How can I use comparisons to teach about the Atonement

To help others understand an intangible, spiritual concept like the Atonement, it is helpful to compare it to something tangible and familiar. The Lord and His prophets often refer to familiar objects or experiences to help those they teach understand spiritual principles. As we study these comparisons, we can come to understand the Atonement better ourselves, and we can become more effective in teaching it to others.

In Teaching, No Greater Call, pp. 163-4, Elder Boyd K. Packer suggests a formula for creating comparisons that teach spiritual principles:

__________________ is like _________________________

Using this formula, and thinking about various aspects of Christ's Atonement, I have devised the following similes. These are certain not an all-compassing list nor are they the only valid and useful comparisons that can be made. I offer them simply as one way of thinking about the Atonement in familiar and tangible ways.

Faith is like a compass(1 Ne. 16:28). It always points us in the right direction, but it does not force down a particular path. The more consistently and meticulously we follow its guidance, the more sure our course and the more directly we will reach our destination. We must be careful, however, to not pollute it with influences that interfere with its operation. Sin is like a magnet that can cause the needle on our compass to spin erratically and cause us to lose our way. The purer we remain, and the more diligently we heed the compass heading to true north, the more valuable and reliable our compass becomes.

Repentance is like turning on a light in a dark room. It is a choice to see ourselves and our circumstances clearly. It begins with recognition that we do not have to remain in darkness. If we have been deep in sin, the initial light of repentance may be only a dim flicker. But even that faint glow can help us see more clearly where we can make more changes and improvements. And with each turning from darkness to light, our eyes are illuminated, and the light of the Spirit reveals ever more opportunities to change. Without the light we may grope about in the blackness that engulfs us for the exit, but we will only bump into things and never find the door. The light of repentance makes it so much easier to find God and peace.

Forgiveness is like having a great weight removed from our backs. Imagine hiking up a steep trail with a hundred-pound pack on your back. Each step on the trail is a laborious effort to raise not only your natural weight but the extra weight of your pack. Each step becomes harder and harder to take until eventually your legs buckle and your shoulders cannot support the pack any longer. All you can think about is unloading that extra weight. At that moment, the Savior appears and lifts the burden from your shoulders. Freed of the useless load in your pack, your legs have new springs. Your lungs are no longer winded. Your heart no longer pounds. Though the trail is still steep, you climb with greater ease. Your hope of reaching the top is renewed. The hike becomes an enjoyable adventure instead of a crushing drudgery. That is the effect of forgiveness through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Resurrection is like getting out of prison (D&C 138:50). Prisoners are highly restricted in their ability to exercise their agency. There are many things they would like to do but cannot because of the limitations of their incarceration. Without our bodies, our spirits are likewise limited in the things we can do. In pre-mortal life we had progressed as far as we could as mere spirits. The gift of mortality and a physical body greatly enhanced our ability to progress and to become agents. When we lose our bodies temporarily in physical death, we are plunged back into our pre-mortal condition. We are once again limited. In the Resurrection, we are not just paroled, we are permanently pardoned from our limiting imprisonment. With immortal bodies, we are free to complete our progression toward eternal life.

Redemption is like being freed from debt (Isa. 44:22. For anyone who has made a large purchase on credit, he knows the burden of having debt forever looming over his head. He may think he can easily meet the payments. But over time, as other debts and bills pile up, it can become increasingly difficult to meet the payment demands. Interest mounts, and he feels like he will never be able to pay the principle. The debt weighs on his mind night and day. He cannot escape it. His happiness in the thing he purchased is lost in the misery of trying to pay the debt he incurred. When it appears that he will lose everything to his creditor, the Redeemer appears on the scene. The Redeemer pays the debt in full and releases the debtor from his debt. He no longer has to worry about how to make the next payment or that the creditor will foreclose on him and take everything. The terms of the debt and the demands for payment no longer hound his thoughts every waking hours. He is free. He can enjoy life again. He has been redeemed.

Salvation is like being rescued after being lost. Have you ever been truly lost in the wilderness, unable to determine which way to go to return to your camp or to find help? Were you ever separated from your parents as a small child in a big department, unable to find Mom and Dad among the tall racks of merchandise and among all the strangers? I once went off-roading in the mountains east of Cache Valley, Utah. I ended up on the wrong trail. After climbing through some very rugged terrain, I ended up in a high mountain valley that was crisscrossed by several trails that were unmarked. There was no clear path out of the valley. I was afraid to try to go down the treacherous path I had come up. I was out of range of reception for my cell phone. And the gas tank was running low. What had started out as a fun adventure had become a frightening dilemma with  potentially unpleasant prospects for an outcome. Then I saw coming towards me on my path a couple of men on ATVs. They were traveling in the opposite direction from which I had come. Hope sprang into my heart that they had come up from the north on a passable trail. I flagged them down and asked for directions. They told me that I was not too far from the end of the trail, and that a main road was just ahead. My panic instantly turned to relief as I learned that I was nearly out of the woods, literally. I stopped worrying about my gas tank and my cell phone. I knew I would be safe. That welcomed relief was the feeling of salvation.

Charity, the pure love of Christ, is like cement. It is the force the joins us securely to Christ. It is the adhesive, firmly set and stronger than all opposing forces, that keeps the Savior by our side, ever pulling us toward him. Christ will not break the bond of charity. Only we can break it, and only through determined stubbornness and unremitting rebellion over a lifetime and beyond. Christ's charity never fails, it never runs out (1 Cor. 13:8). It was his motivation for the Atonement, which is the ultimate, binding act of pure love.

