Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Atonement of Jesus Christ? 6

                                                                     Article of Faith 3

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved,

by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

This is the sixth essay about the Atonement of Jesus Christ as stated in the third Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first week, I discussed the importance of understanding how the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as the third pillar of eternity, is essential to Heavenly Father’s plan for the eternal happiness of His children. The second week, the discussion was about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the nature of the atonement. The third week, the discussion concerned the Atonement of Jesus Christ as a vicarious sacrifice. The fourth week, the discussion was about Christ’s sacrifice being voluntary and love inspired. Last week, the discussion was about the Atonement being foreordained and foretold. The discussion for this week will use the words of Elder James E. Talmage to discuss the extent of the Atonement (Articles of Faith [1913], 85-87).

The Extent of the Atonement is universal, applying alike to all descendants of Adam. Even the unbeliever, the heathen, and the child who dies before reaching the years of discretion, all are redeemed by the Savior’s self-sacrifice from the individual consequences of the fall. It is proved by scripture that the resurrection of the body is one of the victories achieved by Christ through His atoning sacrifice. He Himself proclaimed the eternal truth: “I am the resurrection, and the life”; and He was the first of all men to rise from the grave to immortality – “the firstfruits of them that slept.” The scriptures leave no room for doubt concerning the fact that the resurrection will be universal. The Savior announced to His apostles the beginning of this work of deliverance from the tomb; hear His words: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” or, as the latter part of the declaration has bene rendered through inspiration in the present day, “They who have done good in the resurrection of the just, and they who have done evil in the resurrection of the unjust.”

Paul preached the doctrine of a universal resurrection: “That there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” On another occasion he wrote: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” John the Revelator testifies of his vision concerning futurity: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.” Thus it is plain that the effect of the atonement, so far as it applies to the victory over temporal or bodily death, includes the entire race. It is equally clear that the release from spiritual death, or banishment from the presence of God, is offered to all; so that if any man lose salvation such loss will be due to himself, and in no way be the inescapable effect of Adam’s transgression. That the gift of redemption through Christ is free to all men was specifically taught by the apostles of old. Thus Paul says: “Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” And further: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all.” John spoke of the Redeemer’s sacrifice, saying: “And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

The same truths were taught among the Nephites. Benjamin, the righteous king, preached of “the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever were since the fall of Adam, or who are, or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world.” In revelation of the present day we read of Christ’s having come into the world, to suffer and to die: “That through him all might be saved whom the Father into his power and made by him.”

But besides this universal application of the atonement, whereby all men are redeemed from the effects of Adam’s transgression both with respect to the death of the body and inherited sin, there is application of the same great sacrifice as a means of propitiation for individual sins through the faith and good works of the sinner. This twofold effect of the atonement is implied in the article of our faith now under consideration. The first effect is to secure to all mankind alike, exemption from the penalty of the fall, thus providing a plan of General Salvation. The second effect is to open a way for Individual Salvation whereby mankind may secure remission of personal sins. As these sins are the result of individual acts it is just that forgiveness for them should be conditioned on individual compliance with prescribed requirements – “obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”

  

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Atonement of Jesus Christ? 3

Article of Faith 3

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved,

by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

This is the third essay about the Atonement of Jesus Christ as stated in the third Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first week, I discussed the importance of understanding how the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as the third pillar of eternity, is essential to Heavenly Father’s plan for the eternal happiness of His children. Last week, the discussion was about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the nature of the atonement. This week, the discussion will concern the Atonement of Jesus Christ as a vicarious sacrifice, using the words of Elder James E. Talmage (Articles of Faith [1913], 77-79).

The Atonement a Vicarious Sacrifice – It is to many a matter of surpassing wonder that the voluntary sacrifice of a single being could be made to operate as a means of ransom for the rest of mankind. In this, as in other things, the scriptures are explicable by the spirit of scriptural interpretation. The sacred writings of ancient times, the inspired utterances of latter-day prophets, the traditions of mankind, the rites of sacrifice, and even the sacrileges of heathen idolatries, all involve the idea of vicarious atonement. God has never refused to accept an offering made by one who is authorized on behalf of those who are in any way incapable of doing the required service themselves. The scapegoat and the altar victim of ancient Israel, if offered with repentance and contrition, were accepted by the Lord in mitigation of the sins of the people. It is interesting to note that while the ceremonies of sacrifice formed so large and so essential a part of the Mosaic requirements, these rites long antedated the establishment of Israel as a distinct people; for, as already shown, altar sacrifice as rendered by Adam. The symbolism of the immolating of animals as a prototype of the great sacrifice to follow on Calvary was thus instituted with the beginning of human history.

