The Atonement: How Many Times

[FlaviusHambonius]

A few months ago as I was waking up from napping on my bed with the TV still on BYU Broadcasting station--I just caught the tail end of a talk given by Brad Wilcox and his daughter Wendee.

The last few words caught my attention and made my ears perk up even though I was still a little sluggish as I reached for pen and paper to write the date and name of the talk so I could look it up on byub.org web-site.

The last few words that got my attention was Brad saying "I hope you will remember the spirit that has touched us, comforted us, and testified to us--that we have a Saviour who covers us--a Redeemer who transforms us and a Good Shepard who is willing to go in search of us--again, again, and again--continuously.

A few months passed by and I still had not looked up the talk. Today the thought hit me and I looked it up and listened to it-- the talk was called 'Faith, an Anchor For The Soul'

From the minute I started to listen to this Father/Daughter talk I was immediately taken in and focused and felt the spirit wash over me at various times--overcome by the spirit may be a better way of saying it.

Some of the threads that I have read seem to state that once we repent with true remorse in our hearts--whether through just us to our Father or perhaps even a confession to our Bishops included--that that act alone is supposed to alleviate the problem (the sin)--- (yes I know that's the short version) the fact remains that many of us fall once again or many times with the same sin.

I know the hope and goal is to turn away from the sin and become a new person in Christ but for some it becomes a long and difficult journey to become a new person--whether it be drugs, alchoholism, pornography, tobacco, eating disorders, caffein and a myriad of other addictions.

My point is that when people fall off of the horse or take one step forward and two steps back--they start feeling like they have failed (they have)-- they start having the guilt overcome them again--instead of dusting yourself off and getting back on the horse and start moving in a positive direction--they become frozen in remorse and anguish and hopelesness.

A snippet of Wilcox from the video:

"Knowing that Christ makes the difference, doesn't mean much, unless we also realize how often he does it. The miracle of the Atonement is that he will forgive our sins--'Plural'-and that is not just 'Multiple Sins'--but also multiple times we commit the same sin."

Of course we don't condone sin-- Joseph Smith clearly taught that repentance is a thing that cannot be trifled with every day.

Still the same Jesus who forgives those who know not what they do-- will also forgive us who know exactly what we do--and just can't seem to stop.

Christ commanded us to forgive others 70x7--and we don't think he's going to forgive us, more than once?

The young RM (that Wilcox spoke of when he was a Bishop) said: "So what your saying is that there is still hope for me?"-- Brother Wilcox said: "Now your begining to understand grace."

Wilcox goes on:

In 1 Cor 15:9 we read that there is always hope in Christ.

Elder Maxwell called the gospel 'Inexaustable'--perhaps that's a good word for the Atonement as well.

The inexaustable Atonement--we hear many words associated with the Atonement--we hear it as infinite, eternal, everlasting, perfect, divine, incomprehensible, inexplicable--we even hear that it is personal, individual--However there is another word that must be closely associated with the Atonement if we are ever going to maintain hope in this world full of addictions--and that word is--'Continuous'--The Continuous Atonement'

Anyone interested in the 40 minute video here it is.

http://byubwmv.byu.edu/wconf/2007/WC2007Wilcox.wmv

[FlaviusHambonius]

After I wrote the opening post I went and ran a couple of errands. On the way home I was listening to KSL radio and I heard someone talking about a new book from Deseret Book--Grant Neilson was doing the talking about people who have the problem of commiting the same sins over and over and I said to myself--wow this sounds familiar from earlier today--and lo and behold, the new book he was talking about was called 'The Continuous Atonement' by Brad Wilcox.

The talk he gave on the video was from 5/3/07--I guess he decided to write a book on it--I guess I know what my next book is going to be.

No I did not have this pre-planned.

[jameslentz]

he has a book called The Continuous Atonement that I believe just came out this year. I am grateful to you for posting this link...I am edified and lifted having watched it and I feel so grateful for having been able to watch this tonight. I have been feeling especially weak this day and very alone in my life and ...

