I Stand All Amazed

This week I want to talk about the Atonement. I've gained a greater appreciation for the Saviors Atonement this week. In the Bible Dictionary, if we look up Atonement it says that, "All are covered unconditionally as pertaining to the fall of Adam. The atonement is conditional, however, so far as each person's individual sins are concerned, and touches every one to the degree that he has faith in Jesus Christ, repents of his sins, and obeys the gospel." To me, that is so beautiful. I love the Atonement. I think that for most of my life I've taken it for granted. It was something that we learned about in Primary that was just a way for us to get back to Heavenly Father, it was something that Jesus Christ did for us so that we could repent. I don't think I came to appreciate it for how wonderful it was up until a couple months ago. It really is amazing. It comforts me, it gives me hope, it lets me feel better about the bad things I've done because I can repent and Christ can literally take all of the guilt and shame I feel and bring it upon himself. He already brought it upon himself, I just have to be willing to let him take it. He performed this miraculous Atonement for us, because He loves us. He loves us so much. I once heard that if I was to be the only person to every live on the face of this Earth, Christ would perform the Atonement just for me. He loves me so much, that he would suffer and bleed and die just so that I could return and live with our Heavenly Father again. Sometimes I think to myself, why would I not use His gift. His perfect, amazing gift. Why wouldn't I want to use His gift to feel better, to find comfort, to be forgiven. It's just so amazing to me. He already did everything for me, I just have to be willing to accept his gift and keep trying to be more like Him every day.


I love this painting of the Savior. It's the Savior extending his hand into the water, probably to help Peter while he was drowning. I like to think of it as Christ extending his hand into the water to save me from drowning in my sorrow and in my sin. Christ doesn't have his hand right above the water waiting for us to reach out and grab Him, He has His hand in the water, reaching for us. He understands where we've been, He knows exactly what it feels like to be drowning, and He has His hand outstretched, in the water where we only have to see Him there and take His hand.