Written February 21, 2014
I had totally forgotten about this, it was the very first prepared talk I gave during sacrament meeting. I had only been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for a year at that point and the day before I actually sat down to write out my talk was an exciting and busy day. I’d like to share it with you. I have added to this a bit, elaborating on the subject as well as its effects on my life.
I gave this talk in church two days after it was written, I wrote it the day before my birthday, a day that I had anxiously been waiting for. You see the year before this I had been taking the new member lessons with the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and after much thought, I had finally chosen the day to be baptized.
It was a very special day to me, it was a day that forever changed my life and knowing that then I wanted it to be a day I would never forget. I wanted more than anything to be baptized, that at the last day I may be numbered among the believers of Jesus Christ and so I wanted it to be a day I would never forget, one that held depth in its meaning. I chose to be baptized on my birthday, it being the day I was born would now mean to be a day that I was truly reborn.
From that day forward I looked forward to my next birthday, a day that would be even more special than my last birthday had been. For my birthday this particular year, I went through the temple to receive my endowments. That was the gift I wanted most to receive just like the year prior when I was baptized.
Preparing for My Talk
I had been given an amazing opportunity to prepare and give a talk on what I felt was the biggest “A” word in all the church and quite possibly all the world. There were some who I felt were worried that I might not be up for doing this given the craziness of my weekend that year. The details of that weekend I am afraid is a story to be written another day.
While I was slightly intimidated by the subject of this talk I was preparing I was also very excited about it. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was a topic that a week prior to that moment I knew little of and felt I understood even less. Thus my journey began, researching talks, thumbing through the scriptures, studying them, listening to talks. What I gained then, in all of that, was a greater understanding not only of the atonement but of our Savior Jesus Christ as well.
It had been explained to me once that the easiest way to understand the atonement (as if that is an easy thing to understand) is to break the word up a bit. At one ment or to be at one with.
Atonement Defined
The Bible Dictionary describes it this way: The word describes the setting “at one” of those who have been estranged and denotes the reconciliation of man to God. Sin is the cause of the estrangement, and therefore the purpose of atonement is to correct or overcome the consequences of sin. From the time of Adam to the death of Jesus Christ, true believers were instructed to offer animal sacrifices to the Lord. These sacrifices were symbolic of the forthcoming death of Jesus Christ and were done by faith in Him (Moses 5:5–8).
Jesus Christ, as the Only Begotten Son of God and the only sinless person to live on this earth, was the only one capable of making an atonement for mankind. …The Atonement of Jesus Christ redeems all mankind from the Fall of Adam and causes all to be answerable for their own manner of life. This means of atonement is provided by the Father (John 3:16–17) and is offered in the life and person of His Son, Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:19).
Our Sacrifice & the Atonement
In our day what we offer to the Lord as a sacrifice is our broken heart and a contrite spirit. Showing remorse for our sins. There is so much that the atonement truly covers and that is why I have struggled to really grasp the meaning of the atonement. While I know that it’s purpose is to help us overcome our sins it provides us the power for overcoming so much more.
It helps us all in a major way and yet on individual levels. What does the atonement mean to me? It means everything, the end result being the true change and lasting peace I have received. Along with helping me to overcome my sins and draw nearer to the Savior it also means that I am or have the capability to be at one with whatever the situation might be.
The area I have felt this most in is where my family relationships are concerned or lack thereof with much of my family. The relationship that has affected most is that with my own children. It is an area of my life I have struggled with since their father and I divorced and my children have gotten older. It is also the area of my life I have oftentimes felt the most peace. Where do I gain that peace? Through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it takes time but it is possible to feel such peace, even in the most heartbreaking situations.
Finding Peace in the Heartache
How is it we can do this? Go with me if you will please to Doctrine and Covenants 19:23 Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me. It seems pretty simple, right, but does that really explain how the atonement works? Sure it does but it seems we learn better through our own experiences. For some, like myself, it takes hearing how another has applied the atonement in their life to really get a handle on what it can mean for me. Even then I seem to struggle to truly comprehend it. I will try to share with you one of the many ways I feel the atonement has been applied in my life.