Exaltation is like winning the Super Bowl. There are very distinct differences between the worldly pride and happiness that comes from winning a competition and the eternal and supernal joy that will come with exaltation in the highest degree of Heavenly Father's kingdom. I do not mean to trivialize the greatest of all the gifts of God. But there are some similarities. Competing at the highest level of a professional sport takes tremendous training and discipline. The athletes have to be obedient to their coaches. They have to study the playbooks. They have to play their roles on the field with precision. They have to work together as a team and cooperate. When they win, there is elation and a marvelous feeling of accomplishment, even while they acknowledge that no one player could have made it all alone. To reach exaltation, we must join a winning team. In fact, we need to be on several winning teams. Our family is the most important team. The true Church of Christ is the other critical team of which we must be members. Once on the right teams, we must give our all in keeping the commandments and disciplining the natural man within us. We must listening carefully to the priesthood leaders who preside over us and instruct in proper actions to repent and come unto Christ and accept the Atonement. We must regularly and diligently study the scriptures, which contain the blueprint for becoming a disciple of Christ. We need to do the very best we can to magnify our callings in the Church and in our families, and to honor the priesthood. We must work together as a family, supporting each other and teaching each other. We need to partner with the Lord, put on his yoke, and bind ourselves to him. When we have humbled ourselves, repented, made the necessary sacrifices of a broken heart and a contrite spirit, learn charity, and rely wholly on the Atonement, we will hear the Father say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the rest of thy Lord." Our joy will be full in the presence of the Father and the Son. This will be the beginning of our exaltation.

Sin is like an infection. There are all sorts of infections, and we may acquire an infection in a number of different ways. Any injury that breaks the protective covering of our skin can introduction infection. We may get a scratch. It hurts a little, but we ignore it and do not take the time to properly clean and dress it. We get a deeper cut or a puncture. It hurts a lot more, and we may take steps to stop the bleeding, but we still may not wash and disinfect the wound. We may take infections into our bodies by eating contaminated foods or breathing contaminated air. We may get very sick as our body tries to kill or expel the infection. It is almost impossible in this world to avoid infections. If we recognize them and treat them quickly, they will have little effect on our health and well-being. But if left untreated, an infection can ravage our body. It may take a long time to heal and recover. A serious infection can cause us to lose limbs, destroy organs, and eventually bring about death. Sin, like an infection, is almost impossible to avoid in this mortal world. We brush up against the thorns of life. We step on rusty nails from our past. We breath in the corruption of the society that surrounds us. If we repent constantly and continuously, the infections of sin cannot take root. But if ignored, or merely bandaged over, and left un-repented of, sins can become iniquity, which is a systemic infection that runs through our soul and can threaten to destroy us. An important difference between physical infection and sin is that, while some infections can become so invasive and so resistant to treatment that they cannot be stopped, there is a treatment for sin that is strong enough to remove even the worst infection. The Atonement, activated by sincere repentance, can remove every sin from our lives, save two only - the shedding of innocent blood and denial of the Holy Ghost. Sin can produce some pretty deep infections in our souls. The Atonement is the ultimate spiritual antibiotic.

Keeping the commandments is like lifting weights. We begin with small, light weights when our muscles are weak. As we grow stronger, we can lift heavier weights. The more we lift, the more we are able to lift. As long as we continue lifting regularly, we maintain our strength. If, however, we skip an exercise session, we lose a small amount of strength. We may not feel it if we get immediately back into the routine. But if we skip two, three, four sessions, we can tell the difference. We lose strength and muscle tone more quickly than we can build it. Nevertheless, we can rebuild it. As children or new converts, we begin with simple commandments. As we learn to keep the first commandments and ordinances, we become more capable, and the Lord gives us more challenging commandments. Joseph Smith taught that the Lord gives us commandments to inspire us (D&C 20:7). We progress from level to level, even as we are taught in the temple. No one is perfect, and so we may falter from time to time. We lose a little strength each time we stumble in sin. If we repent, however, and put our faith in Christ and seek his forgiveness and return to righteousness, the effects are not permanent. We can regain our strength. If we keep on sinning, however, and do not repent, we lose more of our spiritual muscle, and the effects become noticeable. What had taken us a long time to build up through diligent obedience can be lost in a very short period of time. Nevertheless, there is a way back. We can always repent, and get ourselves right with the Lord, and get ourselves back into the routine of righteousness. It may take a long time and be painful, but we can start again, and we can rebuild spiritual strength.

Humility is like having the key to a great treasure chest of knowledge and blessings. One who humbles himself as a child is better than a king(Eccl. 4:13. The Lord dwells with one who is humble (Isa. 57:15). The Lord gives grace (spiritual help and gifts) to those who are humble (1 Pet. 5:5–6). When none is humble, the Lord promises to answer his prayers (D&C 112:10). To the humble the Lord promises wisdom (D&C 136:32) and enlightenment. And the Lord offers to those who are humble that they shall see his face and know him (D&C 67:10). These are great treasures indeed, which the Lord holds in reserve for those we are truly humble and teachable.

A broken heart and a contrite spirit are like a radio tuner that is dialed in perfectly to a radio station. Radio stations broadcast their signals on specific and exact frequencies. To hear the programming and music offered by the station, we must set our radio receiver to the station's broadcasting frequency. The closer we tune our radio to the specific frequency, the clearer the signal and the better we can hear the program. To have a broken heart and a contrite spirit means to be humble and repentant and meek. It is the opposite of being prideful and rebellious and stubborn. We say a horse is broken when he is trained to carry a rider and to obey his commands. Even so, our hearts are broken when they are trained to listen to the will of the Lord and obey him. When our hearts are broken, the Holy Spirit promises to be with us (D&C 55:3), the Spirit of the Lord will enlighten us (D&C 136:33), we are accepted of the Lord (D&C 52:15), and the Lord will dwell with us (Isa. 57:15). A broken heart and contrite spirit are precisely dialed into the program of God.

Baptism is like signing a contract. It is an act that binds us to God and God to us (Mosiah 18:8–10, 13). Through the ordinance of baptism, we promise God that we will take upon us the name of Christ, always remember him, keep his commandments, repent continuously, serve and minister to his children, and faithfully endure to the end of our lives. God, on the other hand, promises to wipe away our sins, bestow upon us the gift of the Holy Ghost, and grant us entrance into his kingdom. As long as we honor our terms of the contract, God will honor his terms. Through partaking of the sacrament each week we renew our commitment to the contract. Through a lifetime of testing us, God ascertains that we are fully committed to our contract. When he is fully satisfied that we, through the grace of Christ's Atonement, have kept the contract, he will reward us with the promised result, even eternal life and exaltation.

