One night,
as a young woman, lay weary and fast asleep she dreamed a dream, yet, it was so
real that it surely wasn’t a dream. You
see, she had died in the dream, but felt nothing of the death, it was as if she
had been translated for it was painless and instantaneous as she stood at the
place where she had been sent and it seemed familiar as she took in her
surroundings. There were groups of
people being taught, each divided into age groups and they were anxiously
engaged in the lessons. She could feel
them soaking in the knowledge as workers dressed in white appeared with a
gentle smile and guided her to a room where she was to wait.
She stood in
the room for what seemed like a very long time then suddenly she was aware that
she had come home and for a moment she was frightened and sad for she was alone
and maybe this was her fate. Then she
felt it, a fullness, enter the room, it was warm and the whole place filled
with a presence. She became suddenly
aware that someone was standing behind her, so, she turned to look, and her
entire being changed.
“It’s You!” she exclaimed with wonder and
amazement, “It’s really you”; and she was filled with absolute indescribable joy as she threw her
arms around the neck of her brother and held him tight. At long last she had returned home and was
greeted by her loving brother while at the same time, her mind and spirit
awakened with a perfect knowledge. She
knew immediately who she was, where she had come from, and she knew him, her
brother, Jesus Christ, the same as she knew her own earthly family and she was
full of joy with the return of her memory and the greeting of the one she loved
so dearly. All that she had believed was true, all that she had hoped for was
real, as the Lord stood before her with a smile, also filled with great joy for
her awakening and love for him.
Then suddenly and without notice, the scene
changed and the two; after their loving embrace, were transformed to another
room where the young woman stood at the entrance and looked upon her brother
who now sat upon a throne made of fine gold and workmanship. It was breathtaking at the very least and she
gazed, for he was regal and majestic and the surroundings matched his
countenance, yet, he still smiled and she felt impressed to move closer.
She began to walk the length of a golden
carpet laid before her and as she came closer to him, her brother, her mind
again was enlightened and she knew him, she knew everything about him, she knew
of the decision he had made and she remembered being there when he had accepted
it, she remembered her decision to follow him, she remembered the lessons she
was taught, the promises that were made she remembered life before they were
born, she knew it all as if she had wrote it in her journal and as she looked upon the Savior with this
perfect knowledge, she fell to her knees clasping her face in her hands, the recognition
of the moment crashing upon her.
She knelt
before the Savior her Lord and king, and at that moment she not only knew of
the pains he had suffered that she would live and be free, but she felt
them. She had a clear recollection of
all that he had graciously suffered and great sobs of agony poured from her as
she bitterly wept drowning his feet with her tears. She had made mistakes in her life on earth, how could she have been so blind, how could
she have forgotten her promise to be true, oh how could she have made him
suffer so with her choices, someone she loved with her whole being. At that very moment she had a perfect
recollection of her life, a perfect recollection of his sacrifice and she wept,
for she had not honored him as her heart had desired, and she could no longer
look upon him for she was unworthy and she fell before him at his feet, indeed
and ever heartbroken, she could not be consoled from her grief.
Then she
felt it. His hand as he laid it upon her
head, he caressed her hair like one would do for a little child and consoled
her speaking in the mildest of tones with a love and tenderness she had never
before known, saying, “daughter why do you weep so,” she would not look upon
him but could feel the gentle smile he possessed, it penetrated her, and she
felt a love so full and strong that it was palatable. HE lifted her chin with his hand that their eyes
would meet and said “Thy sins are forgiven, thou art a good daughter, be not
down trodden, go thy way, sin no more” (© . All rights reserved)
In reference
to the atonement, “to the thoughtful woman and man, it is “a matter of surpassing
wonder” that the voluntary and merciful sacrifice of a single being
could satisfy the infinite and eternal demands of justice, atone for every
human transgression and misdeed, and thereby sweep all humankind into the
encompassing arms of His merciful embrace. But so it is.” -Jeffery R Holland of
the quorum of the twelve apostles of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints
In a manner to us that is incomprehensible and
inexplicable, He bore the weight of the sins of the whole world and in
doing that, opened the kingdom of heaven…..
"Through his
suffering, Jesus redeemed the souls of all men, women, and children “that his
bowels would be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he would know
according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their
infirmities.” In doing so, Christ “descended below all
things”—including every kind of sickness, infirmity, and dark despair
experienced by every mortal being. The
utter loneliness and excruciating pain was so great that it caused him, even
Christ to cry out “My God My God why hast Thou forsaken me” and he did this in
order that He might “comprehend all things, that he might be in all and through
all things, the light of truth" -Jeffery R Holland of
the quorum of the twelve apostles of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints we are taught from our youth of the atonement and its importance; but
with this knowledge we have of the atonement of the Savior, it is important for
us to remember and not forget that it covers everyone.
My message
today maybe for you, to let you know that His sacrifice was not for everyone
else except you because your sins and mistakes are too great or because you
feel you will never be good enough. But
that His sacrifice IS for you, if your sins are too great and you feel you are
not good enough.
