Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Christ and His role as the Savior and Redeemer?
My answer to that question is: Yes I do have a testimony of these things. I have a very strong testimony of them.
The Savior gave us this wonderful gift that we can enjoy when we have faith and repent for our sins. I have been so blessed to go to my Heavenly Father and seek forgiveness for my sins. I have felt the warming and loving feeling of knowing that He has forgiven me.
Many times I go to Him and say, “I know I am stupid because I’m constantly making either new or the same mistakes.” Then I think of how much I don’t deserve such love and forgiveness when I’m always doing it. But the biggest blessing that I’ve figured out is that He loves us so much that he wants to forgive us. He wants nothing more than for us to go to Him and ask for forgiveness and try our hardest to do better. I had a little better understanding of that after I became a mother. My kids can frustrate me so much when they do something wrong, but my love for them never changes because of it.
There are many things I don’t understand about the Atonement. I still have so much to learn. What I kept thinking about all week is from a talk I heard by Elder Bednar about the enabling power of the atonement. I gained a strong testimony of this part of the Atonement these last few years.
Our brother, Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for us so we can be saved through the atonement and resurrection. We also need to appreciate that through His atonement and the power of the Holy Ghost, the Lord can direct us and empower us. The atonement is not only for sinners. Elder Bednar said,
I frankly do not think many of us “get it” concerning this enabling and strengthening aspect of the atonement, and I wonder if we mistakenly believe we must make the journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves, through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline, and with our obviously limited capacities.... There is help from the Savior for the entire journey of life–from bad to good to better and to change our very nature.
We cannot do it on our own. We can feel empowerd to after we listen to conference or go to the temple or have some other Spiritual experience but do we still have that empowerment a week later? We can have help to get through this life through the atonements power and the Holy Ghost.
There are times when we go through this life just fine and don’t feel that need of the Savior. Then there are times when we are humbled and are pleading for His help.
I have felt the atonement in my life in many occasions. There have been many days when I have wondered how I’d get through the day. I have been very blessed to have the gospel in my life where I knew that I could turn to the Savior. I hung onto that knowledge with an iron grip because I knew that if I didn’t, I would be miserable. For those times when I was in total desperation for help it was easy to turn to the Lord. I knew that I couldn’t do it on my own. But what about when I’m living life and things are ok? It’s not always easy to have faith and trust in the Lord as we are living our lives. That’s why we are asked to have daily scripture study, prayers, and family home evening. The Lord helps us and blesses us with the enabling power of the atonement as we live our lives in accordance to the gospel. We need to be doing our part in keeping the commandments.
There are many examples in the Book of Mormon of Prophets using their faith in the power of the atonement. The difference that I noticed is that these men didn’t ask for their hards times to change. They asked for the strength to endure it or the strength to change their circumstances. One example is in Mosiah 24:14 and 15 ,when Alma’s people were being persecuted by Amulon and the Lord said:
And I will ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs.
And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
Afflictions are not always removed but the Lord will give us strength and blesses us through the enabling power of the atonement. Alma 7 teaches us why the Savior is able to provide this power. In verse 11:
And 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.
The Savior suffered for our iniquities, inequality, the unfairness, the pain, the anguish, and the emotional distress that we feel. Verse 12 goes on to say:
And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
The Savior has been there. He has felt these feelings we have. He suffered all afflictions so we can go to Him and He can give us strength and comfort. It is easier to find relief from suffering when you talk with someone who has experienced it in some way. It makes you realize you aren’t alone. I haven’t met anyone that has gone through the same challenges as me but I know I’m not alone. I am so blessed with family and friends that give me support and strength and above all, I have my Savior who knows exactly what I go through and I couldn’t ask for a greater gift than that.
My answer to that question is: Yes I do have a testimony of these things. I have a very strong testimony of them.
The Savior gave us this wonderful gift that we can enjoy when we have faith and repent for our sins. I have been so blessed to go to my Heavenly Father and seek forgiveness for my sins. I have felt the warming and loving feeling of knowing that He has forgiven me.
Many times I go to Him and say, “I know I am stupid because I’m constantly making either new or the same mistakes.” Then I think of how much I don’t deserve such love and forgiveness when I’m always doing it. But the biggest blessing that I’ve figured out is that He loves us so much that he wants to forgive us. He wants nothing more than for us to go to Him and ask for forgiveness and try our hardest to do better. I had a little better understanding of that after I became a mother. My kids can frustrate me so much when they do something wrong, but my love for them never changes because of it.
There are many things I don’t understand about the Atonement. I still have so much to learn. What I kept thinking about all week is from a talk I heard by Elder Bednar about the enabling power of the atonement. I gained a strong testimony of this part of the Atonement these last few years.
Our brother, Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for us so we can be saved through the atonement and resurrection. We also need to appreciate that through His atonement and the power of the Holy Ghost, the Lord can direct us and empower us. The atonement is not only for sinners. Elder Bednar said,
I frankly do not think many of us “get it” concerning this enabling and strengthening aspect of the atonement, and I wonder if we mistakenly believe we must make the journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves, through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline, and with our obviously limited capacities.... There is help from the Savior for the entire journey of life–from bad to good to better and to change our very nature.
We cannot do it on our own. We can feel empowerd to after we listen to conference or go to the temple or have some other Spiritual experience but do we still have that empowerment a week later? We can have help to get through this life through the atonements power and the Holy Ghost.
There are times when we go through this life just fine and don’t feel that need of the Savior. Then there are times when we are humbled and are pleading for His help.
I have felt the atonement in my life in many occasions. There have been many days when I have wondered how I’d get through the day. I have been very blessed to have the gospel in my life where I knew that I could turn to the Savior. I hung onto that knowledge with an iron grip because I knew that if I didn’t, I would be miserable. For those times when I was in total desperation for help it was easy to turn to the Lord. I knew that I couldn’t do it on my own. But what about when I’m living life and things are ok? It’s not always easy to have faith and trust in the Lord as we are living our lives. That’s why we are asked to have daily scripture study, prayers, and family home evening. The Lord helps us and blesses us with the enabling power of the atonement as we live our lives in accordance to the gospel. We need to be doing our part in keeping the commandments.
There are many examples in the Book of Mormon of Prophets using their faith in the power of the atonement. The difference that I noticed is that these men didn’t ask for their hards times to change. They asked for the strength to endure it or the strength to change their circumstances. One example is in Mosiah 24:14 and 15 ,when Alma’s people were being persecuted by Amulon and the Lord said:
And I will ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs.
And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
Afflictions are not always removed but the Lord will give us strength and blesses us through the enabling power of the atonement. Alma 7 teaches us why the Savior is able to provide this power. In verse 11:
And 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.
The Savior suffered for our iniquities, inequality, the unfairness, the pain, the anguish, and the emotional distress that we feel. Verse 12 goes on to say:
And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
The Savior has been there. He has felt these feelings we have. He suffered all afflictions so we can go to Him and He can give us strength and comfort. It is easier to find relief from suffering when you talk with someone who has experienced it in some way. It makes you realize you aren’t alone. I haven’t met anyone that has gone through the same challenges as me but I know I’m not alone. I am so blessed with family and friends that give me support and strength and above all, I have my Savior who knows exactly what I go through and I couldn’t ask for a greater gift than that.
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