You can't really talk about the atonement without starting with the pre-earth council. I have a great quote from Elder Neal A. Maxwell that he gave in April 1976 General Conference. Here it is.
"I testify that in our first estate Jesus was the incomparable individual among all our Father's spirit children. He helped to prepare this planet for us and led--not pushed--us from our premortal post. I thank him for the untold things he did, across the ages of that first estate, to prepare perfectly for his unique role--while I was doing so very much less. I thank him, further, for not deserting those of us who are slow or stragglers.
"I testify that his premortal performance reflected both an astonishing selflessness and a breathtaking commitment to freedom as a condition of our genuine growth. I thank him for combining his long view of our needs with a short step forward to volunteer his services. Never has anyone offered so much to so many in so few words as when Jesus said, 'Here an I, send me.'" (Abr 3:27.)
There is a lot to think about in that quote. I, too, am very grateful to my savior for His willingness to love and give so much. I want to now quote from Isaiah 53:3-5. These verses are a prophecy telling what Jesus was going to do for us. Here they are:
3He is adespised and rejected of men; a man of bsorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we cesteemed him not.
4¶Surely he hath aborne our bgriefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But he was awounded for our btransgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his cstripes we are dhealed.
In these verses I understand as in verse 4 that Jesus bore our griefs and sorrows not just our sins as stated in verse 5. He did this so He would know how to give relief and peace to us even when our suffering is not a result of our own sins. Even when we sometimes take this great gift for granted it is still there for us. I am very grateful to Him for this as well.
Next in Luke 22:42-44 we read of His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane.
42Saying, Father, if thou be willing, aremove this cup from me: nevertheless not my bwill, but thine, be done.
43And there appeared an aangel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
44And being in an aagony he prayed more earnestly: band his sweat was as it were great drops of cblood falling down to the ground.
I can't even imagine how Jesus was able to endure this. In Gethsemane He suffered not only for our sins but also for all human suffering of every kind. It is very humbling to realize He was willing to do this for me.
I am amazed at the compassion He was still able to show while He hung on the cross and was in such physical pain. Here is an example in John 19:25-27.
25¶Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his amother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of bCleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
26When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the adisciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, bWoman, behold thy son!
27Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy amother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
The most pain I have ever felt in my life has been giving birth to my children. I know how I have reacted to that pain. My whole mind is focused on what is going on in my own body and I am totally unaware of what is going on around me or what anyone else is feeling. But here we have the example of Jesus showing compassion for His mother who must have been suffering terribly seeing her son on the cross. Even though He was feeling more pain that anyone else He was able to think of the suffering of another.
When Jesus was on the cross He still had power over his own life. Here is what we read in John 10:17-18
17Therefore doth my Father alove me, because I blay down my life, that I might ctake it again.
18No man ataketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have bpower to lay it down, and I have cpower to take it again. This commandment have I dreceived of my Father.
The thing that impresses me most about this is that Jesus could have ended His suffering at any time. The big temptation was to end His life before he had completed the atonement process for us. Here is an interesting quote from Elder James E. Talmage's book "Jesus The Christ".
"At the ninth hour, or about three in the afternoon, a loud voice, surpassing the most anguished cry of physical suffering issued from the central cross, rending the dreadful darkness. It was the voice of the Christ: 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' What mind of man can fathom the significance of that awful cry? It seems, that in addition to the fearful suffering incident to crucifixion, the agony of Gethsemane had recurred, intensified beyond human power to endure. In that bitterest hour the dying Christ was alone, alone in most terrible reality. That the supreme sacrifice of the Son might be consummated in all its fulness, the Father seems to have withdrawn the support of His immediate Presence, leaving the Savior of men the glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death. ....
"The period of faintness, the conception of utter forsakenness soon passed, and the natural cravings of the body reasserted themselves. The maddening thirst, which constituted one of the worst of the crucifixion agonies, wrung from the Savior's lips His one recorded utterance expressive of physical suffering. 'I thirst' He said. ....
"Fully realizing that He was no longer forsaken, but that His atoning sacrifice had been accepted by the Father, and that His mission in the flesh had been carried to glorious consummation, He exclaimed in a loud voice of holy triumph: 'It is finished." In reverence, resignation, and relief, He addressed the Father saying: 'Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.' He bowed His head, and voluntarily gave up His life."
I am hopeful to get some discussion from the youth. We are going to end the session with a slide presentation of the song "His Hands" by Kenneth Cope. Then my husband will bear testimony of the Savior and the Atonement. Here are the words to the song. Just imagine them with pictures from the Savior's life as well as pictures of examples of things we can do to be like Him.
His Hands
From the days of his mother’s knee
Like no other before
He was all that a boy should be
Then the boy became the man.
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to God and the Lamb
His hands
Tools of creation
Stronger than nations
Power without end
And yet through them
We find our truest friend
His hands
Sermons of kindness
Healing men’s blindness
Halting years of pain
Children waiting
To be held again
His hands would serve his whole life through
Showing man what hands might do
Giving, ever giving endlessly
Each day was filled with selflessness
And I’ll not rest
Til I make of my hands what they could be
Til these hands become like those from Galilee
His hands
Warming a beggar
Lifting a leper
Calling back the dead
Breaking bread
Five thousand fed
His hands
Hushing contention
Pointing to heaven
Ever free of sin
Then bidding men
To follow Him
His hands would serve His whole life through
Showing man what hands might do
Giving, ever giving endlessly
Each day was filled with selflessness
And I’ll not rest
Til I make of my hands what they could be
Til these hands become like those from Galilee
His hands
Clasp in agony
As he lay pleading
Bleeding in the Garden
While just moments away
Other hands betray Him out of greed
Shameful greed
And then His hands
Are trembling
Straining to carry
The beam that they’d be nailed to
As He stumbles through the streets
Heading for the hill
On which He’d die
He would die
They take His hands
His mighty hands
Those gentle hands
And then they pierce them
They pierce them
He lets them
Because of love
From birth to death
Was selflessness
And clearly now
I see him with his hands calling to me
And though I’m not yet as I would be
He has shown me how I could be
I will make my hands like those from Galilee
