Elder Richard G Scott said “My reverence and gratitude for the Atonement of the Holy One of Israel, the Prince of Peace and our Redeemer, continually expands as I strive to understand more about it. I realize that no mortal mind can adequately conceive, nor can human tongue appropriately express, the full significance of all that Jesus Christ has done for our Heavenly Father’s children through His Atonement.”
The nature of the Atonement and its effects are so infinite, so unfathomable, and so profound that it lies beyond the knowledge and comprehension of mortal man.
To attempt to understand the Atonement, first we must understand the meaning of the word as defined in the restored gospel. Atonement is in effect
-The universal redemption of the human race from death invoked by the fall of our first parents, and
-Salvation, whereby means of relief from the results of individual sin are provided.
This definition, though seemingly simple, is in fact central to God’s Plan for us.
The Atonement was a necessary ingredient in our Father’s Plan of Happiness, without which the plan could not have been activated. Alma bears testimony of this in Alma 34 as he says “For it is expedient that an atonement should be made, for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish...it must needs be an infinite and eternal sacrifice, not one of man. For there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another...therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.” Jesus Christ was the only one suited for the requirements of this great sacrifice, for He was the one and only sinless man, the only begotten of the Father, which in He possessed the attributes of both Godhood and manhood. The One chosen in the heavens and foreordained to this service.
Without a Saviour to atone for us, we would not be allowed back to live with our Father. Christ was willing to come and be the necessary member to allow us to repent of our sins and be cleansed so that we have hope of being forgiven and living again with our Eternal Father in Heaven.
The suffering we were to have to bear for our sins was great “how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea how hard to bear you know not...but Christ suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they repent.”
The Saviour describes this suffering to Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 19 as He says “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit. and would that I might not drink the bitter cup and shrink.- Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.”
In seminary as we read this scripture, my teacher said something that has made me truly appreciate the sacrifice of our Saviour. He said “The Saviour had self control enough during the pain to resist using His God powers to relieve the pain, He suffered so that we might be saved.” There is a dash between verses 18 and 19, which was a literal pause as The Saviour spoke. Even speaking to Joseph some 2000 years after, the suffering was still hard for Him to talk about. Though He suffered beyond comprehension- so much so that He bled from every pore and asked whether it was possible that this burden be lifted from Him- He submitted to the Father’s will in the supreme expression of love for His Father and for us.
In His absolutely pure mind and heart, the Saviour had to personally feel the consequences of all that mankind would ever encounter, even the most depraved and despicable of sins. He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and denied by Peter. He was mocked by the chief priests and officers; He was stripped, smitten, spat upon, and scourged in the judgment hall. 16 He was led to Golgotha, where nails were driven into His hands and feet. He hung in agony for hours on a wooden cross bearing the title written by Pilate. He had to endure the vicious attack of Satan’s hordes while physically and emotionally pressed to the limit. Then, for reasons we do not fully know, while at the extremity of His capacity, at the time the Savior most needed support, His Father allowed Him to shoulder the unimaginable responsibility with only His own strength and capacity. What an intensely poignant moment it must have been for our Father in Heaven when the Savior cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Elder Scott says “I don’t believe our Father in Heaven forsook His Son on the cross. I do believe the cry was motivated when that Son felt removed the sustaining support He had always enjoyed from His Father. The Father recognized that the Savior needed to accomplish the Atonement totally and completely on His own, without external support. The Father did not abandon His Son. He made it possible for His perfect Son to win the eternal fruits of the Atonement.”
Only through the Saviour’s selfless sacrifice and His grace and mercy, coupled with continuing repentance on our part, can we obtain forgiveness and be cleansed of our sins by the power of the Holy Ghost. We are relieved of the burden of guilt and shame, and through Jesus Christ we become worthy to again live in the presence of God.
As Alma experienced the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He wrote “Oh, what joy and what marvelous light I did behold; yea my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!” Each of us of can experience this joy as we repent and come unto Christ with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. How great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth! That one suffered for their sins that they may be clean again unto the Lord. That there is one who through grace and mercy, laid down His life according to the flesh and taketh it up again by the power of the Spirit, that He may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.
A crushing sense of defeat and despair enveloped His disciples as Jesus suffered and died on the cross and His body was placed lifeless in the tomb. The dark afternoon of His Crucifixion, however, was soon followed by the joyous morning of His Resurrection.
We will all suffer physical death, but Jesus Christ overcame the obstacle of the absoluteness of this physical death for us. When He died, and then rose again on the third day, He made it possible for each of us to also be resurrected. His sacrifice gives us the gift of a perfect, immortal body of flesh and bone that will never again be subject to disease, pain, or death. It also makes it possible for us to return to God’s presence to be judged, and, if we are cleansed of our sins, to live forever in His presence. That is why I am going on a mission. As in Mosiah 28, I am desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for I cannot bear that any human soul should perish, and the very thought that any soul should endure endless torment causes me to quake and tremble. And great shall be my joy with every soul that is brought unto Him.
In the increasingly dark and tumultuous world there is an imperative need for each of us to strengthen our understanding of the significance of this event so that it may become an unshakable foundation upon which to build our lives. With true and devoted study, this foundation in Christ and His Atonement will provide strength, increase our capacity for a successful life, give us confidence in times of trial and peace in moments of turmoil. I combine my voice with that of Richard G Scott’s when I say “I energetically encourage you to establish a personal study plan to better understand and appreciate the incomparable, eternal, infinite consequences of Jesus Christ’s perfect fulfillment of His divinely appointed calling as our Saviour and Redeemer. Through profound personal pondering of the scriptures accompanied by searching, heartfelt prayer, you will fortify your understanding of and appreciation for His priceless Atonement.”
A little over 2 years ago, I sat in the regional center at a meeting for high school students that I was very adament about not going to as I believed it was only for those that were planning on serving missions. At that time I hadn’t given any thought to serving a mission and therefore felt I didn’t belong in the meeting with President and Sister Fisher, a former mission president that had come to speak the the group. As I sat in the meeting listening to President Fisher talk about the wonderful experiences he had as a mission president, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I was sitting next to my companion. At the end of the meeting, President Fisher asked each one of us to pray about a mission, and even if we weren’t thinking about serving one, to simply ask. I followed this, and within 2 days I had received multiple confirmations that I was meant to serve a mission. I am so glad that my parents made me, even reluctantly, attend that meeting. I am grateful for the way this decision has and will shape my life. I know that God hears our prayers and answers them. I am so grateful that He heard the humble prayer of a 17 year old and had a plan for me, and a purpose beyond what I could see at the time.
I know that God has a plan for each of us. He has made a way for us, through the Saviour, to get back to Him.
I bear testimony
- Of the power of the Atonement
- That Christ really is the Son of God,
- He lives this very moment
- He suffered for each and every one of us
- And He alone holds the key to our salvation and exaltation and is waiting with open arms if we repent and come unto Him
I am so humbled by the call to serve the people in Mississippi and teach them of these truths. I am so excited to go and tell them that I KNOW these things to be true and through them, they may come to know of the happiness and joy that I have experienced in our Saviour. I love this gospel and know its teachings to be true. I say these things in the name….
No comments:
Post a Comment