He was meeting with the Twelve at Caesarea , Philippi, Jesus asked, "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter, the Apostle, the chief replied: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:15-16). Peter later testified that Jesus "was foreordained before the foundation of the world" ( 1 Peter 1:20). It was "in the beginning with the Father, and [is] the first-born" (D & C 93:21).

When the Father, the plan of salvation and happiness (see Alma 34:9)-was presented (see Alma 42:5, 8), one is bound to repair to provide redemption and mercy to all who accepted the plan (see Alma 34:16, 39:18, 42:15). The father asked: "Who should I send?" Those who should be known by the name of Jesus, freely and voluntarily choose to respond, "Here I am, send me" (Abraham 3:27). "Father, that Thy will be done, and the glory to you forever "(Moses 4:2).


In preparation, the earth was created: "For the Son I created [the earth], which is mine only begotten," said Father (Moses 1:33; see also Ephesians 3:9; Helaman 14h12 ; Moses 2: 1).
Titles of Jesus Christ

He was known as the Jehovah of the Old Testament prophets (see Abraham 1:16, Exodus 6:3). The prophets have shown his coming: "Behold the Lamb of God, yes, even the Son of the Eternal Father!" (1 Nephi 11:21, see also John 1:14). His mother said, "Call his name of Jesus. ... ... It is called the Son of the Most High"(Luke 1:31-32).

Many titles and names are descriptive of His divine mission and ministry. Himself taught: "I am the light and life of the world. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end" (3 Nephi 9:18). "... I am your advocate with the Father" (D & C 29:5, see also D & C 110:14). "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11). "I am the Messiah King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven "(Moses 7:53)." I am the bread of life: he who comes to me will never hunger [or] thirst "(John 6:35)." I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman "(John 15:1)." I am the resurrection and the life "(John 11:25). "I am ... the bright star of the morning "(Apocalypse 22:16)" Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am "(D & C 29:1).

He is the Mediator (see 1 Timothy 2:5), the Savior (see Luke 2:11), the Redeemer (see D & C 18:47), the head of the Church (see Ephesians 5:23), its Chief Cornerstone (see Ephesians 2:20). During the last day, "God is the judge ... men in Jesus Christ, in accordance with [the] gospel" (Romans 2:16; see Mormon 3:20).

"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son" (John 3:16); "so, redemption comes in and through the Holy Messiah, because it is full of grace and truth" (2 Nephi 2:6).


The Prophet Joseph Smith was often asked, "What are the basic principles of your religion?"

"The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ, that he died, was buried and rose again the third day and ascended into heaven, and all the other things that have relate to our religion are only appendages to it. "1
The humility of Jesus Christ

At the time of his arrest before his crucifixion, the Lord has come to Gethsemane. At the time of betrayal, Peter drew his sword against Malchus, the high priest's servant. Jesus said:

"Put your sword back in its place. ...


"Thinkest you know that I can not now pray my Father, and he is currently giving me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:52-53).

During all the taunts, abuse, whipping, torture and ultimate crucifixion, the Lord remained silent and subject, except for this one moment of intense drama which reveals the essence of Christian doctrine. That moment came during the trial. Pilate, now afraid, said to Jesus: "do you speak to me? Not you know that I have power to crucify you, and have the power to set you free" (John 19:10).

One can only imagine the quiet majesty when the Lord spoke: "You couldest have no power at all against me except it was over you" (John 19:11). What was happened thereafter did not come because Pilate had the power to impose, but because the Lord had the will to accept it.

"I give my life," the Lord said, "I can take it again.

"No man shall take me, but I give myself. I have the power to set down, and I am able to take again" (John 10:17-18).
Atonement of Jesus Christ

Before and after the Crucifixion, many men have willingly given their lives in acts of selfless heroism. But nothing that Christ suffered face. He was on the burden of human transgression, the guilty man. And hanging in the balance was the Atonement. By his act will, mercy and justice can be reconciled, eternal law sustained, and that mediation achieved without which mortal man could not be redeemed.

He accepted the choice of the penalty on behalf of all mankind for the sum of all wickedness and depravity, the brutality, immorality, perversion, and corruption, drug abuse, to murder and torture and terror to all that has ever been or what ever would be enacted on this earth. This choice, it faces the power of the enemy, which is not confined to the mortal flesh, nor subject to pain. Gethsemane was!


