He did not just descend to your condition he descended below it, ‘that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth.’ ” 4 I bear testimony that as long as there is one spark of the will to repent and to reach, he is there. “I bear testimony that you cannot sink farther than the light and sweeping intelligence of Jesus Christ can reach. “If there are some of you who have been tricked into the conviction that you have gone too far, … that you have had the poison of sin which makes it impossible ever again to be what you could have been-then hear me. But it is an infinite Atonement because it encompasses and circumscribes every sin and weakness, as well as every abuse or pain caused by others. Unwittingly, they have converted an infinite Atonement to a finite one that somehow falls short of their particular sin or weakness. On occasion, I have met with good Saints who have had trouble forgiving themselves, who have innocently but incorrectly placed limits on the Savior’s redemptive powers. So deep and expansive is His cleansing power that Isaiah promised, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” 3 The Savior overcame sin and guilt for all those who repent. The Apostle Paul taught, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 2Ģ. He overcame death through His glorious Resurrection. This is possible, however, only because the Savior overcame the four obstacles that can prevent our spiritual progress.ġ. If we have faith in Jesus Christ and repent (meaning we do our part and pull the rip cord), then the protective powers of the Savior are unleashed on our behalf and we can land spiritually unharmed. We can be saved only because the Savior, through His Atonement, mercifully provides us with a spiritual parachute of sorts. We are subject to the law of justice, which, like the law of gravity, is exacting and unforgiving. No matter what we do on our own, only a crash-landing awaits us. When we sin, we are like the foolish man who jumped from the plane. We might ask, “Was the law of gravity violated, or did that parachute work within that law to provide a safe landing?” Relieved, he floats safely to the ground. His friend in the plane, sensing the moment of foolishness, had placed a parachute there just before the jump. Fortuitously, though, the man suddenly feels something on his back. The law of gravity knows no compassion it makes no exceptions. I will never do it again.” But his pleas fall on deaf ears. He tries to reason with this basic law of nature: “It was a mistake. He positions his body to float or glide to slow the descent, but the law of gravity is unrelenting and unmerciful. He moves his arms with astounding speed, hoping to fly, but to no avail. He wants to land safely, but there is an obstacle-the law of gravity. After doing so, he quickly realizes the foolishness of his actions. Suppose for a moment a man contemplating an exhilarating free fall makes a rash decision and spontaneously jumps from a small plane. Spiritual death caused by Adam and by our sinsīut how can the Savior accomplish this without violating the laws of justice? This was done by overcoming four obstacles: What then was its purpose? It was to make it possible for us to return to God’s presence, become more like Him, and have a fulness of joy. 1 This was the mission of Jesus Christ-this was His Atonement. It required a being who was sinless who had infinite power over the elements-even death who possessed a boundless capacity to suffer the consequences of all our sins and ailments and who, in fact, descended beneath it all. It was motivated by an incomprehensible love for each of us. What then is the Atonement of Jesus Christ? In one sense, it is a series of divine events that commenced in the Garden of Gethsemane, continued on the cross, and culminated with the Savior’s Resurrection from the tomb. It is what gives hope and purpose to our lives. It is indeed the most supernal, mind-expanding, passionate doctrine this world or universe has ever known. At this season of the year we particularly rejoice and reflect upon the Savior’s Atonement.
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