Jesus Wept

The Book of Mormon, as “another witness of Jesus Christ,” blesses us in many ways. One of its greatest benefits is that it teaches us more about how God interacts with His children. In addition to clear insights on how we can learn about Him through personal revelation, the Book of Mormon also offers us further information about the characteristics of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.

Joseph Smith taught: “Having a knowledge of God, we begin to know how to approach Him, and how to ask so as to receive an answer. When we understand the character of God, and know how to come to Him, He begins to unfold the heavens to us, and to tell us all about it. When we are ready to come to Him, He is ready to come to us.”

Joseph also taught that if we don’t comprehend the character of God, then we can’t comprehend ourselves. Additionally, to cement in the disciple’s mind the importance of this principle, Joseph and other early Church leaders taught in Lectures on Faith that we must possess a “correct idea of (God’s) character, perfections and attributes” if we are to “exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.” Clearly it is desirable to study the character of God.

Volumes can be written, and have been written about God. I’m sure my contribution to these volumes is insignificant, yet I feel compelled to write about a simple characteristic of the Savior as found in John 11:35: Jesus wept.

So what is the significance of this two-word verse? I probably asked myself a version of that question a dozen times as a youth. It was always a ‘go-to’ scripture for quote-unquote “memorization,” or for sharing a scripture that you liked—right up there with “And my father dwelt in a tent.” If you grew up a Mormon, and especially if you attended seminary you probably rattled that scripture off a handful of times, and perhaps even made light of it.

As a missionary in Northeast England, I found new meaning in the thought of Christ weeping as I more closely studied the Book of Mormon. In fact, a certain passage became my favorite—the scripture that taught me more than I’d ever learned before about the character of Christ.

To best appreciate this passage, think of the devastating natural disasters that have occurred in your memory, or even just the last decade or two. Mines collapsing, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, fires, floods. Remember for a moment some of those images that flashed across TV news programs; destruction that just cannot be comprehended without being witnessed… and even upon witnessing it you still just can’t quite grasp what is happening.

The people who lived in the Americas at the time of Christ’s death endured destruction of every imaginable kind, and then waited and toiled and wept in complete darkness for three days. Imagine, your home is destroyed, you can’t find your children or your aging parents or your spouse—you don’t know if they are alive, or if they were enveloped in a fire or flood or earthquake or mudslide. All you can do is cry out for them, for three days in total darkness, wondering if an answer will ever come.

Imagine you’ve spent three days calling out, asking everyone you encounter if they’ve seen your precious lost one. You are exhausted, hungry, disoriented, thirsting, completely drained from lamenting and weeping and hoping. Finally, daylight comes and you try to put your home and family and life back together. Your sadness and mourning dissipate as you are reunited with many whom you thought were lost.  Your "mourning (is) turned to joy, and (your) lamentations into the praise and thanksgiving of the Lord Jesus Christ" (3 Ne 10:10).

Days later, as you are gathered at the temple, the Savior appears. Jesus Christ, the resurrected Son of God, who atoned for your sins and your shortcomings and your sadnesses and your heartaches, teaches and blesses and explains and ministers to you, and prays in your behalf in ways so precious they cannot be written. Just days ago you were surrounded by darkness and death and fear and worry, and then, according to the scriptures, “no one can conceive of the joy which filled (your soul) at the time (you) heard Him pray for (you) unto the Father” (3 Ne. 17:17).

But the priceless moment was not yet over. The multitude of 2500 was kneeling with the Savior as He prayed, and in verses 19 and 20 we read that Jesus tells the people to arise. He then says, “Blessed are ye because of your faith.” Imagine! The Savior Himself praying—for you!—and then envision Him telling you that you’re blessed because of your faith! He then continues, “And now, behold my joy is full.”

We read that Jesus then wept, and took hundreds of children, “one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. And when He had done this He wept again.” Finally, He tells all the adults to behold the little ones, as angels ministered to them in the closing verses of 3 Ne. chapter 17.