The gift of the Holy Ghost is like a river of pure water in a dry desert. A river brings life-giving moisture; the Holy Ghost brings knowledge that leads to eternal life. A river is constantly flowing; the gift of the Holy Ghost is a never-ending source of truth and light. The rushing waters of the river scour the channel of the river bed and removes dirt and debris; the Holy Ghost is a sanctifier who brings us a remission of sins. The river's current runs inexorably to the sea, which is the source of life; the Holy Ghost, when we listen to him, leads us ever onward to Christ, who is the source of life and salvation.

Christ's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane is like olive oil. This analogy is drawn from the very name of Gethsemane: "olive press". Olive oil is a precious and life-giving commodity in many cultures. It is used for nourishment, for lubrication, in medicines, and in lamps to produce light. To produce oil, the olive must be battered and crushed until it is a paste, and then great pressure is applied for a period of time until the oil separates from the solid particles. For efficiency, olive presses are built to process a large number of olives, but in the end, each individual olive must be crushed and pressed to release its oil to contribute to the final product.Similarly, Christ had to be battered, crushed, and pressed under great pressure, even until his sanctifying blood extruded from every pore. As each individual olive has to be ground up, so each individual sin had to be paid for. And as olives have to be crushed and then pressed, so Christ had to be crushed in the garden and then pressed on the cross to extract the final ounce of purifying sacrifice. The oil of the Atonement nourishes us with hope, smooths the grinding trials of life, heals us, and lights up our life.

The sacrament is like essential nourishment to our souls. The literal bread and water are Living Bread and Living Water. Healthy bread and clean water are sufficient to sustain our bodies and promote life. The sacrament offers us all that is sufficient to sustain our spirits and promote eternal life through the Atonement of the Savior.

How can relying on the Savior's grace help me become a better teacher?

Prophets have often felt inadequate to fulfill their callings to preach God's word:

Jeremiah 1:6 "Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child."

Exodus 4:10 "And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."

Moses 6:31 "And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?"

Isaiah 6:5 "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."

The call to minister and to teach generally comes as a surprise. Few think that they are worthy and prepared to be a teacher. Joseph Smith did not enter the Sacred Grove with the thought that we would exit the grove with the calling of a prophet. Moses did not climb the mountain to see the burning bush with the expectation that he would be sent to rescue Israel from bondage in Egypt. Most callings in the Church come to us unexpectedly and not as a result of any specific preparation that we have been making. Feelings of inadequacy are normal and common as we face a new situation. These feelings are good in many respects because they encourage us to be humble and teachable. They raise our awareness of our shortcomings and encourage us to put forth extra effort.

However, these feelings of inadequacy can become debilitating if we focus on our weaknesses and fail to look to the Lord for help.

Why do we not magnify our callings to teach as faithfully as we should?

Fear is a common malady. Note the many examples in the scriptures where the Lord has warned his servants against fear and has provided them with encouragement.

D&C 60:2 "But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them."

Isaiah 51:12-13 "I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?"

Ezekiel 2:6 "And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house."
D&C 3:3 "Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men;"

Though some of us may not fear directly, we nevertheless see ourselves as too young and inexperienced to be proper instruments in the hands of the Lord. Such feelings of fear and inexperience are common to man when he is called of God to do something new and different. The lesson from the scriptures and from the lives of the prophets and great ministers of the gospel in our own day is that the Lord's grace is sufficient to enable us to do whatever he wants us to do.

What is God's grace?

Grace is the enabling and strengthening power of God, through the Atonement of Christ. It is grace that enables us to accomplish things that are otherwise beyond our natural abilities and strength. Note these examples from the scriptures of how grace has worked for many of the Lord's great servants. They were great, not because of their personal abilities, but because of the grace of God in their lives.

1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;"

D&C 1:23 "That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers."

Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Jacob 4:7 "Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things."

Why doesn't God just instantly give us power and the ability to do great things? Why does he let us struggle with our weaknesses? So that we recognize the source of our strength. We must be in a state where we truly and genuinely recognize that we cannot succeed on our own power. Only when we know that God is our only and final source of help does he typically come to the rescue.

Elder Bednar, in referring to Jacob 4:7, commented, "Brothers and sisters, please pay particular attention to the word grace as it is used in the verse I just read. In the Bible Dictionary we learn that the word grace frequently is used in the scriptures to connote a strengthening or enabling power.

'The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

'… It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts” (p. 697).

"Thus, the enabling and strengthening aspect of the Atonement helps us to see and to do and to become good in ways that we could never recognize or accomplish with our limited mortal capacity. I testify and witness that the enabling power of the Savior’s Atonement is real. Without that strengthening power of the Atonement, I could not stand before you this morning." ("In the Strength of the Lord", Ensign, November 2004)

How does grace help us to fulfill our callings?

Once a person is humble and recognizes his total reliance on the grace of God to accomplish to work to which he has been called, the Lord is quick to come to his aid through divine grace. Grace brings marvelous promises of assistance and comfort.

1 Nephi 3:7 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

Moses 6:32,34  "And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good. Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me."

Exodus 4:12 "Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."
And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God "

Jeremiah 1:9 "Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth."

Isaiah 6:6-8 "Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." (Isaiah initially did not feel worthy or capable of speaking for the Lord and teaching the people. But the Lord symbolically touched his mouth and gave him a remission of his sins through the cleansing power of the Atonement and the refining fire of the Holy Ghost. Then when the call came, Isaiah felt ready to accept it.)

Alma 17:10-12 "And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted. And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good bexamples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls. And it came to pass that the hearts of the sons of Mosiah, and also those who were with them, took courage to go forth"

Elder Bednar has counseled us, "For all of us who feel unprepared and overwhelmed and unequal to a new calling or responsibility, the promise of the Lord to Enoch is equally applicable. The promise was true in Enoch’s day, and it is true today." ("In the Strength of the Lord", Ensign, November 2004)

How do we obtain power through grace?

