The "other" side of the Atonement

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

Ok, not the other side really, but aspects of it we don't talk about as much. Once I was inspired by a Relief Society lesson to ask the Lord, "What lack I yet?" I thought he would tell me to lose weight or be a better homemaker...at least those were what I thought were my great weaknesses. But the Spirit first taught me about pride (we are all too prideful...but that is another topic) and then when I went back to my knees and said ok this pride thing is going to be a lifetime pursuit, what next? I was told to study the Atonement. As a returned missionary, I thought I knew all about the Atonement (I was so naive, LOL!) I had a really great (life-changing experience) with that. I don't want to get into it now but I have talked about it on other LDS boards so if anyone is thinking, "I know who you are!" Yeah, I'm Leslie. Anyway...I still love the topic of the Atonement. I recently stumbled upon a new resource that is amazing. So I wanted to share that and a couple other things that have helped me understand the Atonement better.

The one I found recently is from BYU Speeches (why didn't someone tell me about these before? Awesome!)

Brad Wilcox - His Grace is Sufficient

Here's one of my favorite lines (yep it's a teaser to get you to read the whole article...or you can watch it on youtube, or listen to the podcast_

I have born-again Christian friends who say to me, “You Mormons are trying to earn your way to heaven.”

I say, “No, we are not earning heaven. We are learning heaven. We are preparing for it (see D&C 78:7). We are practicing for it.”

They ask me, “Have you been saved by grace?”

I answer, “Yes. Absolutely, totally, completely, thankfully—yes!”

Then I ask them a question that perhaps they have not fully considered: “Have you been changed by grace?” They are so excited about being saved that maybe they are not thinking enough about what comes next. They are so happy the debt is paid that they may not have considered why the debt existed in the first place. Latter-day Saints know not only what Jesus has saved us from but also what He has saved us for. As my friend Brett Sanders puts it, “A life impacted by grace eventually begins to look like Christ’s life.” As my friend Omar Canals puts it, “While many Christians view Christ’s suffering as only a huge favor He did for us, Latter-day Saints also recognize it as a huge investment He made in us.” As Moroni puts it, grace isn’t just about being saved. It is also about becoming like the Savior (see Moroni 7:48).

Personally, I think this is part of the Atonement that is not well understood by most LDS. Are we saved by grace? Yes. Absolutely, totally, completely, thankfully—yes!

Another favorite is this speech by Elder Bednar. An excerpt of it was printed in this year's April Ensign, here is the BYU Speeches link:

David A. Bednar - In the Strengh of the Lord

Here is a favorite quote (yep another teaser):

If I were to emphasize one overarching point this morning, it would be this: I suspect that you and I are much more familiar with the nature of the redeeming power of the Atonement than we are with the enabling power of the Atonement. It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to earth to die for us. That is fundamental and foundational to the doctrine of Christ. But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to live in us--not only to direct us but also to empower us. I think most of us know that when we do things wrong, when we need help to overcome the effects of sin in our lives, the Savior has paid the price and made it possible for us to be made clean through His redeeming power. Most of us clearly understand that the Atonement is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and understand that the Atonement is also for saints--for good men and women who are obedient and worthy and conscientious and who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully. I frankly do not think many of us "get it" concerning this enabling and strengthening aspect of the Atonement, and I wonder if we mistakenly believe we must make the journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline, and with our obviously limited capacities.

And finally, if you haven't read the books by James Farrell, The Peacegiver and the Hidden Christ: Beneath the Surface of the Old Testament...those are must reads! Probably anything by him is a must read. I just realized he has one or two tha I haven't read yet...I need to remedy that.

I would love to hear your thoughts about these talks (and books) or whatever you would like to share about the Atonement.

ETA (edited to add): I just tried the links and they didn't work for me. If you have trouble too, just go to speeches.byu.edu and put the names in the search engine. Sorry about that.

Edited September 25, 2012 by LiterateParakeet

[Guest]

That speech by Brad Wilcox is my favorite non-GA, non-scripture exploration of the Atonement. It totally changed the way I understand what our Savior did and does.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

Thanks Eowyn, I feel the same way! I love not only the concepts that he explains, but the analogies are perfect. I think this is going to be an FHE lesson at my home soon. Oh, in fact, I was thinking I would teach it, but no...I'll assign it to one of my teenagers. He or she will get much more out of it that way. Yes! Next week!

