Mosiah 3:10 - how does Christ coming to the earth and performing the atonement lead to a “righteous judgment” of the whole earth?

I've studied a lot recently about what the atonement really means, and how through the atonement Christ is able to judge us righteously. What does that even mean??

In a recent discussion with family members, we tried to understand why Christ's suffering was necessary for us to be saved. I realized that any time I am struggling with something, I naturally turn to others who have gone through something similar, and that enables me to overcome that trial. Without suffering every specific pain, sickness, and sin, Christ would have no way of understanding us, and he could not judge our situations appropriately.


In a recent General Conference talk given by James R. Rasband, he said, "To ensure a righteous judgment, the Savior’s atoning sacrifice will clear away the underbrush of ignorance and the painful thorns of hurt caused by others." He explains that Christ's righteous judgment is a fair judgment. Christ promises that our mistakes will not doom others—others we hurt can be healed through Christ when we cannot heal them ourselves. Like Alma the younger who led so many astray—he was promised that not only would he be forgiven, but all those who were led astray would be led back to the truth. There is no way for us to completely fix the harm we have caused to others.

In the Book of Mormon, Alma the Younger went about seeking “to destroy the church" (see Mosiah 27:8-10). In fact, Alma told his son Helaman that he was “tormented with the pains of hell” because he had effectively “murdered many of [God’s] children” by leading “them away unto destruction.” (Alma 36:13-14)

Elder Rasband says that "Alma explained to Helaman that peace finally came to him when his 'mind caught hold' on his father’s teaching 'concerning the coming of … Jesus Christ … to atone for the sins of the world.' (Alma 36:17-18) A penitent Alma pleaded for Christ’s mercy and then felt joy and relief when he realized that Christ had atoned for his sins and paid all that justice required. Again, what would justice have required of Alma? As Alma himself later taught, 'No unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God.' (Alma 40:26) Thus, part of Alma’s relief must have been that unless mercy interceded, justice would have prevented him from returning to live with Heavenly Father."

Mosiah 3:15 says that "the law of Moses availeth nothing except it were through the atonement of his blood." We are given laws to follow, but our salvation is not based on us obeying the law perfectly, our salvation is based off of Christ's mercy that comes through his atonement. Our salvation comes through turning to him, accepting we are imperfect, and allowing him to judge our hearts.

Verse 17 goes on to say, “And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.“

I’ve always looked at this verse in the sense that we have to “do” certain things and only those things to be saved. But I’m realizing more now that this means that no matter what we do, Christ is the only one who provides an opportunity for salvation. It’s important for us to learn of him and obey what he asks us to do, but there is also room for grace and allowing us to figure it out, and not think we have to “save ourselves” all on our own!

Verse 18 emphasizes that “he judgeth” and “his judgment is just.” It’s HIS judgment, not ours!


Alma 7:11-13 states:
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

"And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

"Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me."


Because of all that Christ experienced, He does not judge with a condemning heart but with a tolerant heart. He lets us fail and try again and again. He performed the atonement that he might be able to judge us righteously.

What is the difference between blessings and grace?

I listened to a podcast that changed the way I now think about blessings. (Podcast can be found here: Podcast #15: Let's Talk About Blessings July 16, 2019)

Susan Hinckley speaks about a lesson she taught in Sunday School based on Elder Dale G. Renlund's talk, "Abound with Blessings," given in April 2019.

***It is important to first of all recognize the definition of what it means to be "blessed." To be blessed is to be "made holy; consecrated."***

This definition is much different than our cultural definition of being blessed! We typically think of physical blessings, or things that are easy to see from the outside. But a blessing is not an event. It is independent of circumstance - it is an internal state, not an external one. We hear so much about "blessings" and tie those with circumstances or events--but God's blessings come when we learn to surrender control and feel an internal change through God's grace. We are made holy.

When we do specific actions to follow God's will, we often expect that He will bless us with safety. But life is so unpredictable and trials will happen that don't make sense and that leave us feeling confused and unsure and unstable--we sense that God has abandoned us!

To truly understand blessings, we realize we have to let go of the control aspect of receiving our blessings. We realize we really are not in control, and we don't have to do everything perfectly to receive blessings. We simply have to allow room for vulnerability and growth and unsurety.

In Elder Renlund's talk, he gave two lines that Sis. Hinckley really struggled to understand as she prepared for her lesson:

"Restored truth reveals that blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired actions on our part, both initial and ongoing, are essential."

"God has revealed that “there is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” That being said, you do not earn a blessing—that notion is false—but you do have to qualify for it."

So what is the difference between "earning" and "qualifying"?
We initially think we must do everything exactly right to get blessings from God. But to live for God's blessings doesn't mean to be perfect, it means to live with constant hope. Trusting, moving forward, allowing His grace to work in our lives, despite our imperfections. We let go of control and we open ourselves up to His grace. We seek more and ask more, instead of living such a pre-made structured life. We let go of all the ways we set up our lives to be and we allow room for growth and change and development.

Asking is for us, not for God. We ask so we are constantly seeking, so we are never comfortable.

