One of the most essential things in the entire Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Atonement that was offered by our Lord and Savior. This week in my Book of Mormon class, we talked about how too often we forget that it is not simply the Atonement that saves us from the fall, it is Jesus Christ, our older brother. The Atonement was the means for him to save, but he is the Savior.
A scripture that stood out to me during our discussion of the Atonement came from Alma in Chapter 34. Amulek is teaching about how Christ will be our salvation, describing the Atonement and how it will save. I love the way he puts it:
10 For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.
For it to be an infinite and eternal sacrifice, it would take a perfect being, not just a normal human. This scripture, in my interpretation, means that there was only one being that could perform this Atonement: Jesus Christ. There was no backup plan! He was the plan and we relied on him to accomplish it.
Because it is infinite and eternal, it provides us with a way to progress and grow in the Gospel. Because of Jesus Christ, we understand the balance of justice and mercy and know that it has been met. This scripture teaches us that the Atonement was "a great and last sacrifice."
We so often hear about how we should apply the Atonement into our lives every day, but how often do we take full advantage of that gift? Jesus Christ lived a sinless life so that he could save us from the Fall. He went through the effects of the Fall all at once, there in the Garden of Gethsemane. I'm so grateful for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I testify that he made an infinite and eternal sacrifice for all of mankind! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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