The Meaning of the Atonement

Ta lkb v: W Cleon Skousen

Ri ght now f would l i ke to share vvith vou some rhings t ha t are beautifiil and povverful and almosl lost froiii the Church and were introduced by
President. K i i n ba l l at lhe Priesthood meetmg on Saturday night Apri! 2nd fyear?|.

There are many profound and b e n u f i f u l tbings tbat have been restored vvith the Gospel thal are nol oftcn discussed Somei imos vvhen lhey are
discussed, vou vv i l i hear people say, "why don't the Bretbren tal k ahout lhal more 0 '' When the Brethren ;.ire heard in conference, they are
ta lking lo the vvorid. I f y o u gol the Breihren together in a cioistered setting, you'11 hear i t , I f y o u are a group ot' missionaries w i t h one of lhe
General Auth or itie s, they'11 open up on the profbund tr u íh s of the Gospel that are not generally discussed vvhen the Br e thre n are talking to
the vvorid.

These tr uths are very sacred, and President K i m b a l l introduced on Saturday n ight what l vvant to comment on briefh because il is the vvhole
íbundation of Baster, but it is ha r d l y ever discussed. We j u s t don't valk about it. and we are the on l y people vvho kn o w about il At least we are
(lie only people vvho have tbe books that ta lk about it. And we have almost lost ií as a doctrine of the Church, and í \vas thrilled vvhen í heard
President Ki mba ll introduce it. He said:

"/ waiif everyone Io nnilerstand that in this Hf e we only have (i very limitei! amonnt of Priesthood aníhority wilh wliich io fnncíion. Títere
are many ordinances tluit nmst as y et be given in the ne\í worid, and one ofíhem n>ill be the ordinance of resnrrection: We are not al/owed
to perfonn that ordinance here. Il is an ordinunce ofíhe Priesthood. Yon 'U get ií over there.

Over in the next /i/e you will also have the ordinance of begetting spirií children wifh your then resnrrected bodies. Tliuí is soinething that
we have no powcr to do here. Physical bodies, yest buí not spirititaL "

Then he got on a lheme that I a m s u ré seemed strange to some ears. He said:

"Vou will be able to have access to the Intelligences in the nniverse and organize tlien and make planeis and organize kingdoms. "

Now this is a beatitiful doctrine, and il is time that we discuss it a bit more because if we understand th is principie, it vvill help us
understand why there had to be an atonement.

l don't know if this bothers you o r not, but vvhen l was a little boy in Alberta. Canada, in Sunday school they talked about the terrible
suffering of Jesus on the cross. I w o ul d say to m y tearhrr. "Who wanted th at anyway? Who was a li t h a t suffering foi'? VVho is it U)
satisfy'?1 And my teaeher would reply, "Well, it is to satisfy Heavenly Father." That didiVt answer my question. It seemed that if Heavcnl)
Father wanted LÍS ío come to the eartn, aríer we repenica, aii he vvoíiSd have to say was, "Come on back. You dici lhe besí you coníd." Wh}-
do we need ali this suffering? And ali my life, ai least until í went on my mission, I asked those questions. Só one day l was ricling along
vvith President Widstoe, vvho was in charge of ali the European Mission. I was only 17when I was cailed on my mission, and I thought
that t h i s was my chance to ask Brother Widstoe ali these questions that had been on my minei since l was a liítle boy and só l asked him.
u
Who told you to ask me that question?" And I said, k1í's my question. Nobody told me to ask it."

Só he said, "This is the most proíound question of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it shouldiVt be ansvvered u n t i l people are at llrst capablc of
wonclering about it só they can understand the answer. Só I vvill share the answer vvith you over a period of time. 1 [And if yo u Ve never
wondered, you can stop rcading riglu here.]

"Thafs greal," I said and started getting out a pen and paper, if you'11 just give me the scriptures. Til write thcm down ' Hc started to tell me,
"One scripture is in the D&C, another is in the Book of Mormon." "AreiVt you going to give me the chapter and verse 0" "I wouldiVt
depriveyou of the pleasure oHinding them yourself."