Grace is a gift of God, and as such, it is predicated upon certain conditions. First, we must do all we can to qualify ourselves for the gift. Second, we must ask for it.

Alma 17:9 "And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God."

By the very definition of a gift, we do not earn it. Nevertheless, we must strive for the gift we seek. If we want divine assistance in our teaching, then we must strive to be worthy of heavenly assistance through righteous thoughts, desires, and actions. Despite all we can do, though, we ultimately must rely on the Atonement to justify us and to sanctify us. As described in the verse above, the sons of Mosiah "fasted much and prayed much". Their desire was that they would become "an instrument in the hands of God". Their fasting and prayers sharpened them and tuned them as instruments.

Interestingly, they did not wait until they had received the divine grace they sought before starting on their journey. They departed for the mission field even before they had received the needed help. They were willing to "go and do" with the faith that the Lord would provide them with the help they needed when they needed it.

Also, note that they asked the Lord to "grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them". Just doing our best and expecting the Lord to step in and help is not enough. We have to ask for the gift we seek. It is the "law of asking". The Lord will not rob us of our agency. He always waits for our invitation. If we do not ask, he will not help.

Conclusion

To quote Nephi one more time, "the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7). God expects us to be teachers, whether we have callings as full-time missionaries, leaders in church, classroom instructors, or are trying to be good parents or family members or neighbors. He has prepared a way for us to effectively teach his gospel. He offers us divine grace, which strengthens and enables us to do things that we otherwise could not do on our own. When we qualify ourselves, rely on the Atonement, ask for and live for grace, the Master will make us truly remarkable instruments in his Hands.

What would my life be like without the Book of Mormon?

The Book of Mormon, which contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is integral to my being. It is in every fiber of my core. Jesus Christ is the very center of my life, and the Book of Mormon is my gateway to come unto him. Therefore, to contemplate my life without the Book of Mormon is to imagine a life that has a very different center and a much altered core from who I am today.

My church, my religion, and my faith are inextricably connected to the Book of Mormon. The  Book of Mormon was my first proof of Joseph Smith as a prophet. So without the book, there would be no prophet. If there is no prophet, there is no Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If there is no church, no prophet, and no Book of Mormon, then I would have no true understanding of Christ and his gospel.

The Vantage Point of a Convert

Unlike many Latter-day Saints who have been born into the faith, I am a convert, and as such, I can remember not having God, Christ, a prophet, a church, and the Book of Mormon in my life. I was fifteen years old, a sophomore in high school in Long Beach, California, when the missionaries started coming to my home. I know clearly the direction my life was heading as a teenager in the late '60s. I was a good kid, and I tended to hang around with good kids. But I was a normal kid facing an increasingly permissive and promiscuous culture of hippies, acid rock music, drugs, and free love. Even the best young people in my circle of friends were gradually failing prey to the society in which we were growing up. My time was surely coming.

I thought very little about God. My parents had a faith in a Christian God, but they were not church goers. I accepted the reasonableness that a Supreme Being existed, but I imagined him as a massive cloud of energy that floated through the universe, much like various alien life forms that Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock encountered on a weekly basis. At any rate, such a vast mass of super-charged energy and unimaginable intelligence had nothing to do with my personal life.

I accepted the historical reality of a man from Nazareth named Jesus. Was he the metaphorical son of an ethereal cloud of intelligence? Possibly. Was he resurrected? I could not rule out the possibility. The Cloud-God could probably do anything it wanted. But even if Jesus had come back to life, it did not have anything to do with my life.

I had never read the Bible or even portions of it, though we had one in our home somewhere. I knew a few of the famous Bible stories, which my parents had taught me as a child. And I had seen The Ten Commandments and The Robe and The Greatest Story Ever Told. Still, they were just stories, no better than any other gripping historical fiction stories. I was entertained, but I was not "converted".

For worldly pursuits I was interested in writing and poetry. I was in the journalism class and was getting involved with the high school newspaper. I liked sports, although I had no unrealistic aspirations of being a professional athlete. I loved music. I had learned to play the guitar and had formed various bands with my friends. I did not think of music as a possible profession, though; just fun. I planned to graduate from high school, go to a university, preferably out of state. and become an elementary school teacher. My other goal was to stay out of the military draft and as far from the Vietnam War as possible.

Normal With a Quirk

So in general my life was headed in a fairly typical direction for a non-religious but relatively decent human being. The one quirk in my otherwise normal life was a funny feeling I got on Sundays. I had no desire to go to a church on Sunday, but I felt somehow inferior to people who went to church. I was not entirely comfortable going out in public on Sunday mornings. I recall vividly one Sunday morning when I was in seventh grade. A friend invited me to come to his house to go swimming in his pool. I had to ride my bike to his house, which was several miles away. I felt guilty and conspicuous as I rode down the streets. As cars drove by or as I saw people in their yards, I hoped that they thought that I was riding my bike to church. I have no idea why I was concerned about whether strangers thought I was a church person. I do not know why I viewed Sunday differently than Saturday. It was just a glitch in my otherwise carefree conscience.

I believe I would have ended up as a decent person with no police record and no traffic tickets. I probably would have gotten married eventually, since marriage was still "in" in those days, but certainly not to the person I am married to now. I would have had a child or two, but not the children I have now. I'm pretty sure I would not have lasted as a elementary school teacher any longer than I actually did. I likely would have ended up in computers, although I would not have had a career working for the LDS Church. I might not have lived my entire life in Southern California, but I would definitely not be living in Utah. Outwardly I would probably be living a pretty good life and enjoying ten percent more of my spendable income.

Life and Death

In this alternative universe, I am not sure how I would have been affected by the death of my parents, my sister and my brother. To think that their lives are over and done and their personalities and their memories are evaporated into the ether is almost too much to comprehend. I can see why people become despondent with overwhelming grief when a loved one dies. To be dead is to cease to exist in any form. When this mortal life is all one knows and all one can hope for, existence is meaningless. Even if one leaves a monumental legacy behind, like a beautiful building or a painting or a book, it really does not matter. Other meaningless, mortal life forms may enjoy and appreciate the legacy, but in the end, they will die and disintegrate, and the physical legacy will eventually crumble and disappear, and there will have been no purpose to any of it.

