{"id":35,"date":"2008-06-19T20:00:29","date_gmt":"2008-06-20T02:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ldswomenofgod.com\/blog\/?p=35"},"modified":"2009-09-13T20:44:49","modified_gmt":"2009-09-14T02:44:49","slug":"atonement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reliefsocietywomen.com\/blog\/2008\/06\/19\/atonement\/","title":{"rendered":"Atonement"},"content":{"rendered":"

How many of us really believe in the Atonement?\u00a0 <\/span>We talk about it, we read about, we even have lessons on it, but it seems to me it is often skirted in Relief Society lessons, because\u2026we just don\u2019t understand it and that makes us afraid.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a lot of things I don\u2019t understand about the Atonement, for example, I just don\u2019t understand how it works.\u00a0 <\/span>But I do know, with all certainty, that it does work.\u00a0 <\/span>Jesus Christ really does forgive me when I beg Him to; the burden really does leave my body.\u00a0 <\/span>He really does take away my hurt feelings when I\u2019ve been wronged.\u00a0 <\/span>I have been physically healed and mentally healed so many times, I can\u2019t NOT believe.\u00a0 <\/span>In 2 Nephi, Nephi tells us that without the Atonement we would be subject to the devil and become devils ourselves.\u00a0 <\/span>I believe that.\u00a0 <\/span>I don\u2019t want to be miserable forever; I want to be happy.\u00a0 <\/span>I want Jesus to fix things for me, even when I\u2019m the one messing things up.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have a friend who is the only active member in her family. \u00a0<\/span>I keep telling her she is the Savior of her family, she just has to hang in there.\u00a0 <\/span>She is literally in pain over the fear she has that her family won\u2019t be saved.\u00a0 <\/span>I believe that if she keeps the faith, somehow through the Atonement, she will be able to bring her family with her.\u00a0 <\/span>I don\u2019t know how, but I know that God wants us to be happy.\u00a0 <\/span>God fixes things for those who are worthy.\u00a0 <\/span>How do I know when I\u2019m worthy enough?\u00a0 <\/span>Because I don\u2019t give up and I keep trying.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I have another friend who messed up when she was young.\u00a0 She made many mistakes that could have destroyed her, and possibly destroyed those who love her dearly.\u00a0 It was a long road, but she became stronger through it.\u00a0 The Atonement washed her clean.\u00a0 The Atonement washes her clean every day as\u00a0she rechooses the Savior.\u00a0 Many of her former weaknesses are now strengths.\u00a0 New weaknesses challenge her to exercise her agency.\u00a0 Life is not over, but her journey is strengthened with her knowledge, her gratitude, her desires, her understanding, and her eternal love.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I used to think that judgment was\u00a0to be feared.\u00a0 Now, I believe it is really mercy we must fear.\u00a0 When we know we haven’t been exact in our obedience, God’s mercy could very well forgive us.\u00a0 But will we be able to\u00a0forgive ourselves?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Pres. Hinckley has reminded us over and over again to be grateful.\u00a0 It is because gratitude will make\u00a0us more\u00a0aware of God’s mercy.\u00a0 Being aware of our blessings will make us careful.\u00a0 As we carefully walk the path toward the Tree, we will be worthy of the mercy bestowed upon us.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Pres. Monson teaches us how to listen to the Spirit, how to act upon those feelings, and how to spread the art of mercy.\u00a0 Life is difficult.\u00a0 Satan is harsh.\u00a0 Our spirits are weak.\u00a0 But, because of the Atonement we will survive well.\u00a0 We will become greater.\u00a0 By choosing God, God’s victory becomes our victory.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We don’t have to understand the Atonement completely, but I would challenge you to understand it enough to believe Him who saves.\u00a0 Appreciate the gifts of the Spirit that protect us.\u00a0 Show gratitude for the love and the blessings that fill our hearts.\u00a0 Be open to the miracles that happen every day in our lives.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Never close your heart to the Lord.\u00a0 Show patience for the gifts that will come to those who wait.\u00a0 God will make everything right.\u00a0 And we need to be prepared to live with the mercy He will surely grant us, whether we are deserving or not.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How many of us really believe in the Atonement?\u00a0 We talk about it, we read about, we even have lessons on it, but it seems to me it is often skirted in Relief Society lessons, because\u2026we just don\u2019t understand it and that makes us afraid. There are a lot of things I don\u2019t understand about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[628],"class_list":["post-35","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-scriptures","tag-atonement"],"yoast_head":"\nAtonement – Relief Society Women<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reliefsocietywomen.com\/blog\/2008\/06\/19\/atonement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Atonement – Relief Society Women\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How many of us really believe in the Atonement?\u00a0 We talk about it, we read about, we even have lessons on it, but it seems to me it is often skirted in Relief Society lessons, because\u2026we just don\u2019t understand it and that makes us afraid. 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