Post # 110 -- The Atonement of Jesus Christ
Dear Family and
Friends
I
have been thinking about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Lately it seems that I
have been thinking about this a lot. I wanted to lean more about it for myself,
so I thought I would share my study with you. As you remember, the last general
conference was in April of 2019 just before Easter. There was a talk titled:”
The Atonement of Jesus Christ.” By Tad R.
Callister -- Recently Released Sunday School General President. He has
explained the Atonement of Jesus Christ so well, he made it quite easy to understand.
I found that he answered all of the following questions in his talk:
What then is the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
What was the motivation for Jesus to make this atonement for
each oe of us?
What was the mission of Jesus Christ?
What were the requirements of the Atonement?
What then was its purpose?
How was this purpose accomplished?
How can the Savior accomplish this without violating the laws of
justice?
What law are we subject to?
What is the only way we can be saved?
What are the four obstacles that Jesus Christ overcame with His
Atonement?
How do we incorrectly placed limits on the Savior’s redemptive
powers?
How do we release the protective powers of the Savior are
unleashed on our behalf?
What are the four obstacles that can prevent our spiritual
progress?
How is the Atonement of Jesus Christ infinite?
Why is it is so essential to understand the Savior’s Atonement
and its infinite implications?
What do you need to remember of you feel you have sunk farther
than the light and sweeping intelligence of Jesus Christ can reach?
What do we learn from Doctrine and Covenants 88:6?
How do I know if I have been forgiven of my sins?
If I am forgiven, why do I still feel the guilt?
Is it possible, then, to remember our sins and still be free of
guilt?
How could he remember his sins but have no pain or guilt?
What did Alma say was the reason for Christ to go “forth,
suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind? “
How does Christ succor His people -- how does He accomplish this?
“Succor. Do you know its
meaning? It is used often in the scriptures to describe Christ’s care for and
attention to us. It means literally ‘to run to.’ What an absolutely magnificent
way to describe the Savior’s urgent effort in our behalf. Even as he calls us
to come to him and follow him, he is unfailingly running to help us”
(Jeffrey R. Holland, “Come
unto Me”[Brigham Young University fireside, March 2,
1997)], 9, speeches.byu.edu).
“To
succor means to ‘run to.’ I testify that in my fears and in my infirmities the
Savior has surely run to me. I will never be able to thank Him enough for such
personal kindness and such loving care” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “He
Hath Filled the Hungry with Good Things,” Ensign, Nov.
1997, 66).
What are two of the channels or means of availing ourselves of
those enabling powers that were mentioned in this talk?
What is our duty ‘if any of us are imperfect?”
As you each read and study this talk with me be sure that you
are looking for the answers to all of the questions listed above and if you
find other questions that were answered in the talk that I missed, please feel
free to let me know if them in the comments section😊
okay – let’s get started learning together::
The Savior’s Atonement is not only infinite in scope but
also individual in reach.
At this season of the
year we particularly rejoice and reflect upon the Savior’s Atonement. It is
indeed the most supernal, mind-expanding, passionate doctrine this world or
universe has ever known. It is what gives hope and purpose to our lives.
What then is the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
In one sense, it is a series of divine events that
commenced in the Garden of Gethsemane, continued on the cross, and culminated
with the Savior’s Resurrection from the tomb.
It was motivated by an incomprehensible love for each of
us. It required a being who was sinless; who had infinite power over the
elements—even death; who possessed a
boundless capacity to suffer the consequences of all our sins and ailments; and
who, in fact, descended beneath it all.1
This was the mission of Jesus Christ—this
was His Atonement.
What then was its
purpose? It was to make it possible for us to return to God’s presence, become
more like Him, and have a fulness of joy. This was done by overcoming four
obstacles:
1.
Physical death
2.
Spiritual death caused
by Adam and by our sins
3.
Our afflictions and
infirmities
4.
Our weaknesses and
imperfections
But how can the Savior
accomplish this without violating the laws of justice?
Suppose for a moment a
man contemplating an exhilarating free fall makes a rash decision and
spontaneously jumps from a small plane. After doing so, he quickly realizes the
foolishness of his actions. He wants to land safely, but there is an obstacle—the
law of gravity. He moves his arms with astounding speed, hoping to fly, but to
no avail. He positions his body to float or glide to slow the descent, but the
law of gravity is unrelenting and unmerciful. He tries to reason with this
basic law of nature: “It was a mistake. I will never do it again.” But his
pleas fall on deaf ears. The law of gravity knows no compassion; it makes no
exceptions. Fortuitously, though, the man suddenly feels something on his back.