If in my alternate universe I thought there was a Satan, I would suppose that he would keep us thoroughly entertained and distracted with materialism for as long as possible. He would not want us to pause and consider the meaning of our lives very often or for very long. It would be depressing and painful. Such feelings might make us want to look for something more in life than just eating, drinking and making merry. I believe if I paused long enough to consider my life in this godless, church-less, faithless world, I would be very depressed.

Profound Gratitude

In other words, without the Book of Mormon, my life would be hardly recognizable from what it is today. I am profoundly and eternally grateful that I have the Book of Mormon in my life. Because of my testimony of that book, the cornerstone of my religion, I know about prophets, I belong to the true church of Christ, I know God to be my Heavenly Father, and I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world and of me personally. I am grateful to say that I am striving to become a disciple of Christ.

I have a wonderful, faithful wife in whom I have supreme confidence. I have marvelous children and grandchildren. I have friends who have touched my life deeply and have helped me to change for the better. I have served a mission and performed many humanitarian acts of service throughout my life. I have a rich faith that feeds my spirit and gives me courage and purpose and hope. I know that my parents and siblings live on, and that we will see each other again and recognize each other and rejoice together in our reunion. I know that my wife and children will be mine in eternity because of the atonement of Christ. Because of his literal resurrection, I know that I and every other living person who has ever walked this earth will be resurrected and have a physical body for eternity. Because of the Book of Mormon, I know Jesus Christ; and because of Jesus, I know the purpose for this earth life.It is not meaningless; it is not a waste. We have a purpose here, and that is to prepare ourselves, and to help others to prepare, to return to God and eventually progress into beings of love and intelligence and power, as he is. This is my life because of the Book of Mormon.

How has the Book of Mormon strengthened my faith in the Atonement?

The subtitle of the Book of Mormon is "Another Testament of Jesus Christ". When I joined the Church as a teenager, there was not a subtitle. It took me a long time to learn what the Book of Mormon is really about.

Larry's Answer Was Not What He Expected

This first time I became conscious of the connection between the Book of Mormon and faith in Christ and his Atonement was when a friend told me of his experiencing in seeking a testimony of the Book of Mormon. As a convert, I had a belief in the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the Restored Church. These were the center of my fledgling testimony. I was frankly more interested in being a Mormon than in being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. I believed in Jesus as the Savior, but I did not really appreciate what that meant. The Atonement was not what excited me about the gospel. I was more excited about revelation, new scriptures, a fuller vision of the plan of salvation that included the pre-existence and the three degrees of glory. Somehow in all of my gaining of knowledge about this new church I had recently joined, the central role of Christ did not register on my consciousness.

Then one day I was talking with my friend Larry about his mission. Larry was older than me by several years, and he had recently returned from his mission to Sweden. He related to me how, at the beginning of his mission, he felt the need to strengthen his testimony of the Book of Mormon. So he set about to focus on the Book of Mormon in his daily personal study. He began reading the book from cover to cover for the first time. He began each study session with a prayer that the Lord would tell him the Book of Mormon was true. He would then read several chapters for forty-five minutes. Then he would pray again.

It took him a few weeks to get through the book. When he finished, he said the most amazing thing happened. His testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon was not much different at the end of the exercise than at the beginning, but he became aware that his testimony of Christ and his love for the Savior were far deeper and more powerful than ever before. God had answered his prayer with what he truly needed rather than what he had asked for. He realized that his testimony of the Book of Mormon was adequate, but his testimony of Christ was what needed to be enhanced. Reading the Book of Mormon did that for him.

Dawns the Light

When he told me of his experience, I thought, "Hmm, I have never really thought of the Book of Mormon as being about Christ. I thought of it as being about prophets like Lehi and Nephi and Alma and Mormon and Moroni. I thought of it as being about wars and family feuds and great battles and political intrigue. I was caught up in the history of the Book of Mormon, and I had failed to see the point of all of that history, which is a testimony of Christ. That is why the Isaiah chapters and the long sermons of King Benjamin and Alma seemed boring to me. I knew everyone said that the highlight of the Book of Mormon was the appearance of Christ to the Nephites as recorded in Third Nephi, and I was thrilled by the drama of the destruction, the three days of darkness, the gathering to the Bountiful Temple, and the miraculous appearance of the resurrected Lord. But then there were more long sermons and a rehash of New Testament chapters, and I just didn't get the point.

However, in my typical fashion, I pondered a long time on my friend Larry's experience and his assertion that the Book of Mormon can strengthen our faith in Christ. Over a period of several years, my understanding of the gospel matured and deepened. I slowly began to comprehend the importance of the Atonement and of Christ's central place in the church and the plan of salvation. I listened in classes and sacrament meeting talks and General Conference as inspired teachers and leaders spoke of Christ and bore their testimonies of him. As I continued to read the Book of Mormon many times and study it, it gradually dawned on me that Christ is indeed the central figure in the Book. Unlike my friend Larry, who could point to a single event that brought Christ's role sharply into focus for him, my understanding was slow in coming - line upon line and precept upon precept.

Eyes to See and Ears to Hear

Today I see the Book of Mormon completely differently. I see the exciting and intriguing stories of battles and captivities and miraculous rescues as types and shadows of the redemption and salvation offered by Christ's Atonement. I see in the long sermons profound expositions of gospel principles that lead to greater faith in Christ. Christ and his Atonement are interwoven in every page of the Book of Mormon. It only takes eyes to see and ears to hear.

For example, Lehi's entire journey with his family through the wilderness to the Promised Land is a metaphor for our journey through mortality towards the Celestial Kingdom. Lehi needed the brass plates (scriptures), the liahona (Holy Ghost), and a ship (Atonement) to complete his journey succesfully.

