Lesson 47

The Atonement of Jesus Christ (Part 2)

Introduction

The teaching materials for this doctrinal mastery topic are divided into two parts. In part 2, students will participate in a practice exercise to enhance their understanding of what they studied in part 1. They will also study paragraph 3.4 of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document and the truth that “as part of His Atonement, Jesus Christ not only suffered for our sins, but He also took upon Himself the pains, temptations, sicknesses, and infirmities of all mankind (see Isaiah 53:3–5; Alma 7:11–13).” In conjunction with this truth students will study the doctrinal mastery passage found in Isaiah 53:3–5. A doctrinal mastery cumulative review is included at the end of the lesson.

Note: You could teach the segments of this lesson in a single class session or over the course of several class sessions. If you choose to teach the segments over the course of several class sessions, you may need to briefly review with students what they learned in previous segments before you teach a new segment.

Suggestions for Teaching

The objective of Doctrinal Mastery

Elder Kim B. Clark of the Seventy taught, “Doctrinal Mastery is a program in seminary with three objectives: first, to help our students learn how to acquire spiritual knowledge; second, to help students know and understand the Savior’s doctrine—that means both to know true doctrine in their minds and to understand true doctrine in their hearts, and we want it to be deep in their hearts; and third, to help the students learn how to apply the doctrine in their lives, both to live it themselves and to use it to answer questions their friends may have or to teach and help others know the truth” (Kim B. Clark, “Doctrinal Mastery and Deep Learning,” [evening with a General Authority, Feb. 17, 2017], broadcasts.lds.org).

Practice Exercise (15 minutes)

Review with students the following principles from the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document: act in faith, examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective, and seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources.

Divide students into groups of two or three people. Provide each group with the following handout. Invite students to work in their groups to answer the questions on the handout and to be prepared to report their answers to the class.

(Note: You may want to adapt the following scenario according to your students’ experiences and needs and to substitute a name for Jose that is more common where you live.)

I Don’t Think God Will Ever Forgive Me

1. Ask a member of your group to read the following scenario aloud.

   Your friend Jose has been acting noticeably discouraged lately. Every time you ask him what is wrong, he responds by saying that he doesn’t want to talk about it. A few weeks later, he finally tells you that the reason he has been so sad lately is because he has been feeling guilty for some of the sins he has committed in his life.

   Jose tells you that he has tried to repent in the past but finds himself struggling with the same sins over and over. He tells you that he has given up on repenting and has begun committing even worse sins. Jose tells you, “The sins I have committed are so bad that God would never want me back. I don’t think He would ever forgive me.”

2. Discuss the following questions with your group:

   1. What are some ways that you could invite Jose to act in faith in order to overcome his guilt?

   2. What do you know about Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation that you could share with Jose to help him view his situation differently?

3. Study the following quotes as a group. Look for statements that you think could help Jose.

   Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

   

   “However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Laborers in the Vineyard,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 33).

   Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

   

   “Sometimes in our repentance, in our daily efforts to become more Christlike, we find ourselves repeatedly struggling with the same difficulties. As if we were climbing a tree-covered mountain, at times we don’t see our progress until we get closer to the top and look back from the high ridges. Don’t be discouraged. If you are striving and working to repent, you are in the process of repenting” (Neil L. Andersen, “Repent … That I May Heal You,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 41).

   President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency:

   

   “We have all seen a toddler learn to walk. He takes a small step and totters. He falls. Do we scold such an attempt? Of course not. What father would punish a toddler for stumbling? We encourage, we applaud, and we praise because with every small step, the child is becoming more like his parents.

   “Now … compared to the perfection of God, we mortals are scarcely more than awkward, faltering toddlers. But our loving Heavenly Father wants us to become more like Him, and … that should be our eternal goal too. God understands that we get there not in an instant but by taking one step at a time” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Four Titles,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 58).

   Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

   

   “God cares a lot more about who we are and who we are becoming than about who we once were. He cares that we keep on trying” (Dale G. Renlund, “Latter-day Saints Keep on Trying,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 56).

4. What words or phrases from these quotes could help Jose?

5. Can you think of any other divinely appointed sources, such as scriptures or conference talks, that could also help Jose?

© 2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

After students have finished their group discussion, invite them to share what they learned.

Understanding the Doctrine

Segment 1 (8 minutes)

Bring an umbrella to class, or display a picture of one.’

• What is the purpose of an umbrella? (To provide protection or a covering from rain or sunlight.)