When I first seriously pondered those verses, imagining myself at the scene, I was probably first converted to the emotional beauty of the picture that was painted. It’s amazing to think about, isn’t it? Going from the devastation and dark to the light, and The Light, and to imagine Christ weeping for the people as He prayed for them. It made me think of the tenderness of Christ and His love for all of the children of God.

I later came to understand deeper meaning and insight into the character of Christ as revealed in these verses. In very real ways, Christ did, and does, and will yet pray for me; as He suffered for my sins, as he advocates to Heavenly Father in my name now, and as He will yet plead for me after this life, when I approach His judgment seat.

I am one of Christ’s ‘little ones,’ as are you; and He has wept, and I imagine He does weep, and will yet weep for us as we fall short and come to Him with broken hearts and contrite spirits. I imagine an infinite amount of His tears are shed for our sins, our heartaches, and our joys. In very real ways, angels minister to you and to me as they did at Christ’s command over two thousand years ago, as I believe they will thousands of years from now.

There are a handful of instances in the scriptures in which we can read of the Lord weeping, and studying each one helps us better understand the character of God. Consequently, studying these episodes helps us better comprehend ourselves, and helps us develop “faith in God unto life and salvation.” I’ll briefly lay out a few of those occasions in which we can read of the Lord weeping.

In the aforementioned John 11:35, Jesus has come to the burial site of Lazarus. We read about Christ raising Lazarus from the dead in verses 30-44. Just as importantly, we read of Christ weeping as He saw beloved friends and family and disciples grieving over Lazarus’ death. We read of His praying to the Father and of His power and humility and reverence and gratitude to the Father on our behalf. There is much to learn about the character of God in these verses!

In Moses 7:28, Enoch sees the Lord weeping over His children, and marvels, “How is it thou canst weep?” In this chapter we learn of God’s love for us as His workmanship, and as the children to whom He gave knowledge, agency, and the commandment to love each other. It seems to be the fact that His children do not love each other that truly causes God to weep. What parent can’t relate to this notion? And what can we learn from pondering God weeping over His precious children and the choices we make?

In Luke 19:41, Jesus rides triumphantly toward Jerusalem, in a sort of humble makeshift parade (at least that is how I envision it). As they approach the city, Jesus “weeps over it.” It is easy to put yourself in His shoes and find reasons to weep, isn’t it? Christ could have been weeping because the people largely rejected Him or disbelieved on Him. He could have wept because of the murder of His beloved cousin John. He could weep because of the pain and misery He saw coming—the very mission He was sent to perform.

He could have wept because of the rejection of His own family members, or the thought of being betrayed with a kiss by one of His chosen special witnesses. Jesus had every right to feel sad, and literally every single reason in the history of mankind to weep over. But what do the scriptures say He wept over? “If thou hadst known… the things which belong unto thy peace!” He wept because He could see their impending earthly and spiritual destruction. They could not see the way to eternal peace, though it dwelt among them and would soon die for them.

Think of it… Jesus Christ, who knows all things from beginning to end, who certainly knew that for many His message would fall on spiritually deaf, mocking ears, wept for those who would not listen. We can learn much of His character from pondering this passage, and the longsuffering and diligence with which He ministered in His mortal mission.

This thought is echoed in another passage in the Book of Mormon. In Jacob Chapter 5, we read the Allegory of Zenos, in which the history of mankind is represented in a parable of a vineyard. In verse 41, the Lord weeps as He looks at His vineyard, or children, and laments to His servant, “What could I have done more for my vineyard?”

What a poignant, incomparable thought. There are a couple ways to read the allegory: either the Lord of the vineyard is God the Father, and the servant is Jesus the Christ, or the Lord of the vineyard is Christ himself, and the servant is the prophet. In either case, we can learn much about the character of God. This could be the Father saying, essentially, “I gave everything I had, and did all I could, even sacrificing my beloved, only begotten Son, yet you would not listen and follow.” His glorious work and glory would not be enjoyed by all of His children.