The many kinds of sacrifice prescribed by the Mosaic law are classifiable as bloody and bloodless. Offerings of the first order only, involving the infliction of death, were acceptable in propitiation or atonement for sin, and the victim had to be clean, healthy, and without spot or blemish. So for the great sacrifice, the effects of which were to be infinite, only an innocent subject could be accepted,  It was Christ’s right to become the Savior as the only sinless being on earth, and as the Only Begotten of the Father, and above all as the one ordained in the heavens to be the Redeemer of mankind; and though the exercise of this right involved a sacrifice, the extent of which man cannot comprehend, yet Christ made that sacrifice willingly and voluntarily. To the last, He had the means of terminating the tortures of His persecutors, by the exercise of His inherent powers. In some way, though that way may be inexplicable to us, Christ took upon Himself the burdensome onus of the sins of mankind. The means may be to our finite minds a mystery, yet the results are our salvation.

Something of the Savior’s agony as He groaned under this load of guilt, which to Him, as a type of purity, must have been in itself bitter in the extreme, He has told us in this day: “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; 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.” Further instances of the validity of vicarious service are found in the rites of baptism for the dead as taught in apostolic and modern times, and in the institution of other temple ordinances in the current dispensation.

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

Article of Faith 3

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved,

by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

 This essay is the first one about the Atonement of Jesus Christ as stated in the third Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To understand the importance of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, we must understand that it is the third pillar of eternity. Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught the following:

The three greatest events that ever have occurred or ever will occur in all eternity are these:

1. The creation of the heavens and the earth, of man, and of all forms of life.

2. The fall of man, of all forms of life, and of the earth itself from their primeval and paradisiacal state to their present mortal state; and

3. The infinite and eternal atonement, which ransoms man, all living things, and the earth also from their fallen state so that the salvation of the earth and of all living things may be completed.

These three divine events – the three pillars of eternity – are inseparably woven together into one grand tapestry known as the eternal plan of salvation. We view the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as the center and core and heart of revealed religion. It brings to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Salvation is in Christ.

But had there been no fall, there could have been no atonement. The fall of Adam brought temporal and spiritual death into the world, and it is from these deaths that man and all forms of life are ransomed through the atonement wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ. Adam brought mortality; Christ brought immortality. Salvation comes because of the fall and the atonement.

But if the earth and man and all living things had not been created in their physical and paradisiacal state, in a state of deathlessness, there could have been no fall. The fall, with its resultant probationary estate, is the child of the original and primeval creation, and the atonement is the child of the fall (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 81).

As Elder McConkie explained, the Creation of the world, the Fall of Adam and Eve, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ are the three pillars of eternity. Heavenly Father’s plan for the eternal happiness of His children is built upon those three pillars. Now that my readers are aware of the three pillars and their importance to God, we will now move into a discussion about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In a later chapter, Elder McConkie answered the question: “What is the Atonement?”

The atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ is the third of the three infinite events that comprise the eternal plan of salvation. The other two are the physical creation of all things and then their subsequent fall to their present mortal state. As the paradisiacal creation was the precursor of the fall, so the universal fall, first of Adam and then of all created things, is the foundation upon which the atonement rests. The creation, the fall, and the atonement, these three are the divine and eternal events through which the purposes of the Supreme God are accomplished.

Salvation, meaning eternal life, is reserved for the faithful. It is offered to all men in all ages on the same terms and conditions…. It is offered to man without money and without price; it is available to all because of the atonement…. The light of Christ is given to all men; all are guided by the still, small voice of conscience…. Obedience and good works would count for nothing if there were no atonement…. Temporal and spiritual death would reign forever if there were no atonement…. Salvation is for the obedient; it is their sins that are borne by Christ.

… Thus, salvation of every son, kind, and degree – whether it is resurrection only, on the one hand, or eternal exaltation, on the other – comes by the grace of God. There is no other way; salvation is in Christ, and it comes because of his atoning sacrifice.

This sacrifice, which only a God could make, took place in Gethsemane when he sweat great gouts of blood from every poor…. And it also took place as he hung on the cruel cross of Calvary. During the last three hours of that agonizing ordeal, while darkness overspread the land, all the pains and suffering of Gethsemane returned. He came into the world, not alone to suffer in Gethsemane, but also at Golgotha….

We can no more comprehend the atonement than we can understand the creation or the fall. It suffices, in our present state of probation, and subject to our present finite limitations, to know that we exist, to know that there was a fall, and to know that Christ is the Redeemer. It makes no more sense to reject the fall and the atonement than to reject the creation. The fact is, all three are realities; all three are the means whereby salvation comes (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 107-110).

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Fall of Adam 6?

Article of Faith 2

   We believe that men will be punished for their own sins,

                    and not for Adam’s transgression.