As my mission continued, and after it as well, I would report on may progress. He would say, "VouVe doin g q u i te well. Try the 38th
Section of lhe Doetrine and Covenants," [and só on]. ít took me another seven years u n t i l l ílnally puí it ali together, bui I was só thrilled
vvhen I finally did it and he said, "Yes, thaí's the picture now." ... I'l l give you ali the references só it won't take you seven years.

Acttially read the passages and you vvill begin to see what a marvelous ocean, an avalanche, a veritable \vaterfall hás been pourecl out upon
the Saints in the lattcr days, and some of it we have allowed to run off without readilv appreciating what it meant.

Now the firsl is 2 N ep hl 2:14. Here is what you shall read. Father Lehi says that everything in the uni verse is macle oflvvo things. This is
\vhere we get our building block concept. Sometlüng ío ací and someíhing to be acted upon.

Your next reference is D£C 93:29. A th in g tbat acts is called Eternal Intelligences. p lu ral. The next one is D&C_2Í^IL- These
intelligences are independent and act voluntarily. They are not eompelled, and íhe Heavens vvait on them u n t i l they obey They don'í do
anything until they are ready, just like us. And our Heavenly Father b u il t the vvhole universe vvith this elemcnt of action. This energy
factor in the nniverse is iníelligence, and it only operates as fasí and in a direction it is willing tofollow.
Novv Âbraham 3:19. These intelligences are gradeei from lhe lovvest to the highest, and the highesí of ai) is God's intelligence himself, and
\ve are in between. Some intelligences vvere assigned to the elements, some vvere assigned to plant li te, and some vvere assigned to
animais. Thosc tluií were His very special, superior, super deluxe intelligences, were given bodies in líis image, and you are they. You are
very, very special people.

Joseph Smith desenhes this in O H C 8:512 !> M e says, "... and I explained to the Quorum of the Tvvelve and their vvives ahout lhe doctrine of
Eternal Progression of intelligeincés:" Then he doesiVt tell LIS vvhat the explanation is. Só you have to go to Brigham Young and Parley P. Pratt
and Heber C. Kimball, and they explain vvhat he explained to them.. hut they gol the doctrine from him.

Alright, your next one is D&C 93:33. Those vvhich are acted upon, see there is a thin g to act and a thin g to he acted upon, called Eternal
elements. It is element. It is matter. Joseph Smith said that matter existed in tvvo dimensions. The very refmed element is called Spirit, and
the more coarse element is called temporal matter that we have here [reterring to the body]. Só it is that ali m atter exists on tvvo planes. It
is like ice and vvater. They are really the s ame thing, but they are on differení dimensions. Novv, everything is made up of a combination
of intelligence and matter. These are the building blocks of the universe (A brilham 4:18, 12, 10 and H ela num 12.8-9}.

If youïe a scientist, this vvill be very exciting information because our most advanced research scientists in the puré research área have just
proveu that this is true. Matter does not f unction mechanically. It hás an element of finite intelligence they say. That's vvhat
Burgeson, the French philosopher, called it. It can distinguish. It can choose. It cloesn't always do vvhat the rules say. Some of those little
elements are just as ornery as you and me. They go vvandering around, and it is the aggregate, vve say, that is this lavv of chemistry In the
aggregate, yes, but you look at them individuall y, and they are fooling around. As a matter of f act, Robert M il li k e n said that if ali the
elements vvere obeying ali the rules of chemistry, you vvould never die. There is rebellion in the flesh, and it is called "Seeds of Death."

At God's co m m and, elements that have receivecl intelligence attached to them vvill obey. You want a mountain to move, talk to it. God
commands i t, or His Priesthood does it by His authority. When God commands, those intelligences obey in the elements. Thafs J aço b 4:_6
and l Nephi 20:13.

You listen to Brigham Young discussing this principie.

"There is lighí or intelligence in ali matter throughout the vast extení ofall the eternities. It is in íhe rock. li is in íhe sand, in waíer, air. It
is in íhe gases and, in s/iorí, in every description or organization of matter, wheíher it be solid, lií/nid, or gás. Paríicle operaíing wiíh
paríicle."

