This Easter, as you remember the Resurrection and the price paid and the gift given through the Atonement, ponder what the scriptures teach of those sacred events. Your personal witness of their reality will be strengthened.
Jesus Christ lives. He gave His life to break the bonds of death. His Atonement made fully active the plan of happiness of His Father in Heaven.
Elder Scott said that to understand the Atonement one needs to understand what was required of the Father and the Son: Three of the challenges the Savior faced were:
- First, an enormous sense of responsibility, for He realized that except it be done perfectly, not one of His Father's children could return to Him.
- Second, in His absolutely pure mind and heart, He had to personally feel the consequences of all that mankind would ever encounter, even the most depraved, despicable sins.
- Third, He had to endure the vicious attack of Satan's hordes while physically and emotionally pressed to the limit.
As the world becomes more devoid of foundational standards and as honor, virtue, and purity are increasingly cast aside in the pursuit of appetite, our understanding of and faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ will provide strength and capacity needed for a successful life. It will also bring confidence in times of trial and peace in moments of turmoil.
I energetically encourage you to establish a personal study plan to better understand and appreciate the incomparable, eternal, infinite consequences of Jesus Christ's perfect fulfillment of His divinely appointed calling as our Savior and Redeemer. Profound personal pondering of the scriptures accompanied by searching, heartfelt prayer will fortify your understanding of and appreciation for His priceless Atonement. Another powerful way to learn of Jesus Christ and His Atonement is through consistent temple attendance.
Use the Church as a righteous tool to strengthen the home, but recognize that as parents we have the fundamental responsibility and privilege to be guided by the Lord in the upbringing of the spirit children He has entrusted to our care.
As you ponder - not just read but ponder and meditate - on scriptural passages, the power of the Holy Ghost will distill truths in your mind and heart as a secure foundation in this uncertain time in which we live.
This Easter, resolve to make the Lord Jesus Christ the living center of your home. Be sure that every decision you make, whether it be of a spiritual or physical nature, be guided by the thought, "What would the Lord Jesus Christ have me do?" When the Savior is the center of you home, it is filled with peace and serenity. There is a spirit of calm assurance that pervades the home that is felt by the children and adults alike.
That is wonderful counsel and wonderful promises that I want for our home.
"The Atonement gives all the opportunity to overcome the consequences of mistakes made in life. When we obey a law, we receive a blessing. When we break a law, there is nothing left over from prior obedience to satisfy the demands of justice for that broken law. The Savior's Atonement permits us to repent of any disobedience & thereby avoid the penalties that justice would have imposed. This reminds me of the movie with Pres. Packer 'Mercy cannot rob justice.' 4 great ways to come to know the Savior better: "I energetically encourage you to 1. establish a personal study plan to better understand & appreciate the incomparable, eternal, infinite consequences of Jesus Christ's perfect fulfillment of His divinely appointed calling as our Savior & Redeemer. Profound personal 2. pondering of the scriptures accompainied by searching, heartfelt 3. prayer will fortify your understanding of and appreciation of His priceless Atonement. Another powerful way to learn of Jesus Christ & His Atonement is through consistent 4. temple attendence."
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