ON

THE ATONEMENT

I. INTRODUCTION

"Gordon B." Robe story from mission

II. BEGINNINGS

A. War in Heaven

1. Father's Plan
   • Children allowed to exercise agency, even to become unclean
   • Few Children to receive Eternal Life, at great personal sacrifice and committment
   • Because all would commit sins, Atonement required to allow for any Children to return
   • Jehovah to be Savior through Atonement
   • Glory to be given to Father

   Lucifer's (Something for Nothing) Plan

   • Children to be prevented from committing any sins
   • All children to receive Eternal Life without any effort on their part.
   • With no one committing sins, there would be no need for repentence nor an Atonement.
   • Lucifer wanted to be the Savior without having to suffer the Atonement.
   • Glory to be given to Lucifer

   Lucifer not chosen; he and followers cast to the earth.

III. FALL OF ADAM

A. Human Temporal (First) Death

1. Separation of Spirit from Body
   • Genesis 3:19
   • Alma 40:6

B. Human Spiritual (Second) Dealth

1. Separation of Children from Father
   • a. Alma 42:9
   • b. Helaman 14:16

C. Earth's Fall

1. In Space
   • Brigham Young said,

     "When man fell, the earth fell into space, and took up its abode in this planetary system, and the sun became our light." Journal of Discourses 17:143 (see also 9:317) as cited in Hyrum Andrus, God, Man, and the Universe, p. 373.

2. From Terrestial to Telestial
   • Article of Faith #10

IV. REDEMPTION

A. Calvary

1. Resolve Temporal Death
   • 1 Corinthians 15:21-22
   • Alma 11:42
   • John 10:17-18
   • John 5:26-27

B. Gethsemane

1. Resolve Spiritual Death
   • 1 John 2:2
   • Articles of Faith #2 & #3

C. General

1. Resolve Earth's Death
   • DC 77:12 (ALL THINGS-twice)
2. Non-Earth Creations

   "We heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father -- that by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants therof are begotten sons and daughters unto God." DC 76:23-24 "That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him." DC 76: 42

   And,

   Joseph Smith wrote:
   
   And I heard a great voice, bearing record from heav'n,
   He's the Savior, and only begotten of God --
   By him, of him, and through him, the worlds were all made,
   Even all that career in the heavens so broad.
   Whose inhabitants, too, from the first to the last,
   Are sav'd by the very same Savior our ours;
   And, of course, are begotten God's daughters and sons,
   By the very same truths, and the very same pow'rs.
   . . . . . .
   'Tis decreed that he'll save all the works of his hands,
   And sanctify them by his own precious blood;
   And purify earth for the Sabbath of rest,
   By the agent of fire as it was by the flood.
   The Saviour will save all his Father did give,
   Even all that he gave in the regions abroad,
   Save the sons of perdition -- they are lost, ever lost!
   And can never return to the presence of God.
   
   Times and Seasons, 4: 82-83 (1 February 1843) as cited in Hyrum Andrus, God, Man, and the Universe, pp. 413-4.

V. BAPTISM & SACRAMENT

A. These are the two most important ordinances of the Gospel

1. Why? Because these two ordinances personalize the Atonement
2. These are the only two required for entry to Celestial Kingdom

B. Covenents

1. Take upon self the name of Christ
2. Always remember Atoning Sacrifice
3. Keep Commandments
4. Holy Ghost to be with us

C. Bread (Represents the Body of Christ)

1. Problem: Adam's introduction of mortality
2. Solution: Christ's body came back to life (Resurrection)
3. Reason: Save us from temporal death
4. Effect: Blessing of Immortality (Salvation)
5. Price: Unconditional free gift to all

D. Water (Represents the Blood of Christ)

1. Problem: Adam's introduction of Sin
2. Solution: Christ bled from every pore/hands/feet/side (Atonement)
3. Reason: Save us from spiritual death
4. Effect: Blessing of Eternal Life (Exaltation)
5. Price: Conditional upon repentance

E. After both ordinances we can be free from sin

1. President Hinckley in his conference talk said the assembled Apostles partook of the Sacrament before they discussed the selection of the new president of the church. Why was it so important to take the Sacrament? I believe so they could be absolutely clean to receive the strong inspiration--and possibly the presense--of the Savior in their decision making process.

