Atonement⁠, Agency, Accountability - Part Two

This post focuses on highlights from a past General Conference talk called “Atonement, Agency, Accountability” by Elder Boyd K Packer in April 1988 and this post is part two.

Elder Packer has mentioned the following; “Whatever else happened in Eden, in his supreme moment of testing, Adam made a choice. After the Lord commanded Adam and Eve to multiply and replenish the earth and commanded them not to partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, He said: “Nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (⁠Moses 3:17⁠).

There was too much at issue to introduce man into mortality by force. … The plan provided that each spirit child of God would receive a mortal body and each would be tested. Adam saw that it must be so and made his choice. “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (⁠2 Ne. 2:25⁠).

Adam and Eve ventured forth to multiply and replenish the earth as they had been commanded to do. The creation of their bodies in the image of God, as a separate creation, was crucial to the plan. Their subsequent fall was essential if the condition of mortality was to exist and the plan proceed.

Jacob described what would happen to our bodies and our spirits except an atonement, an infinite atonement, were made. … Because of the Fall, the Atonement was absolutely essential for resurrection to proceed and overcome mortal death.

The Atonement was absolutely essential for men to cleanse themselves from sin and overcome the second death, which is the spiritual death, which is separation from our Father in Heaven. For the scriptures tell us, seven times they tell us, that no unclean thing may enter the presence of God.

… introduced Adam and Eve and their posterity to all the risks of mortality. In mortality men are free to choose, and each choice begets a consequence. The choice Adam made energized the law of justice, which required that the penalty for disobedience would be death.

… A redeemer was sent to pay the debt and set men free. That was the plan. Alma’s son Corianton thought it unfair that penalties must follow sin, that there need be punishment. In a profound lesson Alma taught the plan of redemption to his son, and so to us.

Alma spoke of the Atonement and said, “Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment” (⁠Alma 42:16⁠). If punishment is the price repentance asks, it comes at bargain price. Consequences, even painful ones, protect us. So simple a thing as a child’s cry of pain when his finger touches fire can teach us that. 

Except for the pain, the child might be consumed. I readily confess that I would find no peace, neither happiness nor safety, in a world without repentance. I do not know what I should do if there were no way for me to erase my mistakes. The agony would be more than I could bear. It may be otherwise with you, but not with me.

An atonement was made. Ever and always it offers amnesty from transgression and from death if we will but repent. Repentance is the escape clause in it all. Repentance is the key with which we can unlock the prison from inside. We hold that key within our hands, and agency is ours to use it.

How supernally precious freedom is; how consummately valuable is the agency of man.

Lucifer in clever ways manipulates our choices, deceiving us about sin and consequences. He, and his angels with him, tempt us to be unworthy, even wicked. But he cannot, in all eternity he cannot, with all his power he cannot completely destroy us; not without our own consent. Had agency come to man without the Atonement, it would have been a fatal gift.

We are taught in Genesis, in Moses, in Abraham, in the Book of Mormon, and in the endowment that man’s mortal body was made in the image of God in a separate creation. Had the Creation come in a different way, there could have been no Fall.

…  How well I know that among learned men are those who look down at animals and stones to find the origin of man. … They train themselves to measure things by time, by thousands and by millions, and say these animals called men all came by chance. 

And this they are free to do, for agency is theirs. But agency is ours as well. We look up, and in the universe we see the handiwork of God and measure things by epochs, by eons, by dispensations, by eternities. 

The many things we do not know we take on faith. … It was all planned before the world was. Events from the Creation to the final, winding-up scene are not based on chance; they are based on choice! It was planned that way.

.. Had there been no Creation, no Fall, there should have been no need for any Atonement, neither a Redeemer to mediate for us. Then Christ need not have been. At Gethsemane and Golgotha the Savior’s blood was shed. Centuries earlier the Passover had been introduced as a symbol and a type of things to come. It was an ordinance to be kept forever (see Ex. 12⁠).

When the plague of death was decreed upon Egypt, each Israelite family was commanded to take a lamb, firstborn, male, without blemish. This paschal lamb was slain without breaking any bones, its blood to mark the doorway of the home. 

The Lord promised that the angel of death would pass over the homes so marked and not slay those inside. They were saved by the blood of the lamb. After the crucifixion of the Lord, the law of sacrifice required no more shedding of blood. 

