The Atonement
The Atonement
Russell M. Nelson
October 1996
1.
Before we can comprehend the Atonement of Christ, however, we
must first understand the Fall of Adam. And before we can understand the Fall
of Adam, we must first understand the Creation. These three crucial components
of the plan of salvation relate to each other. 2
2.
That brings us to the Atonement. Paul said, “As in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 14 The Atonement of Jesus Christ
became the immortal creation. He volunteered to answer the ends of a law
previously transgressed. 15
And by the shedding of His blood, His 16 and our physical bodies could become perfected. They
could again function without blood, just as Adam’s and Eve’s did in their
paradisiacal form. Paul taught that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God; … this mortal must put on immortality.” 17
3.
With this background in mind, let us now ponder the deep meaning
of the word atonement. In the English language, the components are at-one-ment,
suggesting that a person is at one with another. Other languages 18 employ words that
connote either expiation or reconciliation. Expiation means “to atone for.”
Reconciliation comes from Latin roots re, meaning “again”; con, meaning “with”;
and sella, meaning “seat.” Reconciliation, therefore, literally means “to sit
again with.”
4.
Rich meaning is found in study of the word atonement in the
Semitic languages of Old Testament times. In Hebrew, the basic word for
atonement is kaphar, a verb that means “to cover” or “to forgive.” 19 Closely related is the
Aramaic and Arabic word kafat, meaning “a close embrace”—no doubt related to
the Egyptian ritual embrace.
Scriptures teach
us more about the word atonement. The Old Testament has many references to
atonement, which called for animal sacrifice. Not any animal would do. Special
considerations included:
• the selection of
a firstling of the flock, without blemish,22
• the sacrifice of
the animal’s life by the shedding of its blood,23
• death of the
animal without breaking a bone, and24
• one animal could
be sacrificed as a vicarious act for another.25
5.
The Atonement of Christ fulfilled these prototypes of the Old
Testament. He was the firstborn Lamb of God, without blemish. His sacrifice
occurred by the shedding of blood. No bones of His body were broken—noteworthy
in that both malefactors crucified with the Lord had their legs broken. 26 And His was a
vicarious sacrifice for others.
6.
The Creation required the Fall. The Fall required the Atonement.
The Atonement enabled the purpose of the Creation to be accomplished. Eternal
life, made possible by the Atonement, is the supreme purpose of the Creation.
7.
When we comprehend His voluntary Atonement, any sense of
sacrifice on our part becomes completely overshadowed by a profound sense of gratitude for the privilege of serving
Him.
Atonement,
Agency, Accountability
Boyd
K. Packer
April
1988
8.
But did you know that the word atonement appears only once in
the English New Testament? Only once! In the Book of Mormon the word atone in
form and tense appears fifty-five times. What better witness that the Book of
Mormon is indeed another
testament of Jesus Christ?
9. seldom use the word absolute. It seldom fits. I use it
now—twice. Because of the Fall, the Atonement was absolutely essential for resurrection to proceed
and overcome mortal death.
The Atonement was absolutely
essential for men to cleanse themselves from sin and overcome the second death,
which is the spiritual death, which is separation from our Father in Heaven.
For the scriptures tell us, seven times they tell us, that no unclean thing may
enter the presence of God.
10. An atonement was made. Ever and always it
offers amnesty from transgression and from death if we will but repent.
Repentance is the escape clause in it all. Repentance is the key with which we
can unlock the prison from inside. We hold that key within our hands, and
agency is ours to use it.
11. I cannot with composure tell
you how I feel about the Atonement. It touches the deepest emotion of gratitude and obligation. My soul reaches
after Him who wrought it, this Christ, our Savior of whom I am a witness. I
testify of Him. He is our Lord, our Redeemer, our advocate with the Father. He
ransomed us with His blood.
The Atonement and the Value
of One Soul
M. Russell Ballard
April 2004
12. There is no greater
expression of love than the heroic Atonement performed by the Son of God.