Or, we can envision this statement from Christ himself, who gave all, whose entire mission is to bring us back to the Father, who suffered infinitely in scope and severity and humility and submissiveness, all so that we might not suffer even as He did. And the thought that in spite of that, some of His beloved younger brothers and sisters would still choose to suffer caused Him to weep.

These are the main passages I have found in my study of why and when the Lord weeps. We can also envision Him weeping in the garden, as He took upon himself all of the sins and trials of each of God’s children, collectively and individually. We read in the Gospels that even as He approached the Mount of Olives, He grew sorrowful, heavy, and was “sore amazed.” Jesus told the twelve His soul was “exceeding sorrowful, unto death.”

We read of His agony, of His praying for the bitter cup to pass, of His freely partaking of that cup, and of Him sweating great drops of blood. We can envision Him crying for us, as He felt the pains and endured the punishment that we all deserve, taken by Him because of His love for us.

I can also envision Him weeping on the cross, if He had any tears left to shed. Not simply because of the pain or humiliation of this torturous death, but as He beheld His mother, and His family, and His friends and followers. I can see Him weeping as He gave a few last words of instruction and comfort—to the thief, to His mother, to John. And I can envision Him weeping as He cried out for His Father from the cross, in those closing moments of Atonement when Father withdrew His presence from His Beloved Son.

I’m grateful for the scriptures, which teach us the character of God. I’m especially grateful for those passages that seem personalized and have greater meaning to us, as the verses in 3 Nephi 17 do for me. And I testify that not only does learning more of the character of God help us better comprehend ourselves, it helps us come closer to Him, as Joseph Smith taught us years ago.

I’m thankful for a God who loves us, who lived and died and atoned for us, who created us, who pleads for us, who carries and tries and prepares and strengthens us.

And I’m thankful for a God who weeps.

On Dry Ground (Helaman Ch. 8 & 12)

Moses parting the Red Sea

Throughout the book of Helaman, the prophet Nephi gives many examples of how the Lord has shown His power to His children. In Helaman Chapter 8, Nephi reminds us of God's miracles with the children of Israel, for example their crossing the Red Sea on dry ground.

In Helaman Chapter 12, Nephi again recounts many ways the Lord has and will demonstrate His power to us, including the ability to "dry up the waters of the great deep." This week, I have been thinking of why the Lord used this teaching example. More importantly, I've been reminded of a miracle that-- to me, anyway-- is no less impressive than parting the sea.

Before you hear of my miracle, first let's consider why the Lord uses this example for teaching us. In the case of the Red Sea, He caused a great wind to create a gap in the sea so Moses and the children of Israel could cross it. The Egyptian soldiers, with their swords and horses and chariots, were swallowed up in the depths of the water as they pursued Moses and his people.

This story is amazing, isn't it? It's exciting, and even a little scary to envision those walls of water, towering above you as you faithfully follow the prophet. But to me, the most significant, poignant point of this account is a seemingly small detail that begs the question, why did God make the ground dry?

Think of it... They could have crossed over on damp sand. They could have walked carefully around a few puddles. They could have splashed through an inch or two of ankle-deep water as they walked to safety. But the Lord caused the ground to be dry, as we read in several accounts throughout the Old and New Testament, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. In all of those accounts, including Nephi's retelling, the ground was dry.

The Lord may have made the ground dry so the Israelites would have more courage in walking between the walls of water. He may have made the ground dry so they could more quickly get across, creating just enough distance between them and the Egyptians as the water came crashing down. Could it be that the dry ground was just an inconsequential little detail or coincidence? I don't think so.

I believe the Lord wanted to demonstrate His absolute power to deliver us, His absolute attention to our lives and our trials, and His absolute ability to get us through them. God made it clear through this event that He is real, and that He loves us, and that He is omnipotent-- the Creator of Earth and Heaven. The Israelites had more trials ahead, and God blessed them with this faith-promoting miracle-- the undeniable delivery across the dry ground. There is no way the children of Israel could have seen this event in any other light.

