Atonement and Forgiveness

I have been pondering on the atonement lately. I have felt the power of the atonement as I have been forgiven, as I have been strengthened to make changes in my life, and as I have learned to feel more real love for, and interest in, others. What has stumped me, though, is how it works. There are several analogies to the atonement: buying a bicycle, paying for a broken window, taking a whipping for classmate, a child on a railroad bridge, and etc. All seem to revolve around a view of the atonement that is based in “paying a price” or some form of vicarious suffering for another’s sins.

There is no mention in scripture of “pay a price” for sin. The words simply are not there. That does not mean they are wrong, just not scriptural. And, I cannot imagine a God the Father who requires a “price” for each sin. So, if not God, then who demands the price? Who is the price paid to? How did Jesus know the correct number of pain units to suffer, or what amount of price to pay, in Gethsemane? What if He underpaid or overpaid? And, ultimately, if the price of my sin was paid by Jesus’ suffering and death, why would I consent to his death to pay for my sins?

To see and know Jesus is to see and know the Father. And, Jesus is the epitome of mercy. So, the Father must equally embody mercy. I have been praying, studying and pondering to see if there is a different view of the atonement that still satisfies justice, allows for mercy, is based in Jesus’ atonement, and makes more sense to me. So, let me share some things I have come across and see what you think. The atonement is difficult to fully understand, but maybe these ideas will add some insight.

Accusers

Let’s go back to the beginning and see what happened before we entered mortality. In the JST of Revelation 12 we find:

  6 And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought against Michael;
  7 And the dragon prevailed not against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman which was the church of God, who had been delivered of her pains, and brought forth the kingdom of our God and his Christ.

In this war, the dragon (Satan, the devil) and his angels tried, but did not prevail against, Michael, or the church of God, or the kingdom of our God and his Christ.

  8 Neither was there place found in heaven for the great dragon, who was cast out; that old serpent called the devil, and also called Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into earth; and his angels were cast out with him.
  9 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ;

Notice that once Satan and his angels are cast out, the voice says “Now …” In other words, with Satan and his angels gone, the conditions are achieved so that something important is come. What has happened? Salvation is come. Strength, the kingdom of God, and the power of Christ are all come once Satan and his angels are cast out.

  10 For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

The first word of verse ten is “For …” In other words, now we will be given the reason that salvation, strength, the kingdom of God and the power of Christ are come when Satan and his angels are cast out. The reason is that the accuser of our brethren is cast down. Those who accused our brethren (maybe even accused us) before God, day and night, is cast out of heaven.

  11 For they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death. Therefore, rejoice O heavens, and ye that dwell in them.

Again, this sentence starts with “For …” and is explaining how casting the accuser out of heaven accomplished these things. Satan and his angels, and their accusations, were overcome by the blood of the Lamb. And, in addition, by the word of their testimony which they kept even unto death. I wonder if this is a very brief statement that Jesus’ willingness to be killed rather than give testimony as an accuser is what overcame Satan? We are like Jesus when we, too, are willing to offer our own lives and keep our testimony against others to ourselves, even unto death, rather than become accusers. If so, then we can rejoice and we belong in heaven.

Justice is served because there is no accusation. With no accusation of a victim, or from God, there is no punishment for sin. Mercy is offered so that we can make mistakes and learn by our own experience to prefer the things of God to the things of this world. We learn to prize the good over the bitter (See Moses 6:55). It seems that the key to entering the kingdom of God is forgiveness. Not just receiving forgiveness, but forgiving others. Then, there are no accusers, and salvation, strength, the kingdom of God and the power of Christ are come.

Adam, Eve, and the Fall

Next, consider the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan comes and begins to work on Adam and Eve. He convinces them to see the forbidden fruit as desirable and they partake. Recall from Moses 4:

  14 And they heard the voice of the Lord God, as they were walking in the garden, in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife went to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
  15 And I, the Lord God, called unto Adam, and said unto him: Where goest thou?
  16 And he said: I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I beheld that I was naked, and I hid myself.
  17 And I, the Lord God, said unto Adam: Who told thee thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat, if so thou shouldst surely die?
  18 And the man said: The woman thou gavest me, and commandest that she should remain with me, she gave me of the fruit of the tree and I did eat.
  19 And I, the Lord God, said unto the woman: What is this thing which thou hast done? And the woman said: The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
  20 And I, the Lord God, said unto the serpent: Because thou hast done this thou shalt be cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life;

God does not come into the garden saying to Adam and Eve, "Now look what you have done!" Rather, He asks, in essence, "Where are you?" and "What have you done?" Adam's response is to accuse Eve and Eve's response is to accuse the serpent. Once again, the accuser (Satan) has infiltrated God's creation. Accusation entered the garden. Adam and Eve felt naked and exposed before God so they tried to cover themselves by accusing others for their choice. But, they had exercised agency and would learn by their own experience.

