Alma 22:13-14 -- On Stings and Hope

"And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name.

And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king."

Alma 22:13-14

I like this little summary of the atonement, and the idea that "the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory."  That seems true about everything that Christ does for us, and perhaps extra meaningful this year as we celebrate the birth of the Savior.  Death does sting, and so do so many other things that we go through on earth as we struggle through trying to figure out who we are, who we want to be, and learn more about God and about this life.  ... And Christ can take the sting out of all of it, no matter how awful or painful, and make us new and perfect through his mercy in giving us the ability to repent and redo. :)

Today, let's remember Christ and all he did for us, and let's work on going to him and allowing Christ's hope to engulf us and blot out the sting of everything else as we are welcomed into his arms.