So why are blessings usually synonymous with a "good/righteous life"?
So often we tie things that happen in our lives to "because I said my morning prayers" or "because I read my scriptures." This is a faulty expectation of how blessings really come. This is not to say doing those things does lead to good consequences, but we cannot tie all our actions to specific results, because we don't always know what God intends to bless us with.

It is easy to look at people who have a lot physically as "very blessed." Typically, though, those physical blessings that are so easy to look at are "as the world giveth." To really understand real blessings, we have to see past blessings "as the world giveth," but see them "as God giveth." As we accept the trials and imperfections of our lives, we see how God is sanctifying us and making us holy through that process. Blessings are not what we see, they go much deeper.

We have to be careful how we talk about blessings because they are intensely personal. A "blessing" that one person might receive is one that another person will not! We have to stop talking about them as external events and bring them internal!

There will always be things in our lives that we just don't know what to do with. Was God there, was He not there, where was He, why did He help this person find their car keys and then let my husband die from cancer, when were blessings tied to my actions and when did He simply give me grace despite my actions? This is where the question of grace comes in.

Probably one of the best ways I’ve heard grace described was this: “We do not earn grace... Its fruits are expressed in our righteousness.” (From The Temple by Ed J. Pinegar p. 57). 

Ed J. Pinegar's book The Temple explains grace as a power that comes from God to enable us to do good works. Acts 10:38 explains "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Bro. Pinegar explains that “these scriptures surely demonstrate that our works follow our faith and conversion to Christ and that the good we do comes from God and the power He puts into us.” (p. 57) He continues, “Instead of being a checkoff list of things to do, the commandments become a joyful expression of the love of God, the empowerment of the atonement, and the grace of God in our lives. ... We not only obtain a hope in Christ, but Christ empowers us, perfects us, and becomes our strength, too, ‘for in his strength [we] can do all things’ (Alma 26:12).” (p. 58)

Sometimes we need a little extra push to even have a desire to do good. Philippians 2:13 says that “it is God which worketh in you both TO WILL and TO DO his good pleasure.” He works in us to give us even a desire to do good works--that is his grace! But we cannot recognize or be open to that grace if we never act in faith to draw ourselves closer to Him.

Bro. Pinegar discusses in his book how worshipping God endows us with His power to do good (see p. 55). We are enabled and empowered when we worship! Sometimes we need that power outside ourselves, even just to go out and serve. God's grace helps us WANT to do good.

Finally, an important reminder in the scriptures: "Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things." (Jacob 4:7)


As I've studied, this is how I have come to understand Grace versus Blessings:

• Grace is unconditional and applicable to existence and the world a whole. Blessings are typically much more personal and specific.
• When we're really struggling, we feel a need for more control and we feel like we need to "do" our way out of the situation. But the real answer is that we need to simply "OFFER IT UP." Sit still, be open, receive whatever it is we're supposed to be receiving, GIVE AWAY CONTROL, and allow grace. That is when the real blessings come.
• Things falling apart are really a form of testing and even healing. We think we are supposed to get through it and have more control, but we need to allow room for grief, misery, healing, joy, growth. That is the essence of blessings. ***That is when you are really living for your blessings--not doing more, but allowing more.***
• Allowing grace is not about DOING, it is about BEING. 

I often connect blessings with actions and think that I will only receive good things from God if I "do" all the right things. Dallin H. Oaks spoke in 2009 about "love versus law," and I think this quote beautifully captures the essence of the relationship between actions and obedience: "The love of God is so universal that His perfect plan bestows many gifts on all of His children, even those who disobey His laws. Mortality is one such gift, bestowed on all who qualified in the War in Heaven. Another unconditional gift is the universal resurrection: 'For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive' (1 Corinthians 15:22). Many other mortal gifts are not tied to our personal obedience to law. As Jesus taught, our Heavenly Father 'maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust' (Matthew 5:45).

"If only we will listen, we can know of God’s love and feel it, even when we are disobedient. A woman recently returned to Church activity gave this description in a sacrament meeting talk: 'He has always been there for me, even when I rejected Him. He has always guided me and comforted me with His tender mercies all around me, but I [was] too angry to see and accept incidents and feelings as such.'"

He continues to clarify:

"God’s choicest blessings are clearly contingent upon obedience to God’s laws and commandments. The key teaching is from modern revelation:

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (D&C 130:20–21).

"This great principle helps us understand the why of many things, like justice and mercy balanced by the Atonement. It also explains why God will not forestall the exercise of agency by His children. Agency—our power to choose—is fundamental to the gospel plan that brings us to earth. God does not intervene to forestall the consequences of some persons’ choices in order to protect the well-being of other persons—even when they kill, injure, or oppress one another—for this would destroy His plan for our eternal progress. He will bless us to endure the consequences of others’ choices, but He will not prevent those choices."


I am sometimes internally guilted into doing good things because I feel like I will be "punished" otherwise, but my good works should simply be a reflection of my gratitude for God. He is really in charge, and without His grace we could do or be nothing. As I start focusing on ALLOWING more rather than DOING more I will naturally surrender my will to God's and recognize His hand more in my life. What a beautiful lesson!

What is the significance of the temple? How can we better appreciate it?

