Monday, April 22, 2019


Post # 96 ---  HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!
Come Follow Me week 13  – Easter -- “O Grave, Where Is Thy Victory?”
-- April 15–21


Dear Family and friends

Today is Easter day. It is the day that we celebrate Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Did you do anything fun for Easter. What types of traditions do you share with your family to celebrate Easter. Do you do things like have an Easter egg hunt. –we hide resurrection eggs and the children go out and find them. Then we tell the story of Jesus last days on earth with those eggs -- each containing a representation of something from part of His last hours on this earth. For example: a piece of cloth to represent the burial wrap; a gold cup to represent the goblet from the last supper; a toy donkey to represent --- yep, you got it --- the donkey that Jesus rode into town on, a dice to represent the dice used to decide who would get Jesus' robes, etc.  


Maybe you fill your eggs with candy for them to hunt, or let them color eggs for the Easter bunny to hide for the children to find:😊 We had our boys plant orange and green jelly beans to grow carrots for the Easter bunny so that if they were very good during the story maybe the Easter bunny would leave them a treat -- all of these things are fun for the children but don’t forget the real ? true reason for our celebration of Easter. We have spent time each day during the week to review the last days of the life of Jesus Christ – from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem to His appearance after He was resurrected -- these are from the manual as a daily reading list for your family:

·         Sunday: Triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:6–11)
·         Monday: Cleansing the temple (Matthew 21:12–16)
·         Tuesday: Teaching in Jerusalem (Matthew 21–23)
·         Wednesday: Continued teaching (Matthew 24–25)
·         Thursday: The Passover and Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26)
·         Friday: Trial, Crucifixion, and burial (Matthew 27:1–61)
·         Saturday: Christ’s body lies in the tomb (Matthew 27:62–66) while His spirit ministers in the spirit world (D&C 138)
·         Sunday: The appearance of the resurrected Christ (Matthew 28:1–10)

So we will begin with these questions for you today is: “What is the Atonement of Jesus Christ?” and “How can I receive the blessings of Christ’s Atonement?” Did you all read any scriptures this week that help to answer these questions?
I found some answers for you, there is also a lot of information on the atonement for you as well here: https://lds.org/youth/learn/yw/atonement/what?lang=eng

What is the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

The Atonement is the sacrifice Jesus Christ made to help us overcome sin, adversity, and death. Jesus’s atoning sacrifice took place in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary. He paid the price for our sins, took upon Himself death, and was resurrected. The Atonement is the supreme expression of the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

o     

6 Necessary Attributes of the Atonement of Jesus Christ

Including Foreordination, a Sinless Life, and Resurrection

byUpdated February 25, 2018
The atonement of Jesus Christ is the most important principle of the gospel, according to the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Church adherents believe that the Heavenly Father's plan for humankind's salvation and happiness included the fall of Adam and Eve. This event allowed sin and death to enter the world. Thus, the emergence of a savior, Jesus Christ, was necessary because he was the only one able to perform a perfect atonement. A perfect atonement is made up of six attributes


Foreordination

When God presented his plan to humankind in the premortal world, it was evident that a savior was necessary. Jesus volunteered to be the savior, according to the Mormon church, as did Lucifer. God chose Jesus to come to Earth and save everyone by performing the atonement. Since Jesus was designated to become the savior before being born, he was said to be foreordained to do so.​

Divine Sonship

Born of the Virgin Mary, Christ is the literal Son of God, according to the church. This made it possible for him to bear the eternal weight of the atonement. Throughout the Scriptures, there are many references to Christ as the Son of God. For example, at Christ's baptism, at Mount  Hermon, the site of the Transfiguration, and at other times in history, the voice of God has been heard to declare that Jesus is his Son. 
Christ stated this in the Book of Mormon3 Nephi 11:11, when he visited the Americas where he proclaimed:
"And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning."

