Feel the Prints of the Nails

In a devotional talk at BYU many years ago, Brother Thomas B. Griffith spoke about the Savior’s appearance to the Nephites as recorded in 3 Nephi 11. After describing the Savior’s initial words and the people’s reaction, he said, “What followed is, to me, the most sacred part of this experience. Jesus commanded them to come forward one by one and do something difficult: ‘Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world [3 Nephi 11:14].’” He commented, “There is a gruesome quality to this command. In our culture we hide scars, we don’t display them, and we certainly don’t ask others to feel them. But Christ wanted these people to have physical contact with these emblems of His suffering.” The next verse reads, “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.” When I was young, I was in a car accident and broke a window with my forehead. That resulted in many stitches and a scar that doctors later lightened through surgery. My oldest daughter once got stitches on her leg that were not done very well, and we regret that the scar is still very visible. When my youngest daughter ripped her nose open, it was stitched up and they told us we might want to have something done later to lighten the scar. I say all of this only to highlight the fact that indeed in most cases we want to hide or lighten or remove our scars. But Jesus wanted not only to retain His scars (even after the resurrection) but to have people feel them. This implies that the skin was still rough there where the marks had been in His hands and feet and side. He wanted to make sure that each one of them individually took the time to contemplate the suffering He had endured for them. That was at least one purpose of His request for them each to feel and see His scars.

                We have an opportunity to do something similar each Sunday when we partake of the sacrament. We don’t actually touch His scars, but the broken bread and water are meant to remind us of them. He said of partaking of the bread: “And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you.” What did He show unto them? It was the scars on His body, and so I believe that is what He wants them to remember. Similarly of the water He said, “Ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me” (3 Nephi 18:7, 11). He wants us to remember the blood that He spilt in His great atoning sacrifice. So that should be a part of what we ponder as we partake of the sacrament each Sunday. I love the way that the new hymn Behold the Wounds in Jesus’ Hands:    

Behold the wounds in Jesus’ hands,

The mark upon His side,

Then ponder whom He meant to save

When on the cross He died. 

Behold the wounds in Jesus’ hands.

Look to your Lord and live.

He yearns to bless you with His love

And all your sins forgive. 

Behold His wounded hands and feet!

Come touch, and see, and feel

The wounds and marks that you may know

His love for you is real. 

Then as you fall to worship Him

And wash His feet with tears,

Your Savior takes you in His arms

And quiets all your fears. 

This reminds us that we are to figuratively seek to “touch, and see, and feel” the wounds that He retained from His great atoning sacrifice. Just as the bread and water we take is real, so too are those marks and, most importantly, His love for each of us.