One other observation seems important to me. God does not correct them in their views. Rather, he asks questions and then allows consequence to be the instructor. Adam and Eve (and Satan) are each told the consequence of their choice and, importantly, each of them have fallen from the presence of God. Thus, being an accuser is a prelude to falling from God’s presence.

In mortality, Jesus set the example of not accusing and set a pattern for repentance and learning from sin and experience. A woman was brought to Jesus by men who testified that she was taken in the act of adultery. They wanted to know how Jesus would deal with her. They played the role of accusers under the law of Moses. Jesus simply taught them the injustice of accusing others when we, ourselves, have much for which we would like to be forgiven. After the men left, Jesus said, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?” She said, “No man, Lord.” And Jesus said unto her, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (John 8:10-11).” So, while justice under the law would require a punishment for sin, Jesus taught that we are all condemned if justice is applied. Instead, Jesus did not condemn and sent her on her way with the injunction to “sin no more.” Thus, while there may be consequences to her sin, condemnation by Jesus is not one of them. And, she has the chance to learn and change as a result of this experience.

Becoming Perfect

In John 17:23 Jesus refers to being made perfect. Earlier in His ministry he taught about what it means to be perfect in the way that the Father is perfect. Often we focus on Matt. 5:48 in isolation. But, in the text of the chapter, verses 43-48 are a single textual unit. The paragraph mark (¶) at the start of verse 43 indicates the beginning of a block of text and that block continues through verse 48. So, consider 43-48 as an entire statement of an idea.

  43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
  44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Jesus is inviting us to love not only those who are easy to love, but also those who would mistreat us. We are not just to absorb their abuse, but actually do good for and pray for them.

  45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Why should we love our enemies in this way? “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven.” The next phrase begins with “for…” and tells us how this makes us like our Father. He gives His sunlight and rain on both the good and the evil, the just and the unjust. What He offers as blessing, he provides to all people regardless of their merit.

  46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
  47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
  48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

So, being perfect, even as our Father, involves loving those who mistreat us and giving what we have to offer regardless of merit. We must be willing to forgive not just those who we love, but even those who mistreat us in any way. We see this in a similar passage in Luke 6:

  35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
  36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
  37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
  38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

To me, this seems like it could be summed up by saying that we should forgive all offenses because we will be subject to the justice we demand to have applied to others. Thus, if we forgive, we will be forgiven. Jesus was the ultimate example of this. He was rejected by many of His covenant people. He was accused, tried, and crucified by the very priests who were supposed to prepare Israel for their Messiah. Yet, in all this, Jesus did not judge or accuse. He said, in John 12:

  47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
  48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

And, in a related statement, Jesus said in John 5:

  45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
  46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

Jesus did not come into mortality to judge or accuse. But, He did come to teach truth. He suffered every illness, offense, wrong, or pain. And, He did it so that we could learn from the experience. Despite what He suffered, He does not accuse. Rather, He forgives! And, even during the suffering of the cross, Jesus lived this example when He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).” Moses also did not directly accuse. Rather, the truths he taught will condemn those who do not accept them. Ultimately, it is how we respond to the truths revealed by God that will judge us. And, central to those truths are that we love God, and love our neighbor by forgiving rather than accusing.

