"I find No Fault in this Man"

I have been a nurse for 21 years this year. All of my career has included either caring for those facing life-threatening illnesses, including oncology patients, or providing end of life care to those who are terminally ill. Our Father expects every one of us to return home eventually when our purposes here have been fulfilled. There is no escape from death for any of us.

I never specifically sought out those type of experiences. They sort of fell into my lap. Those experiences taught me things I never expected.
I never expected that I would love it.

It is a great privilege to help someone leave this life resting comfortably without physical pain. To help them feel that someone is standing watch over them ready to see to any need that may arise. To try and give them peace. Many times this meant caring for an entire family. Too often, it was just that patient and me. No one should ever have to die alone.

When someone is facing the end of their life, their true nature invariably comes to the surface.
I have seen those patients who knew where they were going, and to whom they were returning, slip away peacefully with a surprising lack of discomfort. Tears were shed but it was not a traumatic, unhappy event. Strong faith and peace were abundant. They knew that even when no one else was in the room, they were never truly alone. God always watches over his child.

I have seen those whom had no idea where they were going, or whom had done terrible things in their lives, have great distress and anxiety. They fought and suffered terribly. Fear and ugliness would fill the room. Their physical pain was much harder to relieve, and for relief of their emotional and spiritual pain, I could do almost nothing. It was too late. They either had filled their lives with such things that the spirit could have no place in them, or they just had no idea whose child they really were.

If you knew the end of your mortal life was near, what are the words you would want your loved ones to hear? What words would you want to leave in their ears and in their hearts before you left this world? What would your words reveal about your true nature?

Just before his arrest and illegal trial, Christ instituted the sacrament. He washed his disciples feet. He then knelt in a garden to offer prayer.

He prayed for us.

As he willingly hung in spiritual and physical agony under the crushing weight of all that was necessary for him to take upon himself to bring about the atonement, much was revealed about his character, attributes, and divine nature by the last words that he spoke.

These are the last 7 recorded statements made by Christ as he hung from the cross:

The first illustrates his forgiving nature:

1. Then ^asaid Jesus, Father, ^bforgive them; for they know not what ^cthey do. Luke 23:34


The second and third show his concern for others, even while enduring his own agony on the cross:

2. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in ^aparadise.
    Luke 23:43

3. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the ^adisciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, ^bWoman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy ^amother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. John 19:26-27


The fourth through the seventh show his resignation by his own will to voluntarily die a physical death. With all of the Father's support withdrawn, with his pains of Gethsemane recurring, our Savior was left unto himself in order that he alone might complete the atoning sacrifice and have "the glory of complete victory over sin and death." (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p.661)

4. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, ^aMy God, my God, why hast thou ^bforsaken me? Matthew 27:46

5. After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. John 19:28

6. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is ^afinished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. John 19:30

7. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I ^acommend my ^bspirit: and having said thus, he ^cgave up the ^dghost. Luke 23:46

At no time, in spite of his great suffering, did he complain. Resigned as he was to complete his great mission, throughout this great ordeal there is but one recorded instance which even begins to be expressive of his physical suffering, "I thirst." This one statement he only uttered after he knew that all of his work was complete.

What motivates someone to endure such things for so many others?!

 Dr. Rodney Turner, professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University, had this to say:

"As each ordinance of salvation is performed on an individual basis, so may the Savior have possessed an awareness of each soul for whom he was being sacrificed. Moses "beheld the earth” yea, even all of it, and he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not…. If Moses was empowered to discern every individual soul on the earth at a given time, may not the Son of Man have been aware of the sins of each of his brothers and sisters for whom he was laying down his very life?"

an awareness of each soul..... of my soul
......and yours
He knows each of us, individually

He loves us that much.

Posted by Sister Montgomery