In his book ‘The Infinite Atonement’ by Tadd R. Callister quotes from a number of sources:
Elder Bruce R. McConkie quoted scholar Alfred Edersheim in his discussion of the Savior’s humiliation and self-abasement. Elder McConkie then elaborated: “When Edersheim speaks of Jesus’ self-exinanition (act of compete emptying) he means that our Lord voluntarily abased himself, or, rather, emptied himself of all his divine power, or enfeebled himself by relying upon his humanity and not his Godhood, so as to be as other men and thus be tested to the full by all the trials and torments of the flesh.”2 C.S. Lewis wrote with feeling: “God could, had He pleased, have been incarnate in a man of iron nerves, the Stoic sort who lets no sigh escape him. Of His great humility he chose to incarnate in a man of delicate sensibilities.”3
The Savior voluntarily let his humility take precedence over his divinity. Isaiah spoke prophetically of those days of Messianic submission: “I gave my back to the smiters. . . : I hid not my face from shame or spitting” (Isaiah 50:6). For those few moments in the eternal spectrum called mortality the Savior yielded to the mortal plight: He submitted to the inhumanity of man; his body longed for sleep; he hungered; he felt the pains of sickness. He was in all respects subjected to every mortal failing experienced by the human family. Not once did he raise the shield of godhood in order to soften the blows. Not once did he don the bulletproof vest of divinity. That he also had godly powers did not make his suffering any less excruciating, any less poignant, or any less real. To the contrary, it is for this very reason that his suffering was more, not less, than his mortal counterparts could experience. He took upon him infinite suffering, but chose to defend with only mortal faculties, with but one exception—his godhood was summoned to hold off unconsciousness and death (i.e. the twin relief mechanisms of man) that would otherwise overpower a mere mortal when he reached his threshold of pain. For the Savior, however, there would be no such relief. His divinity would not be called upon, not to minimize him from pain, but to enlarge the receptacle that would hold it. He simply brought a larger cup to hold the bitter drink. ~The Infinite Atonement (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000). 234-36 [pocket book edition]
2. McConkie, Mortal Messiah, 3:88, footnote 1
3. Lewis, Inspirational Writings of C.S. Lewis, 501
