“4 Elements of the Savior’s Perfect Atonement,” For the Strength of Youth, Apr. 2021, 18–19.
Come, Follow Me
4 Elements of the Savior’s Perfect Atonement
Jesus Christ’s Atonement is perfect for everyone, including you!
Illustrations by Corey Egbert
Have you ever wondered how Jesus Christ can save everyone who ever lived? What makes His atoning sacrifice work for everyone?
It all starts with the plan of salvation. Heavenly Father’s work is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life” of all His children—including you and me (Moses 1:39). But there are a couple of obstacles each of us must overcome to receive immortality and eternal life. Each one of us will die one day, so we’re not immortal. And each of us commits sin, which makes us unworthy of eternal life, or being in the presence of Heavenly Father and living as He lives.
Heavenly Father knew we’d face these obstacles, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to live, suffer for our sins, die, and be resurrected. We call this the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus Christ, all of us will be resurrected. And if we choose to repent, we can be made clean from our sins and return to Heavenly Father (see 2 Nephi 9:8–9; Alma 11:41–43).
None of us could do this for ourselves. Jesus Christ is the only person who could perform an atoning sacrifice for us, because it had to be done perfectly. But what do we mean when we say that His atoning sacrifice was perfect?
Here are four things that made the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, perfect.
1. His Divine Birth
Jesus Christ was born the Son of God (see Mosiah 3:5–8). He had a mortal mother and a divine Father. This meant that Christ would experience a mortal life and make choices for Himself, but He would also have God’s help and strength, as well as the power to be resurrected.
2. His Sinless Life
Jesus Christ did not sin during His life. He exercised His agency to choose obedience and righteousness instead of sin (see Mosiah 15:5; Doctrine and Covenants 19:24; 20:22). Because He lived a perfect life, His was a worthy sacrifice that could redeem others from sin.
3. His Suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross
In the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary, our Savior suffered the pains and sins of all who had ever lived (see Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19; Alma 7:11–14). Because of that suffering, Jesus Christ understands what you are feeling and experiencing—the good and the bad—and can help you through your trials.
4. His Death and Resurrection
After His suffering in the garden, Jesus Christ was taken, scourged, and crucified. He was rejected by His people despite His innocence (see Mosiah 3:9, Doctrine and Covenants 45:3–4). On the third day after His death, Jesus Christ was resurrected, the first person to do so on earth (see 1 Corinthians 15:20–22). He rose from the dead and received a perfect body. After His Resurrection, His Atonement for us was complete. Jesus has the power to help us overcome sin and death so that we can return to live with Heavenly Father (see Doctrine and Covenants 18:11–12; 20:23–26).
How Does Understanding This Help You?
Understanding how something happened can help us appreciate what happened. Because Jesus Christ fulfilled His foreordained mission through His divine birth, sinless life, suffering, death, and resurrection, He completed the perfect Atonement.
Jesus Christ’s Atonement was so perfect that He can redeem “not only those who believed after he came … in the flesh, but all those from the beginning” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:26). Everyone who has ever lived—that means you!—can choose to have faith, repent, make and keep covenants, and return to Heavenly Father.