Life Without Light

One Sunday morning, some young men were getting the sacrament ready. While they were finishing up, they realized that they had forgotten to bring the bread. Embarrassed, one of the young men silently approached the bishop of the ward and told him the situation (By this point, Sacrament Meeting had already started). As the young man went back to his seat at the sacrament table, the bishop made his way to the pulpit and explained what had happened to the whole ward.

            He then asked the congregation, “How would it be if the sacrament table were empty today because there were no atonement" (The Infinite Atonement pg. 57)?

            Would there be any bread if Christ could not go through with the crucifixion? Would there be any water if He would not shed His blood for the sins of the world? No, there would not.

            What would there be if there were not an atonement? Tad R. Callister, the General Sunday School President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, lists five things that would happen if there were not an atonement:

1)      There would not be a resurrection.

2)      Our spirits would become subject to the devil

3)      We would be “shut out from the presence of our God”.

4)      We would “endure a never-ending torment”

5)      We would be without hope.

Could you imagine a life where you will not be able to see your Heavenly Father again? you would feel loss, pain, hate, and mistakes. All your heartaches will linger. No wound given to you would ever heal. The world you would live in would just drift farther away from love, peace, and Heavenly Father.

Alma the Younger, a prophet from the Book of Mormon, personally experienced that feeling. He was doubtful and angry with Christ and His gospel. The Book of Mormon explains, “… One of the sons of Alma was numbered among the unbelievers, he being called Alma, after his father; nevertheless, he became a very wicked and idolatrous man.” In this stage of his life, he had made it his goal, along with the sons of Mosiah, to destroy the church of God. He convinced others to leave the church and “gave a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his power over them” (The Book of Mormon pg. 199).

That was just to show how much evil and doubt there was in Alma’s heart at that time.

A while later as he was continuing to try and destroy the church of God when an angel had met up with him and the Sons of Mosiah. And the angel spoke to them as if the angel's voice was a voice of thunder, and it caused the earth to shake. They fell to the earth because the shaking was so tremendous, and with all that going on, they could also not understand what the angel was trying to tell them. Then, because of the amazement of that experience, Alma could not speak. He was so weak, that he could not open his mouth, and could not get up from the ground.

After two days and two nights of fasting and praying from his friends and family had passed, Alma finally could walk and talk again. He became a changed man! He said this: “After (going) through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, … (He) snatched me out of an everlasting burning, the gall of bitterness, bonds of iniquity, (and) the darkest abyss, … (because) my soul was racked with eternal torment” (The Book of Mormon pg. 201). 
He had rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and found his way back to Him because of the atonement. What if that were not possible? He would be stuck feeling like that for eternity. You would be feeling like that for eternity.

You have the atonement in your lives. you are able to feel as Alma did after they had found God and repented of their rebelliousness. you can always reach the goal to have Christ in your lives so that you can feel His love. God loves you so much that He gave you His beloved son, Jesus Christ. Be grateful. Do all you can to show your appreciation for the gift of everlasting life with Him. Because Christ gave His life for you, you are able to live again, you are not subject to the devil, you are not shut out of God’s presence, you can have everlasting peace, and we do have hope.

My favorite scripture in the Book of Mormon is written by one of the Sons of Mosiah. Ammon says, in Alma 26:35; “Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for He hath all power, all wisdom, all understanding; He comprehendeth all things, and He is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe in His name” (The Book of Mormon pg. 275).

 The atonement is real. It is here for you. So that you can live with your Heavenly parents, family, friends, and everyone you love for eternity. So that you can experience true joy.

I promise that you are able to do whatever it takes to use the atonement. It is hard, I know it has been for me. But it is worth it. God is waiting for you. He loves you. He always will.

            Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, 2000, Salt Lake City, UT, Deseret Book Company, N/A, Pg. 57-58.

              Translated by Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon, 1981, Salt Lake City, UT, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Pg. 199-202.

     LDS Media Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints, https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-12-1000-why-we-need-a-savior--a-christmas-message-about-our-savior-jesus-christ-asaviorisborn?lang=eng, December 12, 2017.