The Atonement of Jesus Christ

Working on a talk:

As a mother to 5 children, a significant portion of my time is spent taking the sticky backs off bandaids and air kissing injuries.

Whether the injuries are self inflicted or otherwise, the smallest children are quick to seek aid and comfort. Sometimes a hug or kiss can make all the pain and hurt go away or sometimes all that the child needs is for me to acknowledge that someone was injured or offended. Like the memory of a goldfish, Moses can forget something that happened moments ago.

Of necessity sometimes we (Dan and I) inflict the pain or injury as well- with the responsibility to clearly teach right and wrong or when we let consequences take their course.

As I think about this simple role I play, I am reminded that Christ, in a similar manner, plays this same role in my own life.

I'd like to share 2 stories from that exemplify the Atonement of Jesus Christ through this lens.

The first, small children are quick to seek comfort and ask for help. It is common in our home to hear a child cry and see them running to you as if an arm or leg had been detached. Their pain is real and the anguish is loud. But the moment I kiss the injured limb all is forgotten. Similarly, if a small child has felt wronged by another, or when they feel something isn’t fair, they are quick to point out the other’s fault and have a higher power step in to control the situation or deliver justice.

Why aren’t we as quick to seek comfort and ask for help when we feel like we have lost control of a situation or find pain too hard to bear?

10 years ago, when I was pregnant with our first son, Dan offered to help his brother move. The brothers were going to drive the truck from Utah to California and then Dan would catch a flight back 3 days later. The baby wasn’t supposed to come for weeks so Dan left and I felt no reason to ask him to stay. As the day progressed, so did the baby and I found myself in labor. It was a long painful day, and I was certain that I didn’t need the help of a doctor because I was sure that the labor pains would eventually stop and that this baby wasn’t going to come early. As I was feeding Mary dinner that night, my mother stopped by and found me unable to walk between the stove and the table. She recognized my pain, she knew how to help me. She quickly picked up my small daughter, helped me to the car and drove me to the hospital.

Many women are afraid to go to the hospital during early labor, it is emotionally crushing to be found hours or days away from birth and sent back home to wait for the baby to come and you feel defeated. Those last few hours can feel just as long as the previous 9 months.

As we drove to the hospital I began to feel the same and told my mom I didn’t need any help, that I didn’t want to go. That I didn’t want to see the doctor, yet. In her wisdom, and experience, she calmly explained that there was no shame in going.

Sometimes we might find ourselves in the same situation. Avoiding the physician who can offer relief and help. Aren’t we all sick? Christ taught, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick…” (Mark 2:17) Pain comes in many forms, physical, emotional, anger, sadness, shame, depression and even loneliness. Our mortality begins in an imperfect world and from birth our bodies begin to age, inevitably advancing towards physical death. Alma prophesied that Christ would “suffer pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind.” Why? “That his bowels may be filled with mercy, … that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” Like my mother, He recognizes our pain. He knows what kind of healing is necessary. Sometimes, like children, we are quick to find Him and other times we are not.

Second, sometimes we experience pain because of our own actions, or when as parents we have a responsibility to teach right and wrong.

Mary spoke several weeks ago and used the simple example of a child touching a hot pan. There is pain in ignorance. There is also pain when we sin or when we are the recipient of another’s abuse. As parents, it is difficult to see our children in pain, and may try to soften or remove the consequences. As part of God’s plan, the purpose of this mortal experience grants us agency.

A familiar example is found in the Book of Mormon. Despite the fact that Alma was a good man, and I'm sure he understood the responsibility to teach his son correct principles. Alma the Younger rebelled and openly tried to destroy the church and his Father's work. When his son was brought home after the angel's visit, Alma was joyful! He had been praying for his son to experience a change of heart and repent. For 3 days, while his son was unconscious, Alma prayed for him.  His son later wrote, “I was tormented” by my actions and suffered greatly until finally repenting.

Elder Christofferson speaking of hard circumstances said: “Though I suffered then, as I look back now, I am grateful that there was not a quick solution to my problem. The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years taught me truly how to pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a very practical way to have faith in God. I came to know my Savior…”

If I were to paraphrase that for my children I would say, “You can do hard things and by doing hard things you also get stronger!” If only we all were as wise as Alma! When Alma the younger woke, Alma was there to comfort and rejoice with his son. I so want for my children what Elder Christofferson experienced!

Christ has experienced all of our pain, sorrow or joy. He knows what it means to be victorious and to be defeated.

There is something called a Pyrrhic Victory. The term comes from a battle between King Pyrrhus and the Romans in 280 BC. King Pyrrhus won the battle but his army suffered irreplaceable casualties in defeating the Romans. He said, “If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined.” The battle took such a heavy toll, its victory negated any true sense of achievement. A wise general would realize that winning the battle at such a high cost would mean losing the war. In those days, losing the war meant that your entire population was either killed or enslaved.

I’m reading a book about a moral dilemma a neuroscientist has when he operates on patients with brain tumors. As he operates, sometimes the tumor is removed at the expense of damaging brain tissue. An incision smaller than 2mm will put a patient in paralysis for life. Or by removing the tumor and relieving pressure on another part of the brain it will result in language loss. He asks, “At what expense do I prolong the patient’s life if this is the risk?”

What price do we pay for a pyrrhic victory?

If we are slow to repent or refuse to forgive another, we ultimately lose. We are distancing ourselves from Christ, we are inflicting our own misery. We are enslaving ourselves to the hatred and pain that comes by letting our pride be victorious. Agency means God, even as a loving father, cannot remove the consequences to our actions when they cause us pain or even harm. Even to the extent that the consequences separate us from God eternally.

God is our Father and is teaching us as His children. Putting us in a real world with real consequences. As my mother drove, I texted Daniel to let him know I was on the way to the hospital and that his 1st Son might be coming that night. Dan, with foresight, had purchased a one way ticket from the only major airport between the two states that morning before leaving. Carefully calculating the driving time and flight departure. I remember thinking his purchase was foolish. It wasn’t, it was miraculous, I’ll leave that story for another talk. But there are tender mercies that come from seeking out the Savior and drawing near unto Him, for He “will draw near unto you.”

President Nelson taught: “True repentance is not an event. It is a never-ending privilege. It is fundamental to progression and having peace of mind, comfort, and joy.” I am a daughter of God, understanding this simple truth makes me just like one of my small children. When I am hurt, offended, discouraged, have made a poor choice or am just striving to be incrementally better… I understand that God has a vested interested in my well being. That Christ is there to comfort me, bandage wounds or even just air kiss my grievances as I learn to navigate life’s experiences.