Atonement

Atonement

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Bible Dictionary: 

"The purpose of the atonement is to correct or overcome the consequences of sin."  Sin separates us from God- hence the atonement sets us "at one".

Conditional: we all sin differently; works by faith in Christ, repentance, and obeying the Gospel.

Because of it, all are redeemed from the Fall of Adam, we are responsible for our own actions, and children under 8 are saved/ innocent.

Talks:

"The Sacrament— a Renewal for the Soul" by Cheryl Esplin Oct. 2014

- "Elder Jeffrey R. Holland described. He said, ‘One of the invitations inherent in the sacramental ordinance is that it be a truly spiritual experience, a holy communion, a renewal for the soul."

- listen to the prayers and recommit to your covenants

- story of a mom and her self evaluation each week "She could see that she was making the same errors over and over again, week to week. But then she had a distinct impression that she was neglecting a big part of the Atonement--Christ’s enabling power. She was forgetting all the times the Savior helped her be who she needed to be and serve beyond her own capacity."

"The Sacrament and the Atonement" by James Hamula Oct. 2014

- the day before His suffering in Gethsemane was the last supper/ the sacrament

- "The ordinance of the sacrament has been called “one of the most holy and sacred ordinances in the Church.” It needs to become more holy and sacred to each of us. Jesus Christ Himself instituted the ordinance to remind us what He did to redeem us and to teach us how we may avail ourselves of His Redemption and thereby live with God again." -> Okay so how do we do that? Prepare more earnestly by repenting, reflecting and recommitting yourself,  mindful of what you're thinking about during, 

- BREAD "And in taking the bread to ourselves, we acknowledge that, like Christ’s mortal body, our bodies will be released from the bonds of death, rise triumphantly from the grave, and be restored to our eternal spirits."

   WATER "In taking the water to ourselves, we acknowledge that His blood and suffering atoned for our sins and that He will remit our sins as we embrace and accept the principles and ordinances of His gospel."

- "Brothers and sisters, the most important event in time and eternity is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He who accomplished the Atonement has given us the ordinance of the sacrament to help us not only remember but also claim the blessings of this supreme act of grace. Regular and earnest participation in this sacred ordinance helps us continue to embrace and live the doctrine of Christ after baptism and thereby pursue and complete the process of sanctification. Indeed, the ordinance of the sacrament helps us faithfully endure to the end and receive the fulness of the Father in the same way Jesus did, grace for grace."

"Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?" by Timothy Dyches Oct. 2013

(Suggested by Sister Minert)

- it is a question he asks us.  He will do it!  But we have our end of agency as well.

- "thy faith hath made the whole"

- "“Come, follow me” (Luke 18:22) invites us to leave behind the old life and worldly desires and become a new creature for whom “old things are passed away [and] all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17), even with a new, faithful heart. And we are made whole again."

- "If you feel unclean, unloved, unhappy, unworthy, or unwhole, remember “all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”  Have faith and patience in the Savior’s timing and purposes for you. “Be not afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36)."

"Lord, Is It I?" By Pres. Uchtdorf

- "We must approach our Eternal Father with broken hearts and teachable minds. We must be willing to learn and to change. And, oh, how much we gain by committing to live the life our Heavenly Father intends for us."  For Christ's ultimate sacrifice, we have to sacrifice and give something too.

- "But those who want to improve and progress, those who learn of the Savior and desire to be like Him, those who humble themselves as a little child and seek to bring their thoughts and actions into harmony with our Father in Heaven--they will experience the miracle of the Savior’s Atonement. They will surely feel God’s resplendent Spirit. They will taste the indescribable joy that is the fruit of a meek and humble heart. They will be blessed with the desire and discipline to become true disciples of Jesus Christ."

The Fourth Missionary

- we are always changing.  Sometimes people "excuse their failures and weaknesses by saying 'that's just the way I am'" and so on.  No!  To say and accept this is "reject[ing] the central truth of the plan of salvation;" even Jesus Christ, His Atonement.  His atonement allows and makes a way for us to change.  Change and growth are good!

- challenges and trials allow us to learn/ change/ be better.  "Without opposition the plan would be frustrated, you could not progress and the purpose of life would be unachievable." 

- Missions are hard and full of opposition.   Missions are the greatest experiences anyone could ask for.  How?  How can is be greatest when it is hard?  Well, when you succeed or overcome the opposition, you become all the more strong.  When you fall, you have the amazing blessing to apply the atonement, pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, and try again.

- We cannot and will not be changed against our own will.

"Is Faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ Written in our Hearts?" By Linda K. Burton

- similar to the pioneers, we may ask ourselves "what can we put on this handcart"? They could only hold so much.  Or to ask "what is written in our hearts?"

- “We are like the [woman] in the pit. Sinning is like falling into the pit, and we can’t get out by ourselves. Just as the kind passerby heard the [woman’s] cry for help, Heavenly Father sent his Only Begotten Son to provide the means of escape. Jesus Christ’s atonement could be compared to lowering a ladder into the pit; it gives us the means to climb out.”  But the Savior does more than lower the ladder, He “comes down into the pit and makes it possible for us to use the ladder to escape.”  “Just as the [woman] in the pit had to climb up the ladder, we must repent of our sins and obey the gospel principles and ordinances to climb out of our pit and make the Atonement work in our lives. Thus, after all we can do, the Atonement makes it possible for us to become worthy to return to Heavenly Father’s presence.”

- "Remember the woman President Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke of recently? He said: “One woman who had been through years of trial and sorrow said through her tears, ‘I have come to realize that I am like an old 20-dollar bill--crumpled, torn, dirty, abused, and scarred. But I am still a 20-dollar bill. I am worth something. Even though I may not look like much and even though I have been battered and used, I am still worth the full 20 dollars.’”"

- "When each of us has the doctrine of the Atonement written deep in our hearts, then we will begin to become the kind of people the Lord wants us to be when He comes again. He will recognize us as His true disciples"

- "Making, keeping, and rejoicing in our covenants will be the evidence that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is truly written in our hearts?"

Scriptures: 

25 Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him.

26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.

2 Nephi 9:25-26~ the atonement delivers me!  I think it is also neat to look at the atonement in terms of restoration.  Restoration is to be made new again and the first message we teach as missionaries!  When we were born, we were all clean, pure, innocent, new.  The atonement helps us be made to a state in which we once were before- clean, pure, innocent, new.

Hymns

"I Lived in Heaven" This song is about the plan of salvation!  Mainly the premarital life and Christ's atonement for us.  'Father said he needed someone who had enough love': that is Christ!  I know that the atonement is the greatest act of love of all time.

"He Sent His Son" Christ is our central message!  The Father told, showed, and helps us on our way because of Jesus Christ

" He Dies that we might Live Again" If we want to give thanks, we should sing and show that kind of love in return.  

"To Think About Jesus" It shouldn't be hard- but then why is it some times?

"Help us, 

Oh God, to Understand" We probably will never fully understand.  It is eternal.  There is just do much he did for us!

"The Third Article of Faith"