This essay is the sixth and final one teaching about the Fall of Adam and Eve as stated in the second Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first thesis discussed moral agency, or the freedom to choose good or evil. The second treatise discussed sin and punishment for sin. The third essay discussed Satan. The fourth paper discussed the creation of Adam and Eve and Satan’s great temptation. The fifth essay discussed the tree of life and the immediate result of the Fall. This thesis will discuss how the Atonement was provided for because the Fall did not come by chance, using the words of Elder James E. Talmage (The Articles of Faith [1890], 66-68).

Atonement Provided for – God did not leave His now mortal children without hope. He gave other commandments to Adam, requiring him to offer sacrifices in the name of the Only Begotten Son, and promising redemption unto him and all his descendants who would comply with the conditions prescribed. The opportunity of winning the victor’s reward by overcoming evil was explained to our parents, and they rejoiced. Adam said: “Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.” Eve was glad and declared: “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.”

The Fall came not by chance – It would be unreasonable to suppose that the transgression of Eve and Adam came as a surprise to the Creator. By His infinite fore-knowledge, God knew what would be the result of Satan’s temptation to Eve, and what Adam would do under the resulting conditions. Further, it is evident that the fall was foreseen to be a means whereby man could be brought into direct experience with both good and evil, so that of his own agency he might elect the one or the other, and thus be prepared by the experiences of a mortal probation for the exaltation provided in the beneficent plan of his creation [emphasis added]: “For behold, this is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 1:39) spoke the Lord unto Moses. It was the purpose of God to place within the reach of the spirits begotten by Him in the heavens the means of individual effort, and the opportunity of winning not merely redemption from death but also salvation and even exaltation, with the powers of eternal progression and increase. Hence it was necessary that the spiritual offspring of God should leave the scenes of their primeval childhood and enter the school of mortal experience, meeting, contending with, and overcoming evil, according to their several degrees of faith and strength. Adam and Eve could never have been the parents of a mortal posterity had they not themselves become mortal; mortality was an essential element in the divine plan respecting the earth and its appointed inhabitants; and, as a means of introducing mortality, the Lord placed before the progenitors of the race a law, knowing what would follow.

Eve was fulfilling the foreseen purposes of God by the part she took in the great drama of the fall; yet she did not partake of the forbidden fruit with that object in view, but with intent to act contrary to the divine command, being deceived by the sophistries of Satan, who also, for that matter, furthered the purposes of the Creator by tempting Eve; yet his design was to thwart the Lord’s plan. We are definitely told that “he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world” (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 4:6) [Emphasis added]. Yet his diabolical effort, far from being the initiatory step toward destruction, contributed to the plan of man’s eternal progression. Adam’s part in the great event was essentially different from that of his wife; he was not deceived; on the contrary he deliberately decided to do as Eve desired, that he might carry out the purposes of his Maker with respect to the race of men, whose first patriarch he was ordained to be.

Even the transgressions of men may be turned to the accomplishment of high purposes. The sacrificial death of Christ was ordained from before the foundation of the world, yet Judas who betrayed, and the Jews who brought about the crucifixion of the Son of God, are nonetheless guilty of the awful crime.

It has become a common practice with mankind to heap reproaches upon the progenitors of the family, and to picture the supposedly blessed state in which we would be living but for the fall; whereas our first parents are entitled to our deepest gratitude for their legacy to posterity – the means of winning title to glory, exaltation, and eternal lives. But for the opportunity thus given, the spirits of God’s offspring would have remained forever in a state of innocent childhood, sinless through no effort of their own; negatively saved, not form sin, but from the opportunity of meeting sin; incapable of winning the honors of victory because prevented from taking part in the conflict. As it is, they are heirs to the birthright of Adam’s descendants – mortality, with its immeasurable possibilities and its God-given freedom of action. From Father Adam we have inherited all the ills to which flesh is heir; but such are necessarily incident to a knowledge of good and evil, by the proper use of which knowledge man may become even as the Gods.

 

What Do You Do To Remember Jesus Christ?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Third Nephi 17-19 in a lesson titled “Behold, My Joy Is Full.” The lesson was introduced with this information. 

Jesus Christ had just spent the day ministering in the land of Bountiful, teaching His gospel, letting the people see and feel the marks in His resurrected body, and testifying that He was the promised Savior. Now it was time to leave. “My time is at hand,” He said (3 Nephi 17:1). He was about to return to His Father, and He knew that the people needed time to ponder what He had taught. So, promising to return the next day, He dismissed the multitude to their homes. But no one left. They didn’t say what they were feeling, but Jesus could sense it: they hoped He would “tarry a little longer with them” (3 Nephi 17:5). He had other important things to do, but showing compassion for God’s children is always a high priority to Him. So Jesus stayed a little longer. What followed was perhaps the most tender example of ministering recorded in scripture. Those who were present could only say it was indescribable (see 3 Nephi 17:16-17). Jesus Himself summed up the unplanned spiritual outpouring with these simple and powerful words: “Now behold, my joy is full” (3 Nephi 17:20).