How Atonement was wrought, we do not know. Not regarded as fatal bad back and hid in shame before the light of this pure moment. All wickedness could not extinguish the light. When this was done was done, the ransom was paid. Both death and hell abandoned their claim to all those who repent. The men are free this year. So every soul that ever lived could choose to touch the light and be redeemed.

For this infinite sacrifice, "through [this] atonement of Christ, all mankind May be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel" (Articles of Faith 1:3).
"Atonement" in Scripture

The English word atonement is really three words: at-one-ment, which involves a set, one with God, to reconcile, to conciliate, to expiate.

But did you know that the word atonement appears only once in the New Testament in English? Only once! I quote the letter of Paul to the Romans:

"Christ died for us.

"... We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

"And not only that, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the atonement" (Romans 5:8, 10-11, italics added).

Only once the word atonement appear in the English New Testament. Atonement, of all the words! This is not an unknown word, for it has been used in the Old Testament under the law of Moses, but only once in the New Testament. I find that to be remarkable.

I know of only one explanation. For that we turn to the Book of Mormon. Nephi testified once that the Bible contains the fullness of the Gospel of the Lord, whom the twelve apostles bear record "and that" after [the word] move forward by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb Jews to the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of this great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches, for behold, they were removed from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious, and many clauses of the Lord, they took "(1 Nephi 13:24, 26).

Jacob defined the great and abominable church in these terms: "Therefore, those who fight against Zion, Jews and Gentiles, both free and bond, both male and female, shall perish, because they They are the prostitute of the whole earth, for those who are not for me is against me, saith our God "(2 Nephi 10:16).

Nephi also said, "Because of the many plain and precious things that were removed from the book ... a great many do stumble, yes, that Satan, inasmuch as a great power over them "(1 Nephi 13:29). He predicted that the value will be restored (see 1 Nephi 13:34-35 ).

And they have been restored. In the Book of Mormon the word atone in form and tense appears 39 times. But I quote a verse from Alma: "And now, the plan of mercy can not be set except for a repair shall be made; atoneth then God himself for the sins of the world, to bring in terms of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God may be perfect, just God and a merciful God "(Alma 42:15, emphasis added).

Only once in the New Testament, 39 times in the Book of Mormon. What better evidence that the Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ?

And that's not all. The words atone, atoneth appear in the atonement and the Doctrine and Covenants and five times in the Pearl of Great Price twice. Forty-seven references of importance. And that's not all! Hundreds of other verses help to explain the Atonement.
Agency

The cost of the atonement has been taken over by the Lord, without coercion, agency is a sovereign principle. Under the plan, the agency must be honored. This is so since the beginning of Eden.

"The Lord said to Enoch: Behold these thy brethren, they are the work of mine own hands, and I gave them their knowledge, in the day, I have created, and in the garden of Eden, I his agency to the man "(Moses 7:32).

Whatever else happened in Eden, in his supreme moment of the test, Adam made a choice. After the Lord commanded Adam and Eve to multiply and fill the earth and commanded them not to participate in the tree of knowledge of good and evil, He said: "Nevertheless, you choose for yourself, because it is yours, but remember that I forbid it, for the days of it you eat you will die "(Moses 3:17).

There was too much at issue to introduce man into mortality by force. This would be contrary to law essential to the plan. The plan provided that the spirit of every child of God to receive a mortal body and each would be tested. Adam saw that it must be done and of his choice. "Adam fell perhaps men and men, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25).

Adam and Eve ventured before they multiply and fill the earth as they had been ordered to do. The creation of the body in the image of God as a creation, was crucial to the plan. Their fall is essential if the state of mortality was to exist and plan to follow.
The need for atonement

Nephi describes what would happen to our bodies and our minds, except "to the infinite atonement" was made. "Our minds, he says, become similar to [the devil]." (See 2 Nephi 9:7-10).

I rarely use the word absolutely. It rarely is. I now use it twice:

Because of the fall, the atonement was absolutely essential for the resurrection and overcome mortal death.

The atonement is absolutely necessary for men to cleanse themselves of sin and overcome the second death, spiritual death which is separation from our Father in heaven, for the Scriptures tell us that eight times between May impure presence of God (see 1 Nephi 10:21, 15h34; Alma 7:21, 11:37, 40:26; Helaman 8:25 3 Nephi 27:19; Moses 6:57).

