April 30, 2002 (19 year anniversary of the passing of my brother Cris)
“I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you” (2 Ne. 8:12)
The LDS Bible Dictionary states that the word Atonement “describes the setting ‘at one’ of those who have been estranged, and denotes the reconciliation of man to God.” Our estrangement from God is two-fold: 1) physical bodies that experience pain, sorrow, sickness and death, and 2) sin or willful disobedience to God and His commandments. The Bible Dictionary continues, “The purpose of the atonement is to correct or overcome the consequences of sin” thus allowing us to be reconciled with God both spiritually and physically.
In Paul’s epistle to the Romans he stated, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (3:23). We are all sinners and in need of reconciliation to our Father in Heaven. Sin and death are part of the great plan of happiness that was prepared from the beginning. All of us here on earth and all those who have ever been on earth or who ever will be on earth agreed to come to this world, to receive physical bodies, and to be tempted, tried, and tested in the flesh. We willing entered this world of sin, sorrow, and pain to become human, subject to all manner of ailments and temptations. We are here for a reason and that reason is to fulfill the measure of creation, to find joy, and to overcome sin and death.
In order to find joy and overcome sin and death we need the help of our Savior Jesus Christ. He intercedes and sets us “at one” with God through his infinite and eternal sacrifice, the Atonement. Thus his Atonement also is two-fold: 1) his resurrection or the triumph over the physical body, and 2) his sacrifice where he paid the price for our sins.
Paul also explained to the Corinthians plainly the two-fold power of Christ’s Atonement; “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (15:22). Adam’s death was both physical and spiritual. Physical death is the actual death of the body while “spiritual death is hell” or sin, and both estrange us from God (2 Ne. 9:10-12).
We are made alive through Christ by first receiving forgiveness from our sins and becoming clean again through his suffering. Alma in the Book of Mormon stated, “The Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance” (7:13). And secondly we are made alive by resurrecting and overcoming our physical bodies. This triumph over the physical body and the pains and sicknesses associated with it is brought about by Christ and his resurrection; “Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself” (Alma 41:2).
Christ’s Atonement is all encompassing as explained by Jacob in the Book of Mormon; “And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam” (2 Ne. 9:21). He has suffered for all the sins and all the physical ailments of every man, woman and child. And this is done because he completed with perfection the Atonement, the most important event in our lives and our eternal lives.