VI. GROUND ZERO

A. Meridian of Time (See Definition)
B. Most Central Doctrine of the Gospel

1. Hebrews 9:15 (JST) - "And for this cause He is the Mediator of the New Covenant, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance."
2. Every principle and practice is connected directly or indirectly to Atonement
   • Heart of the Temple Ceremony

C. Without Atonement, all creation is wasted
D. Without Atonement, Heavenly Father ceases to be God, because He is without a raison d'être (Moses 1:39)
E. EVERYTHING AND EVERY PERSON (whether they know it or not) HANGS ONTO THE ATONEMENT (The Father, The Son, us, and the Universe)

VII. MEANING

A. DC 19:16-19
B. Most sins will be paid for twice, because they will be unrepented

VIII. CONCLUSION

A. Wrap up in the Robe of the Atonement

IX. REFERENCES

A. Significant Scriptural Sections

1. Exodus 29, 30
2. Leviticus 4,5,14,16
3. Numbers 8
4. Romans 8
5. 2 Nephi 9
6. Jacob 4
7. Mosiah 3,4
8. Alma 42

B. Significant Non-Scriptural Sections

1. Articles of Faith by James Talmadge, chapter 4
2. Jesus the Christ by James Talmadge, chapters 3, 33, 35, 37

C. Distribution of Scriptural References (number of words)

NOTE: Over 90% of these references were written before Christ came to earth (including B of M).

D. Verses where words "Adam" and "Christ" are simultaneously cited

1. Genesis (JST) 6:60
2. 1 Corinthians 15:22
3. Mosiah 3:16,19
4. Alma 22:13; 40:18
5. Mormon 3:20; 9:12
6. Moroni 8:8
7. DC 128:21
8. Moses 6:57

E. Definitions from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition is licensed from Houghton Mifflin Company. Copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

atonement (e-tonÆment) noun
1. Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.
2. a. Theology. Reconciliation or an instance of reconciliation between God and human beings. b. Atonement. The redemptive life and death of Jesus. c. Atonement. The reconciliation of God and human beings brought about by Jesus.
3. Christian Science. The radical obedience and purification, exemplified in the life of Jesus, by which humanity finds oneness with God.
4. Obsolete. Reconciliation; concord.

redeem (rî-dêmÆ) verb, transitive
redeemed, redeeming, redeems
1. To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum.
2. To pay off (a promissory note, for example).
3. To turn in (coupons, for example) and receive something in exchange.
4. To fulfill (a pledge, for example).
5. To convert into cash: redeem stocks.
6. To set free; rescue or ransom.
7. To save from a state of sinfulness and its consequences. See Synonyms at save.
8. To make up for: The low price of the clothes dryer redeems its lack of special features.
9. To restore the honor, worth, or reputation of: You botched the last job but can redeem yourself on this one.
[Middle English redemen, from Old French redimer, from Latin redimere : re-, red-, re- + emere, to buy.]
- redeemÆable adjective

save (sâv) verb
saved, saving, saves verb, transitive
1. a. To rescue from harm, danger, or loss. b. To set free from the consequences of sin; redeem.
2. To keep in a safe condition; safeguard.
3. To prevent the waste or loss of; conserve.
4. To set aside for future use; store.
5. To treat with care by avoiding fatigue, wear, or damage; spare: save one's eyesight.
6. To make unnecessary; obviate: Your taking the trunk to the attic has saved me an extra trip.
7. a. Sports. To prevent (a goal, score, or win by an opponent). b. Baseball. To preserve (another pitcher's win) by protecting one's team's lead during a stint of relief pitching.
8. Computer Science. To copy (a file) from a computer's main memory to a disk or other storage medium so that it can be used again.

verb, intransitive
1. To avoid waste or expense; economize.
2. To accumulate money: saving for a vacation.
3. To preserve a person or thing from harm or loss.

