Today’s Reading: Mosiah 14- 15:3
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Where to begin? There is so much wonderful content in this passage of scriptures that there is no way I could talk about all of it in just one post. However, I will say this…
The Atonement is real and it is there for us to utilize every single day.
If you have read any of my previous posts, you know that sometimes I like to throw in definitions of words. Today I would like to share with you the definition of the word “utilize.”
-
make practical and effective use of.
This is the perfect definition of how we should be using the Atonement in our lives. We should be striving to “make practical and effective use of” the Atonement daily. The Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, is not meant to be used only when we make mistakes. It is there for us to use EVERY SINGLE DAY. When we experience sorrow and grief, when we are sick, when we know that we cannot do what is being asked of us, and we can even use it when everything is going well and all of our ducks seem to be in order.
I love this quote from Elder Bednar-
Not only does the Atonement of Jesus Christ overcome the effects of the Fall of Adam and make possible the remission of our individual sins and transgressions, but His Atonement also enables us to do good and become better in ways that stretch far beyond our mortal capacities. Most of us know that when we do things wrong and need help to overcome the effects of sin in our lives, the Savior has made it possible for us to become clean through His redeeming power. But do we also understand that the Atonement is for faithful men and women who are obedient, worthy, and conscientious and who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully? I wonder if we fail to fully acknowledge this strengthening aspect of the Atonement in our lives and mistakenly believe we must carry our load all alone—through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline and with our obviously limited capacities. [i]
Do we recognize these times in our lives when the Atonement is working for us to “enable us to do good and become better?” Are we striving to utilize the Atonement daily?
With each passing year of my life I gain a little bit deeper knowledge and appreciation for the Savior and His atonement. I will never be able to fully comprehend the magnitude of what the Atonement entails- at least not in this life. But I am grateful for the knowledge that has been given to me, piece by piece, as I have strived to humble myself and turn to the Lord for greater understanding. The word “utilize” is a verb- it indicates that some sort of action is involved. It takes a conscious effort to learn about and use the Atonement. For me, my understanding and use of the Atonement hinges on this effort. When I am focused on my Savior and striving to learn all I can about His gospel, I am able to feel more peace and my knowledge increases. When my effort wanes and I allow myself to get distracted, I find it more difficult to hold on to the peace that only the Savior can bring. But the cool thing is this…My Savior never leaves me. He is there when I am focused and He is there when I am distracted. It’s up to me to decide how much or how little I feel His loving presence, but He is ALWAYS there.
I grew up the oldest of 5 children in the blazing heat of Southern Utah. After high school and some college experience I met and married Mark Ogden and we are the parents of four children. I have owned and operated my own home-based preschool for more than a dozen years, and I consider myself an accidental author as well. When I am not in my minivan transporting children from one activity to the next, I enjoy playing the piano, blogging, speaking about my life’s experiences, and feeding my insatiable crafting disease.