I want to say that I just had one of the most spiritual moments of my life. While writing the lines above I was overcome by the Spirit, testifying to my soul that I am not alone, that I am valued by HF and JC. I spent 15 minutes or so in prayer, sobbing to my Father in Heaven. I don't really know how to give it justice through explanation, so I leave this testimony that HF knows each of us, that we are worth it to Him, that JC is the Savior and Redeemer of God's children. I can testify that this church has the restored fulness of the gospel and that no matter our circumstance we are all under the protection and mercy of God.

May His peace always abide with you.

[lost87]

now I am almost excited to listen to this talk.....here goes...

[pam]

I will watch this as soon as I have my reading assignment for the 40 day challenge done for today.

[lost87]

I just wanted to say thank you thank you thank you for posting this! I listened to half the talk yesterday and the rest today and it was literally exactly what i needed, almost word for word, it restored hope that was fading away....thank you so much for sharing it here!

[Hemidakota]

A few months ago as I was waking up from napping on my bed with the TV still on BYU Broadcasting station--I just caught the tail end of a talk given by Brad Wilcox and his daughter Wendee.

The last few words caught my attention and made my ears perk up even though I was still a little sluggish as I reached for pen and paper to write the date and name of the talk so I could look it up on byub.org web-site.

The last few words that got my attention was Brad saying "I hope you will remember the spirit that has touched us, comforted us, and testified to us--that we have a Saviour who covers us--a Redeemer who transforms us and a Good Shepard who is willing to go in search of us--again, again, and again--continuously.

A few months passed by and I still had not looked up the talk. Today the thought hit me and I looked it up and listened to it-- the talk was called 'Faith, an Anchor For The Soul'

From the minute I started to listen to this Father/Daughter talk I was immediately taken in and focused and felt the spirit wash over me at various times--overcome by the spirit may be a better way of saying it.

Some of the threads that I have read seem to state that once we repent with true remorse in our hearts--whether through just us to our Father or perhaps even a confession to our Bishops included--that that act alone is supposed to alleviate the problem (the sin)--- (yes I know that's the short version) the fact remains that many of us fall once again or many times with the same sin.

I know the hope and goal is to turn away from the sin and become a new person in Christ but for some it becomes a long and difficult journey to become a new person--whether it be drugs, alchoholism, pornography, tobacco, eating disorders, caffein and a myriad of other addictions.

My point is that when people fall off of the horse or take one step forward and two steps back--they start feeling like they have failed (they have)-- they start having the guilt overcome them again--instead of dusting yourself off and getting back on the horse and start moving in a positive direction--they become frozen in remorse and anguish and hopelesness.

A snippet of Wilcox from the video:

"Knowing that Christ makes the difference, doesn't mean much, unless we also realize how often he does it. The miracle of the Atonement is that he will forgive our sins--'Plural'-and that is not just 'Multiple Sins'--but also multiple times we commit the same sin."

Of course we don't condone sin-- Joseph Smith clearly taught that repentance is a thing that cannot be trifled with every day.

Still the same Jesus who forgives those who know not what they do-- will also forgive us who know exactly what we do--and just can't seem to stop.

Christ commanded us to forgive others 70x7--and we don't think he's going to forgive us, more than once?

The young RM (that Wilcox spoke of when he was a Bishop) said: "So what your saying is that there is still hope for me?"-- Brother Wilcox said: "Now your begining to understand grace."

Wilcox goes on:

In 1 Cor 15:9 we read that there is always hope in Christ.

Elder Maxwell called the gospel 'Inexaustable'--perhaps that's a good word for the Atonement as well.

