A Repentant David Praises the Lord for His Mercy and Forgiveness, for His Sufferings for His Sins, for Delivering His Soul from the Lowest Hell, and for His Compassion, Grace, Longsuffering, and Truth
Psalm 86:5, 13, 15
5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. . . .
13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. . . .
15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
Tad R. Callister wrote:
“With merciless fury Satan’s forces must have attacked the Savior on all fronts—frantically, diabolically, seeking a vulnerable spot, a weakness, an Achilles’ heel through which they might inflict a ‘mortal’ wound, all in hopes they could halt the impending charge, but it was not to be. The Savior pressed forward in bold assault until every prisoner was freed from the tenacious tentacles of the Evil One. This was a rescue mission of infinite implications. Every muscle of the Savior, every virtue, every spiritual reservoir that could be called upon would be summoned in the struggle. No doubt there was an exhaustion of all energies, a straining of all faculties, an exercise of all powers. Only then, when seemingly all had been spent, would the forces of evil abandon their posts and retreat in horrible defeat. Only then did Christ deliver ‘his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell’ (2 Nephi 9:19). David saw this terrifying, yet glorious moment of triumph when he sang, ‘Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell’ (Psalm 86:13). Nephi also rejoiced: ‘He hath redeemed my soul from hell’ (2 Nephi 33:6). Eventually, the saints of all ages will acknowledge ‘the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell’ (D&C 138:23; see also Revelation 20:13). The Great Deliverer has rescued us—saved the day, saved eternity. But, oh, what a battle! What wounds! What love! What cost!”
(The Infinite Atonement [2000], 130–31.)