A Sinless Life

Christ was the only person to live on Earth who never sinned. Because he lived a life without sin, he was able to perform the atonement. According to Mormon doctrine, Christ is the mediator between justice and mercy, as well as the advocate between mankind and God, as stated in 1 Timothy 2:5:
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

Shedding of Blood

When Christ entered the Garden of Gethsemane, he took upon himself every sin, temptation, heartache, sorrow, and pain of every person who has lived, and will live, upon this Earth. As he suffered this unimaginable atonement, blood came out of every pore in Luke 22:44
"And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

Death on the Cross

Another main aspect of the atonement was when Christ was crucified on the cross at Golgotha (also known as Calvary in Latin). Before he died, Christ completed his suffering for all the sins of humankind while he hung upon the cross. He gave up his life voluntarily once the suffering was completed, as referenced in Luke 23:46:
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Resurrection

The culminating triumph of the atonement was when Christ was resurrected three days after his death. His spirit and body were once again reunited into a perfect being. His resurrection paved the way for humankind's eventual resurrection in Acts 23:26:
"That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead ..."
After being foreordained, Jesus Christ was born as the literal Son of the Heavenly Father. He lived a sinless and perfect life. He suffered and died for humankind's sins.
I think we have provided enough information to answer those questions. Now let’s get back to the lesson. Okay, here we go:

Jesus Christ delivers us from sin and death, strengthens us in our weaknesses, and comforts us in our trials.
·         Does everyone understand that in addition to overcoming sin and death, Jesus Christ can also comfort us in our trials and strengthen us in our weaknesses? One activity that we did to help us discover these principles could be to write these words on the board, but you could write them on paper: Sin, Death, Trials, Weaknesses. 
·         Our teacher asked us each to choose one of the scriptures listed then to read and ponder how the Savior helps us overcome or endure these things. Then we were asked to write what they learn from these scriptures under each heading and share their testimony of the Savior and His Atonement. I have made the following chart for you. I hope that it is helpful for each one of you.

   Scriptures
                 Sin
             Death
             Trials
       Weaknesses  
·         Isaiah 25:8


 He will swallow up death in victory
the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces

·         Isaiah 53 / Compare Mosiah 14

He was wounded for our transgression, he was bruised for our iniquities
He He will hath poured out His sol unto death
He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows

·         John 20:1–17


resurrection


·         Romans 8:31–39


Death and resurrection


·         2 Nephi 9:5–12

transgression
Death and resurrection spiritual death


·         Alma 7:10–14;

Sins of the people
death
Pains, afflictions, temptations

·          11:32–44
Transgressions
Temporal death and resurrection


·         3 Nephi 11:1–1727:13–20





·         Moroni 7:41
·          


Behold I say unto you that and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

 ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal,
·          
sins






What do the scriptures teach about the price Jesus Christ paid for our salvation? For example, see Luke 22:39–44;( his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.)
  Mosiah 3:7;( he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death//blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.)  and 

Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19. (suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;// tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit)
What price did our Heavenly Father pay? (see John 3:16). (16 ¶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.)
·         Let’s read some quotations from conference messages that describes how the Savior blesses us through His Atonement?



President Thomas S. Monson, “He Is Risen!” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 87–90
·         Over the years I have heard and read testimonies too numerous to count, shared with me by individuals who testify of the reality of the Resurrection and who have received, in their hours of greatest need, the peace and comfort promised by the Savior.”
·          
My beloved brothers and sisters, in our hour of deepest sorrow, we can receive profound peace from the words of the angel that first Easter morning: “He is not here: for he is risen.” Thomas S. Monson.

Thus, the Savior makes all things right. No injustice in mortality is permanent, even death, for He restores life again. No injury, disability, betrayal, or abuse goes uncompensated in the end because of His ultimate justice and mercy.” Neal a. Maxwell


“The grace of Christ is real, affording both forgiveness and cleansing to the repentant sinner.” “Given the reality of the Resurrection of Christ, repentance of any violation of His law and commandments is both possible and urgent.” Elder D. Todd Christofferson

In mortality we have the certainty of death and the burden of sin. The Atonement of Jesus Christ offsets these two certainties of mortal life. But apart from death and sin, we have many other challenges as we struggle through mortality. Because of that same Atonement, our Savior can provide us the strength we need to overcome these mortal challenges.”