The inexaustable Atonement--we hear many words associated with the Atonement--we hear it as infinite, eternal, everlasting, perfect, divine, incomprehensible, inexplicable--we even hear that it is personal, individual--However there is another word that must be closely associated with the Atonement if we are ever going to maintain hope in this world full of addictions--and that word is--'Continuous'--The Continuous Atonement'

Anyone interested in the 40 minute video here it is.

http://byubwmv.byu.edu/wconf/2007/WC2007Wilcox.wmv

I am surprised that at least someone can see this plurality of forgiveness from the Savior.

Let me add something here that may interest to some here, "I KNOW YOUR WEAKNESSES...YOU WERE FORGIVEN AND NOW FORGIVEN....I WILL GIVE THEE AID...." these are a few words that was uttered to a person during a sacrament when the crowd stood up to sing. I cannot utter what was completely said, but you get the jest of what the Savior did for this person when seeking a forgiveness of sin over an issue that transpired years ago; no one really understand what happened when the event created such an emotion [point of many tears] that impacted this persons life. What did happen during this one-on-one communica, the Holy Ghost confirmed it. That is the key here...

Edited July 10, 2009 by Hemidakota

[sixpacktr]

And that is the beauty of the Gospel, isn't it? That we aren't saved en masse, but one by one. That the Savior takes a personal interest in us, knows our weaknesses, cheers for us to keep up the fight, comforts us when we approach him in humiliation for our weaknesses and forgives us anyway.

As I attend the temple I am impressed each time that everyone does everything for themself. We don't have a proxy go thru the veil, or any other ordinance. And like Nephi said, 'he (Jesus Christ) employeth no servant there'. We all are invited to a one-on-one experience and relationship with the Savior, to gain especially a strong vibrant testimony of the reality of the atonement and the power it can have in our lives.

We had an excellent talk given during HC Sunday a few weeks back about grace. In short, the speaker told us that we read Nephi's words of 'we are saved by grace, after all we can do' as sort of a 'get out of jail free card' when we are being judged. Instead, he pointed out that grace can give us strength and power here, now, if we wish it to. It can help us in our church callings, in serving others, in fulfilling our duties to family, work, etc. Grace is a power, much like faith, and not some nebulous thing to hope for later on.

I think that comes from knowing, as Hemi noted above, that when we are truly right before God, we are truly free from the shackles of this earth. A power attends us in ways that others cannot comprehend unless they have been there as well. I think that the power of Grace is what fortified Melchizedek's people, the City of Enoch, the Nephites after the Savior's appearance. They understood that life didn't have to be gloomy and hopeless, that thru grace they could know where they stood with God and could become perfect in him.

Wonderful topic, the atonement and repentance. It is the bedrock upon which the pillars of the Gospel are laid.

Edited July 10, 2009 by sixpacktr

[MobyMule]

Amen.

I think many need to remember it isn't about being perfect but us living by faith and just doing the best we honestly can and repenting with sincerity when we fall.

To many fall into a holier than thou mindset and are judgemental of those whose weaknesses are plain to see when we all have them even though some are not in plain sight.

[sixpacktr]

Very true Moby. There are things that canker the soul that are more harmful than tobacco or alcohol

The older I get and the more I am able to serve in various callings of responsibility, the more I am coming to understand the hand that the Lord plays in each of our lives. As has been stated so many times in conference, the Lord's eyes are constantly on his sheep, where ever they may be, and will work to bring them home again. We are all in his hands, and we get to play a small role in helping him reclaim and save his children.

Now, that doesn't mean I don't get frustrated with people's choices. Some people just want to excuse the action and not be more obedient, and then they wonder why life is so hard. I think that 'reproving betimes with sharpness' is necessary, but always, ALWAYS, afterwards showing an increase in love 'lest he esteem thee as his enemy'.

I know that, while the Lord is all merciful and forgiving, that sometimes he applies the 2 X 4 upside my head to get me to listen. But the love is always there, and it is simply my pride that must be subjugated to his will for me.

So we all must not judge others unrighteously. Only one in each ward is designated a judge in Israel.