13. The Atonement of Jesus Christ
was an indispensable part of our Heavenly Father’s plan for His Son’s earthly
mission and for our salvation. How grateful we should be that our Heavenly
Father did not intercede but rather withheld His fatherly instinct to rescue
His Beloved Son. Because of His eternal love for you and for me, He allowed
Jesus to complete His foreordained mission to become our Redeemer. The gift of
resurrection and immortality
is given freely through the loving grace of Jesus Christ to all people of all
ages, regardless of their good or evil acts. And to those who choose to love
the Lord and who show their love and faith in Him by keeping His commandments
and qualifying for the full blessings of the Atonement, He offers the
additional promise of exaltation and eternal life, which is the blessing of
living in the presence of God and His Beloved Son forever.
14. Brothers and sisters, 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. I believe
our Heavenly Father’s everlasting purpose for His children is generally
achieved by the small and simple things we do for one another. At the heart of
the English word atonement is the word one. If all mankind understood this,
there would never be anyone with whom we would not be concerned, regardless of
age, race, gender, religion, or social or economic standing. We would strive to
emulate the Savior and would never be unkind, indifferent, disrespectful, or
insensitive to others.
15. If we truly understood the
Atonement and the eternal value of each soul, we would seek out the wayward boy
and girl and every other wayward child of God. We would help them to know of
the love Christ has for them. We would do all that we can to help prepare them
to receive the saving ordinances of the gospel.
16. Surely, if the Atonement of
Christ was foremost in the minds of ward and branch leaders, no new or
reactivated member would ever be neglected. Because every soul is so precious,
leaders will counsel together to see that each one is taught the doctrines of
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
17. I pray that every one of our youth will seek
to know the blessings of the Atonement and that they will strive to be worthy
to serve the Lord in the mission field.
18. The irony of the Atonement is that it is
infinite and eternal, yet it is applied individually, one person at a time.
The Atonement:
Our Greatest Hope
James E. Faust
October 2001
19. My beloved brothers and
sisters and friends, I come humbly to this pulpit this morning because I wish
to speak about the greatest event in all history. That singular event was the
incomparable Atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. This was the
most transcendent act that has ever taken place, yet it is the most difficult
to understand. My reason for wanting to learn all I can about the Atonement is
partly selfish: Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting the
Atonement. 1 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. 2 All of us have sinned
and need to repent to fully pay our part of the debt. When we sincerely repent,
the Savior’s magnificent Atonement pays the rest of that debt. 3
20. Any increase in our
understanding of His atoning sacrifice draws us closer to Him.
21.
Some years ago, President Gordon B. Hinckley told “something of
a parable” about “a one room school house in the mountains of Virginia where
the boys were so rough no teacher had been able to handle them.
22.
“Then one day an inexperienced young teacher applied. He was
told that every teacher had received an awful beating, but the teacher accepted
the risk. The first day of school the teacher asked the boys to establish their
own rules and the penalty for breaking the rules. The class came up with 10
rules, which were written on the blackboard. Then the teacher asked, ‘What
shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’
23.
“‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came
the response.
24.
“A day or so later, … the lunch of a big student, named Tom, was
stolen. ‘The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old.’
25.
“As Little Jim came up to take his licking, he pleaded to keep
his coat on. ‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the
rules!’
26.
“The boy took off the coat. He had no shirt and revealed a bony
little crippled body. As the teacher hesitated with the rod, Big Tom jumped to
his feet and volunteered to take the boy’s licking.
27.
“‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a
substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’ the teacher asked.
28.