Write the word kaphar on the board. Explain that “in Hebrew, the basic word for atonement is kaphar, a verb that means ‘to cover’ or ‘to forgive’” (Russell M. Nelson, “The Atonement,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 34).

• What can the Savior cover or shelter us from through His atoning sacrifice? (Write students’ answers on the board.)

• Why is Jesus Christ able to do this?

Invite students to turn to paragraph 3.4 in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. Ask a student to read the first sentence of this paragraph aloud. Invite the class to follow along, looking for what the Savior suffered as part of His Atonement.

• In addition to suffering for our sins, what else did the Savior experience as part of His atoning sacrifice? (Invite students to consider marking the following key statement of doctrine: As part of His Atonement, Jesus Christ not only suffered for our sins, but He also took upon Himself the pains, temptations, sicknesses, and infirmities of all mankind.)

Explain that because Jesus Christ took upon Himself all of our sins, pains, temptations, sicknesses, and infirmities, He can provide forgiveness, healing, strength, and comfort to us in all of our afflictions and trials.

Ask students which Old Testament doctrinal mastery passage helps teach this key statement of doctrine. After students respond, invite them to turn to Isaiah 53:3–5.

To help students understand the context of this passage, explain that Isaiah 53 contains a prophecy given through Isaiah about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice.

Invite a student to read Isaiah 53:3–5 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for Isaiah’s teachings about what the Savior would experience during His life and through His atoning sacrifice. Invite students to report what they found. Then invite them to consider marking this passage in a distinctive way so that they will be able to locate it more easily.

• In what ways was the Savior “despised and rejected of men … and acquainted with grief” (verse 3) during His mortal life?

• What do you think Isaiah meant, as recorded in verse 4, when he taught that the Savior “hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows”?

• How do you think that experiencing what He did during His life and through His Atonement influences the way that the Savior sees and feels about us?

Segment 2 (7 minutes)

Display the following statement by Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Invite a student to read the statement aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the Savior is able to do because of what He suffered through His atoning sacrifice.

“Jesus’ perfect empathy was ensured when, along with His Atonement for our sins, He took upon Himself our sicknesses, sorrows, griefs, and infirmities and came to know these ‘according to the flesh’ (Alma 7:11–12). He did this in order that He might be filled with perfect, personal mercy and empathy and thereby know how to succor us in our infirmities. He thus fully comprehends human suffering. Truly Christ ‘descended below all things, in that He comprehended all things’ (D&C 88:6)” (Neal A. Maxwell, “Enduring Well,” Ensign, Apr. 1997, 7).

• According to Elder Maxwell, what is Jesus Christ able to do because of what He suffered? (In addition to acknowledging students’ responses related to the Savior’s perfect mercy and empathy, be sure to point out that the Savior is also able “to succor us in our infirmities,” which refers to His ability to provide relief or aid to us in our suffering.)

• How does knowing that the Savior is “filled with perfect, personal mercy and empathy” impact your relationship with Him?

Ask students to think of times when they have felt that the Savior understood their suffering or provided relief to them in their personal trials. Invite a few students to share their experiences with the class (remind students that they should not share any experiences that are too sacred or private). Consider sharing an experience of your own.

Testify that because of the suffering He experienced through His atoning sacrifice, Jesus Christ has perfect empathy for us and can strengthen and comfort us through all of life’s difficulties.

Doctrinal Mastery Cumulative Review (10 minutes)

Give each student a copy of the following handout. Invite students to match the doctrinal mastery passages with their corresponding key phrases. Encourage students to match as many passages and phrases as they can in three minutes without using their scriptures. After three minutes, consider giving them two more minutes to use their scriptures or their Doctrinal Mastery Reference Guide to look up any scriptures they did not know the answer to. When time is up, go over the correct responses as a class.

Doctrinal Mastery Matching Activity

Proverbs 3:5–6 Isaiah 5:20 Moses 1:39 Abraham 3:22–23 Genesis 1:26–27 Joshua 24:15 Isaiah 1:18 Isaiah 53:3–5

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart … , and He shall direct thy paths.” “God created man in his own image.” “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.” If we repent, our sins will be “as white as snow.” Jesus Christ “[bore] our griefs” and suffered for our sins. Abraham was “chosen before [he was] born.” God’s “work and … glory [is] to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.”

© 2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Answers: (1) a, (2) c, (3) g, (4) f, (5) b, (6) h, (7) d, (8) e