Teaching Scriptural Account of Atonement

20 But by the transgression of these holy laws man became sensual and devilish, and became fallen man.

21 Wherefore, the Almighty God gave his Only Begotten Son, as it is written in those scriptures which have been given of him. (emphasis added)

[The following is a discussion of the ordeal of the atonement as found in the scriptures.]

The Atonement is the chief expression of Christ's loving-kindness. He endured so many things. For instance, as prophesied, He was spat upon (see 1 Ne. 19:9). As foretold, He was struck and scourged (see Mosiah 3:9). Likewise, He was offered vinegar and gall while aflame with thirst (see Ps. 69:21).

Yet in His later description of His agonies, Jesus does not speak of those things. Instead, after the Atonement, there is no mention about His being spat upon, struck, or proffered vinegar and gall. Instead, Christ confides in us His chief anxiety, namely, that He "would that [He] might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink" (D&C 19:18)--especially desiring not to get partway through the Atonement and then pull back. Mercifully for all of us, He "finished [His] preparations unto the children of men" (D&C 19:19). Jesus partook of history's bitterest cup without becoming bitter! Significantly, when He comes again in majesty and power, He will cite His aloneness, saying, "I have trodden the wine-press alone" (D&C 133:50).

The Book of Mormon describes Jesus' Atonement as the "infinite atonement" (Alma 34:12); it certainly required infinite suffering. When suffering and burdened Jesus entered Gethsemane, He "fell on the ground" (Mark 14:35). He did not merely kneel down, pray intensely and briefly, and leave. His agonies were so great that He began to bleed at every one of thousands of His pores (see D&C 19:18). An angel, whose identity we do not know, came to strengthen Him (see Luke 22:43). Mark wrote that Jesus became "sore amazed" and "very heavy" (Mark 14:33), meaning in the Greek, respectively, "astonished and awestruck" and "depressed and dejected." None of us can tell Christ anything about depression!

In the course of that great prayer, He pled with the Father in the most intimate and familial of terms, "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt" (Mark 14:36). This was not theater but real pleading to a loving Father from a suffering Son in the deepest possible distress!

In the Atonement Jesus experienced what He later described as "the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God" (D&C 76:107; D&C 88:106). We can't even begin to imagine what it would have been like as He stood in our places and paid the price for our sins.

Though sinless Himself, He bore the sins of billions. Thus His empathy and mercy became fully perfected and personalized. Indeed, He thus "descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things" (D&C 88:6; see also 122:8).

He was scourged, most likely with a Roman flagellum of several thongs; at the end of each were sharp objects designed to tear the flesh. His tensed back muscles would have been torn. If he was struck with the usual number of blows, 39, the first blows would have bruised and the last blows would have shredded His flesh. Believing Christian physicians wrote that, medically speaking, Jesus would have been in serious, if not critical, medical condition because of the loss of blood; and, as we know by revelation, He had previously bled from every pore in the Garden of Gethsemane (see William D. Edwards, Wesley J. Gabel, Floyd E. Hosmer, "On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ," Journal of the American Medical Association, 21 Mar. 1986, vol. 255, no. 11, 1458).

The divine reproach Jesus felt so exquisitely, because of His meekly standing in for us, fulfilled yet another prophecy: "Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none" (Ps. 69:20). His heart was broken, as He did "suffer both body and spirit" (D&C 19:18). He trembled because of pain, and yet He, amidst profound aloneness, finished His preparations, bringing to pass the unconditional immortality of all mankind and "eternal life" for all those who would keep His commandments (Moses 1:39).

At the apogee of His agony, Jesus uttered on the cross the great soul cry of foresakenness: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46). President Young's insight helps us understand His aloneness, which was a unique dimension of His agony:

"At the very moment, at the hour when the crisis came for him to offer up his life, the Father withdrew Himself, withdrew His Spirit, and cast a vail over [Jesus]. That is what made him sweat blood. If he had had the power of God upon him, he would not have sweat blood; but all was withdrawn from him, and a veil was cast over him, and he then plead with the Father not to forsake him" (in Journal of Discourses, 3:206).

