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Descended Below Them All

Descended Below Them All

When the scriptures say that Christ Descended Below Them All does that mean in all aspects or in a certain aspect. In other words are we measuring that because He is the First Born of God and yet sacrificed Himself? Or are we also measuring pain and suffering too? In other words can the process of Gethsemane and Calvary, which took about the space of one day, issue more pain and suffering than someone who may be suffering abuse and pain all their life? How do you feel this can be explained?

All Them Descended

I do not think that Christ suffered more pain and suffering, but the very same pain and suffering that the individual felt. Thus he knows him intimately.

Christ suffered in the garden to intimately feel all our pain, and suffering, fear, disappointment, anger and self loathing. ( Alma 7) This was a deeply empathetic sharing of our spiritual and physical suffering, fear, anger, and despair. Jesus knows our suffering in order to know us with every fiber of his being. Then He loved us enough to go to the cross and die to open the door of resurrection for us and to testify of that love. Thus we are loved unconditionally by Christ, being understood and loved for all things good and bad in us.
Thus I do not see it as God suffering more then me, rather I see him suffering with me in order to be a part of my life and to share his life with mine. Atonement is a relationship with God. All that I can bring into the relationship is pain, suffering, and sin. He brings holiness, and sanctification. Thus to become one with Him, we have to share each other, thus he experiences my pain in order for me to expereince his joy.
Thus Christ goes below all things, because he shares in the pain of all mankind.

Descended Below Them All Studies Doctrine Mormon

That is a very unique perspective of the Atonement "sharing in pain", so you are saying that in descending below he really became the ultimate empathizer and showed His love through giving His own life?

All Them Descended

Yes something like that. In this perspective the atonement is more of an experience then something I grasp intellectually. Yes to be one with God for me means that not only do I share in his glory, but that he shares in my pain and suffering. It is my this process that he knows me. He experiences me as as I can experience him. This is why he died, so that he could come to know me and I him. When I suffer whether it is pain, or sin, I can be assured that Christ is willingly suffering with me, not to pay for some heaping debt to justice, but rather to become one with me, to experience my life so that I can experience his. This intimate relationship some how transforms me into his image. If God the Father is like Christ, in all that they do, then will I not become the same, like him in mind, body, and experience?

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All Them Descended

I do not think we can understand the extent of the pain felt by Christ, which makes the atonement difficult to comprehend.

But in my life, I really have not suffered that much, and acknowledge that there are others who have suffered far more then me. There are also those who have had an easier life then me.

I think in Isiah53's interpretation of the atonement, then Christ would have had to suffer at least as much as the person on earth who has suffered the most (or at least feel as much pain as that person). So he has at least suffered as much as me if not more so. That is still pretty significant.

But I lean toward the theory that Christ took upon him all suffering past, present and future.

President Maxwell said:

I believe the Scriptures as well as most interpretations by the General Authorities, clearly state that Christ "took on", and not merely had empathy for our sicknesses and pains.

I do however agree with Isiah53, in that I believe that Christ also feels the pain of our suffering because of empathy for that suffering. I take that a little bit further to include literally taking on the sins and pains that we suffer.

I can't grasp it intellectually either. That is why I appreciate your perspective.

Descended Below Them All

I agree and on a cosmological scale he did suffer more then any. But on a personal level it means more to the individual to understand it that he suffered the same as me. Thus he knows me intimately. It is incomprehensible to understand the suffering of all mankind, but I can understand my suffering, for I have experienced it. Thus he is one in my suffering. Or in other words he is at one ment in my suffering. It is the intimacy of knowing that he suffered the same as I.

I agree. I am not sure if I did infer that this was not the case, being that I stated he suffered as I have suffered. That is what atonement is, to become one in glory, suffering and in pain. We will be one in all things.

Descended Them All

I believe its in all aspects because there isn't anything in the scriptures that says anyone ever suffered more, did more or loved more.

Descended Them All Mormon Doctrine Studies

I don't understand what you meant by that. I mean I think I do but can you explain more so I can see if I understood it correct?