Now ali of a sudden, vve begin to catch the vision of this miracle of God's creation. He goes into the ouler darkness of unorganized
intelligences and unorganized bits of elements and combines them together só that a little tiny bit of element hás an intelligence attached ío it,
and novv Me can command ii. The Lord hás said, "/ have given ali them a paííern whicn becoïnes the law by vshich they operuíe."

God speaks, and they obey. Things are made up of things that act and things that are acted upon. They have been identiiled foi LIS by
name, and President Kimball said that in the next vvorld we vvill have access to these intelligences to organize our ovvn great systems.
Novv, our Heavenly Father says, "You know vvhat makes me God?" The source of God's power is descrihecl D&C 29:36. It is in some other
places, too - M os es 4:1, 4.

What makes him God? What makes, over a process of time, a God? "My honor is my power." M y honor is my power só that vvhen He
speaks and says vvater to re-organize into vvine, a very high grade ofvvine, there is no problem. It reorganizes. W o call it a miracle. but it is
nothing in the vvorld but obedient intelligences. That is the doctrine!

Novv keeping in mind D&C 29:36, vvhat vvould happen if the Father violated the coníïdence of these intelligences? What do you th in k
vvould happen?

No one on the face of the earth hás dared to announce the doctrine contained in the book tâ Alma 42 No church lias dared to suggest that God
could fali. Our Heavenly Father hás said:

"/ wanf yoii to know f wa/k íhe razor's edge of celestial law coníinnally in order to mainíain the confidence and honor of ali these w/io
trnst me, because that is the source ofmy power. "

This gives LIS a vvhole nevv understanding of our Heavenly Father. In Alma 42:l'3, 22, 25, it is repeated over and over again. /// Mormon
9:19, it is repeated. I f He were unjust, i f He vvere arbitrary, i f He were false in any sense, He vvould vvhat? He vvould cease to be God. Who
dares to suggest anything to challenge the power of the Almighty Elohim, Chief of the Gods? Our Heavenly fathcr says:

"/ want you ío know and nnderstand me. I work within very strict rules. ï have to function só íhat I enjoy confidence and só not to viola
te it."

In Alma 34:9, the Father says, "Once I ptí you down into the second estate, í lost ali capacity to bring you back. ff I broughí you back
myself, it wonld be urbifrary, capricious, unjust and violate the rules by which the whole kingdom was established. I lost complete
control over the 'possibility of bringingyou back by myself."
God the Falher cannot save LIS. See, those are the doctrines of the Church that vve seldom see in these dimensions, but this is the Easter
storv. This is the real Raster storv. Had it heen left to the Fnthp.r He wn n l H h ave been helnless to pet us hack. íf there had not been some other
way ror us to geí hack to the presence of the Father, vve vvould have ended in outer darkness w i i h Satan and h is hosts. And everyíhing that had
been organized by the Father in connection vvith us, our earth, the other earths on vvhich pari o f th i s l a m i l y is located, and ali ofthe creations
connected vvith it, vvould have disintegrated and vvould have gone to outer darkness.

Novv this takes ali the magic out o f t h e ereation. AH of a sudden, the Father becomes much more rationaL comprehensible.. and our appreciation
accelerates as vve begin to realize vvhat a remarkable, beautiful personality He is.
2 Nephi 9:9 says that vve vvould end u p vvith Satan and his angels vvere there no atonement, ,//m/!lí uhsoluiely hiï and the capacily of our
Heavenly Father to l if t childrcn wh o have stiimblecl \vhile learning íhe difference betvveen goõd and eviï back into His presence because He
hás to operale according to the lavv. AH the other intelligences vvould say, "Father, they have sinned and come shorl of their glory. They cnnnot
come back. Remem ber ali the lavv s íhat held us back. We didiVt get to be these top people. We vvere graded dovvn. You kept talking abou l lavvs.
We are they vvho clemand justice, and vvill not let the m retum." And should God fry it, as it says in Alma, they vvould cease to honor Him, and
He vvould ccase to be God. That is the doctrine. Then hovv do vve do it? Alma 34:11, no person can suffer ror the sins of another person. That' s the
lavv. That is vvhat ali these little intelligences are saying. You jusf stop and think vvhy íhat is só.