In the LDS Church, we are encouraged to attend the temple regularly. Inside the temple we are given gospel instruction and teachings that are meant to empower us and commit our lives more to God. I have always lived just minutes away from an LDS temple, and I recently found myself disengaged from the beauty and meaning of the temple. I decided to study why the temple is so essential, and why it is important in my life specifically.

I am a very disciplined person, and I like consistency. I have always been a weekly temple-goer, but recently it started to become monotonous and inconvenient. My sister, knowing that I live by a strict schedule, encouraged me to choose one activity I regularly do each week, and replace that with the temple. I decided to replace one of my gym days with the temple--doing this has helped me to make temple attendance a regular and expected part of my week, when I know exactly what day and time it will happen.


Why do we build temples?

LDS.org tells us: "From the days of the Old Testament, the Lord has commanded His people to build temples-sacred structures where He could teach, guide, and bless them. For example, the Lord told the Israelites to build a portable tabernacle that would be their temple while they traveled in the wilderness (see Exodus 26-27; 40:35). Additional Old Testament references to temples are found in 2 Chronicles 5:1-14; 7:1-2 (Temple of Solomon) and Ezra 3:1-13; 6:3 (Temple of Zerubbabel).

"When Jesus Christ was on the earth, the only existing temple was known as the Temple of Herod. Jesus was often found in this temple (see, for example, Luke 2:40-49; Matthew 21:10-14).

"After the rejection and deaths of Jesus's Apostles, there were no temples on the earth for many centuries. When the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in the early 1800s, the Lord again commanded His people to build temples (see D&C 88:119; see also section 95). The earliest temples of the restored Church were built in Ohio, Illinois, and eventually in Utah. Today, the Church has 150 operating temples around the world. Regardless of the place or time period, temples are the most sacred place on earth--a place where earth and heaven meet and where we feel close to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

President Gordon B. Hinckley, former president of the LDS Church, taught, "Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are sacred structures in which eternal questions are answered."

In temples we most often talk about the work we do for the dead, but what about the living who attend? What are the benefits of attending the temple regularly?

In 1993, Elder Dean L. Larsen of the presidency of the Quorum of the 70 taught, "There is [an] aspect of temple activity that has great importance for living members. I refer not only to the ordinances performed for the living but as well to the spiritually uplifting, strengthening influence in individual lives that results from regular temple attendance.

"In a world that is ripening in iniquity (see D&C 18:6), members of the Church face the challenge of sustaining a pattern of obedience to gospel principles that will result in their being increasingly different from the general behavioral trends of the world. This will require all of the spiritual reinforcement that can be drawn upon. Prayer, scripture study, participation in worship services, and the giving of service will become increasingly essential. The influence of the temple will be important as a part of this spiritual undergirding. . . .

"President Ezra Taft Benson has affirmed: 'Many parents, in and out of the Church, are concerned about protection against a cascading avalanche of wickedness which threatens to engulf [the world]. … There is a power associated with ordinances of heaven—even the power of godliness—which can and will thwart the forces of evil if we will but be worthy of those sacred [covenants made in the temple of the Lord]. … Our families will be protected, our children will be safeguarded as we live the gospel, visit the temple, and live close to the Lord.” (Atlanta Georgia Temple Cornerstone Laying, 1 June 1983.)

"Elder Boyd K. Packer has said, 'Our labors in the temple cover us with a shield and a protection, both individually and as a people.' (Boyd K. Packer, The Holy Temple, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980, p. 265.) He has also added: 'The Lord will bless us as we attend to the sacred ordinance work of the temples. Blessings there will not be limited to our temple service. We will be blessed in all of our affairs. We will be eligible to have the Lord take an interest in our affairs both spiritual and temporal.' (Ibid., p. 182.)

"In an address to the regional representatives of the Church on 6 April 1984, President Gordon B. Hinckley said, 'I am satisfied that if our people would attend the temple more, there would be less of selfishness in their lives. There would be less of absence of love in their relationships. There would be more of fidelity on the part of husbands and wives. There would be more of love and peace and happiness in the homes of our people.' (Regional Representatives’ Seminar, 6 Apr. 1984.)

"These are remarkable promises made by the Lord’s chosen servants to his people. Those who attend the temple regularly can attest to their validity. There is a definite connection between qualifying for the protecting and preserving powers of the Lord and regular temple attendance. The reverse is also true. When one does not go to the temple regularly, he is more susceptible to the world’s influence.

"As we contemplate the challenge of living faithful, happy, fulfilling lives in the 'perilous times' spoken of by the Apostle Paul (see 2 Tim. 3:1), we must draw upon all of the spiritual powers available to us. The temple is a principal source for the renewal of these powers.

"Heavenly Father will not fail in his promises to us if we do all that we can do to keep open the conduit of spiritual strength that is available to us. The temple will play an increasingly important role in this regard.

"In performing temple work, we not only provide an essential service for those who have passed on without opportunity to receive the ordinances of celestial life, but we also expose ourselves regularly to a spiritually refining influence that counteracts the growing forces of evil so commonly encountered in the world today. This is not the least of the blessings that come from regular temple activity."

So spiritual upliftment, strength, protection, power, love, and peace are but part of the blessings we receive from attending the temple. That sounds pretty good to me.