“And because of this, His Atonement empowers Him to succor usto give us the strength to bear it all.” “And so we see that because of His Atonement, the Savior has the power to succorto helpevery mortal pain and affliction. Sometimes His power heals an infirmity, but the scriptures and our experiences teach that sometimes He succors or helps by giving us the strength or patience to endure our infirmities.”

As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “Having ‘descended below all things,’ He comprehends, perfectly and personally, the full range of human suffering.”
” Our Savior’s Atonement does more than assure us of immortality by a universal resurrection and give us the opportunity to be cleansed from sin by repentance and baptism.

His Atonement also provides the opportunity to call upon Him who has experienced all of our mortal infirmities to give us the strength to bear the burdens of mortality.

He knows of our anguish, and He is there for us. Like the good Samaritan, when He finds us wounded at the wayside, He will bind up our wounds and care for us. The healing and strengthening power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement is for all of us who will ask.” Elder Dallin H. Oaks


  • How do the teachings of modern-day prophets expand our understanding of the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement?
  • Sister Carole M. Stephens, “The Master Healer,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 9–12
peace and comfort; profound peace; makes all things right; forgiveness and cleansing; offsets the certainty of death and sin; strength; His Atonement empowers Him to succor usto give us the strength to bear it all.; because of His Atonement, the Savior has the power to succorto helpevery mortal pain and affliction; His power heals an infirmity;

He succors or helps by giving us the strength or patience to endure our infirmities; Our Savior’s Atonement does more than assure us of immortality by a universal resurrection and give us the opportunity to be cleansed from sin by repentance and baptism; His Atonement also provides the opportunity to call upon Him who has experienced all of our mortal infirmities to give us the strength to bear the burdens of mortality.  


He will bind up our wounds and care for us. The healing and strengthening power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement is for all of us who will ask.” How do they strengthen our testimonies of the power of His Atonement? Our faith in Jesus Christ enables us to meet any challenge.

·         We, in fact, often find our faith deepened and our relationship with Heavenly Father and His Son refined in adversity First, the Savior, the Master Healer, has the power to change our hearts and give us permanent relief from the sorrow caused by our own sin. 
·         Second, the Master Healer can comfort and strengthen us when we experience pain because of the unrighteous actions of others. Third, the Master Healer can comfort and sustain us as we experience painful “realities of mortality,”13 such as disaster, mental illness, disease, chronic pain, and death. 

Perhaps a simple object lesson could help illustrate the difference between being cleansed from sin and being perfected: Moroni 10:32 okay, this verse has spelling errors and words there that should not be.
32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be protected in him, and dory yourselves of all ungoodness; and if ye shall dine yourselves of all ungoodness, and live God with all your might, mand and strangth, then is his groce sufficient for you, that by his grice ye may be proyect in Christ; and if by the grece of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise day the paner of God.

If you correct the spelling errors. Did this solve the problem? What lessons do we learn from this scripture and this object lesson about the effect the Atonement can have on us? This statement from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf might also help: “If salvation means only erasing our mistakes and sins, then salvationas wonderful as it isdoes not fulfill the Fathers aspirations for us. His aim is much higher: He wants His sons and daughters to become like Him (“The Gift of Grace,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 108).




·         Stories and analogies can help us understand Christ’s Atonement. For instance, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shares a story about two brothers climbing a canyon wall in his message “Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 104–6). There is also a video of the same title on LDS.org. Or you could watch together this is an awesome story, but an amazing video – you should really take a few moments to watch it and you will agree😊

·          
·         “Handel’s Messiah: Debtor’s Prison” (LDS.org;) and discuss how Jesus Christ’s Atonement frees us from our prisons.

