"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall." (2 Ne. 2:25-26) Without the Atonement the effects of the Fall would be irrevocable and mankind would be lost, forever separated from God. The word atonement denotes reconciliation of those who have been estranged and the purpose of the Atonement is to reconcile us with God.
Through the fall, Adam brought death into the world, both temporal and spiritual and was cast out of the Garden of Eden. In another garden, Christ, redeemed men from that fall bringing life through the atonement. "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Cor. 15:22) The doctrine of the atonement was taught immediately after Adam and Eve were driven from the garden. The Lord made coats of skin for them to "cover their nakedness." The Hebrew word for atonement is kaphar, a verb that means “to cover," symbolizing the Lord would "cover" our sins through the Atonement.
Adam and Eve were then commanded to "offer the firstlings of their flock, in similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father.” (Moses 5:7) Sacrifice continued through the days of Moses to help point the Children of Israel to Christ and His Atonement. Alma taught," And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice.” (Alma 34:13–14) At the exact moment the Savior was arrested, faithful Jewish households were celebrating the Passover, while the Lamb of God was taken to be sacrificed.
Lehi taught, "Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit;.....Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and the grace of the Holy Messiah." (2nd Nephi 2:6-8)
1. We are saved by his Merits, because he was the only sinless man to ever live and not subject to spiritual death as a result of sin. He was the only begotten on the Father and the only one who possessed the power over physical death.
2. We are saved by his mercy which satisfies the demands of justice conditional upon our repentance. Alma taught, "And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice" (Alma 42:15) Because of the Atonement, mercy can prevail when we repent and allows us to return to the presence of God. "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; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit." (D&C 19:16-19) Besides providing a way for us to escape the demands of justice, our Savior extends mercy to help us in time of need. Isaiah prophesied that Christ was “anointed to bind up the brokenhearted." (D&C 128:42) Alma clearly testified of this when he said, "he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people....and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy...that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people." (Alma 7:11-12) Through the atonement and His mercy, Christ is literally "At-One" with us because he shares in our sorrows and knows how to comfort us. Both Isaiah and Abinidi said He is "acquainted with grief." Isaiah 53:3) To be acquainted with means, "to know personally, or firsthand." Christ descended below all things so he could comprehend all things. His atonement is infinite and reaches all and is powerful enough not only to pay the price for sin but also to heal every mortal affliction. This is why he is called the great physician with healing in his wings. James E. Faust said, "The Atonement not only benefits the sinner but also benefits those sinned against—that is, the victims. By forgiving “those who trespass against us” (JST, Matt. 6:13) the Atonement brings a measure of peace and comfort to those who have been innocently victimized by the sins of others. The basic source for the healing of the soul is the Atonement of Jesus Christ." (The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope, James E. Faust)
3. Lehi explains we are also saved by his Grace. The bible dictionary says. "It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts." “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23). The Savior’s grace is activated in our lives through the Atonement, which purifies us and can perfect us. D&C 76 says, "These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus...who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood." (D&C 76:69)
The impact of the atonement is felt each time one of us experiences the miracle of forgiveness, finds hope and healing from lives wounds, or strength to overcome adversity. True comprehension of the atonement and his suffering literally breaks our hearts insomuch that we become humble, teachable and willing to repent. "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19) Christ is the perfect example of one who did submit all to the Father.
We commemorate his atonement by partaking of the sacrament. The water renews our memory of the "great drops of blood" that Christ shed. The broken bread symbolizes the Saviors body, broken upon the cross. As Adam looked forward to Christ in faith we promise to always remember Him. The sacrament reminds us of our need to repent and by worthily partaking of it we renew our baptismal covenants and the Lord renews its cleansing effect and we are again made clean. The sacrament is the only saving ordinance we do for ourselves over and over. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." (Isaiah 1:18)
How blessed we are as Latter-day Saints to have the teachings of the Book of Mormon. For centuries good men have debated the consequences of the fall and the very nature of Christ. Within these few pages the doctrine of the fall and the atonement are taught side by side with great clarity. Through studying the Book of Mormon we can experience a mighty change of heart and we will have a greater desire to do as our Bishop has asked, "come unto Christ and be perfected in him." (Moroni 10:32-33)
Our temple ordinances not only teach of the creation, the fall and the atonement, they symbolically teach us of our reconciliation with God. By making a greater commitment to attend the temple we will increase our understanding of His atoning sacrifice and draw closer to Him. Most of us would say we have a testimony of Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that He died for us. But what we really need is a undying testimony in the matchless power the atonement has to cleanse and purify us, faith in his ability to sanctify us and make us perfect "through the shedding of his blood." (Moroni 10:32-33) That Jesus Christ is the "Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.” (Alma 7:14) The overwhelming message of the Atonement is the perfect love our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ has for each one of us. Just as Christ was lifted upon the cross...The intent of the atonement is to lift our hearts and minds to that joy that comes as a result of "applying the atoning blood of Christ" in our lives so that we might "sing the song of redeeming love"(Alma 5:26)
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