Another incredible blessing of attending the temple is that in there we are taught the most pure, natural doctrines of marriage and family. In a world that is quickly becoming confused about the order of the family, temple ordinances "reorient us to the natural order of the universe." Hugh Nibley taught, "'The earth temple [is] in the middle of everything, … around which all heavenly motions revolve, the knot that ties earth and heaven together.' Thus, the temple has the power to etch God’s natural laws of marriage and family life into our hearts" (Elder Bruce C. Hafen, "Temples and the Natural Order of Marriage").


So why should the temple be important for me?

I've read in the scriptures that God has commanded His people to worship in temples since ancient times. When the Lord restored His Church through the Prophet Joseph Smith, He directed that temples once again be built. I was blessed to born into the Church, so I have felt the presence of God as I've attended the temple. Having temples on the earth is a witness of God’s love for me and all His children.

Everything in the temple testifies that God is my Father and that Jesus Christ is His Son and the Savior of the world. This knowledge is the foundation for my life.

For me, the temple is sacred. It is a peaceful place where I can go to worship God. It is unique from all other places in the world, a refuge. It is centered around the family unit so it reminds me that my family can be united forever and that we can be blessed through sacred gospel ordinances. It is also a place where I can feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and a place to seek direction concerning life’s challenges.

The temple gives me an opportunity to serve. In addition to receiving my own temple ordinances, I can receive ordinances on behalf of my ancestors and others who have died without the opportunity to receive them. (Baptism, confirmation, and every other ordinance necessary for salvation.)

The temple helps me to access the atonement. It can help me during times of trial, if I'm really striving to turn to God. All the things we're commanded to do in the temple enable us to better access the atonement.

In order to even qualify to enter the temple we must live up to a very high standard. My desire to go to the temple pushes me to live a more righteous life outside the temple.

The temple teaches me things that remind me of the true order of marriage and family, so I will not get confused about false teachings of the world. I will have a stronger marriage: I'll be a better wife, mother, sister, and daughter.


In April 2016 Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Twelve Apostles taught about the keys of the priesthood. He emphasized temple attendance as an important way to "find the keys." The keys of the priesthood were restored by the prophet Elijah, and these keys "enable ordinances to take place in holy temples. Ordinances performed in these temples enable individuals and families to return to the presence of our heavenly parents."

An important part of going to the temple is researching our ancestors and findng names of those who never received temple ordinances. We have the opportunity to act as proxy in behalf of those who have died, to give them the chance to accept all the ordinances of the gospel and receive the full blessings of the priesthood. These keys allow families to be sealed together for eternity.

The temple is a place for us to receive knowledge and divine instruction from God. A temple dedicatory prayer in D&C 109 tells us:

13 And that all people who shall enter upon the threshold of the Lord’s house may feel thy power, and feel constrained to acknowledge that thou hast sanctified it, and that it is thy house, a place of thy holiness . . .

14 And do thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house may be taught words of wisdom out of the best books, and that they may seek learning even by study, and also by faith, as thou hast said;

15 And that they may grow up in thee, and receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost, and be organized according to thy laws, and be prepared to obtain every needful thing;

16 And that this house may be a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of glory and of God, even thy house;

17 That all the incomings of thy people, into this house, may be in the name of the Lord;

18 That all their outgoings from this house may be in the name of the Lord;

19 And that all their salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with holy hands, uplifted to the Most High;

20 And that no unclean thing shall be permitted to come into thy house to pollute it;

21 And when thy people transgress, any of them, they may speedily repent and return unto thee, and find favor in thy sight, and be restored to the blessings which thou hast ordained to be poured out upon those who shall reverence thee in thy house.

22 And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them;

23 And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand, to fulfil that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days.

24 We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship, and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity;

25 That no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself;

26 That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house;

. . . 5 That the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people.


My closing thoughts...

Two verses that I think capture a significant lesson relating to the temple come from the story of Nephi building a ship in the Book of Mormon:

"Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.

"And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things" (1 Nephi 18:2-3).

To me, these verses are symbolic of the way we should live our lives in order to be worthy of the temple and receive divine revelation from the Lord. As we "work the timbers" or live our lives in the manner of the Lord, He will direct us in ways different than the "manner of men." Oftentimes in the scriptures the "mount" represents the temple--many prophets have gone to the mountains to pray and be with God, and they have come back changed or with new direction. As we go "into the mount" or into the temple oft, and "pray oft unto the Lord," He will show unto us "great things."

In 1992 April general conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley referenced Paul's description of Latter-day Saints as "a peculiar people." He said, "If the world continues its present trend, and if you walk in obedience to the doctrines and principles of this church, you may become even more peculiar in the eyes of others." Members of the Church are taught divine values based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, and these teachings constitute "a code of ethics, a code of values, a code of divine doctrine" which Latter-day Saints are expected to live by. Pres. Hinckley promised, "If you will shape your lives according to their pattern, I do not hesitate to promise that you will know much of peace and happiness, of growth and achievement. . . . I challenge you to rise above the sordid elements of the world about you."

The temple is a refuge that allows us to "rise above" the world. As we live the values we are taught, we prepare ourselves to enter the house of the Lord where we are instructed further. And, most importantly of all, temples all around the world are preparing the world for the Second Coming of our Savior Jesus Christ: "And even so I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people, and for the Gentiles to seek to it, and to be a messenger before my face to prepare the way before me" (D&C 45:9).

