Dear friend
One of the great Old Testament patriarchs, Enoch, was given an amazingly personalised divine insight into the future of mankind on earth. It was not a pleasant prospect to behold. One particular verse of scripture expresses the effect on Enoch of witnessing how badly mortal men would abuse their world, each other, and their God's commandments.
This particular experience of Enoch's is recorded in greater detail in the Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:41.
41 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of the children of men; wherefore Enoch knew, and looked upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook.
Enoch was moved to tears by the misery and wickedness that people were capable of. I can imagine his emotion causing him to extend his arms in exasperation. He would have known all about the chances given to men on earth to choose the better way, but they would not.
The verse describes how internally Enoch's heart swelled and his innards yearned, "and all eternity shook". I think we might be able to identify and empathise with Enoch due to our own emotional responses when we see misery, cruelty, unfairness, suffering, loss of innocence and all the other deep sadnesses of mortality.
I believe it is a godly trait to "feel" another's pain. It was certainly the main function of the Atonement of Christ. He felt our pains and suffering; all at once.
I hope we can understand the necessity of our emotionality. I pray it helps us understand what Our Father goes through when we sin and suffer; and especially when He allowed His Only Begotten Son to suffer to an infinite and eternal extent.
Samuel.
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