This week in class we learned from the writings of Isaiah and Jacob.
In the last couple weeks we’ve learned about the Fall, the Atonement, the Resurrection and how all 3 are inseparably connected.
Without the Fall, we would have no need for an Atonement. And without the Atonement, we would have no way of overcoming physical and spiritual death. And without the Resurrection, we would have no way of returning to live with our Heavenly Father.
So let me break it down.
The Fall
Had Adam and Eve not partaken of the fruit, they would never know good or evil, lightness or darkness, right or wrong, as all things have opposites. Heavenly Father’s plan was that we would come to earth to learn from the mistakes we would make and thereby grow our spiritual being. “Adam fell that men [and women] might be; and men [and women] are, that they might have joy”. By partaking of the fruit, we all are now able to learn right from wrong. And if we truly have a change of heart and change our ways, this is when we can truly be happy. This brings us to the Atonement.
The Atonement
This quote: “men [and women] are, that they might have joy” has a key word in it. Do you see it? The keyword is “might”. Why might? Because of this fall, we now need to have a way to be forgiven of our sins. Jesus Christ died on the cross and bled in the garden of gethsemane to “Atone” for all the sins of all those who have lived or ever will live. All of us demand justice when we do wrong, but Christ steps in to take the blame, because he suffered for all our wrong doings. Because of this, he truly does understand our pains and our trials. I doubt I will ever fully understand the Atonement in this life. But I do know that Christ has an infinite love for all of us. I am so thankful for the love Christ offers us.
The Resurrection
After Jesus Christ died for us on the cross, 3 days later Mary came to his tomb to find it empty. Christ had conquered death. Christ had been resurrected. In short, because Christ had overcome physical death, ALL of us too will be resurrected. There 2 kinds of deaths we must overcome. The first is physical death. Because of Jesus Christ’s Atonement and Resurrection, we automatically will be resurrected regardless if we choose right or wrong. The second kind of death is Spiritual Death. This essentially means when we make bad decisions, we cannot dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Fortunately we can overcome this Spiritual Death through repentance, which is made possible through the Atonement.
Final Thoughts
So as you see, these 3 are purposely interconnected. Heavenly Father does have a plan, a plan of salvation. A plan that if choose to follow it, we can return to live with him again. I love my Savior and hope and pray I can continue to learn, grow and make my wrongs right through his merciful plan.
–Paul Wharff