“After five strokes across Tom’s back, the rod broke. The class
was sobbing. ‘Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around
his neck. “Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom,
I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you
forever!”’” 8
29. What He did could only be done by Deity. As
the Only Begotten Son of the Father in the flesh, Jesus inherited divine
attributes. He was the only person ever born into mortality who could perform
this most significant and supernal act. As the only sinless Man who ever lived
on this earth, He was not subject to spiritual death. Because of His godhood,
He also possessed power over physical death. Thus He did for us what we cannot
do for ourselves. He broke the cold grasp of death. He also made it possible
for us to have the supreme and serene comfort of the gift of the Holy Ghost. 24
30. After all we can do to pay to the uttermost
farthing and make right our wrongs, the Savior’s grace is activated in our
lives through the Atonement, which purifies us and can perfect us. 26
31. The Atonement not only benefits the sinner but also benefits
those sinned against—that is, the victims. By forgiving “those who trespass
against us” (JST, Matt. 6:13) the Atonement brings a measure of peace and
comfort to those who have been innocently victimized by the sins of others. The
basic source for the healing of the soul is the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
32. A sister who had been through a painful
divorce wrote of her experience in drawing from the Atonement. She said: “Our
divorce … did not release me from the obligation to forgive. I truly wanted to
do it, but it was as if I had been commanded to do something of which I was
simply incapable.” Her bishop gave her some sound advice: “Keep a place in your
heart for forgiveness,
and when it comes, welcome it in.” Many months passed as this struggle to
forgive continued. She recalled: “During those long, prayerful moments … I
tapped into a life-giving source of comfort from my loving Heavenly Father. I
sense that he was not standing by glaring at me for not having accomplished forgiveness yet; rather he
was sorrowing with me as I wept. …
“In the final analysis, what
happened in my heart is for me an amazing and miraculous evidence of the
Atonement of Christ. I had always viewed the Atonement as a means of making
repentance work for the sinner. I had not realized that it also makes it
possible for the one sinned against to receive into his or her heart the sweet
peace of forgiving.” 33
33. We long for the ultimate blessing of the
Atonement—to become one with Him, to be in His divine presence, to be called
individually by name as He warmly welcomes us home with a radiant smile,
beckoning us with open arms to be enfolded in His boundless love. 36 How gloriously sublime
this experience will be if we can feel worthy enough to be in His presence! The
free gift of His great atoning sacrifice for each of us is the only way we can
be exalted enough to stand before Him and see Him face-to-face. The
overwhelming message of the Atonement is the perfect love the Savior has for
each and all of us. It is a love which is full of mercy, patience, grace,
equity, long-suffering, and, above all, forgiving.
He Lives! All Glory To His Name!
Richard G. Scott
April 2010
34. Without the Atonement, Father in Heaven’s
plan of happiness could not have been placed fully into effect. The Atonement
gives all the opportunity to overcome the consequences of mistakes made in
life. When we obey a law, we receive a blessing. When we break a law, there is
nothing left over from prior obedience to satisfy the demands of justice for
that broken law. The Savior’s Atonement permits us to repent of any
disobedience and thereby avoid the penalties that justice would have imposed.
35. Without the Atonement, Father in Heaven’s
plan of happiness could not have been placed fully into effect. The Atonement
gives all the opportunity to overcome the consequences of mistakes made in
life. When we obey a law, we receive a blessing. When we break a law, there is
nothing left over from prior obedience to satisfy the demands of justice for
that broken law. The Savior’s Atonement permits us to repent of any
disobedience and thereby avoid the penalties that justice would have imposed.
36. My reverence and gratitude for the Atonement
of the Holy One of Israel, the Prince of Peace and our Redeemer, continually
expand as I strive to understand more about it. I realize that no mortal mind
can adequately conceive, nor can human tongue appropriately express, the full
significance of all that Jesus Christ has done for our Heavenly Father’s
children through His Atonement. Yet it is vital that we each learn what we can
about it. The Atonement is that essential ingredient of our Father in Heaven’s
plan of happiness without which that plan could not have been activated. Your
understanding of the Atonement and the insight it provides for your life will
greatly enhance your productive use of all of the knowledge, experience, and
skills you acquire in mortal life.
37. I believe that it is instructive to try to
imagine what the Atonement required of both the Father and His willing Son.
Three of the challenges the Savior faced were:
First, an
enormous sense of responsibility, for He realized that except it be done
perfectly, not one of His Father’s children could return to Him. They would be
forever banished from His presence since there would be no way to repent for
broken laws and no unclean thing can exist in the presence of God. His Father’s
plan would have failed, and each spirit child would have been under the eternal
control and torment of Satan.
Second, in His
absolutely pure mind and heart, He had to personally feel the consequences of
all that mankind would ever encounter, even the most depraved, despicable sins.