Alma 10:5-6 …I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people. Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God,…
These verses describe me quite well, the person I was before I was baptized. I did not know much concerning the Lord save it was His commandments, I knew very little about Jesus Christ, yet I was and am still surrounded by His marvelous works. I hadn’t yet recognized how the lives of these people even myself, had been and are in many ways yet preserved. While I knew of Him I did not know Him. Thus my heart was hardened to His words. Though there were some who every chance they got would tell me that I should go to church, I didn’t understand then what the purpose for church really was so why should I really go, thus rebelling against God.
the Garden of Gethsemane
Allow me if you will, to start with a little back story. In Luke Chapter 22 we learn that Jesus Christ suffers in the garden of Gethsemane and bled from every pore, this we know to be a time when He experienced great pains; our pains, sins, weaknesses, heartache, affliction; a time where He walked with us so to speak through our every trial. I feel He did this to come to a greater understanding as to how He could bring His people back to Him, to succor them.
This is a term that for a while had baffled me, more out of my own lack of knowing what the word succor means. Now, however, I see how it has worked in my own life. Later in Luke Chapter 23, we learn that Jesus is crucified upon the cross at Calvary, giving His life to atone for each one of us, not collectively but individually because that is what the atonement is all about…the one because during His earthly ministry we learn that while Jesus taught the multitude he also ministered to the one. He lived and died for you just as He lived and died for me.
Had Jesus not suffered all our pains, not just some of them but all, how could He have known exactly what I needed right when I needed it most. How could He know what you need right when you need it most? I know this may seem like the beginnings of a talk on conversion but that’s a story for another time. What it is is how the atonement has greatly blessed my life, even before I was aware that it was in action, before I even knew what it was.
Blessings of the Atonement-even if We don’t really know Him
You see earlier in this post when I talked about the struggles I have with my children and with family, that was something I had struggled with for years before coming to the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ and understanding more of what His life meant. In fact, that was a time when I was not willing to even talk about religion, it wasn’t a subject I was comfortable discussing maybe because my understanding of it felt non-existent. I believe the atonement affects all lives – those of great faith, those of weak faith, little faith or even deeply hidden faith – even when what that person believes isn’t in the fullness of the gospel. For this I am grateful, even though it’s power isn’t at it’s greatest capacity for someone with limited understanding it has been wonderful to see that Jesus still loved me enough to ease the pain of my broken heart.
The atonement, along with helping us to overcome sin, bridges the gap between our heartaches and the peace we come to feel. The atonement of Jesus Christ has been key in bringing me to where I am today and this is how, D & C 19:23 Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me. As I have learned of Him, of His infinite atonement, and His teachings I am drawn nearer to Him. As I have listened to His words, really listened and not just with my ears but with my whole heart, I feel I have, in my own way, come to a better understanding of the atonement. I have truly come to know for myself how He succors His people.
Experience for Yourself of His Love
In not only coming to know but especially feeling for myself how He has always known me and loved me; for you do not suffer such pains as His for someone you do not love. I have gone from a hidden faith in Christ by taking gradual steps to walking uprightly in my faith and true belief in Him. In seeing for myself all of these things I have come to a better understanding of this at times strange peace I feel, this peace I truly have in times when I need it most.
Doctrine and Covenants 6: 35-36 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more;… Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. It has taken me a long time to understand that Jesus Christ came into this world not to condemn me for my sins or any of us for our sins but to help us change, to turn away from our sins, that is what His atonement is all about, it is all-encompassing.
He wants to help us just as He did with the woman in St John Chapter 8 who was taken in adultery and in verse 11 … Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. As we turn to Him, asking forgiveness, repenting of our sins He says to each of us “go, and sin no more”. I continue to turn to the Lord in all things and I doubt not what He is capable of for I have seen it and I fear not for I know my life is in the Lord’s hands. I say these things in the name of our Beloved Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