I f l commit an ofTense, a very serious offense, can you die for it and satisfy this audience? Do you think you could, even though we love each
other. and you say to everybody, 'No, cloiVt lei Brother Skousen be killed, Til die for Brother Skousen " Do you t hi n k they are going to be
happy about that? No, it vvould violate vour sense of justice and it does ali those little intelligences and Alma 34: 11 says that no person can die
or be punished for the sins of another and have it be accepted as justice The demands of justice, that is vvho little intelligences defend. "They
cannot come back/* Father. Everybody see the problem?

Novv the genius ofthe solution: The gods knovv that these little intelligences have a capacity for compassion. Therefore, the atonement is based not
on lavv, but on mercy. That* s ali in A Ima 34:15. In other words, we are going to try to gel to these little intelligences in some way só that we can
overcome the demands of Justice. The f am i lies of God must have vvorked this out eons and eons ago vvith other f am i lies. Só this is the pattern.

Remember whun they were selecting a Savior? Jesus volunteered. Then Satan said, you knovv, Falher, this is a very old-fashioned plnn. l mean,
this isn'l necessary. You can satisfy the Intelligences o f the universe. Just put your children in strail jackets and get lhe m through the second
estate, and it is a great idea l thought o f. I really would like credit for it. I am offering the vvho lê human lamily no-risk insurance. AH l am
asking is for you to give up on this hang-up that this lamily hás a l way s had on this free-agency thing. lt's only for a little bit of time. We take
them dovvn, they get bodies, we preveni them from violating any lavvs, and we bring thcm back. ït is that simple."

"No," said the Father, it is not íhat simple," apparently implying that if you introduce compulsion into our eternal plan of salvaíion or into íhe
cosmic universe you a l só plant the seeds of vvhat? Revolution. Disintegration. Everything we have out there is moving as it is willing to move. You
doiVt get any revolution that way. But Satan said he would start a revolution, and he got it. I vvouldiVt be surprised if the real followers ofthe
Father vvere a minority for a wh i lê. We had a big, uncommittcd, in the middle majority.

Jesus said, "Father, í will do it your way. l vvill do it the way they have a l way s done it before. We do have casualíies, true, but we are able to
maintain voluntary participation. I knovv that someone hás to suffer in order to have an atonement and creníe íhat feeling of compassion, but I' 11
do it.

And só vve had a big argument, and revelation says that the war in heaven was a kind of big testimony meeting. We said to one another,
"Look, Father's way is the right way. We doiVt vvant to introduce compulsion. íf vve start compulsion, vvho is to say where it will end? Lucifer
is trying to steal the throne of our Heavenly Father and he vvants ali the glory for it and there is nothing in íhat direcíion buí rebellion and
destruction.

We final ly got t wo- th i rd s on our side. í won't be surprised, vvhen we see this vision, to learn that we only had a mi no r i t y to begin vvith, but we
finally got our majority vvhile the other th i rd vvent for no-risk insurance. They wouldn't take a chance with us.

Alrighl, novv how does this atonement vvork? Watch how the principies function. You are an intelligence. You are capable of being subjected to só
much sympathy and compassion that you stop asking for every "pound of flesh" that the law per m i is. To overcome the demands of Justice on ali
mankind, you must have a person who is i nf initely loved as it says in A l m n 3 4 You knovv that infinitely means uni versai ly. Everyone
recognizes that.

Só we take a spirif who is só superior íhat he is íhe first counselor in the First Presidency of Heaven. He is só bonored that vvhen the
Father vvants somelhing done he speaks to this person, and then he in turn speaks to these intelligences He is identified as the Word, the one
through vvhom the word passes. He is loved and respected by ali, just like the Father is. Só we use him. He is infinitely loved, and we have him
come down to the second estate and live a perfect l i fe without offense só íhat he can refurn to the Father. While labor i ng among the human
family, we have him suffer só terribly thaí the little intelligences ofthe entire universe are affected. They abhorred lhe siiffering that he vvent
through. They loved, as it says in the Book of Mormon, and the very elements cricd out auainst this torture of someone they loved. AH this
was done by design.
That was the mission o f Jesus Christ. He had to suffer só much that vvhen He goes to those little intelligences and plcads on behalf of someone
who did íhe hest he could, vvhich is called repentance, they M l say, "Well, he shouldivt go back, buí i f you vvant him to, afíer ali yotf vê gone
through, then, yes he can go up. That's lhe atonement. Listen to Alma 34 as vve hear the prophets vvho used to understand and preach this
doctrine extensively, which vve kind ofstopped preaching among ourselves.

