My Talk in Church on Easter Sunday

OK, I know that you are all SOOOO disappointed that you won't get to hear me talk at church this Sunday, and that you're so sorry that you can't come and sit with my kids while I talk (yeah, that should be fun), so I decided that, being the nice and kind person that I am, that I would post my talk on the internet so that you wouldn't miss out! It's taken from the most recent Ensign (the one all about Christ) from the talk of Jeffrey R Holland. Enjoy!!!

Elder Jeffrey R Holland, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

“The Atonement of the Only Begotten Son of God is the crucial foundation upon which all Christian doctrine rests and the greatest expression of divine love this world has ever been given.”

The Bishopric has asked me to talk about the Jeffrey R Holland’s Ensign article about the Atonement of Jesus Christ today. He starts by telling of an experience from Elder Orson F Whitney, who later went on to become a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When Elder Whitney was a young missionary, he had a dream.

In it, he dreamt that he was in the Garden of Gethsemane. He witnessed the Saviors agony and his interactions with Peter, James, and John. He explained how Jesus left Peter, James, and John, and went a little ways off to pray.

He says, “As He prayed, the tears streamed down His face, which was turned toward me. I was so moved at the sight that I wept also, out of pure sympathy with His great sorrow. My whole heart went out to Him. I loved Him with all my soul and longed to be with Him as I longed for nothing else.”

He goes on to explain that after Jesus was done praying, He arose and went to see his Apostles, who were sleeping. He awoke them, tenderly reproached them, and asked them again to watch and wait for him. He again went and prayed, and again came back to find them asleep. This happened three times.

Next, he says, the scene changed, and he saw the Savior and those same 3 apostles after the Crucifixion, as they were about to ascend into heaven. He described wanting to go with the Savior into heaven, and running to him, catching him in an embrace. The Savior told him that he could not go with him, because Elder Whitney still had work to do.

Elder Whitney said “Well, promise me that I will come to You at the last.” The Lord smiled and said “That will depend entirely upon yourself.” He awoke after that.

What a great dream that must have been to have, to see the Savior, to experience being in his presence. And also, how sad it must have been for Elder Whitney to see the Savior in so much pain and agony. I know, from being a mother, that it’s extremely hard to watch my children when they are hurting. I always want to take away the hurt, and make them feel better. I can’t even begin to comprehend what Elder Whitney must have experienced.

The Atonement is so very important. Elder Holland’s says “Every other principle, commandment, and virtue of the restored gospel draws its significance form this pivotal event”. How true that it! Without the Atonement, nothing else could work.

The literal meaning of the word Atonement is – at-one-ment, or bringing together the things which have been separated or estranged.

When Adam transgressed the law, two kinds of death were in effect. First, physical death, when the body is separated from the spirit at death. Second, spiritual death, when the spirit is separated from the presence of our Heavenly Father.

In the Council in Heaven, we knew that this would be the case, and we knew that something would have to be done to overcome it, or bring those things which were separated back together – the Atonement. Christ volunteered to be our Savior, and help us all come back to our Father in Heaven.

Elder Holland explains the following about the gifts of Christ Atonement :

“Some gifts coming from the Atonement are universal, infinite, and unconditional. These include His ransom for Adam’s original transgression so that no member of the human family is held responsible for that sin. Another universal gift is the Resurrection from the dead of every man, woman, and child who lives, has ever lived, or will ever live on earth.”

These are the “free”, on our part at least, gifts from the Savior. There is nothing that we need to do in order to enjoy them.

While we are given exclusion from Adams original sin, we are not “let off the hook” for our own sins. The effect of Christ’s Atonement cannot help us unless we repent, follow him, and pledge our lives to him.

Doctrine & Covenants 19:16-17 says : “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I.”

What a great gifts the Savior has given to us. We now have a way to return to live with out Father in Heaven. But, we must do our part. We must repent when we make mistakes, and try our best to follow him.

Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane for us, and he was the Only one who could do it. Christ suffered the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam. He experienced “temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great was his anguish.

Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane for all of us. For each of us. Each individual, and all of their pain. All of their hurt. All of our sufferings. He experienced it all. He knows what we feel like when we are hurting. He has already paid for all of that pain.

Elder Holland concludes the article by once more quoting from Elder Whitney, then adding his owns thoughts :

I was so moved at the gift that I wept…out of pure sympathy. My whole ehart went out to Him. I loved Him with all my soul and longed to be with Him as I longed for nothing else”. Having already offered the Atonement in our behalf, Christ has done His part to make that longing a reality. The rest will depend entirely upon ourselves.

I really enjoyed this article from the Ensign, and am glad that the Bishopric assigned me to talk about it. I know that sometimes I forget about all that the Savior went through for me. How he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, how terrible that must have been. It makes me want to be better, and to try each day to do the things that are right. I hope that each one of us can try harder each day to take advantage of the Atonement, and of all that our Savior has done for us.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.