The Atonement

I'd like to discuss my favorite doctrine of the Gospel. It is the core of Christianity and without it not one if us would believe the things that we do. I'm taking most of my text from a prolific talk from W. Cleon Skousen. It is one of the most profound talks that I have ever studied and it caused me to passionately seek and study other material about the expansive, infinite doctrine of the Atonement of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The first "ah-ha!" moment in this talk came to me when I read;

"I want everyone to understand that in this life we only have a very limited amount of Priesthood authority with which to function."

I had never considered this. I suppose that, like many, when I was granted the higher Priesthood I assumed that I was full, that I was now finally able to exhaust the capacities of the Priesthood, contingent upon my faith and worthiness. Never had I even considered that;

"There are many ordinances that must as yet be given in the next world, and one of them will be the ordinance of resurrection."

This was nothing less than a detonation of one of the most premiere revelations of my mortal life. Being a skeptic, I at once dismissed it. Then, as I often do, I came back to it over and over and over again. Then, as I opened my heart and mind, I appealed to what I can only explain as spiritual logic. I then realized that not only does it make complete sense, but it also made me cry (a lot of things make me cry). The practice of this doctrine is nothing I deserve. But, the Saviour knows that and he has given me the opportunity anyway. Doctrine such as this softens my heart and warms me as it gratefully compels me to face my Saviour with nothing less than complete humility.

In his talk, Elder Skousen makes the comment that "God the Father cannot save us". Reading on, he explains as though Heavenly Father's position is that, "Once I put you down into the second estate, I lost all capacity to bring you back. If I brought you back myself, it would be arbitrary, capricious, and unjust and violate the rules by which the whole kingdom was established. I lost complete control over the possibility of bringing you back myself."

"God the Father cannot save us.

He has to operate according to law.

Alma 34:11 says no person can suffer for the sins of another person. That's the law."

I suppose I didn't actually, forcefully realize until digging in to this doctrine that the Atonement entirely rests on mercy, not justice.

Elder Skousen goes on;

All right, now how does this atonement work?...To overcome the demands of justice on all mankind, you must have a person who is infinitely loved (as it says in Alma 34). You know that infinitely means universally. So we take a spirit who is so superior that he is the first counselor in the First Presidency of Heaven. He is so honored that when the Father wants something done He speaks to this person, and then he in turn speaks to [the "intelligences" that make up everything that is not human and is not God or Jesus Christ]. He is identified as the Word, the one through whom the word passes. He is loved and respected by all, just like the Father is. So we use him. He is infinitely loved, and we have him come down to the second estate and live a perfect life without offense so that he can return to the Father. While laboring among the human family, we have him suffer so terribly that the little intelligences of the entire universe are affected. They abhorred the suffering that he went through. They loved him, as it says in the Book of Mormon, and the very elements [or, intelligences] cried out against this torture of someone they loved.

Elder Skousen makes the point that if Heavenly Father were to lose the obedience of the intelligences, that he "would cease to be God" because He would have to break eternal laws, thus losing their confidence in His perfection.

Here's some more of what Elder Skousen says;

"Alma 34:15, "And this he shall bring salvation to all those who believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy?" Whose mercy? Our Father already has mercy for us. This is His plan. We don't have to create that in Him. We have to create that in those who are demanding justice. "Father, they have sinned and come short of the glory of God." That is where you must arouse the bowels of mercy which overpowereth justice. And thus, mercy can satisfy the demands of justice and encircle them in the arms of mercy, while he who does not exercise faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of justice. Therefore, only unto him who has exercised this faith is brought about the great and eternal plan of salvation.

These are basic doctrines of the Gospel as it says in Jacob, Chapter 2. I don't know what this knowledge does for you, but it has made me love my Heavenly Father like I never loved Him before. He loves me as much as He loves the Son. He had to go through all that to give me the chance to live with Him again. And I have learned to love my Savior like I have never loved Him before. Now I know what these two wonderful people did for me and you, for my children, and for all the people in the world?for the planet we live on, and for the beautiful things He has blessed us with. They would all be lost if those two beautiful people hadn't done what they did. I love them for that." [emphasis added]

It is absolutely, and all at once, consuming, awe-inspiring, fascinating, and speechlessly humbling to have the gifts and blessings of the Gospel.

Please read the talk in its entirety here:
http://radio.weblogs.com/0114013/stories/2003/10/08/theMeaningOfTheAtonement.html


Best,


DJ