What happened to His hands?

I met my father at the Visitor's Center at the Sacred Grove today, and we had a nice visit as we walked through the trees. The rain was lightly sprinkling, and so we were unconcerned at the beginning of our walk, and enjoyed the freshness that rainfall brings to the earth. Unfortunately, the rain picked up more than we had anticipated, and even Parker, who had wanted to keep going despite the sprinkling, wanted to go inside to someplace warm. I loaded the kidlets into the car, and met up with my father at the Hill Cumorah's visitor's center, just up the road. This visitor's center was larger, had a Christos, and a room with buttons to push to watch videos. When Parker walked into the room with the statue of Christ, he noticed the hands for the first time and asked, "What's wrong with his hands? What's on them?" I let the sister missionary explain how when Jesus had been killed, they (I'm quoting her words) had put nails in his hands and feet when the nailed him to the cross when he died for us. Parker was looking pretty upset (I wonder if he thought that Jesus had just recently died...) and so I reassured him and reminded him that three days after Jesus died, he was resurrected, so he's not dead any more: he's alive still, and he loves us very much. Parker seemed satisfied, and the boys enjoyed listening to the recording of several of Jesus Christ's teachings from the scriptures. Evan actually ran into that room several times and wanted to listen to it. He also loved Jesus' feet and toes... it is really quite humbling to realize that the Savior of the world has feet and toes just like us, and that we truly are created in the image of God!

On the drive home from the visitor's center, almost an hour after our original conversation in the visitor's center, Parker suddenly said, "Jesus had nail holes in his hands because he died for us."

"That's right," I answered.
"Mommy, why did Jesus die for us?"
"Well, Parker, Jesus loves us very much. He died for us and suffered for us so that we don't have to if we believe in him. Do you remember how we talked about how Jesus takes our owies? (Our interpretation of 2 Nephi 9:21) Jesus died to take our owies, so that we can repent."

"Mommy, why do we go to church?"

"To learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus, and to repent."

"Ah. Ah-pent. I can ah-pent."

It was such a sweet and tender experience. We never know just what our sweet children are going to remember and keep with them. Parker had been thinking about the Savior's suffering for longer than I would have expected, and had been pondering it. He may only be three years old, but his testimony is growing. I'm so very grateful for the Spirit of the Lord that allows us to recognize truth, and to communicate it. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer, and that it's only through him that we can find happiness, and I'm glad that my children are learning that as well.