Jesus Christ- our Advocate

D&C 45:3 “Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him-“

What is an advocate?

Advocate- a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor. (www.dictionary.com)

What qualifications should an advocate have?

When I think of an advocate in a worldly sense, I think of a lawyer. I’ve never dealt with a lawyer, but I’m assuming one of the first steps a person would take when meeting with a lawyer, would be to familiarize themselves with each other. If the lawyer didn’t know the client, he wouldn’t be very successful.

As parents, we sometimes find ourselves acting as an advocate for our children. Why?

1. Because we know them and love them

2. Because we believe that they were either wrongly accused or that their actions should be excused.

Although lawyers and parents can be great advocates, our Heavenly Father has given us a perfect Savior to act as our advocate with Him.

Why is Jesus Christ our advocate?

Because He is God, He is perfectly equitable with justice and mercy. He can simultaneously plead our cause and judge our destiny. When we plead, we remember Him as our advocate with the Father. (Henry B. Eyring, “Be One,” Liahona, Sep 2008, 2–7)

Not only does Christ know us individually, He has unconditional love for us. He knows our hearts, our capabilities, our fears, our situations, our intentions. He wants us to return to live with our Father in Heaven. He’s not in it for the money. He doesn’t judge us. He loves us no matter what we have done, and has given us the gift of the Atonement so that He can help us.

As an advocate, what is His role?

In a most personal way, the Savior pleads for us before the Father’s throne. When Christ pleads for us before the throne of the Father, He does not plead on the basis of our merit; He pleads on the basis of His merit and His suffering. (Bruce D. Porter, “The Prince of Glory,” Ensign, Dec 2009, 26–30)

As a little kid, I remember pleading with my mom on different occasions. When we plead, we really believe we deserve mercy. I believe this is what it will be like when Christ pleads for us. He will plead our cause to God because He will believe that we have done our best.