The past 3 weeks have been especially full of reflection for me. It's been both a wonderful, but also difficult time reviewing everything that's happened lately in life. It's really caused me to better focus entirely on the Atonement and study it more in depth. Through my study, the other day I learned something so profound. A lot of the time we think of the action of the Atonement, which is the greatest act possible and is so important. I haven't thought much about this, but the other day I was taught more often than we think people don't take as much time to reflect on the Savior's character behind the Atonement. It is the greatest act of LOVE anyone will ever perform, to the extent that we won't ever be able to fully comprehend it here on earth.
The Atonement allows us to forgive others, forgive ourselves, enabling us to be and do good and serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity. This is one of the greatest purposes of the Gospel, and the Atonement, as President McKay once said, "to make bad men good and good men better, and to change human nature." Elder Bednar said, "The journey of mortality is to progress from bad to good to better and to experience the might change of heart-to have our fallen natures changed." It is to help us to put of the natural man as best as possible.
Mosiah 3:19 says, "... And putteth off the natural man and become a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and 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." If submissive, the Atonement is the true link to bringing about real change. From experience, stubbornness and trying to get ahead of things or the will of the Lord doesn't work. It is through true humility and submission that bring about the enabling us to be, do, and serve beyond our individual desire and natural capacity. Now back to what I said above. Just how important the act of the Atonement is, the character is just as, if not more important. Heavenly Father loved us so much that he sent his son, Jesus Christ, down to minister on the earth and then to voluntarily atone for each of our sins. The combination of God and his Son's love made the Atonement possible. The Atonement was a choice for our Savior, but he understood the will of God and how much it would impact each of us, that he lovingly said yes... the greatest outward expression of selflessness. This joint love is what brought about the Atonement, to love us so much that we would always have a Heavenly Father and Savior to turn to in times of happiness, success, sorrow, guilt, sin, and so forth. It is what brings us the greatest measure of happiness possible.
This example and action of love is how we are to use the Atonement in our life. It's how we get rid of selfishness and pride. Think about it. Heavenly Father and our Savior were so selfless and full of love, a way was created for us to submit ourselves and repent, becoming clean so we can be instruments in the Lord's hands. I think about my mom and dad and what they've taught me. They are some of the greatest examples of love in my life. They have made it a goal in life to teach my siblings and I the Gospel and the Atonement. Not only have they taught us these principles, but they have used the Atonement, exemplary of the Savior, to serve and love each of us.
This goes to the last part of what I learned the other day. Once we have properly used and consistently use the Atonement in our lives, we need to develop and show such love and service to others, as individuals and especially in relationships and future spouses, parents, etc. And through this service and love, it's not so much about our actions, but the character we develop and obtain through our actions. There is so much love demonstrated through the Atonement. Our Savior performed the Atonement out of an incomprehensible amount of love for each of us. We need to willingly submit ourselves, so that we may develop these characteristics in our life in order to, again, be, do and serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity.