His friend in the plane, sensing the moment of foolishness, had placed a
parachute there just before the jump. He finds the rip cord and pulls it.
Relieved, he floats safely to the ground. We might ask, “Was the law of gravity
violated, or did that parachute work within that law to provide a safe
landing?”
When we sin, we are
like the foolish man who jumped from the plane. No matter what we do on our
own, only a crash-landing awaits us. We are subject to the law of justice,
which, like the law of gravity, is exacting and unforgiving. We can be
saved only because the Savior, through His Atonement, mercifully provides us
with a spiritual parachute of sorts. If we have faith in Jesus Christ and
repent (meaning we do our part and pull the rip cord), then the protective
powers of the Savior are unleashed on our behalf and we can land spiritually
unharmed.
This is possible,
however, only because the Savior overcame the four obstacles that can prevent
our spiritual progress.
1. Death. He overcame death through His
glorious Resurrection. The Apostle Paul taught, “As in Adam all die, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive.”2
2. Sin. The Savior overcame sin and
guilt for all those who repent. So deep and expansive is His cleansing power
that Isaiah promised, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow.”3
On occasion, I have
met with good Saints who have had trouble forgiving themselves, who have
innocently but incorrectly placed limits on the Savior’s redemptive powers.
Unwittingly, they have converted an infinite Atonement to a finite one that
somehow falls short of their particular sin or weakness. But it is an infinite
Atonement because it encompasses and circumscribes every sin and weakness, as
well as every abuse or pain caused by others.
Truman G. Madsen
made this comforting observation:
“If there are some of
you who have been tricked into the conviction that you have gone too far, …
that you have had the poison of sin which makes it impossible ever again to be
what you could have been—then hear me.
“I bear testimony that you cannot sink farther than the
light and sweeping intelligence of Jesus Christ can reach. I bear testimony
that as long as there is one spark of the will to repent and to reach, he
is there. He did not just
descend to your condition; he
descended below it, ‘that he
might be in all and through all things, the light of truth.’ [Doctrine and Covenants 88:6.]”4
One reason it is so
essential to understand the Savior’s Atonement and its infinite implications is
that with increased understanding comes an increased desire to forgive
ourselves and others.
Even though we may believe in Christ’s cleansing powers,
the question often arises: “How do I know if I have been forgiven of my sins?”
If we feel the Spirit, then that is our witness that we have been forgiven, or
that the cleansing process is taking place. President Henry B. Eyring
taught, “If you have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost … , you may
take it as evidence that the Atonement is working in your life.”5
Some have asked, “But
if I am forgiven, why do I still feel guilt?” Perhaps in God’s mercy the memory
of that guilt is a warning, a spiritual “stop sign” of sorts that, at least for
a time, cries out when additional temptations confront us: “Don’t go down that
road. You know the pain it can bring.” In this sense, it serves as a
protection, not a punishment.
Is it possible, then,
to remember our sins and still be free of guilt?
Alma remembered his sins, even years after he repented. But
when he cried unto Jesus for mercy, he said, “I could remember my pains no
more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.”6
How could he remember his sins but have no pain or guilt?
Because when we repent, we are “born of God.”7 We become, as
the scriptures say, “new creatures”8 in Christ. With
perfect honesty we can now say, “I am not the man or woman who committed those
past sins. I am a new and transformed being.”
3. Afflictions and Infirmities. Alma prophesied that Christ
“shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every
kind.” Why? “That his bowels may be filled with mercy, … that he may know
according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their
infirmities.”9
How does He accomplish this? Sometimes He removes the
affliction, sometimes He strengthens us to endure, and sometimes He gives us an
eternal perspective to better understand their temporary nature. After Joseph
Smith had languished in Liberty Jail for about two months, he finally cried
out, “O God, where art thou?”10 Instead of
providing instant relief, God responded, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine
adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou
endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.”11
Joseph now understood that this bitter experience was but a
dot on the eternal spectrum. With this enhanced vision, he wrote the Saints
from that same prison cell, “Dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all
things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost
assurance, to see the salvation of God.”12 Because of the
Savior’s Atonement, we can have an eternal perspective that gives meaning to
our trials and hope for our relief.