Unity

One of the core purposes for Jesus to come into our fallen mortal world is to reunite us with God. This is atonement. He invites us to become one with Him in order to become one with the Father. Thus, the fall that we have experienced can be overcome. In John 15 Jesus describes Himself as a vine in a parable of our relationship to Him and to the Father. He says:

  1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
  2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
  3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
  4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
  5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

We are invited into a relationship with Jesus that is analogous to being a branch on a vine. The vine has roots and provides life and nourishment to the branches. Likewise, we are invited into a unity with the Savior where He provides the life and the nourishment to us. This is likely a parable of what is taught in D&C 88:13 about Christ being, “the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.” The light of Christ seems to be the means of us being a branch in Christ’s vine. It is how we receive life and nourishment from God. In Lecture 5 of Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith teaches us that it is through this Holy Spirit that the Father and the Son are one. And, it is by that same Holy Spirit that we are invited to become one with Jesus and the Father.

More than just being part of the vine, the branches are to bring forth fruit. Thus, there is work for us to do as a branch in Jesus’ vine. The intercessory prayer in John 17 continues the theme of unity with God and with one another.

  18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

Jesus sends us into the world in a manner like unto how He was sent into the world by the father. His work is our work.

  19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Jesus’s sanctification is for us. It is through His sanctifying himself that we become sanctified by the truth (God’s word, knowledge of things as they are, were, and are to come.)

  20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Just as Christ delivered God’s word to us, we are to deliver God’s word to others so that they may believe. That is our work.

  21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
  22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
  23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

The outcome of Jesus’ work is that we become one with Him as He is one with the Father. And, we are sent out to invite others to join Christ, as well. Our goal is to become one by becoming one with Christ. If Jesus is the vine and the life of the vine is the light of Christ, then we become one with Christ through the light of Christ. And, if I am a branch of the vine and you are a branch of the vine, then we can be one, as well. I love you as myself because when we are both branches of Christ’s vine, we are one.

My belief is that Zion, and heaven, will be populated with people who are pure in heart and doing their best. They will not be so homogenous and boring as to never say or do something that could be taken wrong. It is simply impossible to never give offense unless nobody is willing to be offended. It seems to me that Zion will be Zion because it will be filled with people who cannot be offended and who forgive and do not demand justice. They will be one with Christ and with the Father. They will be one because of the principles of love, never accusing, forgiving all sin, becoming one, and blessing one another generously with what we have to offer.

There is not a price to pay for sin unless somebody is demanding a price. And, that person who demands justice for others is excluded from Zion or heaven by the very act of accusing somebody else and demanding a price.

Thoughts on Grace

I have been reading the New Testament this year and have become very interested in the message that is in Paul’s letter to the Romans. I have read it many times in the King James Version (KJV) and find it challenging to understand. But, there are other translations that are much more approachable. For example, the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) or the New International Version (NIV) are true to the word choices of the original Greek text. The New Living Translation (NLT) is based upon accurate rendering of phrases, rather than word-by-word translation. Reading these has been very helpful to understand the KJV. Finally, there is a version called, “Grace Is Not God's Backup Plan: An Urgent Paraphrase of Paul's Letter to the Romans” by an LDS scholar named Adam Miller, that is a paraphrase of the sequence of ideas in Romans. With these and other related scriptures as a guide, I have been thinking about the core ideas in Romans, i.e., the law, sin, grace and spirit.

Our mortal story begins in a pre-mortal setting where God presented a plan and two people volunteered to implement the plan. One offered to return everyone to God, at the cost of our agency, and was rejected. The other, Jesus Christ, offered to sacrifice Himself in order for us to be able to have a mortal experience with its attendant risks. He would redeem all who would accept redemption. Thus, first came God, then Christ, then creation and mortality (See Abraham 3:25-28, Moses 4:1-2, and 2 Nephi 2:4).

God has given us commandments and instructed us sufficient to know good from evil (2 Nephi 2:5). The commandments can be thought of as rules of thumb for how a good person should live. It is human nature, though, to break commandments. Sometimes we break commandments due to a lack of understanding because, while we know good from evil, we may not understand all of the commandments. Other times, we ignore them out of desires for physical experiences or for other reasons. In any case, no matter how good the law or commandments from God might be, we break them and experience sin (2 Nephi 2:5, Romans 3:20,23).

I think that in the pre-mortal world we understood that sin would, inevitably, be part of our mortal experience. The reason we were willing to enter into mortality was because of the chance to obtain a body and to learn by our own experience, knowing that Jesus Christ would bring us back home to God. Sin is inevitable. The real challenge for us is not sin but, rather, to learn from sin. When we sin we “taste the bitter” in order to learn to prize the good (see Moses 6:55).

