Atonement Talk for Easter

As missionaries we study every principle, doctrine, teaching and

scripture that the Lord and His servants have provided for us. We

study in order to help others come unto Christ and in so doing help

convert ourselves more to the Lord and His gospel. The most important

of all His teachings, principles and doctrine that we can study also

happens to be the most difficult for our feeble minds to comprehend.

Of course I speak of the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Seriously, we could all spend our entire mortal lifetime dedicating

our time to the study of the atonement and still not understand a

tenth of what all it entailed. All I know is that I am eternally

grateful for the atonement. Not only for what it does for me but for

my family and all others who I've come to know and love in my life. I

am also very grateful for the one who suffered and "descended below

all things" (D&C 88:6) so that the will and plan of God could be

accomplished.

Before I was a missionary I was a very normal girl, in a very small,

very normal town, living a very normal and dull life. I would read the

scriptures for personal progress and seminary but it wasn't until I

was in a Book of Mormon class in college that I understood the

smallest part of what the atonement was. To atone for something means

to reconcile or restore and furthermore, when the word is broken down,

"at-one-ment" the meaning is even clearer. Quite simply it is the

bringing together of things that were separated.

Now, as a relatively seasoned missionary, I know much more about the

atonement than that. More importantly I can see and appreciate the

sacrifice willingly made for all of Heavenly Father's children.

During my studies of the atonement I was trying to figure out more of

what it meant for myself so that I'd be able to help others understand

it as well. I was so excited when I had a small epiphany moment during

a personal study one morning. I was reading in 2 Nephi 2 & 9, I had

read these chapters so many times before but this time there was

something nagging at me to keep looking, keep reading, you're almost

there. Then, CLICK. Light bulb. I could finally understand how the

atonement satisfied the demands of the law of justice. I actually

didn't know that there was a fog over that part of my understanding in

the first place but once it cleared I saw just how much light was just

waiting to break through.

Jesus Christ suffered everything for each and every one of us. Without

the atonement we would all become "subject to that angel who

fell...and became the devil, to rise no more."

"And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils,

angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our god...to

remain in misery." (2 Nephi 9: 8,9)

We could not suffer the demands of justice, that great debt, on our

own. The only way for us to be saved is for someone else to rescue us

and that could only be our perfect, sinless big brother Jesus Christ.

He paid the debt we could never pay and now we are subject to him. All

He asks is that we keep His commandments. All He asks is that we come

unto Him. All He asks is that we love Him. We can show our love by

faith, obedience and repenting of our sins. When we do as He asks of

us we have full access to the blessings and gift of His atoning

sacrifice. If we do not repent the Lord has said "If they would not

repent they must suffer even as I." (D&C 19:17)

I testify that because of Him my sins are wiped away as I repent. I

know that He lives. I know that because of Him my family can be

together forever. I know that because of Him I can always have hope

for the future. Because of Him I am able to help in His glorious work.

For all of these things I am eternally grateful.