Day 131-Atonement Insights

After All We Can Do

“Salvation and eternal life would not be possible if it were not for the Atonement, brought about by our Savior, to whom we owe everything. But in order for these supreme blessings to be effective in our lives, we should first do our part, ‘for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.’ Let us with faith, enthusiasm, dedication, responsibility, and love do all that is within our reach, and we will be doing all that is possible to achieve the impossible—that is, to achieve what for the human mind is impossible but with the divine intervention of our loving Father and the infinite sacrifice brought about by our Savior becomes the greatest gift, the most glorious of realities, to live forever with God and with our families.”

Jorge F. Zeballos, “Attempting the Impossible,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 34

Day 130-Atonement Insights

Charity, an Effect of the Atonement

"The great legacy those who went before you in the Relief Society [has been] passed on to you.

The part of the foundation they laid for you which seems to me most important and persistent is that charity is at the heart of the society and is to come into the heart, to be part of the very nature, of every member. Charity meant to them far more than a feeling of benevolence. Charity is born of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and is an effect of His Atonement working in the hearts of the members."

Henry B. Eyring, "The Enduring Legacy of Relief Society," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 121

Day 129-Atonement Insights

Everything Will Be All Right

“When we strive to keep the commandments of God, repenting of our sins and promising our best efforts to follow the Savior, we begin to grow in confidence that through the Atonement everything will be all right.”

Wilford W. Andersen, “The Rock of Our Redeemer,” Ensign, May 2010, 17

Day 128- Atonement Insights

The Purifying Power of the Gethsemame by Elder Bruce Mckonkie is one of the most powerful talks on the atonement.

Day 127- Atonement Insights

Elder Scott stated, "Your character will grow; your faith will increase. There is a relationship between those two: the greater your faith, the stronger your character; and increased character enhances your ability to exercise even greater faith."

Day 126-Atonement Insights

Stephen Robinson stated, "Of course we fail at the celestial level. That's why we need a savior, and we are commanded to approach God and to call upon him so we may receive according to our desires. In the New Testament the Savior says, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). We misinterpret that frequently. We think that means blessed are the righteous. It does not. When are you hungry? When are you thirsty? When you don't have the object of your desire. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after the righteousness that God has, after the righteousness of the celestial kingdom, because as that is the desire of their heart, they can achieve it--they will be filled. We may receive "according to our desires."

Day 125-Atonement Insights

Day 124-Atonement Insights

Truman Madsen stated, "Likewise, we are promised that in the temple the Lord's name will be put upon us. It means at root that we become his. The answer to "Who am I?" can never be complete unless it answers "Whose am I?" You are the son or daughter of a king. The Father himself. Through the ordinances you are begotten spiritually through his Son. You become heir to his throne. That is a worldly way of saying it. But it is true. An old Jewish proverb says that the worst thing the evil inclination can ever do to you is to make you forget that you are the son or daughter of a king."

In the temple and at church, we participate in ordinances of the new and everlasting covenant. These ordinances also serves as a reminder that we can become joint heirs with Christ.

~The Temple and the Atonement

Day 123-Atonement Insights

Moroni 7:41And what is it that ye shall ^ahope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have ^bhope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life ^ceternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

Faith, hope, and charity are intertwined throughout the scriptures. As we hope for eternal life, the hope can bring about works through our faith and charity. As we pray and develop charity, the pure love of Christ, we will have a greater desire and be more fit to be heirs of the kingdom.

Day 122-Atonement Insights

D&C 76: 69These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.

We can perfect ourselves in the atonement of Jesus Christ through the ordinances of the gospel such as baptism and temple marriage. Ordinances can mean laws and statues and acts with spiritual meaning.

Day 121-Atonement Insights

Alam 34:8And now, behold, I will ^atestify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the^btransgressions of his people, and that he shall ^catone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

The other day, I read that Jesus Christ not only atoned for all mankind, but for mother earth and all living things. The atonement is very comprehensive

Day 120-Atonement Insights

Elder Kent Richards stated, "Spiritual pain lies deep within our souls and can feel unquenchable, even as being racked with an“inexpressible horror,” as Alma described. It comes from our sinful actions and lack of repentance. For this pain too there is a cure that is universal and absolute. It is from the Father, through the Son, and it is for each of us who is willing to do all that is necessary to repent. Christ said, “Will ye not now return unto me … and be converted, that I may heal you?”

Day 119-Atonement Insights

The Atonement of Jesus Christ has the power to make us whole when we repent. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin taught us this principle with clarity when he said:“Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will.We [might] see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities.”

Day 118-Atonement Insights

The law of justice requires punishment for every sin. In making an Atonement for the sins of all, Jesus satisfied the full demands of justice and made forgiveness of sins possible. President Joseph Fielding Smith explained:

“Then Jesus Christ came upon the scene as the Mediator between man and God, and the Advocate for man with the Father. He pleads our cause. As our Mediator, through his ministry, he labors to reconcile us, to bring us into agreement with God his Father.

“An advocate is one who defends or pleads for or in behalf of another. A mediator is one who reconciles or brings about agreement between parties.

“That is part of his great mission. He stands between the Father and man. When he was upon earth, he prayed frequently for his disciples, pleading with his Father in their behalf, and he has been pleading ever since, and he stands between us and God our Father.” ( Doctrines of Salvation, 1:26–27.)

Day 117-Atonement Insights

Elder Melvin J. Ballard explained why it pleased God not to interfere: “In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even he could not endure it any longer; and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so he bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that he had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when he might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that he did not fail us, for he had not only the love of his Son in mind, but he also had love for us. I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained, and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men.” (Bryant S. Hinckley, Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin Joseph Ballard, pp. 154–55.)

Day 116-Atonement Insights

Isaiah 53:4-7 4¶Surely he hath ^aborne our ^bgriefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5But he was ^awounded for our ^btransgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his ^cstripes we are ^dhealed.

6All we like ^asheep have gone ^bastray; we have turned every one to his ^cown way; and the Lord hath laid on him the ^diniquity of us all.

7He was ^aoppressed, and he was ^bafflicted, yet he ^copened not his mouth: he is brought as a ^dlamb to the ^eslaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

The sufferings were necessary to take the sins of the world. Jesus Christ suffered for us so we may not suffer if we repent and come unto Him.

Day 115-Atonement Insights

Romans 8:38-39

38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to^aseparate us from the ^blove of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The love of God and Jesus Christ is immense that we cannot separate ourselves from it. We were all given the gift of the resurrection. The savior is granting this gift to all mankind even the betrayers, persecutors, unbelievers, and traitors. He loves all of us that He came to the suffer the most intense pain that a human can experience which even made God weep. The loves is incomprehensible indeed.