Christ's Atonement: at-one-ment

The literal meaning of the English word Atonement is self-evident: at-one-ment, the bringing together of things that have been separated or estranged. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was indispensable because of the separating transgression, or Fall, of Adam, which brought two kinds of death into the world when Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Physical death brought the separation of the spirit from the body, and spiritual death brought the estrangement of both the spirit and the body from God. As a result of the Fall, all persons born into mortality would suffer these two kinds of death. But we must remember the Fall was an essential part of Heavenly Father’s divine plan. Without it no mortal children would have been born to Adam and Eve, and there would have been no human family to experience opposition and growth, moral agency, and the joy of resurrection, redemption, and eternal life.

Read the entire document "The Atonement of Jesus Christ" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

JESUS CHRIST: THE INFINITE ATONEMENT

Jesus Brought Redemption from the Fall of Adam

And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

--2 Nephi 2:26

Jesus Christ, the Messiah, came in the Meridian of time to be our Redeemer, our Savior, to redeem us all from the fall of Adam. Adam fell so that man may come to the earth and partake upon their spirits a physical body. As a result of Christ’s atonement, man is free to act for himself, to make his own choices. If we choose the right, we enjoy freedom and liberty. If we choose the wrong, we will be acted upon in the form of punishment or our conscience making us feel guilty. Jesus made it possible to be free from sin to the highest extent possible. Our duty is to obey His laws and commandments with exactness.

"Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25)

Jesus Christ: Shall All Be Made Alive

Hebrews 2:17

Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Jesus was faithful to God and He was a merciful being. He exemplified perfection in every way wherein He never sinned. He was a God while in the flesh. He couldn’t be taught anyone save God the Father only (See JST Matthew 3:24-26).

He suffered in Gethsemane and on the cross to atone for the sins of the world and to reconcile us to God the Father. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (see 1 Cor. 15:21-22). Resulting from the fall of Adam all will experience death; however, due to the atonement of Christ, all will be made alive, overcome spiritual and physical death, and be resurrected in preparation for life in the hereafter.

Jesus Christ: Creator and Redeemer

Isaiah 44:24

Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.

JESUS CHRIST, our Lord and Redeemer, created all things under the direction of Heavenly Father, Elohim. Christ holds all things in His hands. The expanse of eternity is in His sight. He sees all things from beginning to no ending all in the present moment. There isn’t anything save He knows it. Jesus is our creator. He created us, man. He and other Gods first spiritually created all things , then the Gods formed or established their physical creation. The Gods consisted of Elohim, Jesus, Adam, probably Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Joseph Smith, and other noble and great spirits in the pre-mortal life.

Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He is our Savior and Redeemer.

The Sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father

Moses 5:5-7

5 And he (The Lord-See verse 6) gave unto them (Adam and Eve) commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.

6 And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.

7 And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.

God the Father sacrificed Jesus, His Firstborn spirit child and His Only Begotten Son in the flesh, as an infinite and eternal sacrifice for all mankind. Just like Adam and Eve offered sacrifices on the altar, God the Father offered Jesus as a sacrifice on Jesus’ altar of sacrifice--the Cross. The blood of animals was shed and sacrifices on the altar, and this was a similitude of Jesus shedding His blood on His altar of sacrifice. It pleased the Father to sacrifice His Son Jesus in fulfillment of the requirement for all mankind to receive forgiveness of sins upon repentance and eventually gain exaltation, if they would endure faithfully to the end of mortality. Jesus’ blood was shed and His life was sacrificed for reconciliation and atonement for all the living and the dead and those who would yet be born into mortality. Jesus’ atonement was infinite in scope, neverending in its influence.