Paul anticipated a likely reaction to these ideas. He realized that some people would think that they can sin as much as they want, as long as they eventually repent. Paul says, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid (Romans 6:1-2).” If we choose to continue in sin, because we like the bitter taste, then we choose to serve the adversary. If, on the other hand, we choose to turn to Jesus Christ then He will change our nature so that sin has no power over us. Thus, the law or commandment gives occasion for sin and sin may cause us to turn to Christ. We become the servant of who we choose to obey (see Romans 6:16-18). Thus, sin does not define us. Rather, our reaction to sin and who we choose to obey is what really matters.

Baptism symbolizes our burial with Christ into death followed by being raised up by God into new life. We can live now in likeness to Christ’s resurrection in new life, free from sin (see Romans 6:4-7). In another translation of Romans 6:7 it says, “For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.” Thus, through the death of the person of sin as symbolized in baptism a new person that is alive in Christ can rise and be free from the power of sin.

To live after the desires of the flesh is to embrace the bitterness of sin. To choose to live by the Spirit is to choose to follow Christ into this new life (Romans 8:5-6). Ultimately, it is this Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and that will quicken our bodies in the resurrection (Romans 8:11). And, it can be our guide in life right now. We can begin now to live a life that is quickened by the Spirit as if we are already risen in Christ. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (and daughters) of God (Romans 8:14).”

Jesus Christ has overcome mortal death by the resurrection and has overcome spiritual death by the power of the atonement. We are thus free to choose whether to live in the death of sin or in the life of the Spirit. We cannot do it on our own. No matter how hard we try, on our own we are subject to sin and death. It is by the grace of God that we are freed from sin and death and can live a life that is alive in Christ not only now, but in the eternities (2 Nephi 10:23-25 and “The Gift of Grace” by Deiter Uchtodorf, April 2015).

The sacrament is a wonderful blessing that allows us to declare our willingness to obey the commandments every week. Notice in the prayer on the bread that we say that we are willing to take upon us the name of the son, that we are willing to obey his commandments, and that we are willing to always remember Him. The promised blessing is His Spirit to be with us. Each week, despite our willingness to obey, we find ourselves breaking commandments. But, this is not condemning us. Rather, it is giving us the opportunity, through grace, to feel His Spirit as we repent and renew our willingness. In the prayer on the water we say that we do remember Him. We remember Him when we learn from breaking the commandments and turn to Him to be alive in His Spirit. Thus, when we remember Him, we do have His Spirit to be with us (D&C 20:77,79). By this process, Jesus Christ teaches us and makes us more like Him. And, as we become alive in His Spirit, we are less prone to sin until we are completely set free from the power of sin.

The most important thing I have learned through studying these topics is that the grace of God came first. God loved us and invited us to participate in a plan that allows us to become more like God. Jesus Christ was an integral part of the plan from the very beginning. He was sent by God to create the earth, give commandments, be born into mortality, overcome temporal and spiritual death and to raise us up to return to God and to be able to stay with God.  The atonement was not an afterthought to heal a plan that failed when Adam and Eve fell. Rather, grace was first, last, and always the plan. Jesus Christ really is the first and the last, the beginning and the end of the plan. Thus, sin is already forgiven and overcome. We just need to accept it and live a new life in the Spirit of Christ right now. In this there is peace and joy.

The Truth of the Book of Mormon

Often, in response to questions about the truth of the Book of Mormon, people will quote from Moroni 10:4, "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask ... , he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." Now, this simplification of what Moroni said leaves out a lot of what Moroni actually said. But, setting that aside, assume I follow this admonition and receive a witness that the Book of Mormon is true. Now what do I do? Am I done with the Book of Mormon? Is it enough to be able to say, "I know that it is true!"? Is the Book of Mormon now just a prop for me to use in inviting others to know for themselves the truth of the words it contains?

Of course it seems silly to just carry the book around, proclaiming that it is true, without doing something with it. If it is, in fact, the word of God, then it should become one of our most prized books. It should be where we turn to hear the voice of God. Its words should inform who we are, how we treat people, how we approach God, etc. We should read it regularly, looking for guidance and allowing it to help us repent and know God.