There were several principles taught in this scripture block, including (1) The Savior is my perfect example of ministering (3 Nephi 17; 18:24-25, 28-32); (2) The Savior taught me how to pray (3 Nephi 17:13-22; 18:15-25; 19:6-9, 15-36); (3) I can “hold up” the light of Jesus Christ, and (4) Disciples of Jesus Christ seek the gift of the Holy Ghost (3 Nephi 18:36-37; 19:6-22).

I feel prompted to discuss a fifth principle, “I can be filled with the Spirit as I take the sacrament” (3 Nephi 18:1-12). When we do something often, we can become casual with it or make it routine. In fact, we often do it without even thinking about it. The question for this discussion is, “How can you keep this from happening with the weekly ordinance of the sacrament?” Is it possible to be spiritually “filled” each and every time that we partake of the sacrament? Is the sacrament accomplishing in your life Christ’s purpose for instituting the ordinance of the sacrament? Why is the sacrament sacred to you?

Partaking of the sacrament is sacred to me because it is the way prepared Jesus Christ for me to renew my covenants with Heavenly Father. It is also an opportunity for me to review the life of Jesus Christ, particularly His prayer in Gethsemane, His death on Calvary, and His resurrection. I look forward to seeing His return to earth.

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985) taught that the most important word in the dictionary could be remember. He said that “our greatest need is to remember” our covenants because we made them with God.

After reminding us of the words of President Kimball, President Henry B. Eyring gave “three suggestions about what you could remember each week when you partake of the sacred emblems of the sacrament.” Here are President Eyring’s suggestions: Always Remember Him (churchofjesuschrist.org)

Remember Jesus Christ.

First, remember the Savior. Remember who He was while on earth, how He spoke to others, and how He showed kindness in His acts. Remember whom He spent time with and what He taught. The Savior “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). He visited the sick. He was committed to doing His Father’s will.

Most of all, we can remember the great price He paid, out of His love for us, to remove the stain of our sins. As we remember Him, our desire to follow Him will grow. We will want to be a little kinder, more forgiving, and more willing to seek the will of God and do it.

Remember What You Need to Do Better

It’s hard to think of the Savior – His purity and perfection – without also thinking of how flawed and imperfect we are in comparison. We have made covenants to obey His commandments, yet we frequently fall short of his high standard. But the Savior knew this would happen, which is why He gave us the ordinance of the sacrament….

Remember the Progress You Are Making

As you examine your life during the ordinance of the sacrament, I hope your thoughts center not only on things you have done wrong but also on things you have done right – moments when you have felt that Heavenly Father and the Savior were pleased with you. You may even take a moment during the sacrament to ask God to help you see these things. If you do, I promise you will feel something. You will feel hope.

When I have done this, the Spirit has reassured me that while I’m still far from perfect, I’m better today than I was yesterday. And this gives me confidence that, because of the Savior, I can be even better tomorrow.

Always is a long time, and it implies a lot of focused effort. You know from experience how hard it is to think consciously of one thing all the time. But no matter how well you keep your promise to always remember Him, He always remembers you.

The Savior knows your challenges. He knows what it is like to have the cares of life press upon you. He knows how urgently you need the blessing that comes from always remembering Him and obeying Him – “that [you] may always have his Spirit to be with [you]” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77; emphasis added).

So He welcomes you back to the sacrament table each week, once again offering you the chance to witness before Him that you will always remember Him.

Here are some questions that you and I might ask ourselves: (1) What can I do to improve my worship during the sacrament and throughout the week? (2) What else can I do to worship more meaningfully? (3) Howe is the Savior’s sacrifice influencing my daily life? (4) What am I doing well as His disciple, and what can I improve?

What Is the Great Plan of Happiness?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Alma 39-42 in a lesson titled “The Great Plan of Happiness.” The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

When someone we love has made a serious mistake, it can be hard to know how to respond. Part of what makes Alma 39-42 so valuable is that it reveals how Alma – a disciple of Christ who once had his own grievous sins to repent of – handled such a situation. Alma’s son Corianton had committed sexual sin, and Alma, as he had learned to do in his ministry, trusted the power of true doctrine to give his son an eternal perspective and encourage repentance (see Alma 4:19; 31:5). In these chapters, we observe Alma’s boldness in condemning sin and his tenderness and love for Corianton. And ultimately, we sense Alma’s confidence that the Savior “shall come to take away the sins of the world [and] declare glad tidings of salvation unto his people” (Alma 39:15). The fact that Corianton repented and eventually returned to the work of the ministry (see Alma 49:30) can give us hope for forgiveness and redemption when we are troubled about our own sins or the sins of someone we love (see Alma 42:29).