4. Weaknesses and
Imperfections. Because of His
Atonement, the Savior has enabling powers, sometimes referred to as grace,13 that can help us
overcome our weaknesses and imperfections and thus assist us in our pursuit to
become more like Him.
Moroni so taught: “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected
in him, … that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ.”14There seem at least
two channels or means of availing ourselves of those enabling powers that can
refine—even perfect—us.
First, the saving ordinances. The scriptures tell us, “In
the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.”15Sometimes we may think
of ordinances as a checklist—necessary for
exaltation; but in truth each unleashes a godly power that helps us become more
like Christ. For example:
·
When we are baptized
and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, we are made clean—thus
becoming more holy like God.
·
In addition, through
the Holy Ghost, our minds may be enlightened and our hearts softened so we can
think and feel more like Him.
·
And when we are sealed
as spouses, we inherit the right to “thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and
powers”16 as gifts from
God.
A second channel for these enabling powers is the gifts of
the Spirit. Because of Christ’s Atonement, we are eligible to receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost and its accompanying spiritual gifts. These gifts are
attributes of godliness; therefore, each time we acquire a gift of the Spirit,
we become more like God. No doubt that is why the scriptures enjoin us on
multiple occasions to seek these gifts.17
President George Q. Cannon taught: “No man ought to
say, ‘Oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature.’ He is not justified in it, for
the reason that God has promised to … give gifts that will eradicate [our
weaknesses]. … If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift
that will make us perfect.”18
In summary, the Savior’s Atonement gives us life for death,
“beauty for ashes,”19 healing for
hurt, and perfection for weakness. It is heaven’s antidote to the obstacles and
struggles of this world.
In the Savior’s final week of mortality, He said, “In the
world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.”20 Because the
Savior performed His Atonement, there is no external force or event or person—no
sin or death or divorce—that can prevent us from achieving
exaltation, provided we keep God’s commandments. With that knowledge, we can
press forward with good cheer and absolute assurance that God is with us in
this heavenly quest.
I bear my witness that
the Savior’s Atonement is not only infinite in scope but also individual in
reach—that it can not only return us to
God’s
presence but also enable us to become like Him—the
crowning goal of Christ’s Atonement. Of that I bear my
grateful and certain witness in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Now that you
have studied this talk and learned so much about the Atonement of Jesus Christ
and found answers to all of the questions listed before the talk. I challenge
you to answer the following statement with as many answers as you can find in
the talk---
Because of
the Atonement of Jesus Christ…
If you would
like to add to your knowledge of the Atonement of Jesus Christ be sure to check
out the following:
The Atonement of Jesus Christ By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - Of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles --- found here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2008/03/the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng
Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ
By Elder
Dallin H. Oaks - Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles ---- found here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/strengthened-by-the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng
Atonement of Jesus Christ – found here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/atonement-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng&_r=1
The Atonement of JESUS CHRIST By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland ---
you can find it here: http://www.jesuschrist.lds.org/his-life-and-teachings/articles/the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng
The Atonement -- Russell M. Nelson --Of the Quorum of
the Twelve Apostles you can find this one here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1996/10/the-atonement?lang=eng
I guess that is enough resources for you to check out for now, I hope you will enjoy learning more about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the importance it can make in our lives😊 I still need to read through several of these, as I want to learn more about thee Atonement of Jesus Christ so I can be sure that I am using it in my life in the way that I am supposed to.
I believe that it
is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that I can feel such peace in my life
while going through this journey with breast cancer and all of the side effects
that have come with the diagnosis – me new normal😊 I believe that it
was through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that I was able to live and work
through the pain until I was able to get my knees replaced😊
And now the peace I have felt since the time just prior to my diagnosis with
stage four breast cancer.
I found some principles I wanted to share with you from the
doctrinal mastery core document. You can study more here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/doctrinal-mastery-book-of-mormon-teacher-material/the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng
Jesus Christ’s triumph over spiritual and physical death by His
suffering, death, and Resurrection is called the Atonement.
It is only through Jesus Christ that we can be saved because He was the
only one capable of making an infinite and eternal Atonement for all mankind.
As part of His Atonement, Jesus Christ not only suffered for our sins,
but He also took upon Himself the pains, temptations, sicknesses, and
infirmities of all mankind.
As we come to Him in faith, the Savior will strengthen us to bear our
burdens and accomplish tasks that we could not do on our own.
Our faith can lead to salvation only when it is centered in Jesus
Christ.
