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Christians share season
of atonement

With the advent of the Easter season upon us, it is important to reflect on the transcendent event recognized by the Christian community, the atonement of Jesus Christ.

All who have lived or will yet live on Earth have need of reconciliation with Heavenly Father. Through His supreme sacrifice on the cross, freely given, the Son of God provided the means to remove the effects of sin from all humankind.

Atonement means reconciliation with God. To atone is to redeem, make amends, pay the penalty. Thus, through the atonement of Christ, we may be freed from spiritual death as well as physical death. Because of His love for us, Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to teach us by His example and provide the way for us to return to His presence. As declared in John 3:16: "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."

Christ's atonement for us includes his suffering in the garden of Gethsemane, the demeaning, illegal trials, the cruelty of his tormentors, the shedding of his innocent blood and his death and subsequent resurrection. Because of his resurrection, amply documented in the New Testament and in Latter-day scripture, all will be resurrected with an immortal body. Latter-day Saints believe that we can also have the opportunity to once again be together eternally, as family units, through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, keeping the commandments and receiving the ordinances of salvation.

Hugh Nibley, a highly respected church scholar who died recently at age 94, wrote: "The atonement is nothing less than the answer to the terrible question 'Is this all there is?' Salvation comes because of the atonement."

The Book of Mormon provide an insight to God's plan: "For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfill the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection. O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster, death and hell, which I call death of the body and also death of the spirit."

A familiar Christian hymn, "He Is Risen," expresses the spirit of hope that much of the world feels at Easter time: "He is risen! He is risen! Tell it out with joyful voice. He has burst his three days' prison; let the whole wide earth rejoice. Death is conquered; man is free. Christ has won the victory.

"Come with high and holy hymning; chant our Lord's triumphant lay. Not one darksome cloud is dimming. Yonder glorious morning ray, breaking o'er the purple east, symbol of our Easter feast.

"He is risen! He is risen! He hath opened heaven's gate. We are free from sin's dark prison, risen to a holier state. And a brighter Easter beam; on our longing eyes shall stream" (Cecil Frances Alexander, 1818-1895; music, Joachim Neander, 1650-1680).

This great gift to humankind could have been provided only by the literal Son of God in the flesh, who was chosen and foreordained because of His complete obedience to the Father. We join with the Christian world to express our gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ as we recognize His mission on our behalf at this Easter season.

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