Reflections on the Atonement of Jesus Christ

It is a tenant of our faith that “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel” (AF 1:3). Yea, the Atonement was wrought for all of us, and there are none that do not have access to it; for, “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34) and “he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female… all are alike unto God” (2 Ne 26:33). “For Jesus died on Calvary, that all thru Him might ransomed be” (Hymn 177, emphasis added). Indeed, Jesus Christ, Himself, speaking of His Atonement said, “For, behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all” (D&C 19:16). He atoned for you and He atoned for me; He atoned for everyone. There is no one too far gone, no one too shrouded in sin, no one past the point of no return. We all fall short; we are all imperfect; we are all at the mercy of His Atonement. That’s why we are here; that’s why we partake of the sacrament–to remember the Sacrifice of our Savior and to renew the covenants that we have made with Him. Therefore, I give unto you a challenge, that you reflect upon the personal Atonement He wrought for you and resolve to walk in His ways, and recommit yourself to become His disciple.

One way we can reflect is to consider the word itself. Atonement, broken into its components, is ‘at-one-ment’, thus denoting a reconciliation between man and God. Befittingly, the Latin word for ‘atonement’ is reconcilia, from which the English ‘reconciliation’ is derived. To further break down reconcilia into prefixes and suffixes, we find: re, in English, again, con, with, and sella, seat. When put together, reconcilia literally means “to sit with again.” Perhaps this new view of the Atonement gives greater perspective when we read in Revelation: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with the Father in his throne” (Rev 3:21). Jesus Christ, through His Atonement, makes it possible for us to overcome the world, and as we do so, we are reconciled to Him, and are granted to sit with Him once more. The Hebrew word for Atonement is kaphar, which means “to cover.” This is exemplified in Genesis as Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden. “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins and clothed them” (Gen 3:21). Adam and Eve committed what much of Christianity call ‘original sin’ when they ate the forbidden fruit, however, the Atonement of Jesus Christ “covers” this transgression, just as the coats of skins covered Adam and Eve’s nakedness. Even so, does Jesus Christ cover us from our sins. The Aramaic word for Atonement is kafat, which means “a close embrace.” How much greater does this make our appreciation for the words of Nephi: “The Lord hath redeemed my soul… I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love” (2 Ne 1:15).

By “always [remembering] Him,” we can strengthen our desire to follow Him (D&C 20:77,79). Indeed, from the foundation of the world, we have been commanded to look forward unto or look back in remembrance of the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Adam learned this great truth as he was offering sacrifices. “An angel… appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me. And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is in similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father” (Moses 5:6-7). These sacrifices later became known as ‘burnt offerings,’ and it was through these burnt offerings that the Children of Israel looked forward unto Christ. Leviticus and Deuteronomy further define what should encompass a burnt offering:

“If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord… let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle…. All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord thy God” (Leviticus 1:2-3, Deuteronomy 15:19).

Therefore a burnt offering was composed of: (1) a male without blemish, (2) the firstling of the herd/flock, and (3) was given voluntarily. The same can be said of the requirements of the lambs that were sacrificed for the first Passover. Now I ask, what is the purpose of these requirements? To point the House of Israel towards Christ. Indeed, each of these traits are found in Christ, the Lamb of God. In his first epistle, Peter called Christ, “A lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet 1:19). Jesus further testified of His perfection to the Nephites in His commandment to be “perfect, even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect” (3 Ne 12:48). There are also countless scriptures declaring Him the Firstborn of the Father, and the Only Begotten Son. Additionally, Jesus Christ was given voluntarily to be the “Great and Last Sacrifice” (Alma 34:14), both by the Father, and Himself. In perhaps the most quoted scripture in Christendom, we read: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The Father willingly sacrificed His Son, so that we may all return to live with Him again. “How great the wisdom and the love” indeed (Hymn 195)! Furthermore, we are given a glimpse into the pre-mortal realm in a vision given to the Great Patriarch, Abraham, wherein Heavenly Father presented his plan to us and more particularly the need for a Savior. “And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me” (Abraham 3:27). Truly, He was the Lamb of God, and “gave himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6) that all “might not suffer if they would repent” (D&C 19:16).

