Christ's Atonement: Greatest Single Act of Love

The ordeal of the Atonement centered about the city of Jerusalem. There the greatest single act of love of all recorded history took place. Leaving the upper room, Jesus and His friends crossed the deep ravine east of the city and came to a garden of olive trees on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. There in the garden bearing the Hebrew name of Gethsemane—meaning “oil-press”—olives had been beaten and pressed to provide oil and food. There at Gethsemane, the Lord “suffered the pain of all men, that all … might repent and come unto him.” He took upon Himself the weight of the sins of all mankind, bearing its massive load that caused Him to bleed from every pore. 

^{Atonement, October 1996 General Conference, Elder Russell M. Nelson}

JESUS: THE NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME

Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

--Philippians 2:8-11

Jesus was perfectly humble. His humility lead Him to perfect obedience, even unto death upon the cruel cross. He suffered pain, agony and affliction in Gethsemane and while hanging, nailed onto the death-born cross. He never complained nor murmured. God the Father exalted Jesus, and the name of Jesus is above every name; for there is no name greater. All should bow at the name of Jesus, all things in heaven and in earth. Everyone should believe in Jesus so deeply and love Him so much that everyone should admit and testify that Jesus Christ is Lord and glorify God the Father. The Spirit of the Holy Ghost bears witness of the truth of all things.
Love God, Jesus, and others above all other commandments, for this is The Greatest Commandment.

CHRIST'S ATONEMENT IS SUPREME

Jesus Christ's Atonement: The Single Most Important Event

President Joseph F. Smith testified: "On the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen, I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures; and reflecting upon the great atoning sacrifice that was made by the Son of God, for the redemption of the world; and the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world; that through his atonement, and by obedience to the principles of the gospel, mankind might be saved."

--Doctrine and Covenants 138:1-4

God the Father demonstrated His deepest love for us by sending to us His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins and the sins of the world, to enable us with a resurrection of body and spirit. Jesus’s great atoning sacrifice marked the single most important event to ever occur throughout history. His atonement brought redemption to the world and affects all eternity. His atonement makes salvation possible, for without Christ’s atonement, no one could gain forgiveness of sins and inherit eternal life predicated upon our obedience to gospel principles. Christ’s atonement is supreme.

JESUS CHRIST: THE SUFFERINGS OF

Jesus Christ Suffered Death in the Flesh

The Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.

--Doctrine and Covenants 18:11

Jesus, our Redeemer, suffered pain and agony in the flesh, mind, and His spirit. He experienced excruciating pain and torment and affliction for all people and things, giving us the chance to repent, to change our ways and come closer to Him, to become His sons and daughters. He suffered torment from those who hated Him and persecuted Him, from those who scourged and crucified Him, from those who betrayed Him. Even those who didn’t believe Him or believe in Him, this caused great mental trauma in His soul. Jesus loves all people, regardless of their actions, although He doesn’t like one’s evil actions. Jesus is the great I AM.

JESUS CHRIST: IN THE ARMS OF HIS LOVE

2 Nephi 1:15 (Book of Mormon)

But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.

Jesus Christ is our Redeemer; He redeems us from hell, and bondage, physical and spiritual bondage. Without Him we would all be lost and doomed to the eternal pits. With Him, we have the blessing and opportunity of obtaining eternal, inheriting His and the Father’s brightness and glory eternally. He loves us with a perfect love. We can feel His arms encircling us at all times if we but always remember Him, that we keep Him utmost in our minds and seek His guidance and inspiration.

JESUS CHRIST: THE ONLY WAY

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:8-9)

We sing a new song to our Savior, Jesus Christ, expressing our love and devotion, our remembrance of and acknowledgement of Him and His atoning sacrifice for us, that He has redeemed us by the shedding of His blood in Gethsemane and on the cross of Calvary. He suffered, bled, died, and was resurrected for every kindred, tongue, people, and nation. He is the only one with power to perform the perfect atonement. 

If we live righteously, apply the atoning blood of Christ in our lives, and endure faithfully to the end of mortality, we can become kings and priests, queens and priestesses to God our Heavenly Father forever and forever. We can lay our burdens and concerns on Christ, and He will lift us through. We can get through them like the children of Israel went through the Jordan River on dry ground; God the almighty made it possible; otherwise they couldn’t have done by themselves, without His divine assistance. If we have the will, Christ is the way. Look to Him in every thought, deed, motive, and desire, and He will seal us to Him.

Jesus Christ: Blood Atonement

I Cor. 15:3-4

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Christ sacrificed His life and blood for our sins. He died on the cross, suffering the most cruel form of death known to man, because of His deep love for His Father and us. He suffered and bled from every pore so great was His pain and anguish of soul. He lived great, and He died great. He sealed His love and testimony through the shedding of His blood, His atoning blood in our behalf.

Jesus is the Savior of the world. He came in the meridian of time, and He will come again for His Second Coming, of this day no one knows except God the Father. The angels of heaven don’t even know the day when He will return to earth and reign for 1000 years. Jesus is the anointed one, the Great I AM.

We can attempt to pay Him back by obeying His commandments and loving Him and others, by seeking Him first and striving to make the world a better place to live and be. We can never completely repay Him for what He did for us, but we can at least obey  the best we can.

Rejoice in Christ

2 Nephi 4:30

Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

Rejoice in Christ. Joy, peace, and happiness are found in Christ. He is our God and the Rock of our Salvation. The more we praise and sing to Him, the more rejoicing we experience. Moments while in the presence of Jesus Christ are delightful, times of gladness for He is the source of true happiness. We can succeed each day if we turn to Christ and rejoice in Him.

Each day can be a jubilation if we cry unto Him and then go about obeying God’s  commandments with exactness. Joy can come in the morning, noon, and at night as we rejoice in Christ. Praise God with all your heart, might, mind, and soul. Immerse yourself in His love and peace.

Serving others opens the door for knowledge and acceptance. “While serving others, we find Christ” (Harold Clyde).

Obeying God + serving others = Rejoicing in Christ

The Name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent

Mosiah 3:17

There shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

The name of Christ is the only name through which humankind can be saved, gain eternal life, the life that God and Christ live which is everlasting joy, peace, and happiness. Names are vital. If no one had a name to identify them, the world would be chaotic and dismal. Everybody would be confused and irritated. But when people are  associated with a name to link that name to that person, communication is established. We know who is who and who does what. Of all names, the name of Christ is the one single name that stands out above all the rest. All good, all righteousness, all light, all joy point to the name of Christ, for in the name of Christ is found all meaningful things.

It is expedient that we become familiar with Christ and His atoning sacrifice. To know Him is to love Him, for charity always wins because charity is love.

Pray sincerely and meekly from the depths of your heart to develop this love and charity. “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ” (See Moroni 7:48). Sincere prayer brings an inward, spiritual vitality to life like nothing else will. Prayer fills us with zest and instills in us an attitude of goodwill toward the world, toward all humankind. The world is starving spiritually, for it is spiritually dead and needs revitalizing. Our prayers can rekindle more righteousness throughout the world and grow a spirit of repentance in the hearts of people anywhere. Our prayers are uttered in the NAME of Jesus Christ, the name through which salvation is earned.

---