I Learned About God Today

This is why I love to read the scriptures. Well, one of the reasons. I read a talk by President Eyring where he said God is in the pages of the scriptures as much as any other person is in their own biography. Paraphrased to clumsiness, but you get the idea.

I LOVED THAT.

So, ever since then I've tried to find Him everywhere. And I found Him again today.
I was reading the story of Abinadi, and noticing for the first time the significance of Mosiah 12:29:

If ye teach the law of Moses, why do ye not keep it? . . . Why do ye . . . cause this people to commit sin, that the Lord has cause to send me to prophesy against this people?

Abinadi knew he was going to be killed for preaching what he did (Mosiah 13:10). I believe he knew before he ever came before King Noah or his people that he would not leave their city alive. That's an astounding level of obedience, and I've always admired him for it. But what blew my mind tonight was thinking of God's "cause" to send Abinadi in the first place.
Whenever I try to get inside the mind of God I start with love. So as I sat at my desk thinking about this I wondered, "Okay, who did God love more than the rest of Abinadi's mortal life?" That might be a flippant way to word that question, but I mean it in all sincerety. I know God loves His children (1 Ne. 11:17), and I know He loves Abinadi. So in my mind it must be another, greater love that motivates the sacrifice Abinadi was asked to make.

Names started flooding my mind. Alma. Alma the Younger. The sons of Mosiah. King Lamoni. King Lamoni's father. And on and on. The ripple effect from Abinadi's testimony is extraordinary. Just as Heavenly Father knew it would be. That was worth the price to Him. And I'm sure it was worth the price to Abinadi, which is a level of charity beyond my comprehension.

So as I sat here at my desk I just kind of felt ... loved. Because here I am, reading Abinadi's words and resolving within myself to make some serious positive changes in my life. Just as Heavenly Father knew I would be. I'm in awe of the love He has for His children. For all of us.

So to answer my own question, who did Father love more than the rest of Abinadi's mortal life? Us.
Sometimes my natural woman tries to rank people on God's love scale. Jesus. Adam. Joseph Smith. (insert bazillions of names here) Me. But really, how can I read accounts like Abinadi's and not realize Father loves us all? Jesus descended below all things for us. Adam fell for us. Joseph Smith lived and died for us. Given the choice between their suffering and the hope for our salvation, Father chose us.

I want to take my life and my agency in my hands and choose Him.