What is the holy order of matrimony that is referred to when we enter into the marriage covenant?

This phrase, "holy order of matrimony," has come up many times in my study of the covenant of marriage. A simple definition of matrimony is "the state or ceremony of being married; marriage."

The Catholic Church Code of Canon Law (Canon 1055) says, "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring." The root matr- comes from the Latin word mater which means "mother," and the suffix -mony refers to "a state of being, a function, or a role." The full word matrimony describes the state that makes a woman a mother, highlighting the central role of reproduction and childbearing in marriage. (See https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-matrimony-542851)

In the LDS Church, the covenant of marriage includes more that just the relationship between the man and the woman. The focal point of marriage is the Atonement of Jesus Christ, as illustrated in the story of Adam and Eve. Elder Bruce C. Hafen, a former member of the Quorum of the 70, explained it this way: "The temple’s primal story is quite consciously the story of a married couple who help one another face continuous mortal opposition. For only in confronting that sometimes-miserable opposition could they learn to comprehend true joy. . . . Because of the Atonement, we can learn from our experiences without being condemned by them. And receiving the Atonement, as Adam and Eve did, is not just a doctrine about erasing black marks; it is the core doctrine that allows human development. Thus, Christ’s sacrifice didn’t just return them to an Eden of innocence. That would be a story with no plot and no character growth. Rather, they left the garden holding on to each other and moving forward, together, into the world in which we now live."

So this holy order of matrimony includes a covenant with our Savior Jesus Christ so that we can utilize his atonement to magnify the husband-wife relationship and receive the strength of the Lord. The beauty of the temple of the Lord is that it reorients us to the truth, or "the natural order of the universe, including the natural order of marriage. Like the ancient mariner, we look to the heavens to get our bearings--and we do that through the temple."

When we enter into the marriage covenant, we are also promised that we will receive the same blessings promised to the prophet Abraham. Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated, "This is the occasion when the promises of eternal increase are made, and it is then specified that those who keep the covenants made there shall be inheritors of all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith (1985), 508–509.)

I initially became curious about the "holy order of matrimony" because the same promise is given to those that are dead when their ordinances are performed in modern LDS temples. Those who did not have a chance to be sealed in the covenant of marriage in this life can be sealed vicariously in temples. Elder McConkie said, "The promises are the provisions of the Abrahamic covenant whereby the seed of the ancient patriarchs are entitled to receive the priesthood, the gospel, and eternal life (including celestial marriage). We are the children, and after we receive these blessings for ourselves, our attention turns almost by instinct to the well-being of our ancestors who died without a knowledge of the gospel. We are Abraham's seed, and they were Abraham's seed . . . through Jacob, and through the house of Israel. It thus becomes our privilege, on the basis of salvation for the dead, to search out our ancestors--to whom the same blessings have been promised as have come to us--and to make these blessings available to them through the vicarious ordinances of the house of the Lord." (A New Witness, 508–509.)

To summarize, in the beautiful words of Elder McConkie, "As the crowning cause for wonderment, that God who is no respecter of persons has given a like promise [to that of Abraham and Joseph Smith] to every [member] in the kingdom who has gone to the holy temple and entered into the blessed order of matrimony there performed. Every person married in the temple for time and for all eternity has sealed upon him, conditioned upon his faithfulness, all of the blessings of the ancient patriarchs, including the crowning promise and assurance of eternal increase, which means, literally, a posterity as numerous as the dust particles of the earth.” (The Millennial Messiah (1982), 264.)

The ordinances we receive in the temples of the Lord provide purpose and perspective for all the other gospel principles and ordinances. The sealing power and holy order of matrimony connect us with all of the Saints (past, present, and future), and ensure the continuation of all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

What do some of Isaiah's writings mean as quoted in the Book of Mormon?

One of the prophets in the Book of Mormon, Nephi, built many of his writings around the words of Isaiah. Because of this, we know Isaiah's words are important to study and understand. As I read through Nephi's writings and other references to Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, I pondered how I could understand these verses better.

To be honest, these chapters have taken me months to study and ponder. I have read only one or two verses a day to really understand their deeper meaning. There is no way I could list everything I have learned here, but I want to share some significant highlights that really stood out to me.


1. Nephi quotes Isaiah in 1 Nephi 20 to teach of Christ. As I read this chapter I discovered some powerful commentaries that I will share here.

In 1 Nephi 20:10, the Lord says, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." No person goes through this life without suffering some sort of afflictions. That is why we are here--to struggle and go through trials, and ultimately to learn to turn to our Savior for guidance.

In a talk given in the 1997 BYU Women's Conference, it was said,

"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven."

In the book All These Shall Give Thee Experience, it states,

"He knows, being omniscient, how we will cope with affliction beforehand. But we do not know this. We need, therefore, the refining that God gives to us, though we do not seek or crave such tribulation.

"Is not our struggling amid suffering and chastening in a way like the efforts of the baby chicken still in the egg? It must painfully and patiently make its own way out of the shell. To help the chick by breaking the egg for it could be to kill it. Unless it struggles itself to break outside its initial constraints, it may not have the strength to survive thereafter.