For that was done, as Paul taught the Hebrews, “once for all, … one sacrifice for sins for ever” (⁠Heb. 10:10, 12⁠). The sacrifice thenceforth was to be a broken heart and a contrite spirit —repentance. And the Passover would be commemorated forever as the sacrament, in which we renew our covenant of baptism and partake in remembrance of the body of the Lamb of God and of His blood, which was shed for us.

It is no small thing that this symbol reappears in the Word of Wisdom. Beyond the promise that Saints in this generation, who obey, will receive health and great treasures of knowledge is this: “I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them” (⁠D&C 89:21⁠).

I cannot with composure tell you how I feel about the Atonement. It touches the deepest emotion of gratitude and obligation. My soul reaches after Him who wrought it, this Christ, our Savior of whom I am a witness. 

I testify of Him. He is our Lord, our Redeemer, our advocate with the Father. He ransomed us with His blood. … For agency is mine, and this I choose to do!”

Here's a link to the talk; 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1988/04/atonement-agency-accountability?lang=eng

Stay Tuned.

Atonement⁠, Agency, Accountability - Part One

What does Atonement means to you? What does Agency means to you? What does Accountability means to you? 

This post focuses on highlights from a past General Conference talk called “Atonement, Agency, Accountability” by Elder Boyd K Packer in April 1988. and this post is part one. This post should take approximately three minutes to five minutes to read. 

Elder Packer has mentioned the following; “Before the Crucifixion and afterward, many men have willingly given their lives in selfless acts of heroism. But none faced what the Christ endured. Upon Him was the burden of all human transgression, all human guilt. And hanging in the balance was the Atonement⁠. 

Through His willing act, mercy and justice could be reconciled, eternal law sustained, and that mediation achieved without which mortal man could not be redeemed. He, by choice, accepted the penalty for all mankind for the sum total of all wickedness and depravity; for brutality, immorality, perversion, and corruption; for addiction; for the killings and torture and terror —for all of it that ever had been or all that ever would be enacted upon this earth.

In choosing, He faced the awesome power of the evil one who was not confined to flesh nor subject to mortal pain. … How the Atonement was wrought, we do not know. No mortal watched as evil turned away and hid in shame before the light of that pure being. All wickedness could not quench that light.

When what was done was done, the ransom had been paid. Both death and hell forsook their claim on all who would repent. … Then every soul who ever lived could choose to touch that light and be redeemed. By this infinite sacrifice, through this atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.

Atonement is really three words: At-one-ment, meaning to set at one, one with God; to reconcile, to conciliate, to expiate. … I quote from Paul’s letter to the Romans: “Christ died for us. … “We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

"What does Atonement mean?" 

“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement⁠” (⁠Rom. 5:8, 10–11⁠).

...  Nephi said, “Because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, … an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them” (⁠1 Ne. 13:29⁠). 

He then prophesied that the precious things would be restored (see 1 Ne. 13:34–35⁠). And they were restored. 

I quote but one verse from Alma: “And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also” (⁠Alma 42:15⁠; italics added).

The cost of the Atonement was borne by the Lord without compulsion, for agency is a sovereign principle. According to the plan, agency must be honored. It was so from the beginning, from Eden. “The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency” (⁠Moses 7:32⁠)." 

To continue reading along with more highlights from this General Conference talk, I strongly recommend you to look forward to reading part two.  

Twenties Summary

Happy THIRTY Birthday to me. This post should take up to three minutes to read from start to finish. I have so much to share but I would like to share with you a summary of my twenties (from twenty years old to twenty-nine years old). 

• I’ve met Jacob online and in person when I was twenty-one years old. Jacob was my first boyfriend (we’ve dated for ten months - exactly) and I was twenty-one years old at the beginning our relationship.

•  Jacob was my first fiancé (our engagement lasted for ten months and one day). I was twenty-two years old at the beginning our engagement.

• Jacob and I got married when I was twenty-three years old.

• I've graduated Institute and received my endowments when I was twenty-one years old. 

• I've completed the Brigham Young University (BYU) Pathways program that runs through the Church when I was twenty-two years old.
  
• I didn’t serve a full-time mission or a part-time mission but I did serve as a Temple Ordinance Worker in Brisbane LDS Temple in Kangaroo Point, Queensland Australia when I was twenty-two years old to when I was twenty-three years old for 9 months.  

