The Atonement of Christ

Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; 

being filled with compassion towards the children of men; 

standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, 

taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, 

having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice. 

-- Mosiah 15:9

This week in class we've made it to the new testament entries of the atonement of Christ. There are so many different aspects to the atonement and I would love to share everything that I've been studying and learning, however, for this entry I'm going to keep it short and sweet. 

To start off, I chose above painting (by Liz Lemon, I'm really beginning to love  and favor her artwork, it's new to me) because I find it captures the side of Christ in the Garden that not many people realize or choose to recognize. Personally, when I relate to my Savior and go to Him in times of need and express my everlasting gratitude, it is here, like in this painting, that I imagine suffering in the Garden went for Him. This was a prayer like no other -- one where Christ is carrying everything on his shoulders -- all the sins and awful consequences of it, and of guilt, depression, hopelessness, anger, grief, shame, loss, anxiety, hatred -- He carries this all and he has never felt any of it before, and here He is, praying to the Father, with not just the sadness or guilt you've felt at your worst, but every one else's emotions and physical pain as well. Christ literally knows exactly what is like to be pounded by temptation, to feel the greatest loss, to feel like you are in the deepest of despairs, to feel lost and lonely, etc.  And why? So that we would not have to suffer those pains throughout all of time. So that we could one day return to our Father in Heaven and have constant joy and rejoicing -- not continual pain and suffering, cut off from the presence of the Lord. So Christ interceded, he became our Advocate to the Father (D&C 45:3-5), and he broke the bonds of death, and he fulfilled justice while extending mercy. He doesn't want us to suffer, so as part of the Plan, Christ came to redeem our promised blessings and eternal potential and everlasting joy. 

I want to bear my testimony that I know Christ is our Lord and Redeemer--that through Him, we can one day return to our loving Father in Heaven. It is through Christ that we can have eternal life and joy, which is to dwell with our Heavenly Father and families throughout the eternities. I know that Christ understands everything that we go through in this mortal experience and He will never leave our sides. His act of atonement provides us with a divine protection, a way like no other in which we can infinitely look towards light and joy and have the promised blessing of peace in the Lord's presence. One of the greatest things that brings the spirit to my heart is thinking of my Savior, standing in front of me as I fall to the ground in tears, begging for compassion and mercy and hope and peace--and then to His arm extended to me, as he pulls me into an embrace, and He looks at me with knowing eyes, for he is ready and willing to immediately plead my cause before the Lord and take upon my sins and mistakes and weaknesses, knowing that I've tried to do my best as a faithful servant and follow Him. He ensures that my desires for life everlasting are fulfilled, as He and the Father only want for our happiness and great return. 

And I hope you can feel that too. ♥

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

--Titus 3:7 

Be like the Woman of Samaria

"Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of  this water shall thirst again: 

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; 

but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."  (John 4:13-14)

I just have to share the insights from this John 4 that we learned this week! I found them remarkable. In this chapter, Christ is on his way throughout the lands preaching the gospel, when he decides that they must stop in Samaria. Though uncalled for and completely against the time's social norms, our Savior travels through Samaria and meets a very prepared woman at the well, who will soon help to share His truth throughout the land. 

Its the afternoon and Christ is sitting at the well. Normally, woman would come to fill water in the mornings and evenings, as it was a social activity and most efficient times. However, this particular woman was coming to the well in the afternoon when she runs into this Jewish man. It's interesting to think about why she would be coming at such a random time, but it's amazing to see how well it works in her favor, so have the Savior right beside her and all to herself as He teaches (though, she does not yet realize it). 

When Christ asks for water, this woman calls him a Jew at first, as it is strange to see such a man awaiting at the well and conversing with her, a Samarian woman. Jesus replies in a way that only one looking with spiritual eyes can comprehend, saying "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water" (John 4:10). This woman's response puts me to awe -- she understands what the Savior has said and proceeds to ask, calling him "Sir" now, where he received that kind of water. When Jesus shares with her how that living water is everlasting life and one that will never go dry, she immediately asks where she can obtain this water as well. 

Now, here comes the interesting part (one that I've never yet realized until hearing it this week). Jesus asks the woman to bring her husband over to hear as well, and when the woman proceeds with how she does not have a husband, Jesus acknowledges that she has had many unsuccessful relationships. From her, the woman's reference of Christ now jumps from Jew and Sir, to "Prophet." Christ teaches her of a new covenant, one she can make with the Lord, one that will never end and never go away, one that will bring peace-- a peace that only the Lord can bring. The difference? This covenant is one of the spirit, one that communes with the Lord on a higher level, an everlasting level, one that promises peace and joy. 

When Jesus speaks of these teachings, the woman shares of how she knows the Messiah is to come. Jesus responds with, "I that speak unto thee is he" (John 4:26). The woman then goes forth into the city, sharing of her time with Christ and preaching that He has indeed come and to see for themselves-- in fact, she is so excited to do so, she "left her waterpot" (John 4:28). 

I just love the enthusiasm and faith of this woman -- within minutes of talking with Jesus, she recognizes his divinity and goes forth to share His word and His existence. Not only that, but within seconds upon hearing of a water which never runs dry--a promise of everlasting life and peace--she immediately wants to know how to obtain such a miracle. 

