The Need for a Redeemer

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"It is undeniably essential in the eternal progression of God's Children that they be subjected to the influences of both good and evil, that they be tried and tested and proved withal, "to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them." ...Agency is an indispensable element of such a test."

James E. Talmage, Jesus The Christ

I talked last week about the Antemortal Christ and the war in Heaven. This week's first reading was The Need for a Redeemer, Chapter 3 of James E. Talmage's Jesus the Christ. I also changed my study notebook chapter to include Jesus Christ, Redeemer instead of Foreordination.  I will work towards the Foreordination chapter in my notebook with another chapter. I felt like the Redeemer section fit well with the Need for a Redeemer chapter in Jesus the Christ.

Part of my Study of Christ readings this week was Mormon 9:12: "Behold, he created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man."

The fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden introduced sin into a perfect world. When they were led out of the garden, they were led away from the peace the garden gave.  They were led out into a world with thorns and weeds, both among plants and animals. Because of that sin, we are a fallen people. In order to return to the Savior's presence, we must be redeemed from that fall.  According to the 2nd Article of Faith, We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression. We are not responsible for the mistakes that Adam and Eve made in the garden, we are only responsible for the sins/mistakes that we make in our own lives.  But because we will naturally make mistakes, Heavenly Father needed a way for us to make it back to him.

The Savior's atonement brought about 2 different things for each of us.

1. Opportunity for resurrection for all man kind.
2. Opportunity for redemption from sin for all that seek it.

So here is my understanding... Everyone who was born will enjoy the blessings or the resurrection, the time when our spirits and bodies will be reunited in perfected forms. Everyone gets that, no matter what choices are made.  Anyone who seeks forgiveness for sins and mistakes has the opportunity for redemption. But you have to seek that redemption in order to get it.

It is a very simplified explanation.

"He was given commandment and law, and was free to obey or disobey - with the just an inevitable condition that he should enjoy or suffer that natural results of his choice."

So we are given commandments, we can choose to follow them or not. Through that choice, we choose our own consequences, good or bad.

"there being either in heaven or earth no name save that of Jesus Christ whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, "every soul stands in need of the Savior's mediation, since all are sinners."

Everyone of us on this earth is in need of the Savior's redemption.  Talmage further points out that not only is everyone in need of it, but that the resurrection comes to all, "even the heathen who have not known God."

It has always touched me that the Savior, when he suffered in Gethsemane, suffered for all of us, even if we never take the time to take advantage of that offering.  His sweat was as drops of blood from every pore, his pain was so great. He suffered the pains, the hurts, the griefs, the sins, the consequences of our sins. He suffered it all, even for those who do not believe in Him. For the murderer, for the thief, for the abuser, He suffered. But he also suffered for the murdered, the robbed and the abused.  He suffered for those who may never make use of the redemption that can come through Him. He willingly gave His life for me and would have done it for only me if needed.

Talmage closes his chapter with the following quote: "A Redeemer and Savior of mankind is beyond all question essential to the realization of the plan of the Eternal Father, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man"; and that redeemer and Savior is Jesus the Christ, beside who there is an can be none other."

Another thing that is discussed in the notes of the chapter is the idea of the tree that was forbidden to eat from in the Garden. The concept of the Word of Wisdom tied in with Adam and Eve's time in the Garden was a new one for me.  They were told they could eat from all the trees, except that one. They were given good things to enjoy, good food to eat, but were also to avoid other foods.  In the Word of Wisdom in Doctrine and Covenants section 89, we are given foods we can eat, but also foods that we cannot eat, just like Adam and Eve.  Will the foods that we are told not to eat kill us tomorrow if we do eat them... probably not. But we are given commandments to prove ourselves. There are health benefits to avoiding certain foods. I thought it was an interesting connection that I myself have never made before.

There was a lot in the Study of Christ notebook today. Some of the scriptures I have already included were from those.  My favorite is this one: Doctrine and Covenants 138:3-4: "And the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world; That through his atonement, and by obedience to the principles of the gospel, mankind might be saved."

There in, for me, lies the greatest of messages that I can share.  Because out Father in Heaven loves us so much, with a 'great and wonderful' love, He sent His son to suffer and die for us, that we can be both resurrected and redeemed from the grasps of Satan. That love ...  Doctrine and Covenants Section 19:16-18:

16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

I want you to just take a minute and think about that... He came and He suffered so that we wouldn't have to suffer.  He suffered so much he trembled because of pain, bled at every pore and wanted to quit... But He kept going because that was what was asked of Him.  And verse 19: "Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men."

Jesus the Christ came to this world because WE needed a redeemer. He was perfect, He lived a perfect life, we needed a redeemer because we are not perfect.  He can make up the difference.  In D&C 18:11 it talks about how Christ suffered pain of all men that ALL men MIGHT repent and come unto Him.  He suffered so that we could, to give us the choice to make it back.  We are responsible for making that choice, each day as we decide which path we want to take.

In conclusion, like Lehi of old in speaking to his children in 2nd Nephi 1:15 "But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love."

We have been given a tremendous gift in our lives.  We can choose to leave it sitting under the tree and never open it, or we can take it each day and open it over and over again. the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.  Oh what a gift that is.