The captivity of Alma's people under the Amulon and the Lamanites and their miraculous escape is metaphor for our miraculous rescue from the captivity of sin through the Atonement. Alma and his people were living peacefully and faithfully when they were discovered by the Lamanites. They tried to be helpful to the lost Lamanite army, but their generosity backfired on them, and they found themselves enslaved. Though the oppression of their taskmasters weigh heavily upon them, they remained faithful and humble. They prayed for deliverance. The Lord did not immediately deliver them, but he gave them hope and strengthened them so that they could endure their afflictions. In the Lord's own time, the word came to Alma that their escape was at hand. God caused the Lamanites to fall into a deep sleep, and Alma's people simply walked away from the land of their captivity. They were strengthened and ultimately saved by the tender mercies of the Lord.

In contrast to Alma's experience was the experience of the people of Limhi. This group of Nephites were likewise in captivity by the Lamanites at about the same time as Alma. However, instead of being faithful and humbly waiting upon the Lord, Limhi attempted to free his people by their own power. Repeated they battled their Lamanites oppressors, and each time they were beaten and discouraged. Only when they finally humbled themselves and consigned themselves to the reality of their situation and their utter helplessness to save themselves did the Lord intervene. He sent an expedition of Nephites from the land of Zarahemla, led by Ammon, to find Limhi's people. The arrival of this small band of men gave Limhi hope. He called upon his people to repent and to humble themselves and to cry unto the Lord for deliverance. Only when the people were sufficiently humble did the Lord effect their escape.

The comparisons and contrasts between the people and Alma and the people of Limhi are instructive in helping us see the difference between humility and pride, faith in the Lord and faith in the arm of flesh, between the spiritual child and the natural man. The situations were very similar and the outcomes the same, but the experience and the sufferings of the two groups were very different.

in my own life I need the same tools that Lehi had to successfully navigate through mortality and arrive safely in the Kingdom of Christ and his father, namely, the scriptures, the Holy Ghost, and the Atonement. My experience in this life will be much better if I am humble and penitent and faithful and rely on the arm of the Lord. I will not be without trials, anymore than Alma's people were without their affliction of captivity. But if I rely on the Lord and not solely on my own strength, Christ and his Atonement will help me and strengthen me to endure until he ultimately saves me.

Prophets Testify of Christ

The Book of Mormon teaches plainly and in rich detail about the fullness of the gospel of Christ and his Atonement.

• Christ was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of all mankind. (1 Ne. 11:33)
• Christ offered himself a sacrifice for sin. (2 Ne. 2:7)
• The Atonement is infinite. (2 Ne. 9:7)
• God will raise us from everlasting death by the power of the atonement (2 Ne. 10:25)
• The Atonement is the key to the great and eternal plan of deliverance. (2 Ne. 11:5)
• We are reconciled unto God through the atonement of Christ. (Jacob 4:11)
• The blood of Christ atoned for our sins. (Mosiah 3:16)
• Were it not for the atonement, we must unavoidably perish. (Mosiah 13:28)
• The Lord made his soul an offering for sin. (Mosiah 14:10)
• Christ took upon himself the pains and the sicknesses of his people. (Alma 7:11)
• Christ atoned for the sins of the world. (Alma 34:8)
• The atonement will brings to pass the resurrection. (Alma 42:23)
• We are saved only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. (Hel. 5:9)
• Jesus Christ, who is the God of the whole earth, was slain for the sins of the world. (3 Ne. 11:14)
• We set at naught the atonement at our own peril. (Moro. 8:20)
• We can be sanctified through the shedding of Christ's blood. (Moro. 10:33)

Conclusion

The Book of Mormon is a powerful witness of Christ and his Atonement. My friend Larry found this truth early in his life. It has taken me a little longer, but i am grateful that the Lord has opened my eyes and unstopped my ears. I have many witnesses that Jesus is the Christ. The Book of Mormon has become a cornerstone in my testimony of, and my faith in, the Atonement of Christ.

Finding symbols of Christ in the scriptures

The scriptures are replete with symbols and types that teach us of Christ and his Atonement. A brief review of the entries for "Jesus Christ, Types Of, In Anticipation" in the Topical Guide provide ready insight into the symbolic teachings of the scriptures about Christ. Among the references in this section we can find the following:

• The law of sacrifice, followed by righteous people from Adam to Moses, and strengthened by the Law of Moses, is a powerful symbol of the sacrifice of Christ's Atonement (2 Nephi 11:4). For example, the animal to be sacrificed had to be a male firstling (Genesis 4:4, Exodus 12:5). A firstling is the firstborn. Jesus was the firstborn of Heavenly Father's spirit children and the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. The sacrificial victim had to be without blemish (Exodus 12:5), even as Christ was without sin.
• When the children of Israel were attacked by flying fiery serpents in the wilderness,Moses made a serpent of brass (Numbers 21:9) as a means to heal those who were bitten. They had only to look upon the brass serpent to have the effects of the poisonous bite immediately removed. Alma taught the Zoramites that the brass serpent was a symbol of Christ's ability to heal us from our sins and to give us eternal life (Alma 33:19).
• The Passover is a rich allegory for the Atonement of Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7). Just as the blood of the sacrificial lamb protected the Israelites in Egypt from the destroyer, so Christ's blood protects us from Satan's destroying power in our lives.
• The bread and wine or water of the sacrament are regular reminders that Christ is the Bread of Life and the Living Water and that he offered his body and blood in the Atonement for us (Matthew 26:26).
• Baptism symbolizes our burial with Christ and our coming forth into a newness of life through the Resurrection (Colosians 2:12).

There are two dramatic events recorded in scripture that are particularly poignant and impressive in the richness of the symbols they use to portray the love of the Father and of the Son. The first is the well-known story of Abraham's offering of his son Isaac. The second is much lesser-known story of David and Abigail.

Abraham and Isaac

Abraham's offering of his son Isaac is touching shadow of the drama that would be played out between the Father and his Only Begotten Son in the meridian of time (Genesis 22:1-14). The story begins with Abraham receiving the commandment from the Lord to " take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of" (verse 2). Isaac was Abraham's only begotten son by his wife Sarah. The Lord has asked Abraham to sacrifice that which he loved most. Not only was God testing Abraham's faithfulness, he was also testing Isaac. I believe he wanted someone who could understand the feelings that the Father would have when he sent his First Born and Only Begotten to be sacrificed. 