·         Jesus Christ sets us free.
·         In 1741, George Frideric Handel composed an oratorio about Jesus Christ titled Messiah. Handel determined that the proceeds of a performance of Messiah would be donated to pay for the release of debtors from debtor’s prison. Over 140 people who had been jailed because they were unable to pay their debts were set free as a result. Commenting on this event, President Russell M. Nelson said, “Without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we would all be hopelessly indebted, just as were those people in debtor’s prison. Our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, came to pay a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.” For a video depiction of this event, see “Handel’s Messiah: Debtor’s Prison” on LDS.org.


·          

Witnesses in the New Testament bore testimony that Jesus Christ conquered death.
·         Consider reviewing the scriptural account of the first Easterthe Resurrection of Jesus Christ. You could ask a family member to retell the story in his or her own words (see John 20:1–17). You could also show a Bible video to your family, such as “He Is Risen” (LDS.org).
·         Perhaps your family would gain deeper understanding of the importance of the witnesses of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection if they imagine they are lawyers or news reporters investigating the claim that Christ was resurrected.

·         Ask them to find people in the scriptures who could serve as witnesses (see Matthew 28:1–10Luke 24:13–35John 20:19–291 Corinthians 15:3–8, 55–58). They could even write a brief summary of what these people might say when testifying in court or when being interviewed for a news report. Remember to have fun with this. I remember being asked to write headlines for a certain scripture and to design a front page of the paper, I was nervous, but found out that it was quite fun and when I had actually completed the assignment – I was quite proud of my accomplishments😊


·         One certain way to deepen our appreciation for the Savior’s Resurrection is to think about how we would explain our beliefs to others. I did this the day before this class an I shared our beliefs with a coworker. How would our family members share their testimonies of Jesus Christ in the following situations: a family member has been diagnosed with a serious illness; a friend has lost a loved one; a neighbor asks why you celebrate Easter.

Jesus Christ gives us hope and joy.
·         We can all have hope and be of good cheer because of the Savior. It might be good for you to read John 16:33 with your family and then discuss how the Atonement of Jesus Christ helps each of us to be joyful despite our trials. Then ask your family members how have we received joy and been supported during our trials?
·          
·         If you haven’t done it yet, reading Peter’s testimony in 1 Peter 1:3–11 might give your family members increased hope in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Give them time to ponder these verses and work together then to look other scriptures that also describe how to obtain hope in Jesus Christ (you can also look in the Topical Guide, under “Hope”). Your family members could use the scriptures they find to make a poster to display in their homes or online (see examples of inspirational picture quotes on LDS.org). Family members could consider the circumstances of family members or friends or others who may need to feel more hopeful. Ask them: what can we do as a family to help this person or persons feel more hopeful?

To Encourage Learning at Home
What do you think would inspire your family members to read Matthew 18 and Luke 10? It might be good for you to tell them that these chapters contain two of the Savior’s most memorable parables, both of which teach us important lessons about how we should treat one another.

Hymns about the Savior’s Atonement.
Your family members might enjoy singing some of these hymns and reading the associated scriptures cited at the bottom of the page. Your family members can learn some hymns as part of their family scripture study this week; be sure to encourage them to share their experiences.
·         “How Firm a Foundation,” Hymns, no. 85
·         “Where Can I Turn for Peace?” Hymns, no. 129
·         “I Stand All Amazed,” Hymns, no. 193
·         “He Is Risen!” Hymns, no. 199
Videos about Easter.
Each year the Church produces Easter messages, which are available on mormon.org/easter.

Well my dear Family and Friends we have reached the end of this Easter day. I am hoping and praying that something within my post has inspired you to do something new, something better than you have done before; and that you have each been uplifted in some way today by your reading my post. Remember, that every one of you are a child of a Heavenly Father, who loves you more than you can imagine. You are of infinite worth and of Royal lineage😊

As always, keep saying your prayers, studying your scriptures and keeping the commandments. Continue learning about your Heavenly Father and His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Learn about His Atonement and what the Atonement of Jesus Christ can do in your life. Learn how to access it’s enabling power in your lives. Until my next post, please be safe, stay healthy, make good choices, serve one another, and make it a great week😊

No comments:

Post a Comment