In Doctrine and Covenants, section 84, the Lord says:

  45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
  46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
  47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.

So, if we know the truth of the Book of Mormon then we know that it contains the word of the Lord, light, and the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And, it is up to us whether that light is enlightening, or not. Notice in verse 46 it says that only those who hearken to the light (the truth, or word of the Lord) are enlightened by it. And, in verse 47, those who hearken come to God the Father.

Nephi teaches us what to do once we know that we have the truth, the word of the Lord, and are in the path. He says, in 2 Nephi 31:

  19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
  20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

We must press forward and live by the words of the Lord, as found in the Book of Mormon, because we have come to know the truth of these words. Knowing the truth is not enough on its own. We must live by the words that are true.

Just over two years after Joseph Smith organized a church, the Lord told the members that they were under condemnation. Notice that this is in Section 84 and follows right after the verses quoted above:

  54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
  55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
  56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
  57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—

How do we treat the Book of Mormon lightly? According to verse 57 we treat it lightly when we say that it is true, but fail to do according to the words of the Lord contained in the Book of Mormon. And, how do we know if we are doing the things taught in the Book of Mormon? We know because we are coming unto God, feasting on the words of Christ, and receiving the promise of eternal life (walking the path as described in an earlier post).

Here is a simple idea that can help with turning our reading of the Book of Mormon into an active process of becoming closer to God. The basis of this idea is Joseph Smith's statement in the introduction to the Book of Mormon, “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (A precept is defined as a principle or general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought.)

As a means of hearkening to the word, try to identify, and act upon, precepts as often as possible. To get started, as you read the Book of Mormon this week, pray for help to identify a precept that you can experiment upon to see if it will help you get nearer to God. Next, you might try to find other places in the scriptures where that same precept is taught. Making connections with other scriptures that teach the same ideas will refine your understanding. Then, identify specific things you can do to live that precept as an experiment upon the word. Keep track of the experience you have as you live (hearken to) the precept over a period of time. See if, in fact, through the power of the Holy Ghost you feel closer to God. Then, repeat ;-). (Here is more on this idea, if you are interested.)

I have tried this repeatedly and can tell you from my own experience of the truth of the words of the Book of Mormon. I know this because it has brought me closer to God than has any other book.

Jesus Christ and Love

I would like to share a few thoughts about the purpose of mortality and the role of Jesus Christ in our journey through mortality. Of course, this will not be a comprehensive coverage, just a few basic ideas strung together in a way that I hope may be helpful.

Our Purpose

Our existence predates mortality when we lived as spirit beings in the presence of God. We came from God’s presence and we belong in God’s presence. I cannot believe that we would have accepted the experience of mortality without a good understanding that in passing through the veil of forgetfulness, there would be a way back.

We understand that, through the fall of mankind, there is a need for a Savior. Paul expressed it in this simple phrase in 1 Corinthians 15:

  22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

It seems easier to understand how all participate in death through Adam then to understand the part about being made alive in Christ. Adam and Eve fell and became subject to death. Thus, all of their children, us, became subject to death. Somehow, through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection we all will rise from death. We do not understand the mechanism now, but the day will come when we will see that it is true. We will see that because of Jesus’ resurrection, we will all resurrect. 

There is a purpose to our journey in mortality. We find in Moses 6:

  55 And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying: Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.

We came into mortality understanding that we would taste the bitterness of sin, pain, disappointment, and failure. We did not come here to sin. Rather, we came into mortality knowing that sin and heartache would be part of our experience. I think we were much like a missionary who has been called but not yet departed. The missionary knows in some intellectual sense that the mission will be hard. But, it is only in the experience that the learning takes place. We have chosen to experience the bitter in mortality as part of our learning to prize the good. We knew that, in some ways, parents, friends, church members or leaders, and others would fail us. We knew that we would fall prey to the lies of the adversary and fall into sin. And, we knew that a Savior would be provided so that we could recover from these experiences and learn from them.

Lehi taught these ideas to his family when he said in 2 Nephi 2:

  25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

From the Fall Comes Joy

The most remarkable thing about the fall is that, despite sin and sorrow, it is actually the source of joy in life. Adam and Eve explained this in Moses 5:

  10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.

  11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.