"Afflictions can soften us and sweeten us, and can be a chastening influence. (See Alma 62:41) We often think of chastening as something being done to punish us, such as by a mortal tutor who is angry and peevish with us. Divine chastening, however, is a form of learning as it is administered at the hands of a loving Father. (See Helaman 12:3.)

"Elder James E. Faust of the Council of the Twelve has said, 'In the pain, the agony, and the heroic endeavors of life, we pass through the refiner's fire, and the insignificant and the unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright, intact, and strong.' (Ensign, May 1979, p. 53.) Elder Faust continued, 'This change comes about through a refining process which often seems cruel and hard. In this way the soul can become like soft clay in the hands of the Master.'"

I love the idea that we are soft clay in Christ's hands. He gives us afflictions to shape us and mold us, to help us grow into the Christlike beings He wants us to become.


2. Later in the Book of Mormon, Abinadi preaches repentance using the words of Isaiah. As I read about the atonement of Jesus Christ in Mosiah 14, I loved this commentary that I found from Elder Melvin J. Ballard:

"'In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even He could not endure it any longer; and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so He bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that He had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when He might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that He did not fail us, for He had not only the love of his Son in mind, but He also had love for us. I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men."

Continuing to read Mosiah 15, I found more commentaries about the great sacrifice of our Savior. One comes from Tad R. Callister in his book The Infinite Atonement: 

"Oh, the magnitude of that sacrifice, that condescension! That night, God the Son traded his heavenly home with all its celestial adornments for a mortal abode with all its primitive trappings. He, the King of heaven (Alma 5:50), the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth (Mosiah 3:5), left a throne to inherit a manger. He exchanged the dominion of a god for the dependence of a babe. He gave up wealth, power, dominion, and the fullness of his glory—for what?—for taunting, mocking, humiliation, and subjection. It was a trade of unparalleled dimension, a condescension of incredible proportions, a descent of incalculable depth. And so, the great Jehovah, creator of worlds without number, infinite in virtue and power, made his entry into this world in swaddling clothes and a manger."

Incredible.

3. Mosiah 15:2-3 caught my eye because I have heard confusion around the concept of Christ being the Father and the Son. I wanted to understand better this concept, and here is the insights I found through my research (through multiple resources that I did not record...Anybody who is interested in researching this topic more can ask me for resources):

• The roles of Father and Son when referring to Christ are symbolic rather than biological. 
• To the House of Israel, Christ is Father because the people become His sons and daughters. 
• To God the Father, Christ is Son because He subjects His will to the Father.
• What the Father does for His Son, the Son does for His sons and daughters.
• Christ is the Father:
• Of those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is made possible through His atonement.
• Of this earth--He created the earth under the direction of the Father.
• Because He has been given the power to represent and act for His Father on the earth.
• In the sense of the dictionary definitions of "father": "one to whom respect is due," "one who cares as a father might," "an originator, source, or prototype," and "one who claims or accepts responsibility."
• Christ is the Son:
• Because He was the Firstborn of God in the Spirit.
• As the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh.
• Because He submitted His will to His Father.

Christ's will was completely swallowed up in the will of His Father. (See Mosiah 15:7.) In his book That Ye May Believe, Neal A. Maxwell said that this means "being totally enveloped--without question, protest, reservation, or resentment. It is 'all the way,' not halfway. Choosing such spiritual submission is the highest act of deliberate, individual will."

Because Christ submitted completely to His Father's will, He represented His Father on earth and thus can be referred to as the "Father." This research really helped me to understand the concept of Christ taking the roles of both the Father and the Son.

4. In Mosiah 16:3, Abinadi teaches about the Fall of Adam and Eve, and how that requires us to use the atonement of Jesus Christ to be saved. I learned that the Fall was not a fall from God's grace, but a fall from innocence. When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they "fell" into a state of knowledge. That necessary knowledge came at a price, but that knowledge gave them power. In the book Gospel Doctrine, Bryan Richards explains this idea further:

"Prior to the fall, Adam and Eve lacked the power that they had after they had learned the difference between good and evil. Similarly, a child is powerless, spiritually speaking, compared to the servant who is spiritually mature and yet has become as a little child, meek, submissive, etc. For Adam and Eve and us, it is a long road through the wilderness of the carnal, sensual, and devilish to return the innocence we had as a child (and that Adam and Eve had in the garden). But this is all according to the wisdom and knowledge of God. For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he…becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father (Mosiah 3:19). The Lord loves purity and innocence, but He would rather we make this difficult journey, from childhood innocence to the innocence of the childlike servant because the virtuous servant is so much more powerful. This power comes by virtue of his knowledge of good and mastery over evil."

5. Because Christ overcame both physical and spiritual death (both effects of the Fall; see Mosiah 16:7-8), these are the comforts we can receive when we experience the "sting of death" (as illustrated by Bryan Richards again):

• The compassion and mercy of Christ when someone loses a loved one.
• The knowledge of God's plan of salvation.
• Sealing ordinances of the temple.
• Death not being frightful or painful to the righteous (see D&C 42:46).
• The atonement. The sting of death is sin, and Christ has already overcome all the effects of sin, so when we repent before we die, we can rest from all of our trials and sins.

