The Atonement

The Atonement is the most beautiful thing created by Heavenly Father. It is a sound and ingenious plan that allows His children the hope and way to come back to Him and join Him in the highest kingdom of Heaven forever.  While reading some talks I found a few things particularly moving in the plan.

Elder David B. Haight uses the scripture John 16:33, “these things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” The Lord, Jesus Christ, has overcome the world. Although He was betrayed, mocked, and beaten in the end He had won, He had overcome the world. Evil cannot stop the works of the Lord. They can fight and torment, but shall never prevail against those who are serving righteously and doing the good works God has given them to do.  This fact gives me courage. Although at times I may feel like I am losing the fight, I have already won. The Savior has made the way for victory and I too can overcome the world.

The Savior made the way for us through His suffering. Sometimes I feel as if Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are abstract beings. It is hard to imagine them being like me, being able to understand what I am feeling. They do understand. Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, felt every pain of mine, from small bruises to deep heart ache. He has cried the tears I have cried and has worried about the same things I worry about now. The atonement can work for me because the pain He felt was my pain.  “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, …” He could feel it physically and emotionally. He didn’t understand pain or sympathize with it, He knew it.

It is a terrifying thought to think that the Savior suffered my pain. Every heart ache and mistake that I make adds to the pain He felt. There is a reason he suffered all of this for me. If I can repent, I do not have to suffer as He did. This is the ingenious part of the Heavenly Father’s plan. All things need balance. Someone needs to pay the price. Jesus paid the price for my sins because He and Heavenly Father knew that I was not strong enough to pay for them myself. Although I still have consequences for my actions, through the atonement I can be made clean. I do not have to suffer the extreme and eternal consequences for my actions if I repent because Jesus has already paid that price.