A burnt offering is not a partial offering, but a complete sacrifice. There is nothing left of a burnt offering. It is completely consumed. Christ would give his all in the sacrifice of the Atonement. He would leave nothing undone.

Abraham is commanded to make his offering in a mountain, which represents the temple. Eventually Solomon would build the temple of Israel on this very mountain to which Abraham took his son.

We next read that Abraham "rose up early in the morning" to begin his trek with his son to the fateful Mount Moriah (verse 3). Abraham was eagerly obedient even in commandments he did not like. Though his heart surely was breaking with every step, he put God's will above his own.

The journey took three days (verse 4). That is surely a long time for Abraham to ponder on what he is about to do. It is also a long time for Isaac to meekly follow his father. Numbers are never used randomly in scripture. Why was the journey three days long? Three is the number of the Godhead. Three represents holiness. This was a holy journey of sanctification to draw Abraham and Isaac closer to God.

Abraham had asked two servants to accompany him and his son on their three-day journey. When the final destination was in sight, Abraham directed his servants to "abide... here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you" (verse 5). Jesus would ask his disciples to tarry near him and watch with him as he entered the Garden of Gethsemane to begin his eternal and infinite sacrifice for the sins of the world. However, like the servants of Abraham, they had to remain behind in the crucial moment of Christ's great sacrifice, when his blood fell as great drops upon the ground.

The account continues with Abraham taking "the wood of the burnt offering, and [laying] it upon Isaac his son" (verse 6). Isaac had to carry the wood of the sacrifice just as Christ would have to carry his wooden cross. But Isaac did not have to carry his burden alone, and neither did Christ. For just as Abraham and Isaac "went both of them together" (verse 6), the Father did not abandon his Son during the journey.

As father and son approached the place of the sacrifice, Isaac called out to his father, and Abraham instantly responded, "Here am I, my son" (verse 7). Such a tender moment for father and son! The boy cried out to his father for strength and support, and the father assured him of their relationship and  reassured him of his presence and his availability.

Isaac then pointed out the obvious, "We have wood and fire, but I don't see a lamb to sacrifice. How are you going to offering a burnt offering without a victim?" (see verse 7). This is the moment of truth for Isaac. He knew the law of sacrifice. He knew that the sacrificial object must be something of value that Abraham possessed. It must be a firstborn male. According to the law, Abraham could not just forage for a random lamb in the wilderness. Isaac must have had an idea of what Abraham intended, but now that the reality was at hand, he needed confirmation.

These must have been heart-wrenching words for Abraham to hear. He could not bring himself to answer directly. He still had faith. It was not Abraham's will, but the Father's. "God will provide himself a lamb," he told his son (verse 8). Nevertheless, he knew in his heart that God had indeed already provided himself with a sacrificial lamb. If no other alternative presented itself, Abraham was ready to offer his son. Abraham's prophecy was also true of Christ, for in the meridian of time the Father truly would provide the sacrificial lamb in the form of his own Son. For now, however, the father and son continued to go "both of them together" (verse 8). The father was still there for his son and would remain with him right up to the very end.

When the two arrived at the appointed place of sacrifice, Abraham prepared the altar and then "bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the wood upon the altar" (verse 9).  Obviously Isaac submitted willingly to his father. Surely a teenager could have escaped from a hundred-year-old man if he didn't want to be tied up. Christ would willingly submit to the will of the Father and allow himself to be taken, bound, tried, scourged, burden with his cross, and then nailed to it by his executioners.

Here the experience of Abraham and Isaac diverge from the future experience of Heavenly Father and his Only Begotten Son. For an angel called upon Abraham even as he raised his hand to plunge the knife into his obedient son's flesh. Centuries later there would be no merciful angel, no ram in the thicket, to spare the life of Christ. In the case of Abraham and Isaac, God needed to know only that they were willing to complete the sacrifice. In the case of Christ, willingness was not enough. The sacrifice had to be fully executed. Jesus had to drain the last dregs of the bitter cup. There was no real point in Isaac's death. But Christ's death was the point.

David and Abigail

A movingly portrayed allegory of Christ's role as our mediator and advocate with the Father is seen in the encounter of David and Abigail, as recounted in 1 Samuel 25. The story and its relationship to Christ's Atonement are beautifully told in the book The Peacegiver, by James L. Ferrell.

David had been anointed to become the king of Israel to replace the disobedient king Saul. The jealous Saul swore to destroy David, so David fled into the wilderness, where he remain with a faithful band of followers for many years. 

While in the wilderness near Mount Carmel, David's little army encountered the shepherds of a rich man named Nabal. David and his men befriended the shepherds and protected them against marauding bands of robbers. When the grazing season was over, the shepherds returned with their flocks to Nabal's headquarters, and David and his men moved on.

Sometime later, when David's army was in need of provisions, David sent representatives to the home of the wealthy Nabal to ask for assistance. The representatives reminded Nabal that David had protected his flocks and shepherds and ensured that none were lost. It was time now for Nabal to return David's service.

Nabal, who is described as "churlish and evil in his doings" (1 Samuel 25:3) refused the request of David's representatives. "Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?" (1 Samuel 25:10-11). 

When David's men returned to their camp with the report of Nabal's disrespect towards them and David, the warrior side of David took over. In his wrath at the insult of Nabal, he ordered his men to take up their weapons and march upon Nabal's headquarters. David was determined to slay every man in Nabal's compound and take whatever he needed to sustain his army.

Enter Abigail, Nabal's wife. When she heard report of her husband's rudeness to David's men and his refusal to honor their request, and when she knew that David was coming to destroy her husband and his household, she determined to intercede on her husband's behalf. Without telling her husband what she was doing, she gathered up a large collection of food and provisions, and set out in a caravan to intercept David's army before they reached Nabal's camp. 

