Come, Follow Me
What is the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

What is the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

The Atonement is the sacrifice Jesus Christ made to help us overcome sin, adversity, and death. Jesus’s atoning sacrifice took place in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary. He paid the price for our sins, took upon Himself death, and was resurrected. The Atonement is the supreme expression of the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

The Atonement is the most important event in the history of mankind. What was the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ? What does the Atonement mean to you?

What do the young women know about what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross? What can they discover from the scriptures to deepen their testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ? What can they teach each other?

What can the young women do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior used scriptures to teach about His mission. He taught people to think about scriptures for themselves. What can you do to help the young women use the scriptures to understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our class: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our responsibilities: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the class of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a class presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the class; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help class members understand the doctrine.

  • Invite the young women to review President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives” and find scriptures that include things the Savior said or did. What do we learn about the Savior from these scriptures? What counsel did President Nelson give to help us draw the Savior’s power into our lives? Invite the young women to think of ways they can accept the challenge that President Nelson gave to the young adults of the Church. Invite the young women to commit to the things they choose to do. Plan a future time when they can share experiences they have had with studying about the Savior.

  • Ask the young women to match an event that happened during the last few hours of the Savior’s life with scripture references in Matthew 26–28 (such as the suffering in Gethsemane, the betrayal, the trials of Christ, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection; for depictions of these events, go to biblevideos.ChurchofJesusChrist.org or the Gospel Art Book). What do the young women learn about the Savior and His Atonement from these events? Invite a few class members to share their feelings about the Savior.

  • Ask the young women what they learn about the Savior and the Atonement from His final words on the cross (see Luke 23:34, 39–43, 46; John 19:26–30) or from His account of His suffering (see Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19).

  • Invite the young women to read 2 Nephi 9:6–26 or watch one or more of the videos in this outline and listen for what they learn about the need for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Give time for several young women to share the verses they selected and what they teach. Encourage them to write a letter to someone who does not believe in God and use these verses to explain why the Savior’s Atonement is important and why we need a Savior. Ask them to share their letters with each other.

  • Ask the young women to list on the board some trials, challenges, or sicknesses that people face. Invite them to read Alma 7:11–13 and selections from Sister Carole M. Stephens’s talk “The Master Healer.” What do the young women learn about the Atonement from these resources? How do we access the power of the Atonement to help us during times of trial? (see Mosiah 24:12–14). Ask the young women to consider ways they can share what they have learned about the Atonement to help with the trials they listed on the board.

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young women to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a class to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young women a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young women that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.