Alma 34:15 "And thus he shall brin g salvation to a l i those vvho believe on his name; this heing the intent of t h i s lasí sacrifice, of
mercy..." Whose mercy? Our Father already hás mercy for us. This is Mi s plan. We d on 't have to create t h a t in H i m . W c. have to crente th ai
i ii íhose wh o are demanding justice. "Father, they have sinneci and come short of the glory of God." That is vvherc vou musl arouse the bovvels of
mercy vvhich overpowereth justice. And thus, mercy can satisfy the demands of justice and enci rcle t h c m in the arms of mercy, wliile he
who does not exercise faith unto repentnnce is exposed to the whole law o f justice. Therefore, only unto him vvho hás exercised this faith
is brought about the great and eternal plan of salvation.

Novv let me turn to D£C:45, and you listen to the Savior telling vou about it. Verse.?, "l.isten to him vvho is lhe, advocate of the Father,
vvho is pleading your cause before H i m saying, Father, behold the suffering and death of h i m vvho did no sin, in vvhom thou was vve 11
pleased; behold the blood of thy son vvhich vvas shed, the blood of h i m vvhen thou gavest that t h y s e l f inight be glorified. Wherefore,
Father spare these m y brethren that believe on m y name." You see hovv he did that? He doesiVt plead for those who do not believe in him. He
can't. That vvould rob justice. "Spare these my brethren vvho believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life."
And the Father can do that without ceasing to be God. Because of vvhat? Mercy. Let me give you an example of hovv íhat vvorks.

During the Ci vi l War, there was a 39-year-old solclier vvho went to sleep on guard duty. A whole section of the U n i o n army was vviped out
in that particular sector. Fie lost many of his very best friends, ali because he fel l asleep and the opposing forces were able to make a surprise attack
on one flank of that particular defense effort. Fie survived the battle, vvas court marshaled. and vvas sentenced to be hangecl for neglect of duty
and going to sleep, vvhich is routine military law.

The death sentence and order of execution were placed on the clesk of President Lincoln, and he was prepared to sign it. President Lincoln vvas
contactecl by a little old vvoman. I t h i n k she carne in person, but I'in not sure. Anyvvay, t h i s l i l t l e mother said to President Lincoln, "When
this vvar started, ï hacl a husband and IIvê sons. First I lost my husband and then one by one, four of my sons. I have just one son left, and he's
seníenced to die for neglect of duty. He feels j u st terrible about vvhat happened. He expects to die. He thin ks it is only just that he should
die. President Lincoln, í vvas wondering if you could pardon him, not for his sake, but for my sake."

And President Lincoln said, "Little mother, for your sake, I pardon your son. Pray God that he vvill survi ve the vvar and be a blessing to you
ali lhe days of your life." See hovv compassion vvorks. íí completely overcame the demands of justice, and nobody critici/ed President Lincoln
for that decision.

I vvould like to just pause at this moment and ask, vvhat is an Intelligence? It is a wonderful, self-knovving, eternal, littl e ent ity that says, "I
am." ... "I am" is right inside. That is the seed of povver. You want to knovv vvhat an intelligence is? Il's you. And you are one of the very
advanced intelligences. You are só smart that one of your brothers, at your levei, thought that he was as smart as the Father and tried to take over
the Father's Kingdom. That is something íhe other intelligences vvouldn't even have íhoughí of.

