The Atonement

“Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.” [Mosiah 4:9.]

Or as Paul writes; “He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” [Hebrews 11:6.]

I've been working on this post for weeks, it's the day before Easter and it now is a good time to post it!

The Atonement of Jesus Christ... this is the most sacred part of the gospel to me, because it is intricate throughout all the rest. Without the Atonement, we cannot be healed, there would be no need for any other principles of the gospel, we could not return to our Heavenly Father... and so much more!
The Atonement is possibly the hardest thing for me to teach, because it is so personal. How do you teach something so personal that it becomes personal for the person being taught? Sometimes I become frustrated that I cannot convey the true meaning of this wonderful gift. People do not understand what is right in front of them, I know that because if they did, they would be begging to be baptized and see that all the effort thereafter is worth it! They would realize that this is the only way to be happy... but until it becomes personal to you, it is hard to grasp the concept. Sure, most of us know that Jesus is the Christ, that he died on the cross for our sins, and that he loves us... but do we Really know Him? Do we really understand all that is entailed? Do we truly believe that he is the only way to be saved? Do we believe that His grace is sufficient? Do we truly have faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement?- meaning that he can heal us from all of our sorrow and guilt. Do we really trust Him? Or is it just another story that we know and hear and like to hope is true.
Well these are all questions that need to be asked before you can truly understand the Atonement and let your Savior heal you. These are questions I have to ask myself every day on my mission. Do I trust Him enough to be healed?
Today I was reading 3Nephi 17 and I have never felt the Saviors love stronger while reading the scriptures as I did while reading this chapter today.
3Nephi 17

5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.

6 And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.

7 Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.

8 For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you.

9 And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.

20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.

22 And when he had done this he wept again;

23 And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.

24 And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.


How I wish I could be with my Savior. Just reading these words gave me a feeling of being wrapped in His loving arms. The Savior at this point had recently been ridiculed, rejected, and crucified by his people in Jeruslem. Now here he is in the midst of people the love him and desirous that he "tarry a little longer." How loved might Jesus have felt at this time? How loved does he feel each time we choose to go unto him and let him heal us of our infirmities? Oh how I know and testify that this is the only way to be healed in such a pitiful world! His love will heal you.

I know that the gospel seems hard to live up to, but I also know that it is worth it. When I am feel beaten and inadequate, I remember the Savior. When I think that the mission is hard, I remember that His was harder. When I feel hopeless, I remember that He gave me hope when he was resurrected the 3rd day. When I'm tired, I remember He was tired. When I'm crying, I remember that He cried. When I am pleading for my Father in Heaven to take my trials away, I remember that He can't because He loves us just as He loved His son Jesus Christ while he was in the Garden of Gethsemane... then I remember He'll give me the strength to do what He asks of me, just as He did for the Savior. When I feel alone, I remember that I am Never alone. When I think I have to many problems, I remember that there is no such thing as too many problems. When I feel like I'm too far gone to be saved, I see him with open arms.
I know that each person has their own trials, temptations, tribulations, but I also know that through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ we will be lifted up and cleansed. Part of human nature is to ask, "Why me?" But while in the midst of trials, why not ask," what does God what me to learn from this?"
This is not an easy path, but it is possible.
The Savior was our perfect example while on the Earth. He never taught solely through words, but through example. This is so significant to me. He came to this earth and walked what we are walking.

Because the Savior has been “touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” he can fully comprehend our trials.

"It was necessary, when the Savior was upon the earth, that he should be tempted in all points, like unto us, and “be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” [Hebrews 4:15] to comprehend the weaknesses and strength, the perfections and imperfections of poor fallen human nature. And having accomplished the thing he came into the world to do; having had to grapple with the hypocrisy, corruption, weakness, and imbecility of man; having met with temptation and trial in all its various forms, and overcome; he has become a “faithful high priest”[Hebrews 2:17]" - lds.org (I've forgotten which talk)


"The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which teams's jersey we want to wear!" - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

How grateful I am for the knowledge I have from my Savior from the scriptures, both The Bible and The Book of Mormon. I love and cherish the additional knowledge I receive from having a second witness of Jesus Christ. I feel my Saviors love every day and am grateful for the special time of Easter to celebrate His life and his resurrection. We are so blessed to have the choice to return to our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. So which coach are you going to play for?
“And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.” [Mosiah 4:10.]

Choose the winning team!



This video is a favorite of mine and does not only apply to missionaries, listen to it as if he was speaking directly to you!

What Would Jesus Do?

Dear readers,
I'm so sorry I've slacked on writing, life is so busy! However, I've been thinking hard about what to write and today something hit me! I really can't even explain the Love I have for God's children, it's insane. I know I'm not perfect in this aspect, but I do know that I'd sacrifice myself to help a friend in need. I don't have all the gifts I'd like to have, but I have been blessed with the ability to love God's children, regardless of their backgrounds and I have a hard time understanding the fear people have of loving everyone and going the extra mile for your fellowman.Part of God's plan is for us to become as He and our Savior Jesus Christ are. We are striving to be Christlike in all that we do. So I invite you to ask What would Jesus do in this situation???
As part of the Christian world, this quest to walk as Jesus would walk is not always easy, but it will be worth it!
My heart bleeds for those in circumstances that they have not chosen and it aches more when the surrounding people are just waiting and watching for them to fall, instead of putting their selves out there to help these brothers and sisters of ours find their way! If we really believe what we say we believe, then I believe we would be jumping at every opportunity we have to bring another soul unto Christ.
"But if I get involved, then I might have to do something I don't like." "It won't really make a difference anyways, it's not my concern." "I have my own family to worry about, I don't have time to get involved." "I'll donate materials, but I can't go over and help them." "It's their own fault they are in that situation."

WAKE UP PEOPLE! It's time to step up to the plate! The worth of every soul is great! Get out of your bubbles and do some labor right beside them! LOVE is spelled T-I-M-E!! Charity is the pure love of Christ! Get comfortable with the uncomfortable and realize that it is such a privilege to help our fellowman. Regardless of their situation, it's not our place to judge, but it is our place to be ready to teach and support them as Christ would.
President Uchdorft said,"But when it comes to our own prejudices and grievances, we too often justify our anger as righteous and our judgment as reliable and only appropriate. Though we cannot look into another’s heart, we assume that we know a bad motive or even a bad person when we see one. We make exceptions when it comes to our own bitterness because we feel that, in our case, we have all the information we need to hold someone else in contempt.....This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:

Stop it!

It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters. I don’t know exactly how to articulate this point of not judging others with sufficient eloquence, passion, and persuasion to make it stick. I can quote scripture, I can try to expound doctrine, and I will even quote a bumper sticker I recently saw. It was attached to the back of a car whose driver appeared to be a little rough around the edges, but the words on the sticker taught an insightful lesson. It read, “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.”"

The Atonement of Christ is REAL and people can and will change, but it takes many hands to make a burden light. It's going to take true Christians to bring people unto Christ.
"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. the world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature."
- LDS Prophet, Ezra Taft Benson

I've seen the true gospel of Jesus Christ change men and I've seen changed men change the world. I know this is possible, but it takes time, it takes sacrifice, and yes it takes inconveniences.. but the Lord will bless us for our efforts and He will provide away for His will to be accomplished. Sometimes to be an instrument in the Lords hands we have to put ourselves out there with a willing heart and mind, ready to jump at the opportunity to bring souls unto Christ! I love the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, I believe with all my heart that it can and does change the hearts of men. When we are in a sticky situation, we need to ask our selves, what would Jesus do? I know that in that simple phrase, we will find all of our answers.