1 July 2007: Kathy Diehl on The Atonement

When we arrived in RS today, Kathy had already written this quote on the board, by Bruce Hafen:

"While no other success of ours can compensate for failures within or outside our homes, there is a success that can compensate when we cannot, after we conscientiously do all we can. That success is the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which can mend what for us is beyond repair."

Kathy began the lesson by talking about the Mackinac Bridge, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It is the 3rd longest bridge in the world, and the longest suspension bridge. It is made of 42,000 miles of cable, and is 55 stories high. Before it opened, it could take as long as 24 hours waiting in line to get on the ferry that connected the upper and lower peninsulas. Several people died while making the bridge, but we usually don't think about how it was built. That is, unless we happen to be on the bridge during a storm. Then we might find ourselves wondering if it was really built to withstand the wind or the rain or the ice, and when it holds, we may think gratefully of those who designed and built it. Life can be like that...when it is smooth we don't give much thought to those who sacrificed before us, including the Savior. But in times of trouble, our minds are turned to Him.

Our theme for Relief Society this year is softening our hearts, and each of the presidency-discretion lessons, which are taught on the first Sunday of the month, is designed to help us think more about this theme. Thinking about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice helps to soften our hearts.

We can't talk about the atonement without mentioning the plan of salvation and the fall of Adam and Eve. Kathy grew up in the Catholic church, where it was clearly taught that if Adam and Eve hadn't transgressed and partaken of the forbidden fruit, we would all still be living in paradise. The restored gospel teaches us that Adam and Eve's decision, instead of being a mistake, was a necessary part of God's plan for us. Without their transgression, we would never have been born. What did Adam and Eve learn after they left the garden?

TB: They learned that parenting is really hard.
Kathy: They learned all about troubled families.
OT: They learned the power of obedience.
Kathy: They learned by experience along the way. Did they ever make mistakes? They weren't perfect, but they learned along the way.
SP: They had a long time to learn. They lived 800 years of so. I'm glad for how old I am because of all I learn each year.
Kathy: The fall gives us the chance to learn. The plan of salvation is developmental. Although Christ atoned for their sins, that did not mean that Adam and Eve got to go back to the Garden and to the way things were before.
TB: They learned the power of loneliness. There were no other adults for them to talk to. Eve had no other women to help her through childbirth. They were cut off from God. They felt such an intense drive to reconnect with God, and this opportunity was provided them by the atonement.
Kathy: They experienced life in God's presence, as well as life separated from His presence.

NM: One of my husband's ancestors died while working on the Mackinac Bridge. Because of that, crossing the bridge is a very meaningful experience for his family. It means something personal to them. The atonement needs to be personal for each one of us.
Kathy: Look at the word "one" embedded in the word "atonement." The atonement happens one person at a time. Adam and Eve learned about hard work, they learned about not having enough resources, they learned about conflict with children and each other. Sometimes we think that because of our problems we're not going to make it back to God's presence. But we are here on earth to have problems. Ether 12:27 tells us that God gives us weaknesses so that we can be humble, and that if we'll come to Him, He will help our weaknesses become strengths. If we are becoming more aware of our weaknesses, we're getting closer to God. Bruce R. McKonkie once said that a lot more people are going to make it to God's kingdom than we think. We just need to want that with all our hearts.

LQ: Small daughter called out to her from bed. She went in to her to comfort her and then asked, why do you call out? Why don't you just come to me? The small girl answered that she wanted to know that her mother was there and was listening to her. As L. went back to her room, she felt the Lord asking her, "why don't you just come to me?" She realized that even when she doesn't go to Him for help, He comes to her.

Kathy: What do we need to do to access the blessings of the atonement?
LJ: How do you get a relationship with the Savior, or with anyone? Through repentance. At times you can't create a sense of well-being for yourself, but on your knees in prayer, if floods your soul. Try to read and understand what happened when Christ atoned for our sins.
Kathy: What a blessing repentance is. How good it is to go to Him and pour out our hearts. Picture summer on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. How do you think those gardens got that way?
LH: When I'm out in my garden weeding, I think of Adam and Eve, and how they learned about "noxious weeds." It inspires me to keep weeding. I think a lot of weeding goes on at Temple Square.
Kathy: What happens to weeds if we mow them down? We need to pull them out by the roots. This is similar to repentance.

OT: A friend is having problems with her son. She says that she know the Lord won't let certain bad things happen to him. I want to help her understand that we need to repent, and get a clean opening, a connection with God so that we can really pray and find out from Him the truth of things.
Kathy: Faith does not protect us from bad things.
LS: The flowers on Temple Square receive individualized attention. I need to find my own answers to my personal questions and needs, not a general blanket answer for the whole church. I need personal instruction from God.

MR: Ryan Earp recently taught a lesson in Elder's Quorum about the atonement. He presented a scenario that he'd heard in a class at BYU. The professor said suppose you committed sexual sins before your mission, but repented and served honorably. Now you are engaged to a worthy young woman who asks if you've ever had problems with the law of chastity. What do you answer her? The BYU professor said the correct answer is to tell her no, you've never had a problem with that law. This is because you have repented and been cleansed by the Lord through the atonement, and it is as if that sin never occurred. This story has helped M. be more forgiving of the mistakes that she makes. She can tell herself that because of her sincere repentance and the atonement, it is as if those mistakes never happened.

Kathy: We often get caught up in the phrase "after all that we can do." How do we know when we have done all we can?
TB: I try to do it alone. But Jesus needs to be with us through the whole process. I recently tried to imagine him with me every step of the way, and I knew when I'd done all that I could do and could then turn it over to Him. We need to let go of our control-everything lives. Ask the Savior to walk with you from the beginning.
Kathy: It is scary to give up control. As I was preparing this lesson, it wasn't coming together. I got her today and it still didn't feel together. I don't like to feel out of control. But when we let go and let the spirit guide it is OK. The atonement compensates for more than just sin. It covers any kind of pain, difficulty, loneliness, disappointment, mistake, inadequacy. He bled from every pore for each person. There is no greater expression of love. As I think about the Savior, it does soften my heart.