New to me

Yesterday I thought I was going to be teaching Sunday School for the deaf ASL class.  I prepared a lesson but it wasn't like stellar.  We had a lot of concerts and parties last week...  But I was prepared.  Then there were 7 visitors from UT!  So I was nervous, but willing.  Thankfully MS had also prepared to teach so I let him ; )  Having prepared to teach the lesson myself I had a lot more fun in the class and got more out of it. 

One idea that was new to me was this, Christ volunteered to provide an infinite sacrifice, to cover the sin of humanity with free agency to really sin.  Satan volunteered to get the glory/credit for being the savior of a people who would all return, because there would be not sin, because there would be no free agency, and he would pay no price.  Rent seeking behavior Satan.  

"God does not begin by asking us about our ability but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability He will increase our capability."
-Neal A. Maxwell

Describing events in the premortal life, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught:
“Christ volunteered to honor the moral agency of all humankind even as He atoned for their sins. In the process, He would return to the Father all glory for such redemptive love.
“This infinite Atonement of Christ was possible because (1) He was the only sinless man ever to live on this earth and therefore was not subject to the spiritual death resulting from sin, (2) He was the Only Begotten of the Father and therefore possessed the attributes of godhood that gave Him power over physical death, and (3) He was apparently the only one sufficiently humble and willing in the premortal council to be foreordained to that service”

Christ did not start out with the capacity to be the Savior of the World.  But he did have the willingness to allow us the opportunity for growth at great personal cost.

You know those manipulative stories about a child who is willing to give blood to save a sibling with cancer, but then it turns out they were willing to give their life for the sibling?  I hate those stories.   But I love the Savior who was/is willing for us to have freedom to choose.  Without the choice to obey, we could not progress and become like him, who is like Heavenly Father.