MRI showing the growth at right

This past year, God gave our family a miracle that is just as powerful as those from the Old Testament days. In February of 2015, just a couple weeks after we moved from the Seattle area to the Portland area, our then-fourteen-year-old son Liam was diagnosed with an unusual growth between his brain and inner cranium. The condition required neurosurgery to repair, and his recovery was slow. He was in the hospital for a week, lying in bed, barely moving after the day-long surgery. He spent several weeks afterward recovering gradually at home.

We were so grateful he was able to get through the surgery and have no problems with the eye which this condition had affected, and that he hadn't had adverse effects prior to the surgery. Doctors were shocked that he had not had dizziness or headaches or problems before his surgery. The condition would have likely soon caused damage to his optic nerve, and probably meningitis. But he'd had no real discomfort before the diagnosis. There were, however plenty of headaches and dizziness as he recovered from surgery, and it was several weeks before we felt okay about him walking around unaccompanied by my wife or me.

We were still grateful for this miracle. He had gotten the diagnosis, received amazing care, and had an incredible surgery to repair the linings around his brain. His neurosurgeon had dealt wonderfully with this issue which she had never seen or heard of ever presenting in a patient this way before, and there was no cancer or malignancy. These were all miracles that were the result of priesthood blessings and prayers and fasting by people all over the U.S and Canada, some of whom we have never even met. But it is only now, almost a year later, that I can see a greater miracle has happened.

Liam recovering in the hospital

Liam had many visits with occupational therapists during his stay in the hospital and for several months afterward. They gave him exercises and tests, and kept us appraised of his progress and challenges. A few months after the surgery, Liam was still having some issues processing and following verbal instructions. The therapists let us know he would likely need someone to accompany him at school all day, making sure he captured all the instructions the teachers gave him. Or, at the very least they could get the teachers to write out all of their instructions especially for Liam, essentially giving him a transcription of what they would talk about at class.

Although I was just heartbroken about how he would probably have to go through high school, potentially with someone walking with him from class to class, I was still grateful. At this point, the Lord had certainly done enough to show us He was mindful, loving and powerful. Our son was safe and healthy and humble and happy. However, the Lord must have really wanted to show us how mindful, loving, and powerful He is. He wanted to show us the "dry ground."

As the summer closed, and as we prayed for Liam's continual improvement, we decided to let him try to go to school on his own, without the accommodation that was recommended. We figured we'd see how bad it was for him, then decide which course of action to take with the therapists once he got started back at school. About five months after his brain surgery, he started high school as a freshman, in a new city in which he'd never attended school.

As Liam began the school year, he worked hard, doing homework every day. He must have checked his online grade tracking every day of that first quarter. He was doing well-- working hard, occasionally bumping into a tough challenge here or there, often having to research topics online at home as he figured out what the teachers needed from him. But he was able to get through that first quarter with the best grades he had ever gotten-- all A's and A-minuses!

Liam today with his sisters

In fact, Liam finished the first semester and is now in his third quarter with a 3.95 GPA for the year-- all A's and one A-minus. He's not taking any special classes, and has had no accommodations. He is working harder than he ever has, and we are prayerful and grateful, and just plain amazed at the way the Lord has blessed him!

I know the Lord does not always just remove obstacles for us, the way He did when parting the Red Sea. I also know that He does not heal every faithful, believing person who has a setback like the one Liam and our family faced. But I do know He chose to show our family His power and love in a way that we could never have expected. He surpassed every hope I had for Liam’s recovery, not only healing Liam and restoring his health, but also blessing him with the capacity, desire and capability of doing things he has never done before, academically and physically.


The Lord got us through this trial, leading us figuratively across dry ground in a way for which we'll be ever grateful. How has the Lord shown you His love and power?