The most important part of Christ’s mission occurred in the
Garden of Gethsemane when He took upon himself the sins of all mankind. Without
the atonement, we would be lost forever.
Exactly what is the atonement? the Guide to the scriptures
tells us:
“To reconcile man to God. As used in the scriptures, to
atone is to suffer the penalty for an act of sin, thereby removing the effects
of sin from the repentant sinner and allowing him to be reconciled to God.
Jesus Christ was the only one capable of making a perfect atonement for all
mankind. He was able to do so because of His selection and foreordination in
the Grand Council before the world was formed, His divine Sonship, and His
sinless life. His Atonement included His suffering for the sins of mankind, the
shedding of His blood, and His death and subsequent resurrection from the grave.
“Because of the Atonement, all people will rise from the
dead with immortal bodies. It also provides the way for us to be forgiven of
our sins and live forever with God. But a person who has reached the age of
accountability and received the law can receive these blessings only if he has
faith in Jesus Christ, repents of his sins, receives the ordinances of
salvation, and obeys the commandments of God. Those who do not reach the age of
accountability and those without the law are redeemed through the Atonement.
The scriptures clearly teach that if Christ had not atoned for our sins, no
law, ordinance, or sacrifice would satisfy the demands of justice, and man
could never regain God’s presence.”
The Book of Mormon gives us a better understanding of the
atonement.
After Lehi received the tree of life vision, Nephi “desired
to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was
able to make them known unto me” (1 Nephi 11:1). Getting off topic for a
moment, we see an example of the depth of Nephi’s faith. He went to the Lord,
having faith the Lord would grant him the knowledge given to Lehi.
The first mention of the atonement comes during Nephi’s
vision. He first sees the condescension of God. (1 Nephi 11:26). He saw
Christ’s ministry to the Jews. He “beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the
children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were
afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and
the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by
the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast
out” (1 Nephi 11:31).
As a part of his vision, we have the Book of Mormon’s first
reference to Christ’s atonement.
“32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again,
saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the
people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw
and bear record.
“33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross
and slain for the sins of the world” (1 Nephi 11:32-33) (emphasis mine).
Speaking to Jacob, Lehi explained the necessity of the atonement.
“5 And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good
from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified;
or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and
also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become
miserable forever.
“6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy
Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.
“7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin,
to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a
contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.
“8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things
known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there
is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the
merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his
life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit,
that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that
should rise.
“9 Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he
shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that
believe in him shall be saved.
“10 And because of the intercession for all, all men
come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be
judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore,
the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the
punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition
to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement…
“25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they
might have joy.
“26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of
time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because
that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing
good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by
the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the
commandments which God hath given.
“27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all
things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty
and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose
captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he
seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:5-10; 25-27)
(emphasis mine).
“We are forever grateful that the Savior’s Atonement
overcame original sin so that we can be born into this world yet not be
punished for Adam’s transgression. Having been thus redeemed from the Fall, we
begin life innocent before God and “become free forever, knowing good from
evil; to act for [ourselves] and not to be acted upon.” We can choose to become
the kind of person that we will, and with God’s help, that can be even as He is.”[1]
[1] Free
Forever, to Act for Themselves, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, October 2014
General Conference.
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