Those scriptural words, "You choose for yourself, because it is yours" (Moses 3:17), introduced Adam and Eve and their posterity, to all risks of mortality. In mortality men are free to choose, and each choice leads to a result. Adam has chosen to power the law of justice, which requires that the penalty of disobedience is death.

But these words at trial, "couldest You have no power at all against me except it was over you" (Jn. 19:11), was proved to be the mercy of equal rank. The Redeemer was sent to pay the debt and free men. That was the plan.

Alma's son Corianton thought it unfair that penalties must follow sin, that we must punish. In a profound lesson, Alma taught the plan of redemption to his son and for us. Alma spoke of atonement, and said: Now, repentance could not come to men, except there were a punishment "(Alma 42:16).

If the penalty is the price demanded repentance, he manages to negotiate the price. Consequences, even painful, to protect us. So a simple thing like a child cry in pain when the finger touches fire can we learn from this. Except for the pain, the child may be consumed.
Blessings of Repentance

I readily confess that I do not find peace or security or happiness in a world without repentance. I do not know what I do if there was no way for me to erase my mistakes. The agony is more than I could bear. May it be otherwise with you, but not with me.

The atonement was made. Always and always it offers amnesty from transgression and death, but if we repent. Repentance is the safeguard clause to this. Repentance is the key with which we can unlock the prison from the inside. We believe that the key in our hands, and agency is ours to use.

Supernally how precious freedom is, how valuable is consummately agency.

Lucifer in clever ways to manipulate our choices, deceiving us about sin and its consequences. He and his angels temptation is unworthy, even wicked. But it cannot all eternity, he can not, with all its power, it cannot-destroy us completely, not without our consent. Agency has come to man without the Atonement, it would have been fatal gift.
Created in his image

It teaches us in Genesis, in Moses, in Abraham, in the Book of Mormon, and the endowment that man's mortal body was made in the image of God in creation. If just creating another way, there could have been no Fall.

If men are only animals, then logic favors freedom without accountability.

How do I know that scientists are among those who look at animals and stones to find the origin of man. They do not look within themselves to find the spirit there. They are themselves to measure things by time, by thousands and millions, and that these animals called men came by chance. And, they are free to do so for their agency.

But agency is ours as well. We expect, and the universe, we see the hand of God and measure things by epochs, by eternities, notwithstanding, for aeons. The lot that we do not know, we take on faith.

But this we know! It was all planned "before the world was" (D & C 38:1, see also D & C 49:17, 76:13, 39; 93:7; Abraham 3:22-25). Events of the creation of the final liquidation stage are not based on luck, they are based on choice! It is planned that way.

This we know! This simple truth! If there was no creation and no fall, there should be no need of any atonement or a Redeemer to mediate for us. Then Christ need not have been.
The symbols of atonement

In Gethsemane and Golgotha, the Savior's blood has been shed. Centuries earlier the Passover had been presented as a symbol and a type of things to come. This is an order to be kept indefinitely. (See Exodus 12).

When the curse of death has been decreed upon Egypt, each Israelite family was commanded to a first-born lamb, male, without blemish. The paschal lamb was killed without any break bones, his blood to mark the opening of the door. The Lord has promised that the angel of death passing over the house so marked and not those who kill the inside. They were saved by the blood of the lamb.

After the crucifixion of the Lord, the sacrifice of the law did not need more bloodshed. For what has been done, that Paul taught the Hebrews, "once and for all ... a sacrifice for sins for ever "(Hebrews 10:10, 12). The sacrifice thenceforth was to be a broken heart and a contrite spirit-repentance.

And Passover will be commemorated forever as the sacrament in which we renew our covenant of baptism and participate in the body's memory of the Lamb of God and His blood that was shed for us.

It is not much, but this symbol appears in the Word of Wisdom. Beyond the promise that the saints of this generation who will follow the health and receive great treasures of knowledge is as follows: "I, the Lord gives to them a promise that the destroying angel pass through them, as the children of Israel, not kill them "(D & C 89:21).

I can not calmly say what I feel about the atonement. It touches the deepest emotions of gratitude and obligation. My soul is happening to it after it is built on Christ our Savior, I am a witness. I testify of Him. He is our Lord, our Redeemer, our advocate with the Father. We bought with his blood.

Humbly, I claim the atonement of Christ. I do not shame to kneel in adoration of our Father and the Son. For agency is mine, and I choose to do!