6. Anybody familiar with scripture knows that Jesus Christ is often referred to as the "light of the world." In what ways is He a "light"? In Bryan Richards' Gospel Doctrine, he explained:

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). How many ways is Christ the light and the life of the world? He is the light of truth, the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not (D&C 6:21). He is the intelligence of the world, for The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth (D&C 93:36). He gives all of us the light of Christ, the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings (D&C 88:11). He is the literal giver of life through his light, The light…giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God (D&C 88:13). He is the giver of life by virtue of the resurrection, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (Jn 11:25). Christ is the literal source of power for the light of the sun, moon, and stars, he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made (D&C 88:7-9). Lastly, he will replace the sun as the source of light for the inhabitants of the celestial kingdom, the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof (Rev 21:23).

The prophet Joseph F. Smith told us:

"But the thing for us to do is to live according to the light and intelligence that God has revealed to us in this dispensation, that we may be in harmony with the heavenly powers and with heavenly beings, and especially with our Lord Jesus Christ, who stands at our head, who is our lawgiver, our exemplar, and the way of life and salvation to all the world, through whom we may enter into the celestial kingdom of God, and without whom we can never enter that state of glory worlds without end. He is the way, the light and life of the world; and whosoever will obey the commandments He has given, and do the works which he has done, and commanded us to do, shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have in them the light of life.” (Journal of Discourses, vol 22, Jan. 29, 1882)


I hope these random insights help somebody out there in some way :) They sure helped me.

How many times will the Savior forgive?

I am the type of person who loves perfection. I love being in control of my life and doing things right. But I have one weakness that I have never seemed to overcome completely. I have always been an emotional eater, and at times it has gotten completely out of hand. There have been moments when all I could do was pray and give myself completely to God, knowing that I couldn't overcome this struggle on my own. Sometimes I have felt hopeless because I messed up again and again and didn't think I could ever overcome this weakness. I have wondered if the Savior really would help me again and again. And again. (To see a post I wrote about this, click on this link: "Food, Self Worth, and the Real Me" ... and here is the follow-up post.)

The following is a friend's recent post on Facebook. It was very timely, and something I needed to hear. She shares a beautiful testimony about families and the hope of eternal life, and then she illustrates the Savior's ability to forgive.

This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of Christ.



These past few months I've been challenging myself to recognize the blessings in my life and become more grateful for them. I am so so thankful for the atonement. Knowing that it is not the end when we have made mistakes is such a powerful thing to know. We have second chances. Third chances, fourth chances, and fifth chances even. However many chances it takes for us to get things right, The Lord is waiting and wanting to forgive. That knowledge to me is priceless. As long as we are striving, struggling, and desiring, the Lord is waiting with a forgiving heart and open arms. At times when I have made wrong choices and felt that I could not carry on, I have felt overwhelming peace and reassurance that the Lord has mercy and enough love to carry me through tough times. I'm thankful for trials big and small so that we are able to come closer to our Savior and have him help us through. I love knowing that we all have the same end goal in mind, just how we get there is different. I love love love the gospel with all of my heart, and my great family who would do anything for me. I'm thankful for a forgiving Savior and brother who has paid for my mistakes. I'm thankful for the knowledge that none of us are perfect, yet are capable of a perfect love, and lastly I'm thankful for our Father in Heaven who wants the best for us and is waiting until we are with him again.

Each of us struggles with something. And each of us messes up, sometimes once, sometimes twice, sometimes over and over and over again. How can the Savior love us enough to continue to forgive us?

Although we may feel otherwise, Jesus Christ wants to forgive us. In an April 2013 conference talk, Elder Craig A. Cardon said that Christ "does not excuse us in our sins. He does not condone our return to past sins. But when we repent and obey His gospel, He forgives us. . . . If we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the enabling power of His Atonement strengthens us in our moment of need, and His redeeming power sanctifies us as we '[put] off the natural man.' This brings hope to all, especially to those who feel that recurring human weakness is beyond the Savior's willingness to help and to save." This last sentence is crucial in our repentance process, and it is a principle I am still trying to understand. For me, the most important thing to remember is that no matter how many times I sin, I can always come to my Savior and ask Him for strength to overcome my sins. It doesn't seem fair to me that I can mess up so many times and He will continue to give me chances, but because of that I am eternally grateful. He will never give up on me. Or anyone. The beauty of this principle is that "He allows for improvement over time rather than demanding immediate perfection." We have a lifetime to become like Him.

John 12:47-50 - Does Christ judge us for our sins?

"And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak."

These verses stuck out to me today because I have been reminded many times recently of the power of Christ's Atonement. I was asked to offer a prayer yesterday with a group of women after we had each shared our simple testimonies of Jesus Christ. I don't believe I've ever offered a more thankful and sincere prayer. I have recently heard several examples of the enabling power of the Atonement changing people to become better. My testimony of the power to change has grown, and Christ's sacrifice has become more personal to me.