Third, He had to
endure the vicious attack of Satan’s hordes while physically and emotionally
pressed to the limit. Then, for reasons we do not fully know, while at the
extremity of His capacity, at the time the Savior most needed succor, His
Father allowed Him to shoulder the onerous responsibility with only His own
strength and capacity.
38. I try to imagine what an intensely poignant
moment it must have been for our Father in Heaven when the Savior cried out
from the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46;
Mark 15:34).
I don’t believe Father in Heaven forsook His Son on the cross. I do believe the
cry was motivated when that Son felt removed the sustaining support He had
always enjoyed from His Father. His Father recognized that the Savior needed to
accomplish the Atonement totally and completely on His own, without external
support. The Father did not abandon His Son. He made it possible for His
perfect Son to win the eternal fruits of the Atonement.
39. There is an imperative need for each of us to
strengthen our understanding of the significance of the Atonement of Jesus
Christ so that it will become an unshakable foundation upon which to build our
lives. As the world becomes more devoid of foundational standards and as honor,
virtue, and purity are increasingly cast aside in the pursuit of appetite, our
understanding of and faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ will provide
strength and capacity needed for a successful life. It will also bring
confidence in times of trial and peace in moments of turmoil.
40. I energetically encourage you to establish a personal
study plan to better understand and appreciate the incomparable, eternal,
infinite consequences of Jesus Christ’s perfect fulfillment of His divinely
appointed calling as our Savior and Redeemer. Profound personal pondering of
the scriptures accompanied by searching, heartfelt prayer will fortify your
understanding of and appreciation for His priceless Atonement. Another powerful
way to learn of Jesus Christ and His Atonement is through consistent temple
attendance.
The Atonement
Boyd K. Packer
October 2012
41. It was understood from the beginning that in
mortality we would fall short of being perfect. It was not expected that we
would live without transgressing one law or another.
42. If you have made no mistakes, then you do not
need the Atonement. If you have made mistakes, and all of us have, whether
minor or serious, then you have an enormous need to find out how they can be
erased so that you are no longer in darkness.
43. President Joseph F. Smith taught: “Men
cannot forgive their own sins; they cannot cleanse themselves from the
consequences of their sins. Men can stop sinning and can do right in the
future, and so far [as] their acts are acceptable before the Lord [become]
worthy of consideration. But who shall repair the wrongs they have done to
themselves and to others, which it seems impossible for them to repair
themselves? By the atonement of Jesus Christ the sins of the repentant shall be
washed away; though they be crimson they shall be made white as wool [see Isaiah 1:18].
This is the promise given to you.”8
44. No matter what our transgressions have been, no matter how much
our actions may have hurt others, that guilt can all be wiped out. To me,
perhaps the most beautiful phrase in all scripture is when the Lord said,
“Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the
Lord, remember them no more.”11
That is the promise of the
gospel of Jesus Christ and the Atonement: to take anyone who comes, anyone who
will join, and put them through an experience so that at the end of their life,
they can go through the veil having repented of their sins and having been
washed clean through the blood of Christ.12
The Atonement Can Secure Your
Peace and Happiness
Richard G. Scott
October 2006
45. I believe that no matter how diligently you
try, you cannot with your human mind fully comprehend the eternal significance
of the Atonement nor fully understand how it was accomplished. We can only
appreciate in the smallest measure what it cost the Savior in pain, anguish,
and suffering or how difficult it was for our Father in Heaven to see His Son
experience the incomparable challenge of His Atonement. Even so, you should
conscientiously study the Atonement to understand it as well as you can. You
can learn what is needful to live His commandments, to enjoy peace and
happiness in mortal life. You can qualify, with obedient family members, to live with Him and your
Father in Heaven forever.
46. I testify that with unimaginable suffering
and agony at an incalculable price, the Savior earned His right to be our
Redeemer, our Intermediary, our Final Judge. I know that He lives and that He
loves you. Consistently make Him your “lead” in life. The secure anchors of His
laws will assure safety and success as you scale the challenges you will face.
