Forgive Them, For They Know Not What They Do...

I was in Sunday School today, taught by Thomas Griffiths, our neighbor and friend. He was teaching on the life of Jesus Christ. There were many important points brought out, many that are brought out quite often. It was a great lesson. Thomas brought up the crucifixion and how the Savior asked his Father to forgive those crucifying Him. I, of course, have often thought of how the soldiers didn't really know WHO they were crucifying, they were just..."doing their job". What I hadn't thought of before was the fact that none of the people involved in His death REALLY realized what they were doing. None of them. Except Judas. He knew. Though even that is up for debate!

Let me explain, and the explanation comes from my understanding of LDS doctrine. In order for this to make sense, we have to go back to before this life when 1/3 (part) of the hosts of heaven decided to abandon Jesus and His Father's plan and follow Lucifer. Well, that one-third took care of themselves.

What about the rest of us? We either fought valiantly for the Father's plan, or at the least we decided we could go along with it. Who were these people in the pre-mortal life? It was all of us. Every single person that has inhabited the Earth up to this point. We all chose, in one way or another that the Father's plan was good enough for us. I am sure it was much like today, some were super vocal and fought hard, and others were like..."sure...whatever. Sounds nice.".

Again. These are just my personal thoughts on the matter, not any sort of declaration of doctrine.

So. The rest of us come to earth, receive mortal bodies, and go through this mortal experience. Lehi taught about the mission of Jesus Christ and opposition in the Book of Mormon to his son, Jacob (2 Nephi 2: 4-6, 11-14) :
4 And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall minister in the flesh; for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.
5 And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever.
6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.
12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.
13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.
14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon.
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2?lang=eng

These scriptures teach us about opposition and the role of the Savior in overcoming that opposition. Lehi even teaches that "men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil." These people had become caught up in opposition, some of it so convincing that they readily accepted it as truth. Possibly even the scribes and the Pharisees who called for his murder. The scary thing is that these people had a basic understanding of good and evil, yet they lost sight of that through the excitement generated by Satan during this process.
I started this post saying that none of these men (women?) knew what they were really doing. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
If these people had had a recollection of their previous life, I believe they would have been horrified at their own passion in condemning the very Son of God they had raised their arms and voices to support in the pre-mortal council. They voted for the Savior before this life, and then they slew Him. They had been blinded through the craftiness of the devil and his teachings, his appeals to their pride, and the contention that he raises in the hearts of men. They fell prey.
Did they know what they were doing? I mean REALLY know? I don't actually know the answer to that question, but the Savior said they didn't. A lot of them probably realized that they were doing something wrong, Pilate for example, but did they realize the fact that they were participating in the death of the Son of God?

Perhaps I am reading too much into this, but I believe quite strongly that all of us were taught correct doctrine and principles before this life. Then we get down here...and it's really hard to sift through all the opposition, voices, and mess we find ourselves in, if we don't take the proper precautions by studying and pondering on the word we may find ourselves doing or supporting things that we will be embarrassed by when we return to God...and I believe with all my heart we will all return.
I suppose the key we need is knowledge: Of who we are and what our business on this planet is. I believe that the answer is found in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, in His infinite Atonement, and in His ability to save us, even if we "know not what we do." Hopefully each of us can figure out what we ought to do and live our best to accomplish that mission. I often wonder, after this brief stint in mortality, how we are going to feel about our performance here and how true we stayed to our convictions from before this life.

Just some thoughts to ponder I guess...