I love this story because, as I have more deeply studied it, I realize my desire to be more like this Samarian woman. I want to have such a strong desire to hunger and thirst after the words of Christ and eternal life, that I recognize them and immediately go forth with them. I hold to the promise in  3 Nephi: "And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (12:6).  Want a more constant, closer companionship with the Holy Ghost? Want a stronger relationship with your Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ? Then hunger and thirst after righteousness--immediately drop your waterpots and go forth with what you have learned; sit at the feet of the Savior and let him guide and uplift you; strive for that everlasting life and spiritually hold to the covenants you have made. The peace that comes in unimaginable, and so worth it.

"It is only this 'living water,' the gospel of Jesus Christ, that can and will bring a happy, 

a successful, and an everlasting life to the children of men." 

- Elder Robert L. Simpson 

"Elder Bruce R. McConkie defined living water as 'the words of eternal life, 

the message of salvation, the truths about God and his kingdom; 

it is the doctrines of the gospel.' 

He went on to explain, 'Where there are prophets of God, there will be rivers of living water, 

wells filled with eternal truths, springs bubbling forth their life-giving draughts 

that save from spiritual death." 

- from Elder Wirtlin's talk

Seventy times Seven

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant...

enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" 

Matthew 25:21

This week in class we've been reading some of Christ's parables -- it's been interesting to see from a new perspective, from a professor who has studied these writings and teachings for his whole career and adult life. As most of us already know, there are many ways to interpret and find insights from Christ's parables. One new cool thing I learned was that each parable Christ tells, is first introduced by a question from the people -- and He will always answer that question. 

Although there are numerous super amazing parables I want to share, today I'm just going to comment one.

To start off, in Matthew 18, a man asks if he is required to forgive up to seven times -- keep in mind, Rabinical tradition is to forgive someone up to three times. The Lord responds that he should forgive "not only seven times, but seventy times seven" times. I think this is an amazing example of the Christlike attribute of patience.

Christ then proceeds to tell the parable of the 10,000 talents (also known as the Unmerciful Servant). The man in this parable is in great debt, in fact not just 10,00 talents, but an innumerable amount. When he goes to his lord, he tells him of the debt he cannot repay and asks, "have patience with me, and I will pay thee all." In return, the lord had compassion on the servant and forgave him of the debt. As the servant went out wiped of all debt, he turned to one of this fellow servants and demanded the hundred pence he owed. This fellow servant cried with the same plea, "have patience with me, and I will pay thee all." But what does this man do? He casts his fellow servant in to prison until the debt could one day be paid. The lord's remarks are insightful, as he responds to this unmerciful servant, saying, "I forgave thee all that debt...shouldn't not thou also have had compassion on they fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother of their trespasses." 

It's amazing to see this parable from multiple perspectives. From the servants view, he is forgive of all his debt, for this is no way to pay back his lord for all that He has done. However, his fellow servant still owes him a decent amount of money, enough that the offense is harmful and will hurt to not have. However, what the fellow servant owes this man is far minimal compared to what the lord has forgiven him. It's a great insight -- God forgives us for all our debts, and what should we do in return? Forgive our fellow men. Each one of us has that debt -- just as the servant does in this parable -- and a debt that is so big, there is no humanly way possible to pay it off (see Mosiah 2:20-24, and the unprofitable servant). But our Savior Jesus Christ owns those sins, He has taken them from us (hence our use of repentance) and he takes them upon his shoulders--and he owns everyone's. He takes on even the offender's sins. So how many times to you forgive your brother? Always! Let us walk away from using the atonement given us, ready to patiently and compassionately pay the mercy and forgiveness forward. 

Learning from the Savior

"I have loved you, saith the Lord. 

Yet ye say, wherein hast thou loved us?...

Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love 

therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee."

(see Malachi 1:2 & Jeremiah 31:3)

This past week we've been reading through the gospels and focusing on how we can learn from the Savior's words. Christ teaches in many ways, one of them is in the way he performs his miracles and also how he teaches the crowd and uses parables.

Today, I'd like to share some insights on a few of my favorite stories and miracles and parables.

The first is when Christ blesses the fish and bread and feeds 5,000 (see Matthew 14). It's interesting to see the story from the perspective of the young man who sacrifices his fish and bread. In a way, it's sort of like us as disciple of Christ. The young man has spent all this time and effort finding and providing food for his family. Then, apostles come and ask him to give up all that he has so that they can bless it and pass it out to the multitude. The need -- enough food for 5,000 people -- is much greater than the supply that the young man has, yet Christ asks him to give it up. With faith and a desire for obedience, the young man gives Christ and the apostles his earnings and they bless it, to then go throughout the multitude and feed all 5,000 and they were filled. I love this story because it shows that whatever we have and whatever we bring to the feet of our Lord and Savior -- as long as it is everything we have -- it is enough! We will always walk away from the righteous sacrifices we make, richer than when we walked up to it.

My other all-time favorite scripture is when Peter walks on water toward Christ despite the storm knocking the boat around (see Matthew 14). Normally I would insert a pretty amazing testimony here about how the Lord will always and immediately be there for us, even if our faith starts to waver. This time, however, I'd like to share a different insight. This time, I'm going to focus on Peter's courage to take a step out of that boat, on to rushing, crashing waters, and walk towards His Savior despite all odds against him. What faith! As well, Christ allows Peter to walk on this water and try to test his faith and action. As we come unto Christ, we have to a leave our comfort zones and our plateaus and deal with something that we've never seen or done before--tough things--only to then accomplish things you thought you never had the capacity to do! We are given these experiences to help us become someone we're not yet, but someone our Heavenly Father and Savior know we can become! God loves our potential to become more than our tranquility right now. So, instead of waiting for things to come to you, seek them! :) 

Over and out.

"I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth" (Alma 5:16).