And my message today may be for you, to remind you that. It’s important to remember that the atonement
is not just for you because you are a member of the church magnifying your calling and living the
letter of the law. But that it’s also for those who may not be members or are not doing so great with
their job and may need extra help with the law.
In fine, the atonement is for
everyone.
It is imperative
that we also remember that the atonement covers all things. Pain, sorrow, grief, irritability with one another, day to day
misgivings, judgemental attitudes, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, sadness,
forgetfulness, selfishness, and a host of human imperfections we are guilty of, if, we can but use the time we are given, to
prayerfully seek forgiveness and direction, and to accept council and
guidance.
The
Atonement is the greatest of all gifts, it heals, provides safety, and peace,
it absolves us from the sin of Adam, it ensures the resurrection of every man
woman and child that ever lived or ever will live upon the earth, AND every
other principle, commandment, and virtue of the restored gospel draws its
significance from this single event.
Everything that we do, everything that we have is because of the
atonement of Jesus Christ.
Of course by
now you know that the topic I was asked to speak about today is the Atonement and
I think its because I have been seeking an even deeper knowledge and
understanding of the nature of Christ. And as I have come across things that make me
think and feel differently I have had a great desire to share them that all of
us together will have a deeper and greater understanding.
Even so, there's not a lot that I can tell you that
you probably don’t already know. The
LDS Church is generous with curriculum and the voice of our general authorities in
teaching us true and correct doctrine and principles. From the time we are children until the day
we leave to return home, the Lord through faithful servants, has provided for us, so that we are not left alone and
on our own, but have the guidance and direction that we need.
What I can tell you, however, is this. I WAS that
woman stricken with grief at His feet. In fact, I
was, a sinful woman. I was without a doubt blind and made him suffer because of my
choices and through my own personal repentance process, I felt the real
physical feeling as the holy ghost left when he was removed from me; after
which I sat in sacrament meeting and watched the bread and water as it passed
me by because I could not partake.
Many
times as Latter day saints its unimaginable to us to not be able to partake of
the sacrament or be without the holy ghost for it is freely given us upon baptism and it can in many instances be
taken with a grain of salt attitude. The idea was inconceivable for me, until it happened; and many who do have to attend to
the process of repentance that I did, don’t return at all.
But for me, I grasped onto the hope of the Atonement and held it with dear life, for I
had felt it, I had felt it with a real physical feeling, I had beheld it with my
natural self, thus it was my entire goal to gain a true knowledge of the gifts
of the atonement and allow it to work in my life. For oh, oh how I longed to be
with my Savior once again!
At the very moment I chose to accept the Atonement
and allow it to work and to accept the consequence of my actions, I knew beyond
a shadow of a doubt that He lives, that the Atonement is real and not a Sunday Story
made up, it is not a game, He lives! and he died that I, that we, could be saved and live
also.
When the
time came after my repentance process that I was reinstated, and I was able to partake of the sacrament for
the first time, I wept with great sobs even almost unable to eat, for I was so
full of humble gratitude for what he had done for me. I have not only received forgiveness of my sins and been made new, I
have also received healing and strength from tragedies, I continue to be carried
in my day to day struggles and my heart and mind think upon him through my days
when the world seems to fall upon me. So it is my greatest desire to have an even deeper understanding of
this gift Christ has given us, it is my desire to more reverently partake of
the sacrament and stay focused, it is my true and honest need to be able to
watch with him one hour, without falling asleep and it is my desire for you to join
me.
We are told
again by Jeffery R Holland that “[The sacrament] should be a powerful, reverent, reflective moment.
It should encourage spiritual feelings and impressions. As such it should not
be rushed. It is not something to ‘get over’ so that the real purpose of a
sacrament meeting can be pursued. This is the real purpose of the meeting. And
everything that is said or sung or prayed in those services should be
consistent with the grandeur of this sacred ordinance."
2. Remember
that we are renewing baptismal covenants.
3. Seek to
feel forgiven of our sins.
4. Seek
inspiration for solutions to our problems.
5.
Partake of the sacrament worthily so we can be
filled with the Holy Ghost
Therefore, today,
it is my suggestion and prayer that we all
give more heed and focus for the Atonement of our Lord and Savior even Jesus
Christ. That we attend our sacrament meetings
and not skip for whatever reasons; as our entire lives, our very souls, rest
upon our partaking of the sacrament worthily.
Let it not be the time to prepare lessons or work, let it not be for
things of the world and let us strive for it to not be a stressful time with
ill feelings and judgements. Let us focus with reverence and love, let us renew
ourselves with him that we may be strengthened, let us learn for ourselves that
we may, in the ways of Christ, show others how they too through the Atonement can
be new, how they too can have hope, how they also can press forward; and let us honor
him as our hearts so desire to do, that when he comes, after we have sat to
watch, we will not be asleep, but will be indeed awake…..
With Love,
Dixie Dawn
Reference: https://www.lds.org/liahona/2008/03/the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng
