Easter

(This lesson plan is a re-post from the lesson I made during the 2020 Book of Mormon course of study)

To watch the video on YouTube: Book of Mormon Easter Video

INTRODUCTION

In this lesson, we’re going to be referring to scriptures from all over the Book of Mormon. And you’ll notice that we've already discussed some of these verses in previous vides and we’ll hit some of them again in future lessons, but there is value in stepping back and taking a “Big Picture” look at what the Book of Mormon teaches about the Atonement. And does it have anything unique to add? In a word, much. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said: “Much of this doctrine [of the Atonement of Jesus Christ] has been lost or expunged from the biblical records. It is therefore of great consequence that the Book of Mormon prophets taught that doctrine in detail and with clarity.” (Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, 199).We are especially blessed as members of the church to have Latter-day scripture to help us better understand the restored doctrine of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

ICEBREAKER

There is an icebreaker that I often I like to use when I teach anything about the Atonement. I think it’s a good way to introduce the subject because, you are about to attempt to explain something that in many ways is unexplainable. The doctrine of the Atonement is so deep and far reaching and beyond our human comprehension that it’s difficult to plumb its depths and climb its heights. It’s like trying to wrap our mortal minds around the concept of infinity or a universe with no beginning or end. I don’t think any of us, really, truly understands exactly how the Atonement works. So, I sometimes like to use the analogy of the cell phone to explain this. So I pull out my cell phone and ask if anybody knows how it works. How am I able to use this small handheld object, constructed from the raw materials we can find lying on and in the earth to communicate with my friends and family—sometimes on the other side of the world. The fact that I can type a simple message, hit a button, and almost magically, they can see and respond to that message hundreds or even thousands of miles away, blows my mind. How can it store and play every song I’ve ever liked in my entire life, how can I watch television and movies, play a game of chess with somebody in Australia, and access the extent of the world’s knowledge in such a small package. How does that work? And usually, nobody can explain it, at least not very well. Sometimes I have somebody who’s a little more technically minded that may scrape together something about 1’s and 0’s and radio waves and such, but still, I’ve never really gotten a great answer to that question. Most of us, myself included, have no idea how a cell phone works. But then again, that’s not exactly true, is it? Come to think of it, I know exactly how a cell phone works. I push the on button, and then it does all these amazing things for me. To me, that’s kind of like the Atonement. I don’t think I could really explain exactly how it works, the ins and outs of its power, all the when’s and why’s. But I do know two things, I know how to access that power, and I know that it works. I know the on button, and I know it’s effectiveness in my life. We don’t have to understand all the mysteries of the Atonement in order to access its amazing power. We just have to "push the on button", and have faith in its ability to help us.

TRANSITION

That being said, this shouldn’t keep us from studying the Atonement and seeking to internalize its significance. I remember when I was younger, even into my teenage years, that I would hear adults and my parents and others speak or bear testimony of the Atonement and they would speak in such hushed tones, sometimes accompanied by tears, and a great sense of solemnity. And I’ll be honest with you. At that point, I didn’t get it. I could sense from the way that they spoke about it, that this was an important thing and that I should feel awed by it. But you can’t manufacture that feeling and connection out of nothing. It just seemed so personal to them, and it made me wonder how the suffering of one man in a garden hundreds of years ago could have such personal significance to people so many centuries later. Well, a lot has changed since then and I’ve had a few experiences and enlightening moments in my life that have helped me to connect on a deeper level with my Savior and Redeemer. In some measure, I get it now. I understand why they spoke about it the way they did, and I truly feel that sense of awe and amazement.  Now, if any of you can relate to this, my goal is to help you to find more personal meaning in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The best way to do that, is to connect your real-life experiences to the doctrines and truths of the Atonement—to liken the scriptures unto yourselves. And I’ll do that by asking you a series of personal questions. If you can answer yes to any of the following questions, then the Atonement is for you!

Have you ever lost a loved one?

Do you or does somebody you love suffer from any physical or mental illness, disability, or injury?

Have you ever sinned or wished for a release from guilt?

Do you experience difficult challenges, trials, or carry burdens in your life?

If you can answer yes, to any of these questions, I want you to know that the Atonement is there for you and can help you!

Let’s take each one in turn. Now, there are many ways that we can apply the Atonement in our life, but I would like to focus on these four aspects.

THE ATONEMENT OVERCOMES DEATH FOR ALL

So first question, Have you ever lost a loved one? Has the premature or sudden departure of somebody you love shattered your world or shaken your faith? Well, the atonement is there for you! Jesus performed many miracles in his life. He walked on water, he multiplied the bread and fish, he healed the leper, he cast out devils, he caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, and he even raised some people from the dead. But the greatest miracle Jesus Christ ever performed was raising himself from the dead. And because of Christ’s resurrection, you, and I, and all we know will also be raised from the dead.

The Book of Mormon helps us to understand the doctrine of the resurrection much more clearly. 

Alma 22:14

14 And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king.

When my mother died at age 57 we were devastated as a family. My father said that his faith was tested in a way it had never been tested before. Before then, resurrection was more of an abstract idea, but now that doctrine meant everything. Now, it needed to be true. Untimely death, war, murder, natural disaster, disease, and accident become almost unbearable tragedies without the hope of the resurrection. I love how Alma refers to it as the sting of death. If you’ve ever been stung by a bee or insect, you know how painful that can be. It’s a sharp, pulsating, burning pain. But, with time, eventually it subsides. The effects are not permanent. This is somewhat like the death of those we love. Those of us who are left behind, are stung, and it hurts, dreadfully. But the effects of that sting are not eternal. Jesus Christ has defeated the grave. And as difficult as that pain is, it is swallowed up in the hopes of glory. The faith we have that we will see, and have, and hold our loved ones again keeps us going and soothes the ache of that sting like an antiseptic. Death is a temporary separation, not an eternal one.

Another doctrine that is beautifully clarified by the Book of Mormon is that everybody will be resurrected. There is no single individual  all human history that will not receive that gift and that victory over death.

2 Nephi 9:22

22 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.

And Alma 11:44

44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous;

And Alma 40:4

4 Behold, there is a time appointed that all shall come forth from the dead. Now when this time cometh no one knows; but God knoweth the time which is appointed.

Therefore, there is no need to fear that there will be people you will never see again. As difficult as it was to lose my mother, I find real comfort and hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I can honestly tell you that there have been times when I’ve felt her close to me. I know she is not really gone. Her presence, her spirit, her personality, her love are really not that far away, and I have felt that. And one day, I know that I will turn around and there she will be, and we will embrace, and cry, and talk, and enjoy each other’s company once again.  Joseph Smith spoke of what that moment may be like: So plain was the vision, that I actually saw men, before they had ascended from the tomb, as though they were getting up slowly. They took each other by the hand and said to each other, "My father, my son, my mother, my daughter, my brother, my sister." And when the voice calls for the dead to arise, suppose I am laid by the side of my father, what would be the first joy of my heart? To meet my father, my mother, my brother, my sister; and when they are by my side, I embrace them and they me.

It is my meditation all the day, and more than my meat and drink, to know how I shall make the Saints of God comprehend the visions that roll like an overflowing surge before my mind. All your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection, provided you continue faithful. By the vision of the Almighty I have seen it.

"Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,• 295-296"

I find great hope and solace in Joseph’s promise that all our losses will be made up in the resurrection, provided we continue faithful. We may lose a lot of things in this life, loved ones, health, comfort, opportunities, even happiness. The resurrection is the great equalizer. All those things are not really lost. They are just being held in reserve for a future date. The Resurrection opens the doors of those blessings to us once again. So, until that day, I find hope and solace in the Resurrection of Christ, and I pray that you will too.

RESTORED TO ITS PROPER AND PERFECT FRAME

My second question: Do you or does somebody you love suffer from any physical or mental illness, disability, or injury? Then the Atonement is for you! Another comforting truth of the atonement and resurrection is the promise that not only will we overcome death, but the way in which we will overcome it. We will not be resurrected to just return again to a mortal, imperfect body, but rather, a glorified, perfect, and immortal body. The Book of Mormon clarifies this:

Alma 11:43-44

43 The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.

44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but everything shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.

I like those two P words that describe the condition in which we’ll find our resurrected bodies. Their Proper and Perfect Frame. Many of us suffer from diseases, illnesses and injuries, and our bodies bear the scars and impacts of those things until we die. Some carry these things from the day they are born. Some suffer from mental disabilities, social disorders, and emotional distresses. Will we continue to face these things in the next life? No. Our bodies will be restored to their proper and perfect form. All diseases we have suffered will no longer  afflict us. All disabilities will be gone. Injuries, scars, emotional traumas, all will be swallowed up and overcome by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Remember that Joseph Smith promised that "all [our] losses will be made up . . in the resurrection.” The loss of our perfect health will be one of them. I consider myself very fortunate that, at this time, I have not been called to bear much in the way of physical ailments, but I realize that could change at any time. I do suffer from debilitating migraines on occasion though. Though nothing, I’m sure, compared to what many of you face, they are miserable, and I tell you, I can’t wait for the day when I will not need to worry about those anymore. When I receive my resurrected body, that will not be a part of the package. I look forward to that. And we will all have this experience! Whatever you face, or your loved ones face, will be healed! Jesus was the great healer in life, and continues to be the great healer through his death, and resurrection. Deformities, blindness, asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, ADHD, depression, Multiple Sclerosis, Autism, PTSD, everything from the most serious, to the most common, from the physical to the mental, from the short lived, to the chronic, the resurrection will prevail overall. It’s the great panacea, the universal cure.

FORGIVENESS

My next question. Have you ever sinned or wished for a release from guilt? Have you ever needed a release from the burden and weight of past transgression and wished you could just make that pain go away?  The Atonement is for you! The power of Christ’s Atonement makes it possible for you to be forgiven. The first two questions I asked focused on giving us hope through some future blessing that will be available to us after this mortal life. The great thing about these last two questions is that they are blessings available to us now, in this life. And this first one, the supreme gift of forgiveness.

The Book of Mormon is a book all about forgiveness. It’s all over its pages. I would argue that it is one of the major themes of the Book of Mormon. Story after story of individuals being forgiven. We have Nephi, Enos, the people of King Benjamin, Alma the Elder, Alma the Younger, King Lamoni, his wife, his father, the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s, Corianton, the guards that imprison Nephi and Lehi, and on and on and on. The pages of the Book of Mormon abound with beautiful descriptions of forgiveness. Here are a few of my favorites:

When Enos prayed for forgiveness, he received it and says:

Enos 1:6

6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.

Christ’s atonement can sweep guilt away. As if he’s standing there with a giant broom encouraging us to allow him to sweep away the guilt and the pain and the sorrow of our sins. To make the floor of our souls spotless and clean again.

Another,

Mosiah 26:22

22 For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive.

Not only do we believe in a God that can forgive sins, but a God who forgives freely. What a phenomenal word! Freely, as in readily, eagerly, quickly, willingly, abundantly. God loves to forgive his children. He’s a good father. Imagine if your child walked into you, very humbly and said, Dad, I’ve done something wrong, and I want to fix it. I want to be good. Will you help me? Can you imagine a father turning that child away, getting angry with him, or showing disappointment or disapproval? Not a good father. And our Father is the best Father. No, you would help them, you would counsel them, you would give them hope and the ability to make things right. As a bishop, when people come in to confess sins to me, that’s how I try to approach it. Like a good father, helping his beloved children to get back on the path of happiness and righteousness.

Another,

Mosiah 26:30

30 Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.

That’s a reassuring message! As often as my people repent. Sometimes I get the feeling that people expect the overcoming of sins to be easy, cold turkey, I’m done with this problem and I’m never going to struggle with it again. Now sometimes it can and should work that way. But for most things, overcoming sin, habits, addictions, chronic spiritual problems can sometimes take time. That’s not an excuse but a reality. We must never get discouraged with ourselves and our efforts to change. God certainly won’t get discouraged with us. He doesn't give up on those who are trying, who are learning, who are pushing themselves to be better, that hunger and thirst after righteousness. God asks us to forgive other people until seventy times seven and I believe that God would never ask of us something that He was not willing to do himself. I believe he offers us forgiveness, until seventy times seven.

Also,

Alma 24:11

The Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s describe themselves before they were converted unto the Lord. They say :

11 And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain

They say that they were the most lost of all mankind, and yet, the Atonement was able to take away their stain. I think the message is clear, if God can forgive “the most lost of all mankind”, certainly he can forgive us.

And how can we forget Alma the Younger’s description of his forgiveness:

Alma 36:19-21

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

Do you see the power of the Atonement there? Do you feel the power of the atonement there. It changes everything. Bitterness to sweet, pain to peace, misery to joy, darkness to light. A complete transformation. The atonement has the power to cleanse and free your soul completely. Though not a verse found in the Book of Mormon, sometimes we struggle with the promise from Isaiah 1:18 which says, "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” I’ve heard my dad refer to this idea as “Pink People”. These are those who feel that they can be forgiven but that they can never become what they could have been had they not sinned. That Christ couldn’t make their scarlet and crimson sins as white as snow or wool, but just a nice shade of pink. Well, there are no pink people out there. If you have been forgiven, you have been forgiven. The worthiness of your soul stands as if you had never committed the sin in the first place. If God could make the kind of missionary and prophet that he did out of an Alma the Younger, he can certainly forgive your sins and allow you to live up to the fullest of your divine destiny. Sometimes we struggle to forgive ourselves, and to those people I plead “Give Christ the victory over your sins!” I know I’ve felt the power of forgiveness in my life. We all need it. I am not a perfect man, just ask my wife and family, but I find great comfort in the fact that my sins can not only be forgiven, but forgotten. I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me.

PAINS, SICKNESSES, AFFLICTIONS, INFIRMITIES OF EVERY KIND

The last question.  Do you experience difficult challenges, trials, or burdens in your life? Now these are the kinds of burdens that come to us not because of the improper use of our agency, or bad choices, but the burdens and challenges of life.

I feel that one of the most important and illuminating references on the Atonement anywhere is found in Alma 7. If you’ve ever wanted to understand exactly what the atonement entailed, these verses explain it best. You may remember that Jesus compared his atonement to a bitter cup. Like drinking a cup full of something very bitter, like vinegar. Well, what was in that cup? What exactly was he experiencing during his atonement? See if you can find the 8 different words that describe what he was feeling. You should come up with the following: Pains, Afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, death, infirmities, sins, and transgressions. And not only certain kinds of pains and afflictions and temptations, but pains and afflictions, and temptations “of every kind”. That would be physical, social, mental, and emotional pains and afflictions. I think we often focus on the fact that Jesus paid for our sins and transgressions, which he did, but sometimes we forget that he also felt all of our pains, sicknesses, and infirmities too.

And the next question that these verses answer is why? Why did take these things upon himself? Can you see any answers to that question.

In vs. 11 that the word might be fulfilled. So one, to fulfill prophesy.

In vs. 12 that he may loose the bands of death.

That his bowels may be filled with mercy

That he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people

And in vs. 13, that he might take upon him the sins of his people

And that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance

I’m very intrigued by that 4th reason. I’ve often asked myself, why would Jesus suffer my pains and my sicknesses. I understand him suffering for my sins and transgressions, that makes sense to me—that he pays the full price of justice for my errors to make me right with God again. But why my pains and sicknesses? Don’t I still feel those? How does him feeling them, help me. And at least part of the answer to that question lies in that verse. One, so that his bowels may be filled with mercy. Ultimately Jesus is going to be our judge. And he needs to be the perfect judge. Somebody in a court of law could possibly point to the judge after their sentencing and say, how dare you judge me this way, you don’t know me, you don’t know what I’ve been through, you don’t know what it’s like to be in my shoes. And they would be right. A judge can’t know those things for sure, they make their judgment based on the best information that they have. But this judgment concerns the eternity of God’s precious souls. This has to be fair. So who is going to do the judging in this case. Somebody that knows you better than you know yourself. Somebody that not only knows what your struggles were like, but has actually been through your struggles, has felt your pains, your trials, your temptations. The atonement makes Jesus the perfect judge. The most fair judge to ever take the stand. It's comforting to me to know that somebody who truly knows me and everything about me will be holding the gavel. I don’t imagine anybody arguing with the judgments he pronounces. They will be uttered with the perfect balance of justice and mercy. All will recognize the fairness and the rightness and the wisdom of his judgments.

Another reason, that he may know how to succor his people according to their infirmities. The word succor is an interesting word. It comes from Latin. The root words for succor suggest running and help, or rescue. In other words, Jesus felt these things so that he would know how to run to help you.  There are two kinds of "I understand’” one can speak. If one of the youth from my ward came to my office and said “Bishop Wilcox, I’m really struggling right now, my parents are going through a divorce, do you have any counsel that might help me”. And in that situation I might say with great sympathy, oh, I’m so sorry, I understand that that must be very difficult.” And I would do my very best to counsel them through that difficulty. But of course, they could look at me and say, really, do you really understand, how could you, you haven’t been through it have you? And I would have to say No, you’re right, but I can imagine how difficult it would be. On the other hand, if that same youth went and spoke to my Dad, and told him the same thing, He could look back at them and say “Oh, I understand that’s difficult”. And his “I understand" would be different than mine”. Why? Because that did happen to him when he was young. He does know what that is like. Which of the two “I understand’s” is more powerful, do you think? The second right. It’s the difference between sympathy and empathy. Which of the two did Jesus want to be able to say to you? He wanted to be able to say, “I understand”. And you know what, I actually think there is a third type of “I understand”, Jesus’s I understand is even more than empathy. It’s not just that he understands because he’s been through something similar, it’s that he has actually been through exactly what we have been through. He has suffered our specific pains, and sicknesses, and infirmities. It’s the most perfect “I understand” that can ever be uttered by the lips of another mortal.

And there is an interesting phrase that keeps coming up in there. According to the flesh. Jesus knows our pains according to the flesh. Look at vs. 13. It starts by saying “Now the Spirit knoweth all things, nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh. What I think that means is that Jesus could have understood our pains through the power of the Spirit, that the Spirit could have communicated that understanding to him. But, for Jesus, he didn’t want to just understand on a spiritual level. He wanted to understand according to the flesh. Completely, absolutely, and in all it’s awful reality. Jesus understands, like no one else. Therefore, turn to him for help. He can offer help, and he will run to offer it.

How is that help offered? I think it can be offered through inspired church leaders, it can be offered through loving friends and family sent by God to help us, it can be offered through the scriptures, it can be offered by actual angels sent to us from beyond the veil, it can be offered through the comforting presence of the Holy Ghost. It can also be offered by an actual lifting, or easing of our burdens.

One great example of this is Limhi’s people who are in bondage to the Lamanites and when they humble themselves and cry unto God for help, the scriptures say:

15 And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage.

The Lord was able to ease their burdens. Now he doesn’t free them from them, at least not at this time, that comes later, but he helps them, and supports them through their trials. I believe this is possible through the power of the atonement.

Later in Mosiah 24, Alma’s people are also in bondage to the Lamanites, and they pray for deliverance. Their answer from God:

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

God can do this for us as well. We too can lift up our heads as He eases our burdens, makes them lighter and strengthens us to bear up under them cheerfully and with patience.

And let’s not forget that Alma promised that:

Alma 36:3

3 And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

Christ’s atonement is not just about forgiving sins, it’s about divine help in times of need. Because he felt our burdens, he is able to ease them for us, and strengthen us in them.

I too have felt that comforting and easing power in my life. At one point on my mission, I was feeling very discouraged and down. I was struggling with the language, my companion, and the work. I was so far away from home in an unfamiliar place and really felt 100% alone. I remember looking around the apartment in the dark and I felt so cold, and I could almost sense the adversary laughing at me. Well, I remember crawling out of my bed and kneeling down and praying to God for help, that I didn’t feel that I could do this on my own. And as I knelt there, it was like somebody put a warm blanket around my shoulders and around my heart. It was as if the apartment filled with his light, even though I was kneeling in darkness. And it was at that moment that I knew that I was going to be ok. That I was going to get through that because I didn’t have to do it alone. The next day and the rest of my mission was different. He eased my burden and strengthened my shoulders. I never felt that darkness and discouragement again. The power of Christ’s atonement fortified me. I felt that he walked with me and lifted me.

To me, that’s the most wonderful thing about the Atonement. The way it makes me feel. It’s not necessarily a mind-driven doctrine, but a heart driven one. If you’ve spent any amount of time with me as a teacher, you know I love symbolism and metaphor. One of my favorite metaphors for the atonement is all over the Book of Mormon. See if you can discover what it is by searching the following scriptures:

2 Nephi 1:15

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.

Alma 5:33

33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.

Alma 34:16

16 And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.

And

Mormon 5:11

11 For I know that such will sorrow for the calamity of the house of Israel; yea, they will sorrow for the destruction of this people; they will sorrow that this people had not repented that they might have been clasped in the arms of Jesus.

What is the Book of Mormon’s symbol for the atonement? An embrace from Christ. It’s his way of reaching out to us and enfolding us in his arms. So there he stands, arms extended, and inviting you to come unto him. So this Easter, my hope and prayer for you is that you will allow yourself to be clasped in the arms of Jesus. He’s running to help you, arms wide, to overcome your pains, your sicknesses, your infirmities, your temptations, your sins, your transgressions, even death itself. And just like the people of 3 Nephi, I believe that there will come a day when we all will have that same experience, that we literally, and not just spiritually will, one by one,  be embraced by the Savior.  Until that day, I encourage you to rely on the merits, and the mercy, and the grace of the Holy Messiah. May the miraculous power of the Atonement be a personal, meaningful, heart-centered doctrine this Easter and every day of the year.