These verses teach me that Christ was never here to judge us. His purpose was never to condemn us for our sins. His purpose has always been to help us and save us from our sins. He was sent to earth simply to accomplish the will of His Father, which was to teach His word and help people know how to find everlasting life through Him. It is not Christ who judges us--it is the word of God. When we sin, God's law condemns us, but when we repent and keep His commandments, His law saves and renews us.

Moroni 10:32-33 - How do we become perfect in Christ through the Atonement? How does grace fit in?

Moroni says, "If ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ. . . . And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot."

It almost sounds like we have to become perfect before we can receive God's grace and remission of sins through the power of the atonement. But that is fortunately not the case. God doesn't wait for us to become perfect before He blesses us, because that would be impossible. Instead of waiting at the top of the hill of life, Christ is walking right beside us. We are not alone. The atonement isn't just about making it to the end, it's a process of human development.

In 2 Nephi 25:23, Nephi says "that it is by grace we are saved, after all we can do." Again, it seems that we cannot be saved until after we have done everything that we can. But the word after is referring to a form of separation rather than a form of time. God's grace is sufficient for us despite all we can do. We receive grace before, during, and after we do all that we can.
It is quite exhausting to think of all that we need to do to qualify for God's grace. We go, go, go because we love God and we know that nothing we can do is sufficient to pay Him back for the atonement. That's where we're wrong. God accepts any sacrifice we can give, even when we both know it's not our all. We love God, but He loves us too. We need to accept His sacrifice, not try to impress Him with all the sacrifices we're trying to make. When we find ourselves only halfway there, rather than getting discouraged we just need to turn to God. Every step of ours is noticed and appreciated by God. (See Brad Wilcox, The Continuous Atonement.)

It looks like it isn't God's grace that is insufficient, it is our own actions. God's grace is always there. But it is not sufficient for us until we become "perfect in Christ," which means we are always striving to follow His example. It is up to us to be worthy enough to receive of God's grace. A great example from the scriptures that illustrates this point is found in Mosiah 18 where Alma organizes the Church of Christ and ordains priests. Verse 26 says, "And the priests were not to depend on the people for their support; but for their labor they were to receive the grace of God, that they might wax strong in the Spirit, having the knowledge of God, that they might teach with power and authority from God." We are not to depend on other people but our own labor in order to receive the grace of God. That is how we will gain spiritual knowledge and grace.

Verse 33 says the Father is under covenant to remit our sins when we become perfect in Christ. It is part of a spiritual and everlasting covenant for God to forgive us of our sins when we truly repent and come unto Christ. That means we have the power to become perfect through Christ! D&C 82:10 reads, "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." He is bound by covenant to bless us when we follow His commandments. I don't think we realize how powerful our agency actually is. When we choose the right, we are guaranteed to receive of God's blessings. How cool!!

Something else interesting I found comes from Alma 32. In this chapter, Alma compares God's word to a seed that cannot grow unless it is planted and nourished. Verses 38-39 read, "If ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out. Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof." So we have a choice whether or not we will nourish the seed. God's word is always good, but it is up to us to plant it in our hearts and nourish it. God's grace is always present, but we must do our part in order for it to take effect in our lives.

Mosiah 15:11-12 - Who is Christ's seed?

11 Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.

12 For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?

Those who accept God's word and are baptized into his church become heirs to the kingdom of God. Every person baptized into the church becomes a part of Abraham's posterity and enjoys the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant.

We cannot become like Christ and receive the spiritual blessings of being God's seed if we are not willing to do our part. Bruce C. Hafen of the first Quorum of the Seventy said, "The Savior’s grace blesses [us] if we do our part. . . . We need grace both to overcome sinful weeds and to grow divine flowers. We can do neither one fully by ourselves. But grace is not cheap. . . .If we desire 'all that [the] Father hath' (D&C 84:38),  God asks all that we have. To qualify for such exquisite treasure, in whatever way is ours, we must give the way Christ gave—every drop He had: 'How exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not' (D&C 19:15). Paul said, 'If so be that we suffer with him,' we are 'joint-heirs with Christ' (Romans 8:17). All of His heart, all of our hearts" (Ensign, "The Atonement, All for All," May 2004).

So we must do everything in our power to live righteously if we want to receive of God's grace. However, this does not mean God will not bless us along the way. The reason Christ suffered the atonement was so that He could understand all of our trials, pains, sufferings, etc. He suffered so that He could help us along the way. He isn't going to watch us struggle on our own until we're about to give up--He is right by our side the whole way.

We will receive the greatest blessings of the Abrahamic covenant if we keep our end of our covenants with God. We must keep our promises to follow His commandments and stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places, and in return God will bless us with His Spirit to guide us. We will be more in tune with the Spirit and more able to recognize God's hand in our lives.

Why Is Jesus Christ's Atonement Necessary?

Christ's atonement was enough that it "satisfied the demands of justice" (Mosiah 15:9). Without the atonement, there would be no mercy--we would have to suffer completely for our own sins. That is a huge deal. Every whit of God's law points to Christ's "great and last sacrifice" (Alma 34:14). The atonement overpowers justice.

However, that doesn't mean that justice doesn't exist. If we don't exercise faith and repent, the demands of justice will take over (Alma 42:22).

The great part is, we always can repent and return to God! All because of Christ's atonement! No matter what we do, no matter how far we stray from God, we can always come back.