Unique Positions in the History of the World

Have you ever thought about the few-- and I think there are only a few-- people who have held completely unique positions in the history of the world? 

Consider Eve.  There is no one with whom she can sit down and say, "You know that feeling you get when people accuse you of causing the whole human race to suffer because you ate one piece of fruit?"  I mean, she could say that to me, but I would have to give her a blank stare, or at best some trite phrase, like, "I can imagine that must be really hard."  But there is no one else that has been through anything similar.  Ditto for Adam.  (Although, of course, he and Eve have had very similar experiences.  But I bet they have a lot of , "She says such and such, but I'll tell you what really happened."  What married couple doesn't?  And they had So Many years together!  Lots of stuff to get mixed up about.)

And then there is Noah.  He is only in a sort-of-unique position, since there are 7 others who can relate pretty well to his unusual experiences.  He must be really grateful for those 7 people. It could have just been one woman, pregnant with twins, who was on the ark.  That would have been a miserable experience.  Thank Heaven (literally) that that was not the case!  

And how about Mary.  Totally unique.  I think my favorite verse in all scripture is Luke 2:19-"But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."  What else could she do?  There was no one else going through a similar experience with whom she could go to lunch and talk things through.  What a lot of silent pondering she must have done.  

And Joseph Smith.  (Some of you may not know his story, but he belongs on the list nonetheless.)  To be, for a very long time, the only one living to have seen the plates, must have felt like Atlas.  He could tell people, and others were being persecuted for believing him, but his position was still unique.  What a relief it must have been- the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders- when he was told he could finally show the plates to others.  

And of course, the Savior, Jesus Christ.  While I can, in some degree, imagine what it must be like to be the others, I can not even begin to imagine what it would be like to be the Savior of the world.  But the fact that it is a unique position is true by definition.  And all the others, from Eve (and Adam) to the end of the world, who have held- or feel like they have held- unique positions, do have at least One person who can relate to them- because when Jesus was suffering for us, and performing the atonement, He had to experience everything-- every single emotion and feeling-- that anyone on earth had ever, or would ever, feel.  So he felt what it was like to be Eve, accused of bringing the whole human race out of Eden. And he felt what it was like to be Noah letting people die while he climbed onto the ark, and Mary, and Joseph, and me.  Not that I belong in that list.  But he still felt everything I've felt.  "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  He knows exactly what it felt like to be the mother of young children, home all day, with no other adults to talk to, because he felt it.  Or a homeschooling mom.  Or a college student with a late assignment.  

I just wonder sometimes, who else there will be in this world with unique positions.  I really do.