Here is the crux of the story and the beautiful symbolism of the Atonement. 

And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. (1 Samuel 15:23-24, 28)

Note Abigail's words: "upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be... forgive the trespass of thine handmaid". Abigail had done nothing wrong. She had not been rude to David's men. She had not withheld the requested provision from them. Yet she asked the wrathful David, "Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal" (1 Samuel 25:25). Nabal is a fool, she said, and does not understand the consequences of his actions. Rather, she pleaded for David to lay this sin to her charge. He asked that he consider her guilty instead of her husband. And then she asked for forgiveness and for mercy for herself. 

David was fully aware that Abigail had done no wrong and bore no guilt for what her husband had done. But because she took Nabal's sin upon herself and then pleaded for mercy, his heart was softened and he freely forgave her. Thus Abigail was able to avert the destruction of her husband. She had satisfied justice and engendered mercy.

This is Jesus's role as our Savior. He took upon himself our sins. He who had committed no sins and was guilty of no offense took upon himself all of our sins and offenses. He now stands in our stead before the Father and pleads for forgiveness and mercy. How could the Father not grant the request of his Beloved Son, who pleads on our behalf?

Joseph Smith's testimony of Christ

The Prophet Joseph Smith bore many powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ, his reality, his divinity, and his power to save us. Here is one of his most compelling statements of what he knew to be fact:

"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father— That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God" (D&C 76:22-24).

This single statement by Joseph Smith and Sydney Rigdon contains many great and marvelous truths.

Joseph saw Christ sitting on the right hand of God, exactly where the Apostle Paul said he would be: "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:3). The right side is the side of honor, the side of covenant. it is the right arm that we raise to the square to make a covenant with God. thus to be on his right side shows that we have made and kept covenants.

Joseph affirms that Christ was the "only begotten of the father", echoing the words of John the Beloved: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

Joseph testifies that it was Christ, formerly known as Jehovah, who organized the earth. This same truth was taught by ancient apostles:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:1-3).

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds" (Heb 1:1-2).

Note in the verse above from the letter to the Hebrews that Paul spoke of "worlds" in the plural. Joseph testified of the same truth, that Jesus has been the creator of many worlds besides this earth on which we stand. Joseph further testified that these other worlds are also inhabited by the spirit offspring of God the Father, and that they, just as we, have the opportunity of becoming sons and daughters of Christ, his spiritual heirs. Moses attested to the fact that many worlds were inhabited, each beginning with the first man who was named Adam: "And the first man of all men have I called Adam, which is many" (Moses 1:34).

Most powerful and significant of all the truths to which Joseph and Sydney testified as they related their vision of the heavens, was that Jesus lives today as a resurrected being. His resurrection is the final proof of all that he said he would and could do. When the scribes and Pharisees asked him if he truly had power and authority to do all of the works that he had promised, he offered to them the sign of Jonah, who was swallowed up in the depth of the sea for three days, and then returned to the land of the living. (See Matt 12:39-40). Another time he referred to the destruction and rebuilding of the temple, promising that he could rebuild the temple - meaning resurrect the temple of his body - in three days. (See john 2:19).

Christ's bodily resurrection is infallible proof that he is who he says he is and can do what he says he can do. Bruce R. McKonkie once taught that the proof of the Atonement is the Resurrection, and the proof of the Resurrection is witnesses. Joseph Smith stood as a witness of the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ. He ultimately gave his life for this witness, thus sealing his testimony with his blood, just as did most of the Apostles in ancient times.

Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah,

Jesus anointed that prophet and seer.

(Praise to the Man, Hymns, 27)

Apostles are special witnesses of Christ

According to the Bible Dictionary, "The word Apostle means 'one sent forth.' It was the title Jesus gave (Luke 6:13) to the twelve whom he chose and ordained (John 15:16) to be his closest disciples during his ministry on earth, and whom he sent forth to represent him after his ascension into heaven. The calling of an apostle is to be a special witness of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world, particularly of his divinity and of his bodily resurrection from the dead (Acts 1:22; D&C 107:23).

"Twelve men with this high calling constitute an administrative council in the work of the ministry. ... Today twelve men with this same divine calling and ordination constitute the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

It is my testimony that the Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have the same holy calling and commission as the ancient Apostles in the original church, namely, to stand as witness of Jesus Christ as the literal Son of God, the Redeemer of the World, the Savior of Mankind, the Mediator between Fallen Man and the Exalted Father, and the physically and literally Resurrected Lord. I testify that the Apostles of today are eye witnesses of the bodily resurrected Christ in the same way that the Apostles of old were eye witnesses. To be efficacious, their witness must be real and direct and personal and unassailable. Their witness cannot be second-hand or based on hearsay or speculation. A true witness must see with his eyes and feel with his hands. I affirm my belief that the fifteen living, ordained Apostles are such witnesses.

However, I also testify that such a witness is insufficient to know that the Resurrected Christ, as real as he may be, has actually redeemed us from the Fall and from our sins. It is one thing to know that Jesus was able to return from the dead. It is quite another to know that he can extend the promise of immortality to the rest of us and offer eternal life with the Father in his kingdom based on faithfulness and repentance. Such a knowledge can come only from the Holy Ghost as he testifies to each of us individually of our standing before God. We may not all get to be eye witnesses of the Resurrected Christ, but we can all have the witness of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, that he truly atoned for our sins and redeemed us from everlasting spiritual death. We can know just as surely by the power of the Holy Ghost as the Apostles know by personal experience, that we can receive and retain a remission of our sins through faith on Jesus Christ. We can know that we have been and are continuously forgiven as we make our way through this life with faith, hope and charity, through the pure love of Christ. We can know he is our friend even before we meet him in the flesh.

Thus, we can all have the gift of a testimony of Christ and can bear that testimony to all who need to hear it, even though we are not Apostles. The Apostles have a calling to bear a special witness to all the world. We may not bear the calling of Special Witnesses, but we have a righteous and effective testimony to bear to all we meet, to testify of what we know by the power of the Holy Ghost.

May the Lord find us so doing.