Love For Us.

last summer, i was sitting in Brother Bradley Buhanan's sunday school lesson. I raised my hand and tried to express the comment i wanted to state, but couldn't really find the words. Here's what I would have said if i had been as wise. Mine was more so just a jumble of words that went something like "Heavenly Father loved us so much, and had the power to save Christ from the atonement, but thought of his love for us before saving his favorite son."

THIS GUY SAYS IT BETTER. (I THINK.)

"In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even he could not endure it any longer; and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so he bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that he had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when he might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that he did not fail us, for he had not only the love of his Son in mind, but he also had LOVE FOR US. I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained, and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men"

-Melvin J. Ballard, "Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin Joseph Ballard", comp. Bryant S. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1949], pp 153-55