How do we have joy in this life? The answer is repentance. There are many possible definitions of repentance that have been discussed over the years. But, the scriptures give a definition that is very encouraging.  

When giving the brass plates, and other records, to his son, Alma described the value of scriptures. He says to Helaman in Alma 37:

 9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.

Notice the effect of the records, they convince people of the incorrect traditions of their fathers. Or, as Alma expressed in verse 8, the scriptures (which contain the words of Christ) convince us of the error of our ways. Alma says that when we see the error of our ways, or the incorrect traditions of our fathers, we are brought to repentance. Notice that verse nine says “repentance; that is ...” so that what comes next is a definition of repentance. And, the definition of repentance is to gain knowledge of the Lord our God and to rejoice in Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Thus, repentance is coming to a knowledge of God which causes us to rejoice in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer. 

When we learn that something in our life is in error, or an incorrect tradition, we change. In that moment of recognition we have repented. The repentance is both a cause and a consequence of learning more about God. And, Jesus Christ is the source of redemption and strength to make the change we see is necessary. That brings joy.

I had a sacred experience in the temple that taught be something about the bitterness of sin and the joy of repentance. As the endowment session began, I found my mind filled with all of the weakness, sin, mistakes and failures of my life. It was discouraging and caused me to feel lost and hopeless. I could not quite understand why these things were flooding in to my mind. As I felt ready to give up any hope of being clean and worthy to return to God a thought occurred to me. I felt that I should be patient and watch what was being presented. I looked up and realized that we were to the point in the creation story where Adam and Eve had fallen and were being cast out of God’s presence. I realized that they were the prototype of what I was feeling. And, as the rest of the endowment was presented I realized that I was being taught the path back to God’s presence. I realized that it was in, and through, Jesus Christ that my sins could be forgiven and that I could return to God. By the end of the endowment session I was filled with hope and with the love of God. I knew my sins were forgiven.

In this experience I came to know for myself the truth of what is taught in Ether 12:

  27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Learn Through the Spirit of Jesus Christ

So, how do we learn about Jesus Christ and find our way back to God? It starts with the Spirit of Christ that is given to every person ever born into mortality. We read in D&C 84:

  45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

  46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.

  47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.

Notice that the Spirit of Jesus Christ is truth, light and the word of the Lord to us. It gives light to everyone but only enlightens those who hearken to the Spirit of Christ. As taught in Moroni 7, the Spirit, or Light, of Christ is the means of knowing good from evil. Everything that brings feelings of peace, joy, belief in Christ and love is from Jesus Christ and is of God. When we feel fear, loneliness, contention and a lack of belief, it is from the adversary. This sounds so simple, and yet it is the way the Lord has given us to find the truth and the messengers that God has promised to us so that we can find our way back to Him. The Spirit is all around us. All you have to do is listen. 

Learn Through Messengers

The Spirit of Christ will help us to identify the true servants of the Lord who are sent to teach and guide us. True messengers teach us how to approach the Lord ourselves. They do not stand between us and God. Rather, they teach us how to approach God and receive our own revelation. Notice these key verses from the oath and covenant of the priesthood in D&C 84:

  36 For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;

  37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;

  38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.

The Spirit of Jesus Christ helps us to recognize the Lord’s servants and to follow their teachings. Through that we come to Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Ghost.

Sacrifice Leads to the Holy Ghost

When we come to an awareness of our fallen state we experience a broken heart. Our heart is broken by the recognition that our sins and weakness would forever keep us separated from God. We realize that we cannot merit salvation based on our own effort. No matter how hard we try to obey commandments, we come up short. With that broken heart our spirit become contrite and we come to Jesus Christ through baptism. The consequence of the decision to repent and be baptized is receiving the Holy Ghost. A great example of the Holy Ghost in action is in 3 Ne 9:

  20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

It gives me hope to know that these Lamanites had a remarkable experience and yet did not realize that they had been baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost. We, too, can be baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost and not realize it. We must actively seek to know about the work of the Holy Ghost in our lives. 

Agency is Always Honored

God will not force knowledge upon us. He gave us our agency and He honors that agency. He waits for us to desire learning and revelation enough to ask and seek for it. As we read in Matt 7 (JST):

  7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

  17 What man among you, having a son, and he shall be standing out, and shall say, Father, open thy house that I may come in and sup with thee, will not say, Come in, my son; for mine is thine, and thine is mine?