[Middle English saven, from Old French sauver, from Late Latin salvâre, from Latin salvus, safe.]
- savÆable or saveÆable adjective
- savÆer noun
Synonyms: save, rescue, reclaim, redeem, deliver. These verbs are compared in the sense of freeing a person or thing from danger, evil, confinement, or servitude. Save, the most general, applies to an act of keeping safe or preserving from danger, harm, or the consequences of evil: The smallpox vaccine has saved many lives. A police officer saved the tourist from being cheated. Rescue usually implies saving from immediate harm or danger by direct action: rescue a rare manuscript from a fire; rescued sailors from a torpedoed ship. Reclaim, applied to people, means to bring back, as from error to virtue or to right or proper conduct; it can also mean to return a thing to usefulness or productivity: "To reclaim me from this course of life was the sole cause of his journey to London" (Henry Fielding). "The foundations of the capital were gradually reclaimed from the watery element" (William Hickling Prescott). To redeem is to free someone from captivity or the consequences of sin or error or to save something from pawn or from deterioration or destruction; the term can imply the expenditure of money or effort: The price exacted by the hijackers for redeeming the hostages was extortionate. He redeemed his ring from the pawnbroker. Deliver in this comparison applies to liberating people from something such as misery, peril, error, or evil: "consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them" (George Washington).

meridian (me-rîdÆê-en) noun
Abbr. m., M., mer.
1. a. An imaginary great circle on the earth's surface passing through the North and South geographic poles. All points on the same meridian have the same longitude. b. Either half of such a great circle from pole to pole.
2. Astronomy. A great circle passing through the two poles of the celestial sphere and the zenith of a given observer.
3. Mathematics. a. A curve on a surface of revolution, formed by the intersection of the surface with a plane containing the axis of revolution. b. A plane section of a surface of revolution containing the axis of revolution.
4. Any of the longitudinal lines or pathways on the body along which the acupuncture points are distributed.
5. Archaic. a. The highest point in the sky reached by the sun or another celestial body; a zenith. b. Noon.
6. The highest point or stage of development; peak: "Men come to their meridian at various periods of their lives" (John Henry Newman).
7. Upper Midwest.See median strip. See Regional Note at neutral ground.

adjective
1. Of or relating to a meridian; meridional.
2. Of or at midday: the meridian hour.
3. Of, relating to, or constituting the highest point, as of development or power: the empire in its meridian period.
[Middle English, from Old French, midday, from Latin merìdiânus, of midday, from merìdiês, midday, from merìdiê, at midday, from Old Latin *mediei diê : *mediei, dative (locative) of medius, middle + diê, dative of diês, day.]

F. Synonyms from Roget's Thesaurus of English words and phrases is licensed from Longman Group UK Limited. Copyright © 1962, 1982, 1987 by Longman Group UK Limited. All rights reserved.

Atonement: propitiation (noun)
propitiation, expiation, satisfaction, reconciliation, conciliation, PACIFICATION, reclamation, redemption, DIVINE FUNCTION, sacrifice, offering, burnt offering, peace offering, sin offering, OBLATION, sin-eater, scapegoat, whipping boy, chopping block, SUBSTITUTE

Atonement: atone (verb)
atone, salve one's conscience, make amends, make reparation, offer reparation, indemnify, compensate, pay compensation, make it up to, apologize, make apologies, offer one's apologies, say one is sorry, BEG PARDON, propitiate, conciliate, PACIFY, give satisfaction, offer satisfaction, RESTITUTE, redeem one's error, repair one's fault, make up for, make or put matters right, be restored to favor, sacrifice to, offer sacrifice, expiate, pay the penalty, pay the forfeit, pay the cost, smart for it, BE PUNISHED, become the whipping boy, make oneself the scapegoat, BE DISINTERESTED, reclaim, redeem

Mediation: mediator (noun)
mediator, common friend, middleman, matchmaker, go-between, pimp, pander, Pandarus, negotiator, INTERMEDIARY, arbitrator, umpire, ump, referee, ref, ESTIMATOR, diplomat, diplomatist, representative, attorney, agent, press agent, spokesperson, DELEGATE, intercessor, pleader, propitiator, moderating influence, peace party, peace movement, MODERATOR, pacifier, pacificator, troubleshooter, ombudsman, marriage counselor, guidance counselor, family conciliation, ADVISER, peacemaker, dove