You will not fall into serious transgression. Yours will be a life of peace and
happiness crowned with exaltation in the celestial kingdom. In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
Lessons From The Atonement
That Help us To Endure To The End
Robert D. Hales
October 1985
47. In the gospel of Jesus Christ, there comes a point in time
when we must stand accountable for who we are and what we are going to be. In
the atonement of Jesus Christ, we have been given an example to follow—that of
the eldest son of God the Father.
48. And so with the love of God the Father, Jesus
went to the Garden of Gethsemane. He dropped to His knees in prayer, even
sweating great drops of blood. And then, as He departed to go out to see His
disciples, He found them asleep. He asked, “What, could ye not watch with me
one hour?” (Matt. 26:40.)
How many of us
are sleeping when those around us are hurting and are in need? How many of us
give our testimonies of the Lord, but then do not listen, as in 1 Jn. 4:20,
“For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom
he hath not seen?”
He then returned
to the Garden of Gethsemane and asked His Father to help Him through this
experience which He had to endure. And for you and me, there is great solace,
for “there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke 22:43.)
Do we not understand that we,
too, will have moments in our lives when we will be brought to our knees, when
we will need help to endure to the end? Even Joseph Smith showed impatience after being
in jail for a few months and wondered why he could not get on with his mission.
At that time the Lord said to Joseph, “All these things shall give thee
experience, and shall be for thy good.” (D&C 122:7.)
The ways in which we handle our trials are part of the maturing of the physical
and spiritual man.
49. Many lessons can be learned from the account
of the Atonement. It is comforting to know that, though suffering, Jesus Christ
was able to look down from the cross and be concerned for His mother, that she
should be properly cared for, as He asked for the help of a disciple. This is
one of the great messages we have heard this conference—that we turn some of
our attention from our own trials and tribulations to concern and caring for
others.
50. In the last moments upon the cross Jesus
asked His Father a very simple question: “Why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46.)
Are there times in our lives when we think that we have been forsaken by God,
or by our fellow men, or by our families? That is the moment when we have to
turn our thoughts back to Christ and endure to the end. We know there is a
great purpose in Christ’s suffering because this was an act of free agency.
Jesus could have called upon legions of angels to bring Him down from the
cross, but He did not. He endured to the end that we would have the benefits of
the atoning sacrifice; that mercy could be brought into the world; that justice
would be satisfied; that we might be resurrected; and that we might be able to
earn, through our obedience, eternal life in the presence of God the Father and
Jesus Christ.
I had an
experience recently which further illustrates these principles. A father who
was very wealthy asked if I could talk to his family.
His daughter had recently been through a divorce. I went to see her and her
children. Her father could have provided for all of their needs and cares, but
he said it was time for them to live more modestly and to help support
themselves, to be more self-sufficient, to be able to stand on their own. This
experience is similar to the Lord’s asking His Father, “Why hast thou forsaken
me?” for the family’s reaction was, “Why would Father do this now when we need
him the most?” But you see, he was preparing them that they might be
strengthened by providing for their own needs, so that when they did gain their
inheritance, they would be able to endure to the end and remain
self-sufficient.
51. There are times that we, as parents, must be
able to cut our own children loose in order that they may learn to make
decisions for themselves and have the strength to stand on their own.
(needed this!!!!)
The Touch of the Master’s
Hand
Boyd K. Packer
April 2001
52. We all make mistakes. … It is then in
our nature to feel guilt and humiliation and suffering, which we alone cannot
cure. That is when the healing power of the Atonement will help.
53. For some reason, we think the Atonement of
Christ applies only at the end of mortal life to redemption from the Fall, from
spiritual death. It is much more than that. It is an ever-present power to call
upon in everyday life. When we are racked or harrowed up or tormented by guilt
or burdened with grief, He can heal us. While we do not fully understand how
the Atonement of Christ was made, we can experience “the peace of God, which
passeth all understanding.” 13
54. If Christ had not made His Atonement, the
penalties for mistakes would be added one on the other. Life would be hopeless.
But He willingly sacrificed in order that we may be redeemed. And He said,
“Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the
Lord, remember them no more.” 19
55. The Atonement has practical, personal,
everyday value; apply it in your life. It can be activated with so simple a
beginning as prayer. You will not thereafter be free from trouble and mistakes
but can erase the guilt through repentance and be at peace.