To aid us in our repentance process, the Lord instituted the Sacrament for us to remember Him. In Matthew, we read: “Jesus took bread, and brake it, and blessed it, and gave to his disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is in remembrance of my body which I give a ransom for you” (JST Matt 26:22). How fitting a sacrament symbol for the Bread of Life that rained down manna for the Children of Israel and proclaimed, “he that cometh to me shall never hunger” (John 6:35)! We read further in Matthew: “He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of their sins” (Matt 26:27-28). In addition to the bread, when we partake of the sacrament, we drink of the living water of which Jesus spake, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). Through the sacrament we honor Him and His sacrifice and renew our desires to follow Him.

His Atonement began in the Garden on that fateful Thursday night, immediately following the Last Supper.  In the Gospel of Luke we read:

39 ¶ And [Jesus] came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 

40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 

41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,  

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. (Luke 22:39-42)

How often have we said that? Remove this cup from me. It’s too hard. I’m too overweight. I’m too short. I’m not pretty enough. I’m not smart enough. I’m struggling to provide for my family. My health is deteriorating. Nothing seems to go right. I’ll never amount to anything. I can’t break this addiction. Remove this cup from me. Whatever our struggles, whatever our trials, we all have our bitter cups, just like the Savior. The difference is the Savior’s cup is really a giant vat, which we all poured our cups into. His cup holds all the bitter cups of everyone that has ever walked upon the earth. His cup holds our personal Gethsemanes. It wasn’t just our sins. It held our sorrows, our pains, our griefs, our heartaches, our trials, every moment when we have felt like we are not good enough, that we are too inadequate. They are all in His cup, and he drank it with eight simple words: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done (Luke 22:42). Perhaps Isaiah said it best:

4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Msh 14:4-5)

Now we beg the question, Why? Why did He suffer, bleed, and die willingly? Why did he allow us to pour our cups into His? Nephi has the answer:

24 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation. (2Ne 26:24)

9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men. (1Ne 19:9)

He did it because He loves us unconditionally and without equivocation or reservation. 

After His excruciating night in the Garden, which caused Him to “bleed at every pore” (D&C 19:18), and following His betrayal by Judas and sham of a trial before the Sanhedrin, He was paraded before Pilate, just prior to the release of a prisoner as was the tradition during the Passover. According to the Gospel of Matthew:

15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

26 ¶ Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. (Matt 27:15-17, 20-23, 26)

This passage teaches us much about our relationship with the Master, but in order to more fully appreciate it, let us again delve into the language. Translating from Hebrew to English, Bar is “Son of” and Abba, “Father”. Therefore, Barabbas is literally the Son of Father. Because of the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Sons and Daughters of Father go free. As we partake of His Atonement, we go free. We are freed from our burdens. We can find reprieve from the storms of life. His Atonement is our ram in the thicket. There is no pain too great, no burden too heavy, no sorrow too grievous, no failure too final that the healing power of the Atonement cannot penetrate. The Savior, Himself, said:

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt 11:28-30) 

To obtain the stone blocks for the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by King Herod, the Jews mined subterranean, underneath the Temple, itself. All of the rocks that were deemed unfit for use were discarded outside the city at a place called Golgotha. Of this real life parable, we read in Matthew:

42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? (Matthew 21:42)

Even so has Christ, who too was ultimately rejected at Golgotha become the head of our corner and chief cornerstone. He is our Redeemer, our Exemplar, and the High Priest of Good Things to Come.


As we decide today and everyday to continue our journey as His disciples, or to start if we have not already embarked upon this road, we “might with surety hope for a better world, yea even a place at the right hand of God” (Ether 12:4). Indeed, we can “watch for the day of gladness when Jesus will come again” (Children's Songbook, 78). That day will surely come, and when it does, because He lives, we will live again too, for He truly does live again. Perhaps the greatest and most glorious proclamation in all of the scriptures occurred outside His Garden Tomb: “He is not here, but is risen” (Luke 24:6). In answer to Job’s question: “If a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14), we sing, “He is risen! He is risen! Tell it out with joyful voice. He has burst his three days’ prison; Let the whole wide world rejoice. Death is conquered; man is free. Christ has won the victory.” (Hymn 199). Surely has Christ “become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Cor 15:20) and “[loosed] the bands of death which bind his people” (Alma 7:12), for He is “the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25). As we become His disciples, we, too, will sing in our hearts, “Come, O thou, King of Kings! We’ve waited long for thee” (Hymn 332).




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