The Lord commands us to ask, seek and knock. In order to help us understand, he gives us a comparison to a mortal father who would respond to his son’s plea for help. How much more, then, can we trust our Eternal Father to respond when we ask?

Examples of Asking

The scriptures give several examples of the type of questions we might bring to God. For example,

Lamoni’s father asked “... if there is a God ... wilt thou make thyself known to me?”

Alma cried out “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me ...”

Benjamin’s people prayed “O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins and our hearts may be purified.”

And, in further instruction to us, we are told in D&C 18:18 to “Ask the Father in my name, in faith believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of men.”

Thus, we can pray to know that God is there. We can pray for the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. We can pray to know that our sins are forgiven. And, we can pray to receive the Holy Ghost and to know all things that the Lord would have us know.

Maybe one of the greatest things we can pray for is love. In Moroni 7: 48 we are told, “Wherefore, ... pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ ... “ As we come to know Christ we will, inevitably, be filled with His love. 

A few years ago I came to the realization that I knew about Jesus Christ, but that I did not know Him. I could tell the Sunday School stories and describe His mission. But, I did not feel the love and appreciation that I knew I should. So, I began to pray to know Jesus Christ in a personal way. I searched the scriptures for stories that would help me to know Jesus Christ. And, the Holy Ghost began to testify to me of Christ through the stories and teachings in the scriptures.

One day I approached the temple with a prayer to better know Christ. There is a promise in D&C 110 that He will manifest Himself in mercy to His people in the temple. And, in a great tender mercy, I received a very clear and sure witness, through the Holy Ghost, during the presentation of one of the symbols that is surely linked to Jesus Christ, of His reality and His love for me. I was overwhelmed by the power of the spiritual witness in that experience in the temple.

The next day I went up into Rock Canyon to pray and ponder on what I had felt. And, while praying about the experience in the temple I was surrounded by a warmth and love that is more powerful than I had ever felt. I now know the reality of Jesus Christ, His power to forgive sin, His love for me, and His ability to teach me to love.

Love

The influence of Jesus Christ is love. As John said in 1 John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.” And, because of His love for us, we learn how to love one another. Paul taught us about how to treat each other in Eph 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” The surest evidence of the power of Jesus Christ is in the love that we can share with each other. After all, we are, by nature, not always the most loving people. When we are patient, forgiving, and loving with each other, we are experiencing the pure influence of Jesus Christ. 

I really like this summary in 1 John 3:18-24, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. ... Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

In mortality we learn that we are loved by God, even though we have not earned it. We should love others, even though they have not earned it. 

Obedience

Obedience to God's word is a fundamental expectation for followers of Jesus Christ. Baptism is an ordinance whereby we declare our intention to obey the commandments of God. When we partake of the sacrament we renew our commitment to obey His commandments. We also understand that we covenanted to be obedient to the law of God while in the pre-mortal world.

While this short blog post will not even come close to covering all that could be said about obedience, I recently found something that helps me to understand what the law is that I have covenanted to obey and to see how that fits in to my journey back to God's presence.

Consider the following verses in D&C 88:

  11 And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;
  12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—
  13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things [emphasis added].

Notice that the light of Christ is described as the law of God. Thus, one of the most basic interpretations of my covenant to obey God is that I will follow the light of Christ. Consider this idea in connection with these verses from D&C 84:

  44 For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.
  45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
  46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
  47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.
  48 And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world.

We are told to live by (obey) every word that proceeds forth from God. And, that those words are the same as the light or Spirit of Jesus Christ. In essence, we are to obey the word of God, which is the light of Christ and which is the law of God. And, when we hearken to (obey) the light of Christ we are enlightened and come unto God the Father. The result of being brought to God the Father is that he teaches us of the covenant and confirms it upon us. This is echoed in D&C 88: 78 where the Lord explains that we are to "be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand [emphasis added];"

Every person ever born into this world is given the light or Spirit of Jesus Christ, which is the law of God. Every person who obeys the Spirit of Jesus Christ is enlightened and brought to the Father to be taught about the covenant, or law of the Gospel. What a blessing to have this assurance that every one of us is born with the gift of the first steps on the path back to God's presence so readily available.