The Atonement (8/25/2009)

"Jesus was born of an immortal Father and a mortal mother. From His immortal Father, Jesus inherited the power to live forever. From His mortal mother He inherited the fate of physical death. He declared this reality regarding His own life: 'No man taketh it from me,' He said, 'but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.'

"Those unique attributes were essential for His mission to atone for the sins of all mankind. Thus Jesus the Christ was born to die. He died that we might live. He was born that all humankind could live beyond the grave. His Atonement was wrought in Gethsemane - where He sweat great drops of blood - and on Golgotha (or Calvary) - where His body was lifted up upon a cross above the place of the skull, which signified death. This infinite Atonement would release man from the infinitude of death. His Atonement made the Resurrection a reality and the gift of eternal life a possibility for all who would obey His teachings. His Atonement became the central act of all human history." - Elder Russell M. Nelson

Life is replete with choices. We choose how we can act or react to any given situation. To most of us it is given the chance to choose what we will make of our lives, or what we will do with the talents we have been given. If we are to follow the example of the Savior, I think that it is important to note that He chose to give everything in order for everyone - wicked and righteous - to have the chance to return to live with our Father again. Because He made that choice, we now can choose whether or or not we will come to Him with the broken heart and contrite spirit that He asks of us, and take advantage of His Atoning Sacrifice. Our Older Brother understood what He was doing when He made His choice on our behalf. I hope that we can also work to understand what He did, and to make His sacrifice a larger part of our lives.

The Atonement (7/15/2009)

"And moreover, I say unto you, that salvation doth not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish..." (Mosiah 13:28)

One of the most beautiful points of the Gospel is the idea that in spite of our imperfections, each of us still has the chance to return to live with our Father in Heaven again. Through the Atoning Sacrifice that was made by our Savior, we are not condemned to an eternity removed from His presence the first time we err. Instead, we have the chance to take upon ourselves His name, to emulate the life He lived. And as we choose to follow Him, He will do all things necessary to make it possible for us to safely cross the formidable chasm between where we are today and our Father's presence. Though words are not adequate to express my feelings, I am truly thankful to my Savior for the role He played in the Plan of Salvation on my behalf.