Alma showed forth his love for Corianton by referring to him as “my son” (see first verse of Alma 40, 41, and 42). Alma taught Corianton the seriousness of sexual sin (Alma 39), life after death (Alma 40-41), how to seek answers with faith in Jesus Christ (Alma 40), and how the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes redemption possible (Alma 42).

Corianton believed that being punished for sins was not fair: (see Alma 42:1). And now, my son, I perceive there is somewhat more which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot understand – which is concerning the justice of God in the punishment of the sinner; for ye do try to suppose that it is injustice that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery (Alma 42:1).

So, Alma – as a father, priesthood leader, and prophet of God – taught Corianton about how the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes both justice and mercy possible. Alma taught his first example of justice and mercy with the story of Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve were told that they could eat of any fruit in the Garden of Eden except the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If they chose to eat of this fruit, they would die (justice). God placed cherubim and the flaming sword to guard the tree of life, so that Adam and Eve would not partake of the fruit and live forever in their sins without any opportunity to repent (mercy).

After partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden. When this happened, they were temporarily and spiritually cast out of the presence of God (justice). However, this condition was temporary because God appointed each of us a time to die (mercy).

Our mortal time on earth is a time for us to repent and to prepare to return to God’s presence (mercy). If we choose not to repent, we will be cast out of God’s presence forever (justice). To help His children to repent and to become worthy to be in God’s presence, Heavenly Father taught us His plan for our happiness. Alma called this plan the plan of redemption, the plan of salvation, and the plan of happiness.

11 And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside) as soon as they were dead their souls were miserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord.

12 And now, there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state, which man had brought upon himself because of his own disobedience;

13 Therefore, according to justice, the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions of repentance of men in this probationary state. Yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.

14 And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence.

15 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.

23 But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice.

24 For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.

25 What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God.

26 And thus God bringeth about his great and eternal purposes, which were prepared from the foundation of the world. And thus cometh about the salvation and the redemption of men, and also their destruction and misery.

In other words, the Atonement of Jesus Christ satisfied the demands of justice and offered mercy to all people who choose to repent of their sins. This is the plan of happiness, the plan of redemption, and the plan of salvation. The great plan of happiness is taught masterfully in a video titled “The Mediator” that I greatly recommend. 

What Does the Atonement of Jesus Christ Mean to You?

My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to Luke 22 and John 18 in a lesson titled “Not My Will, but Thine, Be Done.” The lesson was preceded by this bit of counsel: “Take your time reading Luke 22 and John 18 this week. Ponder and pray about what you read. Do this can give the Spirit opportunity to bear witness to your heart that the scriptures are true.” The lesson was then introduced with the following information: 

There were only three mortal witnesses to Jesus Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane—and they slept through much of it. In that garden and later on the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the sins, pains, and sufferings of every person who ever lived, although almost no one alive at that time knew what was happening. Eternity’s most important events often pass without much worldly attention. But God the Father knew. He heard the pleading of His faithful Son: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:42-43). While we were not there to witness this act of selflessness and submission, we are witnesses of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every time we repent and receive forgiveness of our sins, every time we feel the Savior’s strengthening power, we can testify of the reality of what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The principle that I feel impressed to discuss tonight is “The Savior suffered for me in Gethsemane” (Luke 22:39-46). First, we will look at the words of the scripture.

39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.

40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

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.

45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,

46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

President Russell M. Nelson invited us to “invest time in learning about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice” (“Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 40).

I pondered what I could do to accept the invitation offered by President Nelson and I studied all the references under this section of the lesson. Here are the questions along with a simple answer for what I found in my study.

·         Why was the Savior’s Atonement necessary? To redeem all mankind from the effects of the fall of Adam. (2 Nephi 2:5-10, 17-26; 9:5-26; Alma 34:8-16; 42:9-26)

·         What did the Savior experience as He suffered? He trembled with pain and bled from every poor as He took upon Himself the sins, sicknesses, and problems of all mankind. (Isaiah 53:3-5; Mosiah 3:7; Alma 7:11-13; Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19)

·         How does Christ’s suffering affect my life? His suffering gives me life as well as mercy and grace. (John 10:10-11; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 1:7; Alma 34:31; Moroni 10:32-33; Dallin H. Oaks, Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 61-64)

Gethsemane was a garden of olive trees and included an olive press. The press was used to crush olives and extract oil used for lighting and food as well as healing (see Luke 10:34). The process of extracting olive oil can symbolize the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane because He was also pressed down with the weight of all mankind’s sins, sicknesses, and weaknesses. The load was so heavy that He bled from every pore.

