This I Know: The Atonement

Yesterday I had the privileged of teaching the Young Women, which I love and somewhat miss.  Since becoming part of the presidency my formal teaching moments aren't as  regular as when I was an adviser.

I'll take it.

I felt a bit... inadequate, as the topic was on the atonement.

First, and foremost, I have a testimony that my Savior lived, suffered in Gethsemane, died on the cross, and was risen again.

All for me.

I know it to my core.

I know in that great council when we realized that we wouldn't be able to do this journey on our own, because some lessons are so hard to learn... so hard to learn... that when our Savior stood forward and covenanted to take on that role for us, that we cheered.  We cheered because we would get to learn all that the Father knew (and I'm pretty certain that He is the coolest person we will ever know, so why wouldn't we cheer to learn all that He had to teach us?), and we cheered because we knew that we would not be taking the journey alone.

We often teach the Plan of Salvation in a line of a series circles.  A physical journey from the first circle at the beginning, to one of the three at the end of the line.  I think the Plan of Salvation is more of a circle: a spiritual journey from our Father, to where we learn all that we can and prepare to be like Him, until we finally do return to Him; not having changed our physical location, but more our spiritual understanding and being.



I think when the Father said that there would be need of a Savior, we all sat in a heavy silence for a second.  Quite similar to the silence that greets you when you ask a room of teenagers for a volunteer for a prayer.  I imagine myself knowing that there was no way I could even do this for myself, how would I ever be able to do it for everyone else as well?

I know I cheered when He stepped forward and took it.  And he didn't fail me. Never did he falter, though, in his mortality he did seek a different way, if at all possible, but he never faltered and he gave all.

To the very end when in a simple prayer he stated, "Father, into the hands I commend my spirit."  I gave it all.  He did not fail us.

Me.

He did not fail me.

This I know.