Best of Me: The Atonement in the Atonement

Hello my friends!

It is my hope that the last couple of weeks have provided you with the blessings which you've sought. For me, I am grateful for the Lord's hand in my life, and look forward with an eye of faith to next weekend, as the Prophet, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities of the Church will address them. I know that they receive revelation for us, directly from the Source of all truth. Until next week, please enjoy a post from January 2010 which highlighted the importance of viewing the Atonement in all that we do, and how its power was made manifest in the Atonement itself.

THE ATONEMENT IN THE ATONEMENT

In everyday life we encounter anomalies where two similar or equal entities are nested in one another. In the psychological field, these are often referred to as "metas." For example, a meta-analysis is the study of many experiments. Likewise, meta-cognition refers to thinking about thinking. This week I would like to pose a similar comparison to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, where the very essence of that supernal act was manifest in the act itself. For consistency purposes, let's call it "Meta-Atonement."

Let me show you what I mean. We read in Mark Chapter 14:

And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.

And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;

And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.

And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?

Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.

And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.

And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; (Mark 14:32-41)

The first thing that I would like to say is that the Atonement was wrought in order to satisfy the demands of justice (Mosiah 15:9, Alma 34:16) that were placed upon the whole human race as result of the Fall of Adam. Both the Fall and Atonement were necessary for us to first come to earth and obtain bodies, and then to overcome the physical (which includes the Resurrection) and spiritual imperfection that is characteristic of the mortal experience.

With that said, I second ask you to take note of the action of the Apostles Peter, James, and John on this fateful and necessary evening in early Spring. Christ asked them to be vigilant, but they were unable, even on multiple occasions. Now, many would harp in these three (who I might add were possibly Jesus' three most dedicated disciples at the time) because they could not stay awake. In like manner, many ridicule and vilify Peter who later denied knowing Christ thrice as a fulfillment of prophecy. However, placing such blame in my mind is not entirely appropriate, and is evidence of our own imperfections. I say this because such acts that we find in the Gospels were the absolute essence of the Atonement, illustrating man's need for it. The three Apostles were physically unable to hold on, as Jesus passed through the Atonement alone. It was those very imperfections for which the Atonement was performed, and in mind these things were almost necessary that Christ could empathize perfectly the state in which we find ourselves on a daily basis. This is "Meta-Atonement." How grateful am I for this example, as well as the entire gift that is the Atonement of Jesus Christ! In April, 2009, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said the following:

Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations...is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you] (John 14;18).

May you all have a great week, thinking on the Atonement, and its infinite applicability!

----

Have a great week!

With The Love that Remains

Ten years ago today the world was shocked by the events that took place on what is now commonly known as "9-11." Those numbers will forever be engrained in the minds and hearts of those who were old enough to understand the meaning of the terrorist attacks on that day, serving as a reminder about how truly fragile freedom can be, and the high cost that we all must pay to preserve those freedoms. For those who will not personally remember what happened that fateful day, it will be much like the majority of people today who don't recall another infamous day, 12-7-1941, or the day that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and thrust the United States into World War II. I was not there, and I don't know anyone who was there; and to the best of my knowledge I don't know anyone who knows someone who was there. That event for me is just a conglomeration of media and commentary that I use to form my opinion of what happened. While that suffices me, it does no justice to the sentiment that drove the people of the time, united in the defense of their liberty, homes, and their way of life.

Likewise, many who have only a tertiary understanding of the September 11th attacks will not feel what those in New York and Shanksville and Arlington felt, and will not feel what the rest of us felt. It will take their own September 11th to truly learn what it feels like to have under attack that which they hold most dear. Nevertheless, we can through our testimonies teach others what it feels like to experience such hardship and uncertainty, and to escape such times unscathed and even stronger than before.

In previous posts I have talked about "forgetting," and how that relates to the great Plan of Happiness that Heavenly Father has set in motion. I believe that the best way that we can teach through our testimony unto the rising generation is through the Spirit that we exude as a function of our knowledge if this Plan. Using the love that remains with us from faith-confirming and faith-promoting experiences, let us not give up on those who come after us, but in stead strive to teach them true doctrine that will enable them in turn to find their place in the Plan.

I know that we are all in the arms of the Savior, and that He has the power to heal our spiritual, emotional, and even physical wounds through the supernal gift of the Atonement. The Atonement is central to the Plan, and should be central to the message of love that we convey. Events like those of September 11th, 2001 are not new in the trauma, anguish, and heartache that they cause, and in fact continue to happen on a daily basis. The Book of Mormon is filled with stories of tragedy, war, famine, plague and pestilence as well. The lasting legacy of the Jaredite people is likely their ability to quite literally and completely self-destruct, to which there were "howlings and lamentations, that they did rend the air exceedingly. (Ether 15: 16)" Similarly, the Nephites who remained after the prophesied destruction which marked the Savior's crucifixion were said to be "howling and weeping continually" as they endured three days of complete and utter darkness (3 Nephi 8: 23).

In spite of impending doom and gloom, I know that we may persevere through the power that rests in the Savior. When we sin we feel utterly alone, and feel that the light of the Savior has gone from us. In that precise moment the Master of Lies, even Satan strives to have us believe that we cannot recover the light we lost. I believe that this is where we must focus our efforts for the new generation which will undoubtedly experience hardship at a level that we may not understand. But we do understand how they will feel, and we do understand that the "Son of Man hath descended below them all. (D & C 122: 8)"

As we strive to remember that we are not "greater than he," we will begin to see that God has purpose in destruction and pestilence. We will see that those righteous who have suffered death are received by the Lord "unto himself, in glory," and that for the rest us "God will have a humble people. ("Beware of Pride," Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1989)" Let us, with the love that remains after our hardship look to the Savior, that we may have strength to share our love of Him and the Plan with those around us. And on this special day, let us teach that love prevails over all toil and strife, and that in the end, the Lord's humble people whom He calls His own will prevail as well.

Have a great week!