President Russell M. Nelson taught the reason why the Atonement of Jesus Christ was an infinite atonement that only He could perform.

“[Jesus Christ’s] Atonement is infinite—without an end. It was also infinite in that all humankind would be saved from never-ending death. It was infinite in terms of His immense suffering. It was infinite in time, putting an end to the preceding prototype of animal sacrifice. It was infinite in scope—it was to be done once for all. And the mercy of the Atonement extends not only to an infinite number of people, but also to an infinite number of worlds created by Him. It was infinite beyond any human scale of measurement or mortal comprehension.

“Jesus was the only one who could offer such an infinite atonement, since He was born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father. Because of that unique birthright, Jesus was an infinite Being” (“The Atonement,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 35).

Why Do You Partake of the Sacrament?

My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 13 in a lesson titled “In Remembrance.” The lesson material was preceded by this bit of counsel: “As you read about the events described in [the scripture block], pay attention to any impressions you receive, especially those impressions that deepen your faith in Jesus Christ and your commitment to Him.” The lesson was then introduced with the following information. 

The day before He died, Jesus gave His disciples something to remember Him by. He “took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood” (Matthew 26:26-28).

That happened about 2,000 years ago, in a place most of us will never see, in a language few of us can understand. But now, every Sunday in our own meeting places, priesthood holders, authorized to act in the name of Jesus Christ, do what He once did. They take bread and water, bless it, and give it to each of us, His disciples. It’s a simple act—can there be anything simpler, more fundamental, than eating bread and drinking water? But that bread and water are sacred to us because they help us remember Him. They’re our way of saying, “I’ll never forget Him”—not just, “I’ll never forget what I’ve read about His teachings and His life.” Rather, we are saying, “I’ll never forget what He did for me.” “I’ll never forget how He rescued me when I cried out for help.” And “I’ll never forget His commitment to me and my commitment to Him—the covenant we have made.”

As usual, this block of scriptures contains several principles that could be discussed, but I have chosen to discuss this principle found in Matthew 26:26-29 and Mark 14:22-25: “The sacrament is an opportunity to remember the Savior.” First, we will look at the actual scripture. The wording in Matthew and Mark are similar, so I will go with Matthew 26:26-29:

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink e all of it;

28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

The disciples of Christ must have been a little surprised when He gave them bread and told them that it was His body and then gave them wine and told them that it was His blood. Jesus Christ had a purpose for introducing the sacrament to His disciples – and to us. His purpose is to encourage us to remember Him. The bread and water used in the sacrament service are symbolic of Christ’s body and blood.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave the following explanation about how we can remember the Savior.

With a crust of bread, always broken, blessed, and offered first, we remember His bruised body and broken heart, His physical suffering on the cross where He cried, “I thirst,” and finally, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (John 19:38; Matt. 27:46.)

The Savior’s physical suffering guarantees that through His mercy and grace (see 2 Nephi 2:8) every member of the human family shall be freed from the bonds of death and be resurrected triumphantly from the grave….

With a small cup of water we remember the shedding of Christ’s blood and the depth of His spiritual suffering, anguish which began in the Garden of Gethsemane. There he said, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death” (Matt. 26:38). He was in agony and “prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as if it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

The Savior’s spiritual suffering and the shedding of his innocent blood, so lovingly and freely given, paid the debt for what the scriptures call the “original guilt” of Adam’s transgression (Moses 6:54). Furthermore, Christ suffered for the sins and sorrows and pains of all the rest of the human family, providing remission for all of our sins as well, upon conditions of obedience to the principles and ordinances of the gospel he taught (see 2 Ne. 9:21-23). As the Apostle Paul wrote, we were “bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20). What an expensive price and what a merciful purchase!

That is why every ordinance of the gospel focuses in one way or another on the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, and surely that is why this particular ordinance with all its symbolism and imagery comes to us more readily and more repeatedly than any other in our life” (“This Do in Remembrance of Me,” 67) (As quoted in the New Testament Student Manual – Religion 211-212, pp. 82-83).

We are counseled to partake of the sacrament each Sunday in remembrance of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice. In doing so, we renew the covenants that we made with Him in baptism. We covenant to take His name upon us, to always remember Him, and to keep His commandments. In return, He covenants to have His Spirit to always be with us.

How Did Jesus Christ Bear Our Griefs and Sorrows?