• I've completed two Self-Reliance courses (one of them is Personal Finances and the other one is Starting and Growing My Business) and I got married when I was twenty-three years old.

• I’ve worked in many Domino’s stores while I was employed in Domino’s Industry from when I was twenty years old (November 2016) to twenty-three years old (July 2019).

• I’ve moved countries when I was twenty-three years old, and I still miss living my home country - Australia. I'm still Australian and still have Australian citizenship.

• I’ve gotten my Green Card approval (proof of identification for being US resident, proof of identification for me to live in US legally, proof of identification for me being able to work legally, and proof of identification for me being able to study legally) and I’ve became a homeowner within two years of marriage. 

• I’ve experienced infertility before I finally conceived with E. I became a mother to three children within five years of marriage. Jacob and I definitely didn’t plan on having close age gap for our children so each child has been a huge blessing into our lives in different ways. I found out that I was pregnant with E when I was close to turning twenty-five years old.

• I’ve been to variety of states in Australia including layovers. I’ve been to Queensland (Brisbane), ACT - Australian Capital Territory (Canberra), New South Wales (Sydney), Western Australia (Perth), and Melbourne (Victoria).

• I’ve been to variety of countries including layovers. I’ve been to FIJI (Nan), New Zealand (Auckland), United States (California - Los Angeles, and San Diego), United States (Louisiana - Shreveport), United Staes (New Mexico - Alamogordo), United States (Texas - Dallas and many other places), and United States (Utah - many places). 

• I went to eleven LDS Temples in Utah to participate in ordinances within three weeks while being on vacation in Utah in February 2018. Jacob and I went to three LDS Temples in Utah together to participate ordinances within forty-eight hours after meeting each other in person. 

Stay Tuned.

Teenage Years Summary

This post should take up to five minutes to read from start to finish. To be honest, I do remember some memories during my teenage years. 

• I remembered attending High School, and I've made many friends while I was attending High School. Thank goodness, I still keep in contact to a good handful of friends that I've met during my High School years. 

• I've graduated High School and attending my Formal/Prom when I was seventeen years old. My Mum went with me to my Formal/Prom. I originally had a former friend to join with me but she didn't do great with communicating me leading up to Formal/Prom. 

• I remembered attending Church Camps that runs from the Church (variety of Young Women's Camps - aged from 12 years to 18 years old, Youth Conference aged from 14 years old to 18 years old, EFY/Especially For Youth Camp aged from 14 years old to 18 years old, SMYC - the same as EFY/Especially For Youth camp aged from 14 years old to 18 years old). I've made many friends while I was attending those Church Camps. Thank goodness, I still keep in contact to a good handful of friends that I've met during those Church Camps. 

• I also remembered starting and completing many courses from the year that I was turning sixteen years old to when I was turning nineteen years old. Those courses was Certificate I in Information, and Communication Technology, Certificate I in Business, Certificate II in Retail, Certificate II in Workplace Practices, Certificate II in Hospitality, Certificate III in Business Administration, and a degree in Digital Photography.  

• I remembered moving temporally away from my parents and my siblings to Western Australia when I was nineteen years old. I do have strong intentions to visit back to Western Australia one day.

• I do remember going on my first one on one date when I was seventeen years old. That date was great experience. 

• I do remember going on my first group date even though it ended up being another one on one date during the date when I was eighteen years old. That date was good experience. I do remember going to my first proper group date when I was nineteen years old and that was so much fun.

• I do remember having strong desires of really wanting to serve a full-time mission during my late teenage years. I remembered attending Mission Preparation Classes. I've made several friends from those Classes. Thank goodness, I still keep in contact with those friends time to time. 

• I've graduated Seminary when I was seventeen years old. I've started attending Institute when I was eighteen years old. I met a good handful of friends during the weeks that has led to months, and months led to years while I was Institute. Thank goodness, I still keep in contact with those friends time to time. 

• I remembered attending Schoolies/celebrating end of High School years when I was seventeen years old. I've met my female best friend and I've met a small handful of friends during that event. Thank goodness, I still keep in contact with those friends. 

• I remembered attending Church Devotionals and Church Firesides (similar to Devotionals) from when I was eighteen years old. 

• I remembered Church Dances, and Church Balls (similar to Dances but dressed up formally like Formal/Prom attire) from when I was sixteen years old. 

Stay Tuned.