I tell you this is an exciting p lace to be. And it took eons to bring us here, and everyone is só precious that Heavenly Father says that if you
see one of them trying and backsliding, vve must vvork vvith h i m and forgive h i m seventy times seven as long as he is trying. Keep pushing,
and vve might make it eventually. Maybe you have an A l m a the Younger in there, vvho knovvs?

Tovvards the evening, they went to the Last Supper. They partook of the Passover lamb, and he looked out at his twelve apostles and said, "One of
you vvill betray me." Peter said, "Which one9 John, you're closest, ask h i m vvhich one." And só John asked, "Master, which one?" The Savior
whispered, "Him to vvhom I give the sop." He then picked up a piece of breacl and dipped it in the gravy and handed it to Judas Iscariot and said,
"Judas, vvhat thou doest, do quickly." Judas got up and just went out.

Novv Jesus became very depressed and rose up and gave that beautiful high priest's prayer found in John 77, vvhere he pleads to the Father, to
bless these that they might be one, as thou Father art in me and í in thee, that they ali may be one in us." And he said, "Rless these vvho shall
believe in these words vvho have not seen me, that they also may be one."

Then he said, "Let us be gone. I need to pray." Só they went from the part of the city where the poor people lived. ... It is d ar k now, and he tells
eight disciples to stay by the gate. He took Peter, James, and John and went back into the grove and he hacl them watch while he went further up
the hillside in the grove. Apparently, only John stayecl awake, and John heard Jesus fali on the ground. He clidiVí kneel on a rock, he fell fui l
length on the ground and he said, "Oh, father, ali things are possible unto thee, take this cup from me. "Nevertheless not my will but thy vvill be
done."

What he is saying is, "Father, you are God! You can do anything. DoiVí make me go through this. Please vvork it out some other vvay. And that
is vvhen an angel carne to administer unto Jesus.

What the angel must have said, though vve don't have the message, was somelhing like this. "Oh, Jehovah, thou son of God, you do not have to
do this if you doiVt want to, but you should knovv that unless you ful fi ll this assignment, Heavenly Father w i l l not only lose his family but the
entire creation associated vvith them, the planeis, the plants, the animais. Fverything that you helped create vvill be lost and go back to outer
darkness from whence it carne.1
He must have said something like that because vvhen the angel hacl fmished 'ministering unto h i m he said, "Thy w i l l be donc." He svvcat
great drops of blood. We caiVt understand hovv terrible it vvas, but Jesus h i m s e l f hás given us an idea of vvhat he went through in _D&C
19:15 in vvhich he said at the beginning of the verse, Therefore ï command you to repent, repent, lesl I s mit e you by lhe rod of my inouth, and
by my wrath, and by my anger and your sufferings be sore, hovv sore you knovv not, hovv exquisite you knovv not, hovv hard to bear, you knovv
not. For behoid, I, God, have suffered these things for ali that they might not suffer if Ihey vvould repení. Bui, if they would noi repent lhey
must suffer even as í; vvhieh stiffering eaused myself, even God, the greatest of ali, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pó ré and
to suffer both body and spirií and vvould thaí I might not clrink the bitter eup and shrin k nevertheless, glory be to lhe Father, and í paríook and
finished m y preparations unto the children of men."

In other vvords, "If you vvill be obedient and repent, the spirií vvill justify vou. and I vvill Sanctify vou, I've done it I've paid lhe price.
Dou" t vvaste it! Come unto me. Remember. Come unto me

Now Judas carne vvith the soldiers, and Jesus hearcl them coming lie carne back and found the apostles sleuping again. Judas carne up to
him. H is nighttime novv and they vvant to be sure to get the right one, só Judas carne up to hirn and embracing h i m says, "Master!" The
Savior looked dovvn at him and said. "Judas, betrayest the son ofman vvith a kiss?"

Then the soldiers cried, "Seize him!" Everybodv fled. The Savior vvas taken to the house of Ananias, and ali of you remember lhe lerrible night
he spent. You vvill remember the three denials by Peter. He is terrified. He vvill íind it hard to forgive lii ms e lf for íhese three denials.

