Day 86-Atonement Insights

D&C 10:67-69

67Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and ^acomethunto me, the same is my ^bchurch.

68Whosoever ^adeclareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is ^bagainst me; therefore he is not of my church.

69And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and ^aendureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my ^brock, and the^cgates of hell shall not prevail against them.

We are not only saved through baptism alone, but it is through repentance and enduring to the end by taking the name of Christ. The scripture is not only talking to the LDS members, but all the good people of the earth. All of those people who are doing their best to follow Jesus Christ and repenting according to their knowledge.

Day 85-Atonement Insights

Brigham Young taught " The moment the atonement of the Savior is done away, that moment, at one sweep, the hopes of salvation entertained by the Christian world are destroyed, the foundation of their faith is taken away, and there is nothing left for them to stand upon." Without the atonement, there would be no hope for eternal salvation and we would be a lost and fallen people. It is only through the atonement of Jesus Christ that we may inherit the Kingdom of God.

Day 84-Atonement Insights

Joseph Smith said, “The Atonement is the most important single thing that has ever occurred in the entire history of created things; it is the rock [solid] foundation upon which the gospel and all other things rest. Indeed, all ‘things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it’ ” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], p. 121; see also Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], p. 60).

Day 83-Atonement Insights

"An attempt to master this doctrine requires an immersion of all our senses, all our feelings, and all our intellect...It must be felt, not just 'figured'; internalized, not just analyzed...The atonement of Jesus Christ is the most supernal, mind-expanding, passionate doctrine this world will ever know."

Tad Callister, The Infinite Atonement

I just started reading "The Infinite Atonement" by Tad Callister. Tad Callister has served as an Area of the Seventy. The book is excellent, and I highly suggest reading it. I have only read the first chapter and realize I have a long way to go to understanding the Atonement. I also am intellectualizing it more than feeling it. I decide to blog about the Atonement because I had a minimal understanding of this topic. Now, I realize that I not only have a minimal understanding, but I have minimal sense or feeling about the atonement. My goal is to start internalizing the atonement not merely just trying to understand it.

Day 82-Atonement Insights

"The gospel of the Savior is not simply about avoiding bad in our lives; it also is essentially about doing and becoming good. And the Atonement provides help for us to overcome and avoid bad and to do and become good. There is help from the Savior for the entire journey of life - from bad to good to better and to change our very nature."
- Elder David A. Bednar

The atonement is about being obedient to the commandments of God. It isn't only about repentance, but walking on the straight and narrow. We sometimes focus on the repentance aspect, but I think it is just as important to rejoice in the good such as resisting evil and choosing good. It is following principles of Jesus Christ on a daily basis such as scripture study, prayer, kindness, rendering service, etc.... This is also applying the atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives.

Day 81-Atonement Insights

Elder Russell stated, "Scriptures teach us more about the word atonement. The Old Testament has many references to atonement, which called for animal sacrifice. Not any animal would do. Special considerations included:

• •

  the selection of a firstling of the flock, without blemish, ²²

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  the sacrifice of the animal’s life by the shedding of its blood, ²³

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  death of the animal without breaking a bone, and ²⁴

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  one animal could be sacrificed as a vicarious act for another. ²⁵

The Atonement of Christ fulfilled these prototypes of the Old Testament. He was the firstborn Lamb of God, without blemish. His sacrifice occurred by the shedding of blood. No bones of His body were broken—noteworthy in that both malefactors crucified with the Lord had their legs broken. ²⁶ And His was a vicarious sacrifice for others."

Russell M. Nelson, "The Atonement", Ensign, Nov. 1996, 33

Day 80-Atonement Insights

Alma 41:10Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, ^awickedness never was ^bhappiness.

As I was memorizing this scripture, I was reflecting on the happiness that I receive when I apply the atonement to my life and through Jesus Christ we can be restored from sin to our happy state. The scriptures mention, "blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God."(Mosiah 2:41)