             My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to Isaiah 50-57 and a lesson titled “He Hath Borne Our Griefs, and Carried Our Sorrows.” The lesson was introduced by the following information: 

Throughout his ministry, Isaiah spoke of a mighty deliverer (see, for example, Isaiah 9:3-7). These prophecies would have been especially precious to the Israelites centuries later when they were in captivity in Babylon. Someone who could topple the walls of Babylon would be a mighty conqueror indeed. But that isn’t the kind of Messiah that Isaiah described in chapters 52-53: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him. … We did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:3-4). By sending such an unexpected deliverer, God taught us about true deliverance. To save us from oppression and affliction, God sent One who Himself “was oppressed, and … afflicted.” Where some expected a lion, He sent a lamb (see Isaiah 53:7). Surely, God’s ways are not our ways (see Isaiah 55:8-9). Jesus Christ frees us not by just opening the prison but by taking our place there. He relieves us from our chains of grief and sorrow by bearing them Himself (see Isaiah 53:4-5, 12). He does not save us from a distance. He suffers with us, in an act of “everlasting kindness” that “shall not depart from thee” (Isaiah 54:8, 10).

            As usual, this scripture block taught numerous principles, and I chose to discuss the following principle taught in Isaiah 53 “Jesus Christ took upon Himself sins and sorrows of all mankind.” The lesson material said that Isaiah 53 the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ “more beautifully” that most other scriptures. The chapter listed “griefs,” “sorrows,” and “transgressions” that the Savior sorrowed for you and I and all mankind.

            Jesus Christ suffered and died for men’s transgressions. We do not know many details about Christ’s crucifixion, but this quote from Elder James E. Talmage discusses the specifics that are known.

“But few details of the actual crucifixion are given us. We know however that our Lord was nailed to the cross by spikes driven through the hands and feet, as was the Roman method, and not bound only by cords as was the custom in inflicting this form of punishment among some other nations. Death by crucifixion was at once the most lingering and most painful of all forms of execution. The victim lived in ever-increasing torture, generally for many hours, sometimes for days. The spikes so cruelly driven through hands and feet penetrated and crushed sensitive nerves and quivering tendons, yet inflicted no mortal wound. The welcome relief of death came through the exhaustion caused by intense and unremitting pain, through localized inflammation and congestion of organs incident to the strained and unnatural posture of the body.” (Jesus the Christ, p. 655).

            The scriptures tell us that it was not just on the cross that Christ suffered. He began His Atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane where He took the sins of the world upon Himself to bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. (See Isaiah 53:4.) Elder Talmage wrote the following about Christ’s suffering and pain.

Christ’s agony in the garden is unfathomable by the finite mind, both as to intensity and cause. The thought that He suffered through fear of death is untenable. Death to Him was preliminary to resurrection and triumphal return to the Father from whom He had come, and to a state of glory even beyond what He had before possessed; and, moreover, it was within His power to lay down His life voluntarily. He struggled and groaned under a burden such as no other being who has lived on earth might even conceive as possible. It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that caused Him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion of blood from every pore; but a spiritual agony of soul such as only God was capable of experiencing. No other man, however great his powers of physical or mental endurance, could have suffered so; for his human organism would have succumbed, and syncope would have produced unconsciousness and welcome oblivion. In that hour of anguish Christ met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, “the prince of this world” could inflict. The frightful struggle incident to the temptations immediately following the Lord’s baptism was surpassed and overshadowed by this supreme contest with the powers of evil.

In some manner, actual and terribly real though to man incomprehensible, the Savior took upon Himself the burden of the sins of mankind from dm to the end of the world. Modern revelation assists us to a partial understanding of the awful experience. In March 1830, the glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, thus spake: “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent, but if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I, 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.” (Jesus the Christ, pp. 613-14.)

            The Savior was totally innocent of sin, but He vicariously took upon Him the responsibility for myriads of guilty people. This is why Isaiah wrote, “He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” and “was wounded for our transgressions, [and] bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Faith in Jesus Christ

            More than 175 years ago a young man by the name of Joseph Smith wrote a letter to the editor of a local newspaper. Many people write letters to the editors of their local newspapers, but this letter was different. It was written in response to a request made by John Wentworth, and the letter is now referred to as the Wentworth Letter. Wentworth wrote to the young prophet requesting information about what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believed. The information was published in Church periodicals and is now considered to be scripture and can be found in the Pearl of Great Price.  “The Articles of Faith outline 13 basic points of belief of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” 

            Article of Faith 1:4 states, https://www.lds.org/study/scriptures/pgp/a-of-f/1?lang=eng “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.” This post will discuss only the first principle, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

            What does it means to have faith in Jesus Christ? According to a lesson manual, it means that we trust Him enough to obey His commandments and become His obedient disciples. This is a good, basic explanation, but there is more to having faith in Christ.