“His sacrifice benefits each of us and
demonstrates the infinite worth of each and every one of Heavenly Father’s
children.”
“Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice provided the
only way for us to be cleansed and forgiven of our sins so that we can dwell in
God’s presence eternally. “
“Repentance includes recognizing our sins;
feeling remorse, or godly sorrow, for committing sin; confessing our sins to
Heavenly Father and, if necessary, to others; forsaking sin; seeking to
restore, as far as possible, all that has been damaged as a result of our sins;
and living a life of obedience to God’s commandments.”
This next
quote as from the April
2004 general conference, you can read the whole talk here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2004/04/the-atonement-and-the-value-of-one-soul?lang=eng
“Even though His
life was pure and free of sin, [Jesus Christ] paid the ultimate penalty for sin—yours, mine, and everyone who has ever lived. His mental,
emotional, and spiritual anguish were so great they caused Him to bleed from
every pore (see Luke 22:44; D&C 19:18). And yet Jesus suffered willingly so that we might all have the
opportunity to be washed clean—through having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized
by proper priesthood authority, receiving the purifying gift of the Holy Ghost
by confirmation, and accepting all other essential ordinances.
Without the Atonement of the Lord, none of these blessings would be available to us, and we could not become worthy and prepared to return to dwell in the presence of God. …
Without the Atonement of the Lord, none of these blessings would be available to us, and we could not become worthy and prepared to return to dwell in the presence of God. …
“… I believe
that if we could truly understand the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we
would realize how precious is one son or
daughter of God. …
“… The irony of the Atonement is that it is infinite and
eternal, yet it is applied individually, one person at a time. …
“… Never, never underestimate how precious is the one” (M. Russell Ballard, “The Atonement and the
Value of One Soul,” Ensign or Liahona, May
2004, 85–87).
This next quote comes from the October 2011 general conference/ you can read
the whole talk here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2011/10/the-divine-gift-of-repentance?lang=eng
“Only through repentance do
we gain access to the atoning grace of Jesus Christ and salvation. Repentance
is a divine gift. …
“Repentance exists as an option only because of the Atonement of
Jesus Christ” (D. Todd Christofferson, “The
Divine Gift of Repentance,” Ensign or Liahona,Nov.
2011, 38).
I found this quote in a talk titled -
“That I Might Draw All Men unto Me” -By Elder Dale G. Renlund. This talk was given
at the April 2016 General Conference
“No matter where you
stand in your relationship to God, I invite you to draw nearer to Heavenly
Father and Jesus Christ, the Ultimate Benefactors and Givers of all that is
good. I invite you to attend sacrament meeting each week and partake of the
holy emblems of the Savior’s body and blood. I invite you to feel God’s
nearness as He is made known to you, as He was to the disciples of old, in the
“breaking of [the] bread.”
As you do, I promise
that you will feel nearer to God. Natural tendencies to childish whining,
disgruntled entitlement, and derisive skepticism will dissipate. Those
sentiments will be replaced by feelings of greater love and gratitude for Heavenly
Father’s gift of His Son. As we draw closer to God, the enabling power of the
Atonement of Jesus Christ will come into our lives. And, as with the disciples
on the way to Emmaus, we will find that the Savior has been nearby all along. I
so witness and testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
There
are so many things that I could share on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I do
think I have shared enough for this post. We will cover more on this subject in
another post. For now, I only hope and pray that I have given you just enough
information that you too will want to learn more about our Savior, Jesus Christ
and this wondrous gift of His Atonement😊 there is so much to learn and I am so
glad that we can learn about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Well
my dear Family and Friends here we are again at the end of this post. As always,
I hope and pray that I have shared something that has brought a smile to your heart
and uplifted you in some small way. I am so very grateful for this opportunity
to share these gospel topics with you as well as sharing with you about my journey
with breast cancer and all the changes in my life that has come along with the
cancer😊
Until
my next post, please do remember who you are – You are each one a child of God.
Keep studying the scriptures with me and let us keep learning along together😊
keep saying your prayers and remember that your Heavenly Father doesn’t care
where you are on your journey back to His presence – He will meet you where you
are and guide you through the Holy Ghost.
If you have not been baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believe that you still can have the light of Christ with you to give you guidance. I leave you with this question for you to ponder on: What is our personal responsibility in receiving the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
If you have not been baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believe that you still can have the light of Christ with you to give you guidance. I leave you with this question for you to ponder on: What is our personal responsibility in receiving the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
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