to him. His arms of mercy and love are outstretched still.