When Jesus comes in overwhelming majesty and power, in at least one of His appearances He will come in red attire, reminding us that He shed His blood to atone for our sins (see D&C 133:48; Isa. 63:1). His voice will be heard to declare, again, how alone He once was: "I have trodden the wine-press alone … and none were with me" (D&C 133:50).

The more we know of Jesus' Atonement, the more we will humbly and gladly glorify Him, His Atonement, and His character. We will never tire of paying tribute to His goodness and loving-kindness. How long will we so speak of our gratitude for His Atonement? The scriptures advise "forever and ever"! (See D&C 133:52.) ["Enduring Well," Ensign, Apr. 1997, p. 10]

The Atonement began in Gethsemane and continued on Golgotha until the Savior himself declared on the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30). ["The Fall and Infinite Atonement," Ensign, Jan. 1996, p. 24]

At the ninth hour, or about three in the afternoon, a loud voice, surpassing the most anguished cry of physical suffering issued from the central cross, rending the dreadful darkness. It was the voice of the Christ: "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" What mind of man can fathom the significance of that awful cry? It seems, that in addition to the fearful suffering incident to crucifixion, the agony of Gethsemane had recurred, intensified beyond human power to endure. In that bitterest hour the dying Christ was alone, alone in most terrible reality. That the supreme sacrifice of the Son might be consummated in all its fulness, the Father seems to have withdrawn the support of His immediate Presence, leaving to the Savior of men the glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death. (Jesus the Christ, pp.660-661)

Finally, on a hill called Calvary--again, it was outside Jerusalem's walls--while helpless disciples looked on and felt the agonies of near death in their own bodies, the Roman soldiers laid him upon the cross.

With great mallets they drove spikes of iron through his feet and hands and wrists. Truly he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.

Then the cross was raised that all might see and gape and curse and deride. This they did, with evil venom, for three hours from 9:00 A.M. to noon.

Then the heavens grew black. Darkness covered the land for the space of three hours, as it did among the Nephites. There was a mighty storm, as though the very God of Nature was in agony.

And truly he was, for while he was hanging on the cross for another three hours, from noon to 3:00 P.M., all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred. ("The Purifying Power of Gethsemane," Ensign, May 1985, p. 10)

Jesus Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane more than you can comprehend. Willingly and lovingly, He took upon Himself not only our sins but the pains, sicknesses, and sufferings of all mankind. He suffered similarly on the cross, where He gave His life to pay the penalty for our sins if we will repent. And then in His ultimate triumph, He was resurrected and broke the bands of death, making the Resurrection available to all. ("Growing into the Priesthood," Ensign, Nov. 1999, p. 40)

I ask, is there a reason for men and women being exposed more constantly and more powerfully, to the power of the enemy, by having visions than by not having them?" There is and it is simply this-God never bestows upon His people, or upon an individual, superior blessings without a severe trial to prove them, to prove that individual, or that people, to see whether they will keep their covenants with Him, and keep in remembrance what He has shown them. Then the greater the vision, the greater the display of the power of the enemy. And when such individuals are off their guard they are left to themselves, as Jesus was. For this express purpose the Father withdrew His spirit from His son, at the time he was to be crucified. Jesus had been with his Father, talked with Him, dwelt in His bosom, and knew all about heaven, about making the earth, about the transgression of man, and what would redeem the people, and that he was the character who was to redeem the sons of earth, and the earth itself from all sin that had come upon it. The light, knowledge, power, and glory with which he was clothed were far above, or exceeded that of all others who had been upon the earth after the fall, consequently at the very moment, at the hour when the crisis came for him to offer up his life, the Father withdrew Himself, withdrew His Spirit, and cast a vail over him. That is what made him sweat blood. If he had had the power of God upon him, he would not have sweat blood; but all was withdrawn from him, and a veil was cast over him, and he then plead with the Father not to forsake him. "No," says the Father, "you must have your trials, as well as others." (Journal of Discourses, 3:205-206)