He is Risen with Healing in His Wings
Talk given by Eric Hansen on April 17, 2022
2 Nephi 25:
1 Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah….
4 Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; … I give unto you a prophecy, according to the spirit which is in me;
12 …behold, they shall have wars, and rumors of wars; and when the day cometh that the Only Begotten of the Father, yea, even the Father of heaven and of earth, shall manifest himself unto them in the flesh, behold, they will reject him, because of their iniquities, and the hardness of their hearts, and the stiffness of their necks.
13 Behold, they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name.
I am no prophet like Nephi or Isaiah. I do not write like they do. I have not personally witnessed His day in vision, but I can share what I do know.
I testify that Charity, the pure Love of Christ, is real and available to each of us who gather to Him as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.
Christ is Risen with Healing in His Wings — able to heal us in every way: in mind, body, and soul.
That is what I was both asked and felt inspired to share with you today: that healing power of the Atonement and Resurrection can and should permeate every facet of our lives. I pray for the Spirit to guide my words and testify of this truth to each of us.
Wings
Before diving into the multitude ways that Christ can heal us, I want to explore this concept of Wings. While I have seen wings as an interesting symbol prevalent throughout Christianity, I have honestly not thought much about this symbol. We learn from D&C 77:4 that wings are a representation of power, to move, to act, and more. The resurrected Christ is certainly someone with that power and ability to heal and make whole.
When Christ preached to the multitude in Matthew 23, he lamented the loss of those who would not come to Him:
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
“When potential danger nears, a mother hen instinctively lifts her wings to protect her chicks and offers immediate refuge to them. When she lowers those ample wings to enfold her little ones, she stoically faces the source of danger. In her defensive posture, she creates a refuge that potentially places her life at risk. By likening himself to a mother hen, the Savior testifies that he will cover us symbolically with his wings to save us if we, like the chicks, will come to him.” (https://rsc.byu.edu/healing-his-wings/foreword )
I once saw a video from a family farm in India of a mother hen facing off against a deadly cobra. She first called her chicks to her. Many of them listened, but some did not. The hen spread her wings wide, and she took an aggressive stance toward the cobra, pecking, scratching, and clawing at it while trying to herd her chicks away from danger. She did not leave the pen the snake had infiltrated until every last one of her chicks had escaped to safety.
When I saw this video, I wondered: how quick am I to listen to the calls to gather myself and scattered Israel to Christ? This was the reason He suffered so much on our behalf through the Atonement, Death, and Resurrection, so he could have the Power of Healing in his Wings to know how to succor us and defend us against the fiery darts of the adversary. We should not throw that opportunity away. Thankfully, Christ will not leave us, even if we refuse to listen or go astray. We can always turn back to Him and his protection.
A Thought on Healing
The culmination of the resurrected Christ is the conquering of death, both of the body and the spirit. While it is critically important that we as a Church focus on Christ’s gift that allows us to heal from and overcome spiritual death, I worry we sometimes fail to properly think about the healing power of this miraculous gift, especially as it relates to the mind and body.
Elder Richard G. Scott once spoke of the nature of this sort of healing:
“It is important to understand that His healing can mean being cured, or having your burdens eased, or even coming to realize that it is worth it to endure to the end patiently, for God needs brave sons and daughters who are willing to be polished when … that is His will.
Recognize that some challenges in life will not be resolved here on earth. Paul pled thrice that “a thorn in the flesh” be removed. The Lord simply answered, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” He gave Paul strength to compensate so he could live a most meaningful life.”
This scripture really stuck out to me as a crucial reminder of why we are here on earth. Even though the scriptures teach us that “Men are that they might have joy”, it does not say we are here on earth to have comfortable, easy lives. We are here to create meaningful lives. We currently live in a time and place on this earth where it is all too easy to seek after comfort instead of growth. As a result, we must consciously and deliberately choose to seek for opportunities to discover and define meaning in our lives.
Elder Scott continues:
“[God] wants you to learn how to be cured when that is His will and how to obtain strength to live with your challenge when He intends it to be an instrument for growth. In either case the Redeemer will support you. That is why He said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; … For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
When you feel you can do no more, temporarily lay your challenges at His feet. The scriptures tell you how. For example, when the oppressed people of Alma “did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts,” the Lord blessed them, saying:
“I will … ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that … you cannot feel them, … that ye may know … that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
“And … the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.””
In addition to pouring our hearts out to Heavenly Father, I know there is great power in sacrificing for blessings through the principle of fasting. And I testify that we can also turn to our Ministering Brothers and Sisters for blessings and support. The key to all our healing ultimately boils down to this principle of power: our faith in Jesus Christ, His Atonement, and Resurrection.
Healing the Mind
Not all healing and help need come through physical restoration or supplement. I would imagine in our current circumstances here, most of our need for healing centers on our mind and heart. Elder Kearon’s most recent talk in General Conference perfectly demonstrated this need:
“Perhaps…your soul cries out that you are living a survival story right now as a victim of abuse, neglect, bullying, domestic violence, or any suffering of this kind. You are in the midst of your own desperate attempt to survive… Will you ever be rescued; will you make it through your own survival story?
The answer is yes. You can survive. You have in fact already been rescued; you have already been saved — by the One who has suffered the very torment you are suffering and endured the very agony you are enduring. Jesus has overcome the abuses of this world to give you power to not only survive but one day, through Him, to overcome and even conquer — to completely rise above the pain, the misery, the anguish, and see them replaced by peace.”
Of course, that is easier said than done. Whenever we fall victim to any wounds, whether they be mental or physical, the natural man in each of us may be inclined to say, “Nobody can understand me or this pain I’m in.” Or “God couldn’t love me anymore. Why would He let this happen?” Or “There’s no way out. I’ll never be free from this”.
Elder Kearon counters this thinking, “These erroneous thoughts and feelings may have been a barrier to seeking help from family, friends, leaders, or professionals, and so you have struggled alone.” Work with them and rely on the Atonement’s healing power to help you find forgiveness and healing in your heart. It is there for you to help you first survive, and then to conquer.
Impatience: The Enemy to Healing
The enemy of healing in our mortal journey seems to be pride and impatience. Do we continuously bemoan our weakness and soreness as we go through experiences that stretch us and will ultimately strengthen us? Do our minds dwell on the harms and offenses caused by imperfect family, friends, or church leaders? Are we overly impatient with how slowly the world changes in the face of all its injustices?
These thoughts and attitudes are the enemy to healing, which happens according to the Lord’s will, timing, and your faith. Calling back to the scripture I read at the beginning of my talk (2 Nephi 25:12), I ask: Will we reject Him [and his healing] because of our iniquities, the hardness of our hearts, and the stiffness of our necks?
Conclusion
I pray that we may have humility and patience like the people of Alma to cheerfully submit to all the will of the Lord. When those righteous people were put to death because they dared to pray aloud, they continued to pour out their hearts to God. Let us do what we can in the midst of our trials and circumstances, even if it is only a little, small step, one at a time, to gather under the healing wing of our Savior. I close with these words from Charles Wesley:
Other refuge have I none;
Hangs my helpless soul on thee.
Leave, oh, leave me not alone;
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed;
All my help from thee I bring.
Cover my defenseless head;
With the shadow of thy wing.
