Christ lifts us up

Elevators are an essential part of our daily lives, especially in modern buildings where multiple floors need to be reached quickly and efficiently. But how do elevators actually work? There are various mechanisms that ensure an elevator moves safely and smoothly up and down, and it's interesting to know that not all elevators work in the same way.

Most people are familiar with the traditional 'pulled up' elevator. This type of elevator uses a cable system where steel cables are attached to the elevator car. These cables run over a pulley at the top of the elevator shaft and are connected to a counterweight. An electric motor ensures that the cables are pulled up or lowered, causing the elevator to move up or down. This type of elevator is often used in tall buildings because it is reliable and suitable for longer distances.

On the other hand, there are also elevators that 'push the car up' from below. These are called hydraulic elevators. Instead of cables, a hydraulic elevator uses a piston that is pushed up by fluid pressure in a cylinder. When the elevator needs to go up, fluid is pumped into the cylinder, which pushes the piston and thus the elevator car up. This type of elevator is often used in lower buildings or for heavier loads, because the system is less complex for shorter distances and heavy weights.

Both systems have their advantages, depending on the application and the building in which they are used. While one system relies on 'pulling up' the elevator, the other system ensures that the elevator is 'pushed up' from the base.

The Atonement of Christ

During the last General Conference, I was once again touched by a deeper meaning of the Atonement of Christ. It became clearer to me when I reflected on the statement that Christ 'descended below all things' – all misery, all sins of people on earth. The image I used to have suddenly gained a new dimension. And as I pondered it, an insight came to me that reminded me of how elevators work.

You can actually compare Christ's atonement to the various mechanisms of an elevator. If you think that Christ “pushes us up” like a hydraulic elevator, that is only possible because He has indeed descended from under everything. He is, as it were, at the very bottom. Like the piston of a hydraulic elevator that pushes everything up from below, Christ has gone under every burden, under every pain, under every sin. This had to be the case, because only when He is truly at the bottom can He lift us up from there. It is a picture of His ultimate condescension and servitude – He descended deeper than anyone could ever descend, so that He could push us up, step by step, higher than we could ever go on our own.

But there is also another mechanism, that of the elevator that works with a counterweight. Here, the elevator is pulled upwards, and the movement is only possible through the correct balance between the elevator car and the counterweight. This reminded me of another crucial aspect of Christ's atonement: the idea that He has taken all burdens upon Himself. It only works because there is a perfect counterweight capable of bearing the full weight of the world's sins and pain. Just as an elevator would not work if theweight of the cabin were too great for the counterweight, our salvation would be impossible if Christ were not the perfect, infinite counterweight.

The infinite burden borne by Christ

Christ bore the infinite burden of all the sins and pain of humanity, not only of those who believe in Him, but of everyone. His atonement is truly infinite. Through that infinity, He can take the full weight of the world upon Himself. Whether we believe in Him or not, He has already paid the price. And that is what can lift us up. Just as the counterweight pulls the elevator smoothly and powerfully upwards, so Christ, through His atonement, draws us to heights we would never reach without Him.

These two images help me to realize more deeply why it is essential that Christ both bears the weight of our sins and has descended below everything. Without that complete surrender, without His willingness to truly go to the lowest, darkest place, we would not be able to rise. And without His perfect strength to bear the infinite weight of the world, we would still be stuck under the weight of our own shortcomings.

In this light, we can see Him as the ultimate mechanism of salvation – both the one who pushes us up from below and the one who pulls us up by forming the perfect counterweight. This realization fills my heart with gratitude. It reminds me that no matter how deep we may fall, we can always be lifted by Him who has endured everything and taken the weight of the world upon His shoulders.