Blessings of the Atonement

That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory. (Moses 6:59)

Because of our mortal nature, we often make mistakes that negatively impact our view of life. Some years ago, Elder Sterling W. Sill spoke about this in General Conference. “Because we draw so much from the rebellion, weakness, and evil with which we are surrounded, we tend to load ourselves up too heavily with guilt complexes, mental problems, insecurity, and mediocrity. I recently heard of a man who compounded the problem by hoarding his mistakes. He often referred to the fact that his D.F.T. drawer was the largest file in his office. Someone once asked him what these file letters stood for, and he said they identified a collection of the damn fool things that he had done.”[1]

Most of us have D.F.T. files that burden us down and sometimes become the cause for our frustration in working out our salvation. Elder Sill goes on to remind us of some important principles related to the fall and the atonement. “Henry Thoreau, an early American philosopher, once said that we should thank God every day of our lives for the privilege of having been born. And then he went on to speculate on the rather unique supposition of what it might have been like if we had not been born. Just suppose that you had never been born or that your parents had never been born. Think of all of the excitement and opportunities you would have missed as a consequence. What Mr. Thoreau may not have known was that one-third of all of the children of God never were born and never can be born because they failed to pass the requirements of their first estate….

“Eight years after I was born, I learned something about the great principle of repentance by which we can clear out our D.F.T. files and be born again. And so, on August 27, 1911, I was born of the water and of the Spirit in the exact manner prescribed by the Savior of the world. I became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had the gift of the Holy Ghost officially conferred upon me.”[2]

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we have been endowed with great knowledge about the fall of man. We fill our D.F.T. files because of our fallen, mortal nature. Through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can clear out these D.F.T. files. We qualify for that atoning grace as we are obedient to the will of the Lord and follow the path he has prescribed, including baptism and the ongoing process of repentance. I often wonder how those without this marvelous knowledge continue through life carrying the burden of their D.F.T. files. The knowledge of the atonement gives us great hope and I stand in awe that Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. “I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine; That he should extend his great love unto such as I, Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.”[3]

[1] Conference Report, April 1971.
[2] Ibid.
[3] “I Stand All Amazed,” Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1985), no. 193.

Temptation & Sin

Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him; and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God. (Moses 6:49)

The fall of Adam and Eve set Satan loose in the world and men became subject to his temptations. We came to this earth as mortal beings capable of committing sin. This is one of the most frustrating things about mortality, especially as one begins to learn the commandments and strive for perfection. If it isn’t one thing, it is another. We all, in one-way or another, sin on a daily basis. We lose patience with a child, we waste time, we don’t care for our physical body as we should, we do not complete a task to the best of our ability, we neglect to read the Book of Mormon as a prophet has commanded, we exceed the speed limit, or a host of other sins. None of these are major transgressions, but they are sins and stifle our progression. I get frustrated with myself when I give into temptation. And yet, though sin itself is negative, to be tempted, tested, and tried is necessary and positive in the eternal scheme of things.

I am reminded of training to run my first marathon (26.2 miles) in the spring of 1985. I trained throughout the fall, winter, and spring of 1984 and 1985. It was one of the most physically demanding times of my life.To be physically prepared to run the distance, there were certain things I needed to do on a regular basis. Most importantly, I needed to run regularly. As time progressed, I ran further and more frequently. I also needed to get sufficient sleep and rest, eat a reasonable diet, and keep a positive attitude. I also read running magazines to improve my attitude and to find out what it would take to complete the distance.

During those months of training I often was “tempted” to not run and sometimes did not. I was tired, it was too cold, it was raining (a frequent temptation here in the Northwest), or dinner smelled good. Sometimes I didn’t get enough rest or eat properly. I “sinned” against the rules for achieving the goal. At times I became so frustrated with my weaknesses, I felt like quitting.

How was it that these temptations were positive? I learned from the experience. If I did not run for a few days, I found that returning to running was difficult. I discovered the price I would pay if I didn’t get sufficient sleep. Over time, I increased my physical and mental discipline. I became a better person by learning to overcome the challenges I faced.

I struggled through that first marathon, but the growth I received through facing the challenges and adversity led me to become a better runner and a better person. The next time I ran a marathon, my training was more efficient and I ran a better marathon. By the time I did my fifth marathon, my training was down to a science. I learned by dealing with the challenges and mistakes.

If we are to achieve our eternal destiny, we must be faced with adversity and the chance to sin. By dealing with temptation and sin, we become stronger and better prepared to stand in our eternal place. Completing a marathon does not just happen. And becoming like our Heavenly Father does not just happen.