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!