The next morning, there is an illegal trial before the Sanhedrin. They can't k i l l Jesus vvithouí the consent of Pilate, and só they lake h i m
into lhe tbrtress, right next to the temple square. And right in the middle of that open square, lhey brought Jesus and turned h i m over to Pilate.
Even Pilate, a gentile, triecl to create sympathy in their hearts by flogging h i m and putting a crovvn of thorns on his head and lettingthe
blood run dovvn his face. Jesus' robe is saturated vvith blood, and Pilate brings h i m and says., "Beholcl the man."

And they scream, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate said, "See to it. í vvash my hands of this judgment. Só they took h i m with his cross and
macle h i m carry it as long as his broken body could support it. Finally they led h i m to the place of the skull, and there they nailed the
naus first into his hands, then into his vvrists, then his feet, and they lifted the cross into position, two thieves cruciíled eiíher side of him.

Tovvards the end he cried, "ï thirst." They puí a sponge vvith vinegar to his lips because it vvas suppose to d u l l some of th e pain. He
looked dovvn in his agony and said, "John, behoid your mother. Mother, behoid you son." Apparently, Joseph hatl passed avvay. He vvas saying
íhal John should take care of his mother. Ali this vvas foreseen by David.

Then, vvhen lhe agony vvas almost past bearing and it vvas getting tovvards clusk, Jesus looked up and said , "li is finished." l Into lhee,
Father, I commend my spirit." Then he departed. At that moment, Jesus became the Christ. He hás done vvhat \vas necessary to overcome the
demands of justice só vve can go back.. He did it by the great povver that vvas in him. He vvas gone for three days and three nights during
vvhieh time he received a resurrected, purified, and gloriílecl body.

That is the Easter ruessage, and our God suffered só much thaí night in Gethsemane. And our Heavenly Father vvas suffer:ng só much that night
thaí he wanted at least one of his children here on earth to knovv vvhat it vvas like, só he said to our great ancestor, Abraham, "l vvant you to
take your best beloved son to the top of Moiint Moriah, and I want you to offer h i m to me as a sacrífice." ... In Jacoh 4:5, it says that this
vvas done specifically só that one human talher vvould knovv vvhat the pain and agony was like vvhen our Ileavenly Father vvas asked by his
son to "take this cup from me."

You knovv, as you begin to understand this beautiful doctrine, the foundation of vvhieh President K i m b a l l vvas speaking aboul in Priesthood
Meeting, the intelligences in the uni verse,, the fact that they are here on earth, God and vvhat makes him God, the íact tha t if he lost their
confídence, he vvould cease to be God.

These are basic doctrines of the Gospel as it says in J_acob:2. \ clon't knovv vvhat this knovv ledge^does for you, bui i t hás made me love my
Heavenly Father like í have never lovecl H i m before. He loves me as much as He loves^/ïgjqwv He had to go though ali thaí to give me the
chance to live vvith Him again. And I have learned to love my Savior like í have never ïoved Hi m before. Novv I knovv vvhat these two
vvonderful people did for me and for you, for my children, and for ali the people in the vvorld. for the planet vve live on, and for the
beautiful things he hás blessed LIS vvith. They vvould ali be lost if lhose two beautiful people hadn'1 have done vvhat they did I love them for
that.

I bear witness to you, my brothers and sisters, from the depths of my heart, Jesus is the Christ. We have a Father in Meaven who loves us. The
atonement is real. The atonement vvorks. There is a resurrection. There is forgiveness of sin. And although our sins are as scarlet. if vve vvill
truly repent, ali can be restored and taken back to our Heavenly Father, cleaned and vvhite as snow.

I pray that our Heavenly Father vvill help us só that vve vvill not let him dovvn, só vve won't betray lhe Christ. Be good missionários and vve vvill
spread the message to our neighbors and take it to every valuable child of God vvherever vve may find him. Our Heavenly Father's children
deserve every blessing and advantage that vve can give them. We can't take them faster than lhey are w i l i i n g to go, bui every soul that is saved
vvill bless us beyond any measure that vve can dream of...

May I leave my blessing vvith you and a prayer thaí vve may be vvorthy of both the atonement of Jesus Christ and the Gospel \vhieh he hás
restored for our salvalion. This is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.