The At-One-Ment of Jesus Christ

For us the blood of Christ was shed;
For us on Calvary's cross he bled,
And thus dispelled the awful gloom
That else were this creation's doom

The law was broken; Jesus died
That justice might be satisfied,
That man might not remain a slave
Of death, of hell, or of the grave.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has written that “The central fact, the crucial foundation, the chief doctrine, and the greatest expression of divine love in the eternal plan of salvation . . . is the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Much goes before it and much comes after, but without that pivotal act, that moment of triumph whereby we are made free from the spiritual bondage of sin and the physical chains of the grave . . . there would be no meaning to the plan of life, and certainly no happiness in it or after it.”

The atonement, or at-one-ment, “is the act of unifying or bringing together what has been separated or estranged," continued Elder Holland. "The atonement of Christ was indispensable because of the separating transgression, or fall of Adam, which brought death into the world. In the words of Moroni, 'By Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ. . . .; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man. And because of the redemption of man, . . . they are brought back into the presence of the Lord.'”

The Atonement includes gifts that are both conditional and unconditional. The unconditional gifts include the Savior's ransom for Adam's original transgression and the resurrection from the dead.

The conditional gifts require such effort as repentance and faith as they are predicated upon the moral agency and personal discipline of the individual before they can be fully effective. “There are principles of the gospel that [we] must follow and ordinances of the gospel that [we] must obtain" wrote Elder Holland. "Mormon stresses this commitment to fundamental requirements: 'The first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins; and the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart, cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.'” 

But there is more, so much more.

“Virtually all Christian churches teach some kind of doctrine regarding the atonement of Christ and the expiation of our sins that comes through it," Elder Holland continued. "But the Book of Mormon teaches that and much more. It teaches that Christ also provides relief of a more temporal sort, taking upon himself our mortal sicknesses and infirmities, our earthly trials and tribulations, our personal heartaches and loneliness and sorrows – all done in addition to taking upon himself the burden of our sins.

“Christ walked the path every mortal is called to walk so that he would know how to succor and strengthen us in our most difficult times. He knows the deepest and most personal burdens we carry. He knows the most public and poignant pains we bear. He descended below all such grief in order that he might lift us above it. There is no anguish or sorrow or sadness in life that he has not suffered in our behalf and borne away upon his own valiant and compassionate shoulders.

“That aspect of the Atonement brings an additional kind of rebirth," concludes Elder Holland, "something of immediate renewal, help, and hope that allows us to rise above sorrows and sickness, misfortunes and mistakes of every kind. With his mighty arms around us and lifting us, we face life more joyfully even as we face death more triumphantly.”

Come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish;
Come to the mercy-seat, fervently kneel;
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish,
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.

Joy of the comfortless, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure;
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying—
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure.

Here see the Bread of Life; see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above;
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow but heaven can remove.


Sources:

Holland, J. R. (2006). Christ and the New Covenant:  The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon.  Salt Lake City: Deseret Book.

Hymns: While of the Emblems We Partake & Come, Ye Disconsolate.