From his book Spiritually Anchored in Unsettled Times, Bruce C. Hafen continues From a previous post . . .
Christ’s love is so deep that he took upon himself the sins and afflictions of all mankind. Only in that way could He pay for our sins and empathize with us to truly succor us—that is, run to us—with so much empathy that we can have complete confidence that He fully understands our sorrows. So to love as Christ loves probably means we will taste some sort of suffering ourselves, because love and afflictions are two sides of the same coin. Only by experiencing both sides to some degree can we begin to understand and love other people with a depth that even begins to approach Christ’s love.
8. Sanctification. Sanctification is the stage when, finally, we are not only with God but like God, for only those who have become like Him can be with Him. As Jesus said, “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master” (Matthew 10:25; emphasis added). This state of being is the hope, the vision, and the heart of the disciple’s journey. Our deepest desire is the words of both John and Mormon, that “when he shall appear, we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2, Moroni 7:48).
Being like Him means we will possess His divine attributes, such as charity—loving others as He does. Do we develop charity by our own power, or is it a gift from God? Or is it both? Clearly we must be fully invested in Him, for He is fully invested in us. Only then will God “bestow” charity “upon all those who are true followers of his Son” (Moroni 7:48). We can’t develop a permanent Christlike love by ourselves but we can do all in our power to become a “true follower”—-meek, lowly of heart and submissive to correction and affliction. Having charity thus requires both our total effort and His gift.
When we have met the scriptural conditions, then the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, “filleth [us] with hope and perfect love, which love endureth. . . , until the end shall come, when all the saints [the sanctified] shall dwell with God” (Moroni 8:26).
On that day we will no longer be God’s servants or even his friends but something more. In Liberty Jail, Joseph Smith suffered so much that he learned both the affliction dimension and the charity dimension of Christ’s love for him and for the Saints. Then Joseph was not just the Lord’s servant nor even His friend. Rather, God said, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversary and they afflictions shall be but a small moment” (Doctrine & Covenants 121:7; emphasis added).
Christ also invites each of us to grow from a servant to a friend to God’s son or daughter. Then we are joint heirs with Christ; Then will we receive all that the Father hath—-and all that the Father is:
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; if it so be that we suffer with him, that we may be glorified with him, that we may also be glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:16-18). ~~~ Bruce C. Hafen, “Spiritually Anchored in Unsettled Times” p.30-31 ~~~ Deseret Book, Salt Lake City
