Succor His People

When it comes to paying the price of our own sins, we often talk about how Christ suffered so that we would not have to suffer. This is how He put it in a modern revelation, “And surely every man must repent or suffer, for I, God, am endless…. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:4, 16-17). When we repent, we are spared the suffering required by justice because the Savior suffered that price for us. But it is not quite the same for the trials unrelated to sin that we face; generally He does not take them from us, but rather He strengthens us so that we can bear them. Several years ago President Eyring taught this, “The Father’s plan of happiness has at its center our becoming ever more like His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. In all things, the Savior’s example is our best guide. He was not exempt from the need to prove Himself. He endured for all of Heavenly Father’s children, paying the price for all our sins. He felt the suffering of all who have and will come into mortality.” He then applied this to our own challenges: “When you wonder how much pain you can endure well, remember Him. He suffered what you suffer so that He would know how to lift you up. He may not remove the burden, but He will give you strength, comfort, and hope. He knows the way. He drank the bitter cup. He endured the suffering of all. You are being nourished and comforted by a loving Savior, who knows how to succor you in whatever tests you face.” Because He descended below all things, the Savior can give us strength, comfort, and hope through the power of His atonement when we struggle through life’s difficulties.  

            In one of the Book of Mormon’s most famous passages about the Savior’s atonement, Alma taught, “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me” (Alma 7:11-13). From these verses we find that the Savior suffered or took upon Him our pains, afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, death, infirmities, and sins. Our sins he can blot out and He doth loose the bands of so that it is not permanent. For the rest of the list, the key word for His response is succor. He took upon Himself our pains and sicknesses and infirmities so that He would know how to succor us. The origin of the word means “run to help” (we can still see part of the French word for run, courir, in succor), and surely the Savior runs to help us through our trials. But He does not blot those out or always loose their bands; rather, He gives us strength to overcome and break them.

Alma learned this principle firsthand when he went up against Amlici and prayed, “O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people.” Mormon recorded how the Lord answered this prayer: “Now when Alma had said these words he contended again with Amlici; and he was strengthened, insomuch that he slew Amlici with the sword” (Alma 2:30-31). He was strengthened; the Lord succored him and gave him additional power to overcome his enemy. And so it can be for each of us in our trials. As we remember Him and His suffering for us, reaching out to Him and seeking His strength, He can increase our power to face adversity and overcome all the challenges we face.