We’ve now discussed the first of the three tasks Jesus Christ needed to perform in order to redeem us and make it possible for us to live with our Heavenly Father as He is. This was part of the process required for Jesus Christ to complete the Atonement. The Atonement is a complicated subject which I don’t fully understand. I doubt any living person does, or even could, fully understand everything about the Atonement. Yet this event was the most important event in the history of our world, for without it there was no chance for us to live with Heavenly Father.
Because of the significance of the Atonement, we benefit greatly from understanding what it is and what it does. This knowledge helps us know what we can gain from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The King James Version of The Holy Bible used by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints carries a Bible Dictionary. This dictionary explains a variety of terms used in The Holy Bible, helping the reader better understand what each term means. “Atonement” is one of these terms, and the Bible Dictionary helps us better understand its meaning and purpose.
We’ll start with what the Atonement is. The Bible Dictionary helps us understand that the term “atonement” denotes the “reconciliation of man to God”, setting us at one with His laws. We become estranged from God because of our sins. Atonement refers to correcting or overcoming the consequences of these sins.
In times before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, animal sacrifices were used to provide atonements. However, these animals lacked the ability to choose to sacrifice themselves for the sins of those for whom these atonements were performed. In addition these beings were mortal, having finite lives. As such these atonements were finite in nature, having no lasting effect. A lasting and infinite atonement could only be performed when an infinite and perfect person with the ability to choose to become the sacrifice did so. As we previously discussed, only Jesus Christ could provide this atonement because only He lived perfectly and only He had divine birthright giving Him an infinite nature.
The Bible Dictionary also helps us understand that the entire process of the Atonement included the selection of Jehovah in the Premortal Existence, His divine Sonship, His sinless and perfect life, the pain and anguish He suffered for our sins, His death at Calvary, and His resurrection. We’ve already discussed the first three portions. We will focus on the latter three in later discussions.
In summary the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the process He went through to provide us a means for reconciliation with the laws of God and to give us the ability to return home to live with Heavenly Father. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.” (The Articles of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, paragraph 4) In other words, we believe Jesus Christ performed the necessary steps of the Atonement, but that doesn’t guarantee us all the blessings that are a consequence of His actions. We still have to do our part.
As we’ve discussed in previous posts, our part of the process includes our faith and our repentance for our errors. It also includes living our lives patterned after the example provided by the life of Jesus Christ. We need to be going about doing good. We should seek opportunities to share in the burden of those around us. We should do this with money when we have it. But it is more important that we do as Jesus did and give of our love and time. Visit the sick, the weary, and the elderly. Take time out of your busy life to care for your family, friends, and neighbors. Pray to Heavenly Father for guidance on what He needs you to do to help your fellow men.
Article used for this post:
Elder M. Russell Ballard, “The Atonement”, The Ensign, Nov. 1996,
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