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.
You
can find more answers from yahoo here: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=A2KLfSmyvrxcJBwAMLBXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyMnJndHVuBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQTA2MDJfMQRzZWMDc2M-?qid=20090327080351AAdZGRo
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 Mormon, 3
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.
This
information came from here:
https://www.learnreligions.com/necessary-attributes-atonement-of-jesus-christ-2159229
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
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
resurrection
|
|||
|
|
Death and resurrection
|
|||
|
|
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
|
||
|
|
||||
|
·
|
Behold I say unto you that and this because of your faith in him
according to the promise.
|
|||
|
·
|
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?
·
”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.
- Elder
D. Todd Christofferson, “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014,
111–14
“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
- Elder
Dallin H. Oaks, “Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015,
61–64
“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 us—to give us the strength to bear it all.” “And so we see
that because of His Atonement, the Savior has the power to succor—to help—every 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 us—to give us the
strength to bear it all.; because of His Atonement, the Savior has the
power to succor—to help—every 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 salvation—as wonderful as it is—does not fulfill the
Father’s 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 Easter—the 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 28:1–10; Luke 24:13–35; John 20:19–29; 1 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.
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😊
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