[Traveler]

Some notes from the Traveler:

1. I have read the Peace Giver – excellent book but the embedded story line between the fellow and his grandfather for me was very distracting from the message. The message could have been completed in a chapter. The concept presented is simple and straight forward and a book is not necessary – my wife on the other hand loved the story and thought the presentation was wonderful. I got more out of the story of Abigail in the Old Testament (referenced in the book) as a type and shadow of Christ.

2. In Genesis there is a symbolic tree called the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Knowledge of Good is centered on the Atonement. Thus we come to know and understand good in the experience of Grace because of the Atonement of Christ. Without this experience we cannot know good or for that matter the goodness of G-d even if we experience his presents as Adam and Eve did in the Garden.

3. The enabling of grace is sacrifice – thus through the sacrifice of G-d grace is enabled or given to man. But sacrifice can only exist through discipline which is both the lesson (awaking the power within) and the gift (example and power) from G-d. This means that through the grace (sacrifice and discipline) of G-d we learn good and by our free will or agency may choose good for eternity. Which is the choice of sacrifice and discipline of our self.

4. The last thought is a little distracting but is necessary in order to understand the opposite of grace – or the goodness of grace. That being evil and death. The power of evil is such that it can bring death both to individuals as well as goodness (grace) – that is why Jesus (being good) had to die in order to over come evil.

The Traveler

[BrendaM]

I absolutely adore Brad Wilcox! I had an opportunity to meet him at Time Out for Women 2 years ago. He took time to chat with me about my daughter (who is less active). I could feel the spirit in his counsel to me concerning her.

I then met him a few months later at Education Week, and my goodness he remembered me! His love for the Lord is so inspiring and uplifting!

Going on-line now to read his talk.

[Seminarysnoozer]

Ok, not the other side really, but aspects of it we don't talk about as much. Once I was inspired by a Relief Society lesson to ask the Lord, "What lack I yet?" I thought he would tell me to lose weight or be a better homemaker...at least those were what I thought were my great weaknesses. But the Spirit first taught me about pride (we are all too prideful...but that is another topic) and then when I went back to my knees and said ok this pride thing is going to be a lifetime pursuit, what next? I was told to study the Atonement. As a returned missionary, I thought I knew all about the Atonement (I was so naive, LOL!) I had a really great (life-changing experience) with that. I don't want to get into it now but I have talked about it on other LDS boards so if anyone is thinking, "I know who you are!" Yeah, I'm Leslie. Anyway...I still love the topic of the Atonement. I recently stumbled upon a new resource that is amazing. So I wanted to share that and a couple other things that have helped me understand the Atonement better.

The one I found recently is from BYU Speeches (why didn't someone tell me about these before? Awesome!)

Brad Wilcox - His Grace is Sufficient

Here's one of my favorite lines (yep it's a teaser to get you to read the whole article...or you can watch it on youtube, or listen to the podcast_

Personally, I think this is part of the Atonement that is not well understood by most LDS. Are we saved by grace? Yes. Absolutely, totally, completely, thankfully—yes!

Another favorite is this speech by Elder Bednar. An excerpt of it was printed in this year's April Ensign, here is the BYU Speeches link:

David A. Bednar - In the Strengh of the Lord

Here is a favorite quote (yep another teaser):

And finally, if you haven't read the books by James Farrell, The Peacegiver and the Hidden Christ: Beneath the Surface of the Old Testament...those are must reads! Probably anything by him is a must read. I just realized he has one or two tha I haven't read yet...I need to remedy that.

I would love to hear your thoughts about these talks (and books) or whatever you would like to share about the Atonement.

ETA (edited to add): I just tried the links and they didn't work for me. If you have trouble too, just go to speeches.byu.edu and put the names in the search engine. Sorry about that.

Great quotes and talks! Thank you!

I think this lack of testimony about the power and purpose of the atonement makes people wonder how God could have ever been in our position. It allows for a rebirth as if sin never happened, white as snow. If one doesn't have a real testimony of the power of the atonement one puts over them a false ceiling, 'I can never be like God'.

I think the lack of testimony in the power of the atonement also makes people think that we may still have more left to overcome in the world to come as if Christ does not overcome it all for us. That they some day will be required to replicate what Christ did as if what he did for us is not valid until we do it for ourselves. To believe that is to lessen the value of the atonement, in my opinion.

The power of the atonement pushes us beyond where we were, it enables and strengthens. It doesn't leave us more behind, like taking on a second mortgage or something. It is what allows us to be one with Christ and thus one with God, having all that God has.