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The Atonement of Jesus Christ

“The Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Come, Follow Me: For Individuals and Families at Home (2015), 41–44

“The Atonement of Jesus Christ,” For Individuals and Families at Home, 41–44

The Atonement of Jesus Christ

March 2016

The Miracle of the Savior’s Atonement

Why Do I Need the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

As descendants of Adam and Eve, all people inherit the effects of the Fall. Through Jesus Christ’s Atonement, we can overcome the negative effects of the Fall, as well as the effects of our own sins, and be reconciled to our Heavenly Father.

Because of the Fall, we are subject to temporal death, which is the death of our physical bodies (see Alma 42:6–9; D&C 29:41–42). We are also subject to opposition and temptation. When we give in to temptation and sin, we experience spiritual death, which means that we are separated from God’s presence (see 1 Nephi 15:33–35; Helaman 14:16–19).

To help us understand how the Savior has rescued us from the effects of the Fall, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland related a story of two brothers—John and Jimmy—who climbed a sheer canyon wall without climbing gear. At the top of the cliff, a protruding ledge stranded them, and they could not continue up or climb back down. John boosted his younger brother Jimmy to safety, but he had no way to lift himself. In desperation, he jumped toward the top and attempted to grab hold. John recalled: “Two hands shot out from somewhere above the edge of the cliff, grabbing my wrists with a strength and determination that belied their size. My faithful little brother … had simply waited—silently, almost breathlessly—knowing full well I would be foolish enough to try to make that jump. When I did, he grabbed me, held me, and refused to let me fall. Those strong brotherly arms saved my life that day as I dangled helplessly above what would surely have been certain death” (“Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 104–5).

What Did Jesus Christ Do for Me?

The only way for us to be saved from sin and death is for someone to rescue us. Jesus Christ is the only one who can redeem us from the negative effects of the Fall. He laid down His life and took it up again to conquer death (see John 5:26). He also redeemed us from our sins (see Helaman 5:11).

Jesus’s atoning sacrifice took place in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary. He took upon Himself our pains and sins and allowed Himself to die. After three days He was resurrected and became “the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20).

All of us will be resurrected and brought back into the presence of God to be judged (see 2 Nephi 2:5–10). We can also be forgiven and cleansed from sin if we “apply the atoning blood of Christ” (Mosiah 4:2). We must exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, be baptized for the remission of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

How Can Jesus Christ Help Me Change?

Jesus Christ has the power to change our hearts if we rely on Him and obey His commandments. We can “[put] off the natural man and [become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mosiah 3:19). The prophet Alma described this change as a spiritual rebirth or a “mighty change in your hearts” (Alma 5:14).

Elder David A. Bednar said: “Just as a cucumber is transformed into a pickle as it is immersed in and saturated with salt brine, so you and I are born again as we are absorbed by and in the gospel of Jesus Christ. …

“Spiritual rebirth … typically does not occur quickly or all at once; it is an ongoing process—not a single event. Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God. This phase of the transformation process requires time, persistence, and patience” (“Ye Must Be Born Again,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 20–21).

How Can Jesus Christ Strengthen Me in My Trials?

The Savior not only gives us power to conquer sin and death, but He also offers us peace in times of trial. As part of His Atonement, Jesus Christ took upon Himself the pains, sicknesses, and infirmities of all people (see Alma 7:11–12). He has experienced our suffering and He knows how to help us.

Through His sacrifice and our faith and righteousness, all the inequities and pains of this life can be fully compensated for in this life and the eternities. Although the Savior may not relieve all our suffering now, He will bless us with comfort and the strength to “bear up [our] burdens with ease” (Mosiah 24:15).

Record Impressions

What am I learning from the Spirit as I study about the Atonement of Jesus Christ? What questions come to my mind? What am I being inspired to share with members of my family?

A Simple Pattern for Family Learning

Prepare

What can we study in preparation to learn together? What questions do we have?

Learn

What scriptures, stories, experiences, or quotations can we learn about together?

Act

How will we act on what we learn?

Family Discussion and Family Home Evening

  • Think of an analogy that could help your family understand how Jesus Christ helps us overcome sin and death. For example, you could draw a picture of a person in a pit who needs a ladder to escape, or tell Elder Holland’s story about the climbers (beginning on the first page of this study outline). What will help your family feel love for the Savior?

  • How can you help your family understand how the gospel can change our hearts? You could use Elder Bednar’s pickle analogy (found on the first page of this study outline) and plan an activity to make pickles together. When you are finished, share with each other what you learned. Why is making pickles a good analogy for the process of conversion? What other examples could you use to teach about conversion?

  1. Consider showing a video from LDS.org about how the Savior can strengthen us in our trials, such as “God Will Lift Us Up” or “Mountains to Climb.” What do these videos teach about relying on the Savior?

Additional Study

Scriptures

Isaiah 53; Luke 22–24; 2 Nephi 2:1–10; 9:3–26; Mosiah 3:1–19; Alma 42:1–31; Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–12; 19:15–24; 20:17–34.

General Conference Talks

Dallin H. Oaks, “Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 61–64.

Boyd K. Packer, “The Reason for Our Hope,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 6–8.

Other Resources

“Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Gospel Topics, topics.lds.org.

True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference (2004), 14–21.

Prophetic Teachings

Elder M. Russell Ballard

“There is no greater expression of love than the heroic Atonement performed by the Son of God. Were it not for the plan of our Heavenly Father, established before the world began, in a very real sense, all mankind—past, present, and future—would have been left without the hope of eternal progression. As a result of Adam’s transgression, mortals were separated from God (see Romans 6:23) and would be forever unless a way was found to break the bands of death. This would not be easy, for it required the vicarious sacrifice of one who was sinless and who could therefore take upon Himself the sins of all mankind.

“Thankfully, Jesus Christ courageously fulfilled this sacrifice in ancient Jerusalem. There in the quiet isolation of the Garden of Gethsemane, He knelt among the gnarled olive trees, and in some incredible way that none of us can fully comprehend, the Savior took upon Himself the sins of the world. Even though His life was pure and free of sin, He paid the ultimate penalty for sin—yours, mine, and everyone who has ever lived. His mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish were so great they caused Him to bleed from every pore (see Luke 22:44; D&C 19:18). And yet Jesus suffered willingly so that we might all have the opportunity to be washed clean—through having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized by proper priesthood authority, receiving the purifying gift of the Holy Ghost by confirmation, and accepting all other essential ordinances. Without the Atonement of the Lord, none of these blessings would be available to us” (“The Atonement and the Value of One Soul,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 84–85).

Elder Quentin L. Cook

“Think of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane during the Atonement process, suffering agony so great that He bled from every pore [see D&C 19:18]. His cry to His Father included the word Abba [Mark 14:36]. This might be interpreted as the cry of a son who is in distress to his father: ‘O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt’ [Matthew 26:39]. I testify that the Atonement of Jesus Christ covers all of the trials and hardships that any of us will encounter in this life. At times when we may feel to say, ‘Hope you know, I had a hard time,’ we can be assured that He is there and we are safe in His loving arms” (“Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 105).