What Jesus Christ's Atonement Means to Me

I loved starting in 2 Nephi 9 this week and reflecting on the Atonement and what it means to me.  The First Presidency and apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints shared their declaration to the world of “The Living Christ” in 2000.

 They said, “We offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

“He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. …“

He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

“We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world” (“The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,” Ensign, Apr. 2000, 2–3)

I have deeply pondered on this lately and love that His life, “neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary.”  His perfect life is the example I want to follow.   He is central to my life as well as all human history.  I find that as I follow His teachings I am blessed with joy in everyday life.  Our family isn’t perfect and we just keep trying but when we invite the Savior in through prayer I find that He is always there and I “am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love,” just as Nephi.  (2 Nephi 1:15) I am able to handle what I need to with more patience and love as he did. 

President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency declared the importance of our understanding the power of the Atonement:     “Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting the Atonement. Such acceptance requires a continual effort to understand it more fully. The Atonement advances our mortal course of learning by making it possible for our natures to become perfect. …

“… Any increase in our understanding of His atoning sacrifice draws us closer to Him. Literally, the Atonement means to be ‘at one’ with Him. The nature of the Atonement and its effects is so infinite, so unfathomable, and so profound that it lies beyond the knowledge and comprehension of mortal man. …”   

I may not fathom all that the Atonement means but I want to be “at one” with Christ every day.  I feel like Jacob, the brother of Nephi, who exclaimed, “O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace!...O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit…O how great the plan of our God! O the greatness and the justice of our God!  For he executeth all his words, …and his law must be fulfilled. O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel, (meaning Christ)O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things and there is not anything save he knows it. …For the atonement satisfieth the demands of justice upon all those who have not the law given to them.”  (2 Nephi 9: 8, 10, 13, 17, 19, 20, 26)  Jacob says that this same loving Savior is the “keeper of the gate … and he employeth no servant there.”  Our judge will be just for, “He cannot be deceived.” (v.41)  He who knows us intimately and suffered for all our sorrow and sin knows our heart and cannot be deceived so our judgment will be perfect from him. 

Jacob writes how much he delights in righteousness and that his, “soul abhorreth sin.”  This is something we strive for as we daily repent and know that there is hope in the atonement for all.  Jacob invites us to, “Come my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters…do not spend money for that which is of no worth…hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not…” Christ is this living water and when we come to Him we are truly filled. I know He lives and loves me.  I know He is my Savior and that because of his Atonement I can be truly clean and return to live with Him with my family.  I know that through Him we all will be resurrected and have the chance at eternal life with Him if we follow and obey his teachings.  I love my Savior.  I know He loves me.  I know He loves my children and husband and all of you.  His love is individual and real.  Ask Him.  He’ll answer.   I leave these thoughts with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Joy in Everyday

In my study of The Book of Mormon this week I studied 1 Nephi 15-22.  I am loving the immersion into the scriptures and I feel like I am getting my own MTC (Missionary Training Center) experience. 

In Chapter 15 Nephi tells us that his brothers were disputing over what their father Lehi had shared with them from his vision.  Nephi says his father's words, "were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord." (1 Nephi 15:3)  In the same chapter he asks them, "Have ye inquired of the Lord?" (vs. 8)  What a wonderful question for us!  When things seem difficult to understand that we have heard are we turning to the One who knows all?  I know He hears and answers us.  It may be we have to be patient or even that the answer is "no" but I do believe , "...that all things work together for good to them that love God," (Romans 8:28) 

Nephi goes on to explain that Israel will be gathered and know the "knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved." (vs. 14) The Book of Mormon Institute Manual teaches us who the house of Israel is, "'The house of Israel' generally refers to the descendants of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel in the Old Testament (see Genesis 32:27–28). In the Book of Mormon the Savior expanded this definition to include not only the literal descendants of Israel (see 3 Nephi 20:25–27) but also all Gentiles who repent, are baptized, and come unto Christ (see 3 Nephi 21:6)."

So that's us.  We can come to this knowledge is we ask.  

Nephi continues to plead with his brothers to, "give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed," to give heed and to keep the commandments.  (1 Nephi 15:25)  He loves them and wants them to be happy.  He explains the vision of the tree of life that his father had and that Nephi prayed to know the meaning of.  By Chapter 16 his brothers and frustrated and still don't ask for themselves.  They claim that Nephi ,"hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear," (16:1)  and Nephi says, "the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center." (vs. 3)  I want to be sure that when I think something is hard to do that the Lord commands through his prophet and apostles that I repent and work on my attitude.  

When Lehi's family prepares to journey farther in the wilderness they get ready first and then are given a, "round ball of curious workmanship...of fine brass.  And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness," (16:10) So they first had the faith to follow what the Lord commanded and then were given help to do so.  They find out that the ball, or Liahona, only works when they are faithful.  Nephi comments, "thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things." (vs. 29)  So many times in my life it has been something small that has brought blessings or joy.  Following a prompting from the spirit to call a friend, listening when truth is taught, spending time with a child are examples of how small things have been a blessing in my life as well as theirs. 

I love the attitude of Nephi through all the writings we have of him.  He is positive and looks to the Lord for strength and continues to praise Him.  In 1 Nephi 16:8 Nephi says, "I, Nephi, had been blessed exceedingly."  He is referring to his new wife.  What a wonderful attitude towards marriage and family he has.  Nephi says, "so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us," (17:2) referring to women being made strong to bear and nurse children in the wilderness.  After he is led by the Lord to build a boat and bound by his brothers who have had enough of his goodness, and a storm rages for four days he is finally released and he says, "I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long..." (18:16)  Compare Nephi to his brothers who complain and say of their wives bearing children in the wilderness, "if would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions." (1 Nephi 17:20) and then in verse 21, "we might have been happy."  I thought about that for a while.  Nephi is valiant, trying to do what's right and loves his brothers enough to want them to follow God as well and even when he is abused by them he still praises God.  I want to be like Nephi.  I want to find joy in the here and now.

Nephi shares why he writes these things in chapter 19.  He says, "And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer." (19:18) and, "I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning." (19:23)

Nephi goes on to share his thoughts on Isaiah in chapters 20-21 and I loved why he does this.  He says, "I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him." (2 Nephi 11:2-3) He wants his children, and us, to have hope and know where to turn to find the source of that hope.  He saw Christ and loves the similar testimony of Isaiah who also saw Christ.  

There were several verses in these quoted Isaiah chapters that stood out to me.  The one I want to share is 1 Nephi 20:10: "For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction" was the first that touched me as I thought of my challenges and personal struggles.  It's almost been a year, October 18, 2015, since I fell on the way to the Phoenix Temple Open House with my family and broke both legs.  It has been a difficult and long recovery with several complications.  I am gaining motion a little at a time and the pain is slowly decreasing.  I feel this has been a purifying furnace for me and my family.  I want to be a disciple of Christ and realize that my suffering cannot compare to his.  I will continue to look for joy everyday and try to be more like Nephi.