            Then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks wrote about faith in Jesus Christ in an article published in April 2010. This post will be a review of Elder Oaks’ article. He begins with the reminder that faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of His the gospel.

Faith in the Lord is trust in the Lord. We cannot have true faith in the Lord without also having complete trust in the Lord’s will and in the Lord’s timing. As a result, no matter how strong our faith is, it cannot produce a result contrary to the will of Him in whom we have faith. Remember that when your prayers do not seem to be answered in the way or at the time you desire. The exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is always subject to the order of heaven, to the goodness and will and wisdom and timing of the Lord. When we have that kind of faith and trust in the Lord, we have true security and serenity in our lives.

            According to Elder Oaks, we have to be willing to accept the answer that the Lord gives and to wait until He is ready to give it. I remember praying for a special blessing many years ago and receiving the answer, “It will done in my own time and in my own way.” The blessing has not come, but I feel confident that it will at the right time and in the right way.

            Elder Oaks says that Jesus Christ is our model – “our first priority.” “We must testify of Him and teach one another how we can apply His teachings and His example in our lives.” He reminds us that “God creates and organizes,” while Satan’s only plan is to destroy. “Jesus Christ always builds us up and never tears us down.” Elder Oaks continues by saying that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the “central idea in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are His servants, and it is critical that we understand the role of the Atonement in our own lives and in the lives of those we teach. Essential to that understanding is an understanding of the relationship between justice and mercy and the Atonement, and the role of suffering and repentance in this divine process.

The awful demands of justice upon those who have violated the laws of God – the state of misery and torment described in the scriptures – can be intercepted and swept away by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This relationship between justice on the one hand and mercy and the Atonement on the other is the core idea of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

            Faith in Jesus Christ is more than belief in Him. It is more than a willingness to be obedient and to follow Him. It is more than a readiness to wait for His time and His way. It is a belief that He truly is the Son of God and He really did complete the Atonement in our behalf. We know, of course, that He did not redeem us in our sins but from our sins. (See Helaman 5:11.) He redeems us from our sins on the condition that we repent.

            Elder Oaks continues, “One of those conditions of repentance is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, including faith in and reliance upon His atoning sacrifice.” Did you notice that repentance is the second principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ? If we do not have enough faith in the Lord to repent, we will have to suffer for our own sins.

            When a prophet quotes another prophet, we should pay close attention. Elder Oaks quotes President Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985) as saying “that personal suffering is a very important part of repentance. `One has not begun to repent until he has suffered intensely for his sins…. If a person hasn’t suffered,’ he said, `he hasn’t repented.’” 

            Elder Oaks quoted another prophet named Lehi who taught this same principle. Lehi said that the Atonement of Jesus Christ was for “all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered” (2 Nephi 2:7). Elder Oaks continues with this statement.

The truly repentant sinner who comes to Christ with a broken heart and a contrite spirit has been through a process of personal pain and suffering for sin…..

There is a big difference between the godly sorrow that worketh repentance (see

2 Corinthians 7:10), and the easy and relatively painless sorrow for being caught, or … `the sorrowing of the damned’ …” (Mormon 2:13).

            Continuing with his explanation about repentance, Elder Oaks says that the necessity for suffering is not being cleansed from sin.

… A person who sins is like a tree that bends easily in the wind. On a windy and rainy day, the tree bends so deeply against the ground that the leaves become soiled with mud, like sin. If we focus only on cleaning the leaves, the weakness in the tree that allowed it to bend and soil its leaves may remain. Similarly, a person who is merely sorry to be soiled by sin will sin again in the next high wind. The susceptibility to repetition continues until the tree has been strengthened.

When a person has gone through the process that results in what the scriptures call “a broken heart and a contrite spirit,” the Savior does more than cleanse that person from sin. He gives him or her new strength. That strengthening is essential for us to realize the purpose of the cleansing, which is to return to our Heavenly Father. To be admitted to His presence, we must be more than clean. We must also be changed from a morally weak person who has sinned into a strong person with the spiritual stature to dwell in the presence of God. We must, as the scripture says, become “a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mosiah 3:19). This is what the scripture means in its explanation that a person who has repented of his sins will forsake them. Forsaking sins is more than resolving not to repeat them. Forsaking involves a fundamental change in the individual….

Repentance has been the message in every dispensation….

            Lest we become discouraged, Elder Oaks closes his article with a “message of hope.” He says that  message is “true for all” people, but he says that it is particularly “needed by those who think that repentance is too hard. Repentance is a continuing process needed by all” because we are all sinners. “Repentance is possible, and then forgiveness is certain."

            The Lord promises us through numerous prophets that repentance will not only cleanse us but will sweep away our guilt.  When we repent, the Savior takes upon Him our sins, leaves us free of them, and makes forgiveness certain.